Trek Annapurna I

Traditions and spirituality

The alarm goes off at 5:30 am: followed by a quick but satisfying breakfast, and then we leave for Tribhuvan Airport (this time the domestic flights side) and then on to the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek. We fly to Pokhara with Buddha Air. ATR400 from about fifty passengers, including a couple of Tibetan monks. After all, it's the airline dedicated to them… The flight lasts 25 minutes to cover approximately 200 km through winding hills; at departure, it is cloudy but upon arrival, it rains. We collect our backpacks. at a counter that has the characteristic of simple, rural charm. For 1000 Rs, we hire a taxi to take us to the starting point of the trek, located in Phedi – a group of buildings mainly dedicated to providing food and rest for hikers, as well as a stop for taxis traveling between Pokhara. This town doesn't initially appear very orderly, but the significant construction work suggests a considerable economic development underway. The rain continues. disembarking at 9:20 am. We just need to open our umbrella and start our adventure with the steep staircase that leads into a dense forest. We reach Dhampus in about an hour, surrounded by terraced fields still suitable for rice cultivation (in addition to barley and corn), and where we have our first meeting with Nepalese villages and floating houses. Among the houses, there are small gardens where tomatoes (protected from the sun or rain with awnings), cabbages and zucchini are grown. The surroundings remind us of the inland area in northwest Vietnam, near Sapa.

Trek Annapurna

Life seems to be passing by peacefully., as well as the water on our umbrellas. We came across a school As the children are about to leave, we realize how much schoolchildren around the world value the moment they leave the school building; however, from the phrases painted on the school walls, we also learn a couple of lessons: the English phrase "parents are the first teachers, teachers are the second parents" is particularly memorable. We have never encountered this in Italy, let alone in English. Beyond that... TIMS control point where we show the relevant permit, while in Pothana there is that of ACAP, just as the rain increases in intensity. The frequent stops, tea houses or small grocery stores. Let's start the descent towards Tolka and around 2 PM we stop for a break at the Archana tea house, which consists of two separate buildings currency from the path: a simple and tasty apple pancake will be our lunch. The menu makes full use of locally produced ingredients (cereals, vegetables, lentils, potatoes, etc.) and includes local pizzas, dahl bhat, omelettes, bread, spaghetti, pancakes, soups/porridges and cakes of various types. Prices for a dish range from 150/180 Rs to 350 Rs for a complete dahl baht. A separate note is deserved by the only available meat, chicken, which can cost up to 500/700 Rs; other meats are absent due to the country being Hindu. The vegetation is not very dense. but it's typical of the subtropical jungle, with its characteristic very rainy climate. We continue along steep staircases and two suspension bridges, arriving at the village we had planned as our overnight destination, Landruk, after 4 pm. The trails require constant attention due to exposed tree roots and stones: the stairs seem safer, but they quickly cause joint pain due to repetitive movements, and the humidity completes the picture. It rained throughout the day, except for the last few minutes of the hike, which lasted a total of 7 hours. We set up our accommodation at Super View Hotel... which would be perfect if there weren't a thick mix of fog and clouds obscuring the view of the valley. We spend 200 Rs for a double room that includes even the bathroom: it is simple but comfortable, and at this moment we wouldn't ask for anything more. The expense is negligible (around 2€), especially if you consider that a beer costs 350 Rs, but you have to carry it yourself. A meal at dinner costs between 150 and 250 Rs. It is interesting to observe how from the early afternoon, the managers of the lodges walk around their buildings and approach hikers with great sensitivity. They start by asking them how they are doing, where they are coming from, and finally ask if they are looking for accommodation, all without pressure. We didn't get wet at all, thanks to the umbrellas and ponchos that worked well, as well as the rain which at least didn't come down sideways. We learn that from Himalaya Hotel onwards there is a risk of landslides, but there is snow on the ground, information that certainly isn't encouraging, nor are the forecasts coming from an elderly English woman's smartphone who is completing the trek from Ghorepani and has been drinking water for a week. The only positive aspect for her is that she is about to end this wet ordeal. As if it were a nativity scene, in the evening the other side of the valley opens up with Ghandruk and its numerous villages illuminated. Along the way we met many women who are trekking alone or with a friend, always accompanied by a guide/porter. The people we met along the way come from Europe, mainly France, as they consider Annapurna to be somewhat like "their mountain" since it was first conquered by Werner Herzog's transalpine expedition in 1950. There are also many Americans and Asians from Japan and Korea. These tend to meet more frequently in large groups with numerous porters.