Our goal: finish what we started! In 2023 we attempted the Annapurna Circuit Trek, (as described part 1 and part 2 in our 2023 ACT blog) but Dave got a terrible cold with heavy congestion in Manang (11,283 feet). It was not safe to continue to higher altitudes and cross Thorong La Pass, one of the highest trekking passes in the world at 17,769 feet, so we had to cancel.
As you can likely guess from the title, this year we tried the ACT again but were not successful. A series of storms over several days, including a big one fed by Cyclone Montha, delivered heavy snow across the Himalaya and caused a lot of havoc. It was unsafe to continue to higher altitudes, so we had to descend. However, we did get a couple days further into the trek than last time and were able to reach Tilicho Lake (16,138 feet).
Jaget (4,265 feet) – The Starting Point
We stayed in Kathmandu (first picture of us at our hotel) before the start of the trek. Tihar Festival was going on and we had fun seeing it as we drove (in a hired jeep) for about 10 hours to Jaget. The dog on the upper right has a tikka (red dot for spiritual reasons) and a garland. Some of the days of Tihar celebrate animals, and this day was for the dogs. In the two pictures on the lower right the villagers along the way to Jaget would stop the jeep with a rope across the road, the women would do a dance, put a tikka on the driver, then ask for a small donation.
Jaget (4,265 feet) to Dharapani (6,430 feet)
The trekking companies start at a low elevation to allow the body to acclimatize on the way to the higher elevations. It was pouring rain the last time we did the first couple of sections of this trail. This time the weather was perfect and we enjoyed seeing it with blue skies. In the upper right is a picture with Kersing (our guide, orange pack cover), Ner (our porter), and a girl from the teahouse where we stayed.
Dharapani (6,430 feet) to Chame (8,759 feet)
The trail to Chame was another climb. We started to see the highest peaks in the area. On the upper left picture you can see Dave’s backpack compared to the porter’s duffle bag with our gear in it. Ner’s strength is amazing. We stopped for lunch at a tea house and they were slaughtering a sheep (middle picture). Their home grown vegetarian farm to fork lunch was Michelin Star worthy, the best Dal Bhat we had the entire trek. During the Tihar Festival, gambling with dice is a popular game. In the bottom right pictures you can see both adults and children betting real money.
Chame (8,759 feet) to Upper Pisang (10,827 feet)
The trail to Upper Pisang took us to some spectacular views. We also got to stop at an apple orchard bake shop and have apple pie and apple donuts…yummy! Tihar festivities continued with dancing and lights.
Upper Pisang (10,827 feet) to Manag (11,283 feet)
The hike to Manang includes a super steep section. In the upper left picture Diane is pointing to the top of that climb. The reward was more stunning views!
We also stopped at an ancient monastery on the way to Manang.
We stayed two nights in Manang for acclimatation and did a short hike up a “hill” with great Gangapurna mountain, glacier, and lake viewpoints.
Manang (11,283 feet) to Tilicho Base Camp (13,615 feet)
In 2023 we never made it past Manang so we were excited to finally leave this village and head to Tilicho Lake. To get there we had to cross some very steep landslide areas. It was super dusty so we wore face masks. Our destination was a teahouse at Tilicho Base Camp where we spent the night.
Tilicho Basecamp (13,615 feet) to Tilicho Lake (16,138 feet) to Shree Kharka (13,386 feet)
We got up early at 3:30am to slowly make our way to Tilicho Lake, one of the highest alpine lakes in the world. The goal is to get there early in the morning before the wind starts blowing across the glaciers that makes the area bitterly cold. In the upper right photo you can see headlamps of other trekkers on their way up the trail just before a glorious sunrise. The lake, glaciers, and surrounding mountains are stunning. And it turned out to be bitterly cold even without the wind. We retraced our steps and made it back to Tilicho Base Camp for lunch and then hiked across the landslide area to Shree Kharka to spend the night in a teahouse.
Snow Day in Shree Kharka (13,386 feet)
We woke up the next morning to about 6 inches of snow, and it continued to snow heavily all day. It was unsafe to ascend, so we decided to stay in Shree Kharka for the day and one more night to see if it would let up. We had a “snow day” in the Himalayas!
We found great seats in the tea house to watch life go by. Tilicho Basecamp closed down, so all of those folks trekked by on their way to find rooms for the night or just take a short break before descending to the next village. We had a memorable day talking with so many people from our table inside the warm tea house. There were some Australians who had never seen snow and were having snowball fights and loads of epic fun. Lots of people came and went, and as two of the pictures show, getting people to close the tea house door was an ongoing frustration.
Our Trek is Over: Shree Kharka (13,386 feet) to Besisahar (2,493 feet)
The next day there was a brief break in the weather but no one was ascending. Along with weather reports, our guide was in constant communication with other guides and teahouse owners along the trek to assess our options and decide how to proceed safely. Cyclone Montha was forecasted to deliver an even stronger storm in the area, and avalanches were a huge risk. So we strapped on our crampons and hiked down, back to Manang. We honestly thought we would never be back there. Crossing a rickety wooden bridge and a metal swing bridge with crampons was a first! As the snow melted at the lower elevations, the trails became rivers and were a sloppy mess. Our waterproof boots only lasted so long and our feet became wet; thank goodness for warm wool socks.
Our trekking company managed to hire a truck the same day we reached Manang to take us to Besisahar (2,493 feet), which is at a much lower elevation and beyond the dangerous trails and roads. It was a muddy and rough ride down, and it took around 7 hours to go 60 miles. We had 6 trekkers in the cab and 6 porters and guides riding in the bed of the pickup (upper left picture). We are not sure how they hung on for that entire ride; someone mentioned it was like being on a roller coaster the entire time! We were lucky to get out as the authorities closed the road afterwards for several days due to landslides and flooding.
Very Disappointed, but Safe
We never, ever, thought we would leave Manang on a truck again. Our goal was to hike the ACT and put Manang behind us. We were healthy and well acclimatized for getting over Thorong La Pass. However, safety was the first consideration and there would have been no way to complete the trek for many days with the impassable trails and ongoing storms.
On the plus side, we made it to our favorite hotel (Bar Peeple Resort) in Pokhara early and got in a few extra days of relaxation. We do have another trek scheduled in the Everest region to visit Gokyo Lakes, so hopefully we will be able to complete that one.
Stunning photos!!