Future travelplans - Meine weiteren Reisepläne

Back from the Annapurna Circuit, I just finished planing my trip to Mt. Everest Basecamp and around. Almost three weeks of trekking, several passes and two summits. The trip as planned starts with a

• Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2840m) - the alternative means travelling, mostly trekking - for 6 days
• Lukla to Namche Bazaar (3440m)
• Namche Bazaar to Thame (3800m)
• From Thame on Sunder Peak (5398m) and back
• Thame to Lugdhen (4380m)
• From Lughden over Renjo Pass (5360m) to Gokyo (4790m)
• From Gokyo on Gokyo Ri (5357m), back and further to Dragnag (4700m)
• From Dragnag over Cho La Pass (5368m) to Lobuche (4910m)
• Lobuche over Kala Pathar (5550m) to Everest Basecamp (5364m)
• From Everest Basecamp back to Lobuche
• From Lobuche over Kongma Pass (5535m) to Chhukhung (4730m)
• Chhukhung over Ambulapoche Pass (5839m) to Baruntse Basecamp (5400m)
• Baruntse Basecamp to Mera Basecamp (5350m)
• Mera Basecamp to Masom Kharka (3691m)
• From Masom Kharka back to Lukla
• Back to Kathmandu - depending how long it took me I´ll either trek back to Jiri and take a bus to Kathmandu from there or I´ll fly back to Kathmandu. I´ll see.

I talked with an experienced Trekker about the route and he considers it doable without any problems. And expect for the last part I hardly doubt I´ll be ever alone for longer than an hour.

Then, I´m heading to China. after all, I have to meet a friend in Beijing in early April - time is so running, it´s incredible and I just don´t want to believe it. But well, I have to face the hard facts. So today I headed to the chinese embassy and in a few hours I´ll collect my visa (I payed for the urgent visa), extend my visa for Nepal, book a flight to Lukla - and to Beijing. Apparentely it´s almost impossible and ridiciously expensive to visit Tibet as an individual, solitary traveller - so I might skip Tibet in favour of mainland China.

 Und hier das Ganzeauf Deutsch:

Ich werde mich in den nächsten Tagen auf den Weg zum  Mt. Everest Basecamp machen und dort gute 14 Tage in den Bergen verbringen. Die geplante Route ist:

• Flug nach Lukla (2840m) - die Alternative dauert 6 Tage
• Lukla nach Namche Bazaar (3440m)
• Namche Bazaar nach Thame (3800m)
• Von Thame auf den Sunder Peak (5398m) und retour
• Thame nach Lugdhen (4380m)
• Von Lughden über den Renjo Pass (5360m) nach Gokyo (4790m)
• Von Gokyo auf den Gokyo Ri (5357m), retour und weiter nach Dragnag (4700m)
• Von Dragnag über den Cho La Pass (5368m) nach Lobuche (4910m)
• Lobuche über Kala Pathar (5550m) zum Everest Basecamp (5364m)
• Everest Basecamp zurück nach Lobuche
• Von Lobuche über den Kongma Pass (5535m) nach Chhukhung (4730m)
• Chhukhung über den Ambulapoche Pass (5839m) zum Baruntse Basecamp (5400m)
• Baruntse Basecamp zum Mera Basecamp (5350m)
• Mera Basecamp nach Masom Kharka (3691m)
• Masom Kharka zurück nach Lukla
• Von Lukla werde ich, je nachdem wie lange ich tatsächlich für den Trek gebraucht habe entweder nach Jiri trekken und von dort den Bus nach Kathmandu nehmen oder direkt nach Kathmandu fliegen.

Ich habe heute mit einem Himalayaveteranen aus Tirol kurz die Route besprochen und sie ist ohne größere Schwierigkeiten (wenn man die dünne Luft in der Höhe beiseite läßt, sprich für das Himalayagebiet) machbar. Und bis auf den letzten Teil der Route bin ich immer in einem sehr touristischen gebiet unterwegs, sprich die Stunde allein mit den Bergen wird eher selten sein.

Danach geht es weiter nach China, immerhin treffe ich dort Anfang April eine Freundin auf ein Bier. Ich werde wahrscheinlich von Kathmandu direkt nach Peking fliegen und China von dort aus erkunden. Tibet scheint im Moment für Individualreisende extrem schwierig und teuer zu sein, wahrscheinlich werde ich mehr Zeit in China selbst verbringen und Tibet ein ander Mal besuchen. Auch Russland werde ich etwas straffen müssen. Aber das hat ja noch Zeit.

Trekking around the Annapurnas - some notes, a kind of diary (part1)

As requested by a certain – I quote „biker bitch“ - I took some notes during my trek around the Annapurnas, to write a day to day report, something resembling a diary. So, here it is, an 100% objective, neutral report on my 12 days of trekking.

17-02: Pokhara to Nayapol to Sudame

Start into the adventure. Amelia, my faithful, trusted and longtime travel companion and I finally arrive in the Annapurna Conservation Area. A little bit late. Just a little bit – around the time you usually start looking for accommodation for the night. But this happens if someone from your team still has to get some gear the day of departure ans there´s real coffee available. And if this travel companion is by now several 100 km away, you also get to read this. Anyhow, by afternoon we started or ride in an aged local bus from Pokhara to Nayapul, on a narrow, bumpy street, winding up the mountain. Well, hill. In Nepal, Poon Hill at 3200m of altitude is still considered a hill. Mountains are something else here. The ride was curvaceous. Crazy. Fun.

Finally, after more than two hours in the bus – not exactly the very definition of fast – we arrived

in Nayapol, to start the trekking. Not that we did get very far – in Sudame we found a nice guest house, covered with flowers, where we spent the night.

My stomach is still upset from the food poisoning, but at least I don´t tremble anymore. And it is my body, so I set the rules. Not that it gets strange ideas, like having a say. So, light food and bathroom visits. And going trekking.

18-02: Sudame to Nangethanti

First real, full trekking day. We still have to get into the rhythm, we start rather later, enjoying breakfast. Well, we, but my stomach not so much. He strongly disagrees with some of the foods and drinks, sending them back just a little bit later. Not that this would stop me.

The first part of the trek, until crossing the bridge at Tikhedhunga is nice and gentle, walking into the Valley, past traditional farms surrounded by terraces and through villages catering for tourists´ needs. Then, the trails becomes unforgiving. Thousands of steep, irregular, merciless stone steps uphill. No shadow but by a very few, lonely trees. We´re talking noon. Hell noon. The steps seem endless. And the son quite comfortable at shining with all its power. Survival of the fittest. So we walked. Climbed. Just continued. Looking at one of pictures I took – but are not allowed to publish – my sympathy ratings were at a historical low and my life expectation rapidly shrinking.

Finally, we reached Ulleri, the end of the steep steps. Relief – the worst is over. Everything that would follow for today would be comparatively gentle.

Amelia´s body is aching, legs and butt are hurting. But no real complains, and she moves on. First real trekking ever for her - and we´re on one of the most strenuous parts of the Annapurna trail. Pushes further.

The landscape changes, we´re now entering a lush, magic forest. It makes one think of Dwarfs and Elves, fairytale, Lord of the Ring. Thick underwood. Mighty trees covered with moose and lichen reaching into the sky. When the night falls in, a few hundred meters before Nangethanti, the place we planned to spend the night – well, we didn´t know we were that close – she reaches her physical limits. The body is mutinying. A little meltdown. But then, just a few minutes later, she moves on. Willpower and stubborness take over. That´s what I call a brave mountain girl and real achievement.

Myself, I still haven´t come to terms with my stomach and my digestive system, so it´s time for antibiotics. I don´t like to take them, but after almost 4 days, there´s no real choice.