Suzette and son James out for a hike / run to acclimatise
TRAIL
We arrived at our first overnight stop at Besishahar , roughly 180km from Kathmandu , having taken over seven hours , although we had several rest-stops on the way . Besishahar is at the start of the full Circuit , although many trekkers continue along the road towards the mountains in 4x4 vehicles , alighting at various villages along the way , depending on their itinerary . The town lies at an elevation of about 800 metres and several of the large mountains in the Annapurna range can be seen from the higher slopes of the town . ( Besishahar shook during the massive April 2015 earthquake , but it largely escaped the devastation suffered in other parts of Nepal .)
The next day , we boarded two 4x4s . We were very crammed in the vehicles , as we not only had our porters and guides with us , but also all our equipment and gear , for both the run and the climb . Later that day , we had the dubious pleasure of ‘ stretching our legs ’ for the first time after our long flights and period of exercise inactivity in Kathmandu . We covered approximately 10km at a gentle pace , and it was noticeable how quickly we became out of breath because of the altitude ( and our stiff legs ). There were plenty of opportunities to stop and admire several stunning waterfalls , and James even cooled off in the water of a large pool at the bottom of the largest waterfall on the route . For the rest of us , the water was far too cold , emanating as it did from the glaciers higher up the snow-covered mountains !
Cold in the Himalayas
The following day , we drove / hiked to a village called Pisang , lying at an altitude of 3200m in the Marshyangdi Valley . The hike / run this time was short , about 5km , as we wanted to make progress and reach Pisang , although we had a wonderful top at the hot springs at Jagat , which soothed our muscles and limbs . The roads twisted and skirted round the sides of hills , with dramatic drops down into the valleys below us , and as we were packed like sardines , it wasn ’ t the most comfortable of journeys , but the spectacular scenery more than made up for any discomfort . The track was single lane in many places , and often we had to reverse to allow oncoming vehicles to pass safely . We just shut our eyes at the sheer drops to the valleys below us . It was a drive not for the faint-hearted ! be at Tilicho Lake , nestling at approximately 5100m elevation . There was beautiful scenery all around , and we were all having fun and gelling nicely as a team . We noted how much colder it was at the higher altitude , noticeably soon after the sun disappeared mid-afternoon behind the high mountains above the town . Fortunately , our lodge had a fire and stove , which warmed our bodies .
The accommodation was very basic – a room with a bed , including a mattress and blanket , although we mostly slept in our sleeping bags to stay warm , as temperatures at night approached zero . There was a basic toilet , and a communal shower that took some time to learn how to operate , but the warm wash did wonders for morale , clearing the grime from our bodies after the dusty ride in the 4x4s . As staying warm was our preferred option , we were frequently in bed very early .
We all had an appetite , if only to keep out the cold . The food was excellent : Tibetan bread , fried rice , soups , potatoes , momos ( Nepali dumplings ), apple pancakes and traditional local dishes comprising
Waterfalls and narrow roads , typical of Nepal
potato curry , dahl lentils or Sherpa stew . Wholesome , healthy and hot ! There were also ‘ Western ’ style choices on the menus , as in pizzas , French fries , burgers and such , but we preferred to eat what the locals ate , as it seemed to keep them relatively healthy , robust and warm . The local beers were also a treat , and went down well with our supper . However , we did notice that the more we gained in altitude , the more expensive everything became .
Taking the Mountains In
The next day was a terrific trekking day . After a hearty breakfast , Apollo led us on part of his planned marathon route that avoided the main road , leaving Pisang on a single track . This day ’ s distance was about 16km , and we took a high route on the hillsides , the main road being lower down in the depths of the valley . We passed through Upper Pisang , and passed a turquoise lake that was very scenic . We saw the lower slopes of Pisang Peak – the higher slopes were covered in cloud – and on the other side of the main valley , the majestic ridges and profiles Annapurna II , III and IV , Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak all came into view .
Suspended bridges over rivers is another common sight in Nepal
Pisang was scheduled to be the finishing point of our marathon route , the start of which was planned to
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