Annapurna Circuit Trek: Fairy Tale of Love with Nature

By Ankur Mutreja

"Annapurna Circuit Trek: Fairy Tale of Love with Nature" is a compilation of author's unforgettable memories of his unconsummated love affair with nature. You can call it a travelogue, but it's more than that. A traveller visits a place and returns, but the author has not yet returned. Though his body has pu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ankur Mutreja
• Release date: Oct 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9789353829889

Ankur Mutreja

Ankur Mutreja is an advocate by profession and a writer by choice. He published his first book in the year 2015 entitled "Writings @ Ankur Mutreja" as a non-professional endeavour mainly comprising short essays. Soon he realized the book needed to be drawn into easily presentable forms for the less involved audience; so, he derived three more books from the same entitled "Sparks", "Flare", and "Light". These were his introduction to the world as a writer/essayist. But, of course, a writer is a thinker first, and a good thinker doesn't think in genres. Ankur Mutreja has not set up any countours to his writings. He just thinks and expresses. So, he pens poems while wriitng travelogues, as in "Kerala Hugged"; incorporates fiction in essays, as in "Claims on Privacy"; and amalgamate satire, critique, and philosophy, as in "Anti-National Humanist". But that shouldn't stop him from writing poetry and prose. So, do enjoy his book of poems entitled "Nine Poems" and the fairy tale of his love with nature in the travelogue-cum-romcom entitled "Annapurna Circuit Trek".

Book preview

ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT TREK

Fairy Tale of Love with Nature

Ankur Mutreja

First Edition 2019

Copyright 2019 Ankur Mutreja

ISBN: 978-93-5382-988-9

PUBLISHER

Ankur Mutreja

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://ankurmutreja.com

Book Page: http://ankurmutreja.com/annapurna-circuit-trek/

DEDICATED

to the

DOGS OF NEPAL

who are the only ones in Nepal

who don’t think of Indians as dogs

Contents

1. Onto a Cracking Start (Introduction)

2. The Love is in the Nature (Chamje to Manang)

3. The Test of Endurance (Manang to Muktinath with a Side-Trek to Tilicho Lake)

4. And the Fairy Tale Continues... (Muktinath to Tatopani)

The Trip Itinerary

Important Links

Emergency Telephone Numbers

About the Author

Other Titles by the Author

Donation Links

Onto a Cracking Start (Introduction)

Yet again I have woken up with the same dream. The hustle-bustle of Delhi has always succeeded in subduing the emotions with practical exigencies, but this time I am just not getting deluded. This is excruciating. The culprits are the memories of my trekking trip to Annapurna Circuit, Nepal. In this travelogue, I am making you privy to my unconsummated love affair with the nature with the hope this will alleviate the pain a bit. Wish me luck and enjoy reading the travelogue. Extra perks: magnificent waterfalls, towering mountains, pleasurable pine forests, picturesque lakes, meandering rivers/streams, snow clad peaks, slithering pathways, wide valleys, beautiful villages, quivering suspension bridges, docile-yet-petulant yaks, shy blue sheep, cute kids, pretty ladies, smiling men, bright sunshine, dark clouds, cold nights, enthralling views, and everlasting unconditional love.

Before I start the love tale, let me prepare you for the encounter. Annapurna Circuit trek going anti-clockwise starts from Besisahar, Nepal, where you can buy your ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) permit as well as your TIMS (Trekker's Information Management System) permit, but the majority buy them in either Kathmandu or Pokhara at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) office. Unfortunately, NTB only sells trekking permits. I wish they would also sell other essentials like trekking shoes, rucksack, day bag (for things like passport, visa, trekking permits, wallet, tablet, laptop, mobile, etc.; don't keep them in the rucksack), sleeping bag, emergency Mylar blanket, headlamp, trekking sticks, torch, candle, matchstick, thread, sewing needle, door lock, whistle, pepper spray, empty water bottles, medicines (esp Diamox, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, sterilized needles, gauze bandage, and antiseptic ointment), water purification tablets, dry fruits, chocolates (yes, there you can eat them sans qualms), electrolyte, sunglasses (preferably mirrored wraparounds), jackets, woollens (esp thermals to enable layered clothing), socks (glut of them), cap/bandana, slippers, nail trimmer, sunscreen, lip-balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, detergent, toilet paper, tissues, towel, mirror, shaving/make-up kit, maps, and guidebook (I referred to the one by Partha S. Banerjee and can vouch for its contents). I bought most of these things in India, but the majority buy them in UK, Germany, Spain, Russia, Holland, Italy, France, and other parts of Europe: Europeans love trekking. By the way, you can buy all these things in Nepal as well. Wherever you buy, do buy. You just can't trek without them. ACAP and TIMS permits are, of course, mandatory.

I did trekking in November and December -- November 18, 2018, to December 3, 2018, to be precise -- but it can be done anytime in spring or autumn. I would recommend one day halt in Pokhara before starting the trek. The visit to International Mountain Museum in Pokhara will boost the trekking preparation. It is an excellent place to ingrain the knowledge of the hill culture, the environmental issues, the mountaineering expeditions, the Himalayan peaks, and the heroes. Spend at least 2-3 hrs in the museum. Rest of the day can be spent visiting Shanti Stupa and Sarangkot. Pokhara is even otherwise a beautiful city. Hire a bike and enjoy the beauty traversing the city. Spend the evening by the lakeside, shopping and relaxing. And the next day morning, the excitement starts.

The trek can be done either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Going anti-clockwise (the more preferred option), the trek starts from Besisahar and ends at either Tatopani or Nayapul. Though the official starting point for the trek is Besisahar, but everybody starts it from either Bhulbule, Synange, or Chamje. I started from Synange and finished at Tatopani but would recommend Chamje instead as the starting point. Chamje is further up on the route just before Tal, where Manang district starts: the route from Synange to Chamje is crowded with jeeps and construction trailers; avoid it. By the way, Synange and Chamje are homophones; i.e., they sound similar; so be careful -- I confused the two, therefore landed up at Synange instead of Chamje inspite of paying the Chamje’s jeep fare, which in the hills can be exorbitant for non-Nepalis. Bhulbule to Synange trek is not on the jeep track; therefore, it is assumed to be picturesque. So, start from Bhulbule if you wish to walk more. It takes around 3 hrs from Pokhara to Besisahar and around 5 hrs from Kathmandu to Besisahar -- hire a micro bus if possible: they are far more comfortable than ordinary buses. Jeeps from Besisahar to Bhulbule, Synage, and Chamje are readily available. A bus also runs from Besisahar to Synange. Negotiate the fare, reach your chosen starting point, chose a guest house to spend the night, and relax. There is no need to hurry up the trekking. If you are starting from Pokhara, you can also avoid the early morning drudgery. It doesn't take more than 7-8 hrs of travel time to reach the trek’s starting point from Pokhara even after spending an hour in Besisahar. The hills sleep early. It gets dark by 6 pm, and soon thereafter the night starts. So, don't be too casual either.

The only night stay options in the hills are either the modest guest houses (called tea-shop traditionally) set up by the locals or your own site camps. If you want to carry a backpacking camping and hiking tent, do it by all means. It would be fun. But I didn't see any on the trek. Even the tour companies now use the guest houses. And it's not difficult to find a good guest house. Follow these guidelines: prefer a room with an attached toilet;