Annapurna Circuit Trek

 

Dining room in the guest house in Manang.  Yak wool table cloths and same lining the ceiling.  It is now getting higher and colder.  

 I had ther curser in the wrong place when adding these photos -- they ome after the next set that have a paragraph heading below and those cover some of the lower levels of the trek.  By Manang we are staying extra days taking hikes up higher to aclimatize and it is getting much colder.  The Annapurna range is in view and I will try to ID the mountains when I can -- I need my map and don't have it with me.  We loved this area and the next couple of villages on the way to high camp and the crossing of Throung La pass at 17,765 ft.  The porters have been great encouraging us to do the steep aclimatizing hikes every day and keeping us from just going to bed at this altitude.

Gangapurna Glacier Lake just up from Manang.

Women going by the Gangapurna Glacier Lake on the way to town -- huge loads - amazing.

The trekkers on the lake side.

Gangapurna Glacier and peak

Trekkers and their Porter Makkar.

Young Nepali girl in her front yard.

Prayer wheels everywhere along the trail.  The proper thing is to pass these on the left and spin them left.

I think Annapurna III and Gangapurna

Mother, Grandmother and child at a small tea house.

There is a French lady who runs this guest house above Manang on the way up to high camp.  Good seabuck thorne tea and apricot muffins. 

a steady line of people hauling large bundles of lumber passed through Manang.  That has to weigh a bunch! And they weren't all men.

Photo from the trail -- I'm thinking that is one of the Tilicho peaks.

Blue sheep.  Never got close enough to get a really good photo.

YAK, YAK, YAK

One of the porters - Yuba - encouraging us up one of the aclimatizing hikes.  Dancing on top - then we had to dance when we got there.  I did a squatted chicken dance - hoping around and squawking -- then almost passing out as I gasped for air.

The rescue pony on the last leg of the climb -- He didn't start following us like he did some climbers - like a buzzard that senses the weak or those in trouble on the trail. Best way down to the helicopter evacuation pad.  Evacuations daily for those collapsed on the climb.

Horse train with supplies unloaded

On the way up

View of Annapurna III I think from high on Throung La.

Hanging a string of Prayer Flags at the top of Throung La.  17,765.  The top of Denali in Alaska is 20, 327 but much further north so more snow cover. 

Our hands are numb from the cold and the wind and just tieing and stringing the flags really wore us out.

Fasteer way down?  But they had to go up too!

Ponies are dressed up for the trip.

Susan in a rest position -- really tired on the steep way down.  We got up a 4 am in High camp and took something like 10 hours to get to Muktinath on the other side of the pass.

Makkar on break would find something with a good view and sit like a Buddah and just look at the mountains -- probably thinking -- these people are sooo slow -- I will never get to the next serving of Dal Bhat!

In Muktinath the hundred+- fountains - a holy shrine for Hindus.  Splashing themselves from each one and taking bottles of it home.  It is below freezing and they are standing on ice.

Buddhist Temple and ceremony in Muktinath

A young boy watching his mother sell Susan some souveniers in Muktinath.  They just came into town  from Mustang area to sell the scarves and wool woven goods she hand made over the winter.  They had travelled several days.

 EARLIER POST THAT GOT MISPLACED DOWN HERE

We are back from the trek in pretty good shape.  The beginning of the trek we found ourselves walking through rice paddies and banana trees with bunches of bananas on the trees and beautiful butterflies.  Really nice people in the small villages.  Started walking in Bhulbhule after a long van and then Jeep ride.  Following are some photos of the lower part of the trek. Also there wee beautiful ancient Mani walls all the way up along the trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mani_stone  and prayer flags everywhere.  Traditional greeting is Namaste. 

First day along the trail

From the first guest house

Same with Prayer flag

He just doesn't understand what is coming up above in the cold and snow!

The dining room

View of some buildngs from the first guest house in the rice paddies

Along the lower trail

From this guest house we walked the village and were invited into the school.  Their books were in Nepoli and then Engilish so we were used for the children to practice english.  We had a lot of fun.  The girls loved Susan. 

One of the villages we stayed in with the rice paddies and flowers.

Yuba - Porter

Makkar - Porter

woven fences around gardens.

The gorge we are walking up -- we cross several suspension bridges high over the river daily.

Along the trail

Along the trail

The Ponies are dressed with the forehead decoration and the hanging tassels and a bell. 

Getting views of the high mountains

Porter packs at a tea stop on the trail.

Entry gate to Chame - our porters ahead of us.

I think this is Upper Pisang Village

A Mani wall - many photos of these ancient wall to come. 

Pisang Peak.  A climbing guide died there within a day or so after this photo.

Enormous wall between Chame and Pisang

goats grazing on top of a building near Pisang

Monk painting a rock along the trail

Budhist Stupa along the trail. 

Rice Paddies along the trail.  Water is flowing through them continuously.

School children on the way to school.  Some walk up to 2 hours each way to school daily.

Rice Paddy view

Lower village view. 

Prayer wheels with some Mani stones above.  Along the trail

Along the river on the way to Tal

Nepali family along the trail

More prayer wheels

A little Buddha in training.