Annapurna Circuit, Nepal - Days 17-20

Where We Be

After a steep climb we found ourselves in a picturesque meadow with stream

We cursed the climb required to get up here --
but then ate our words once we saw the view

Cute pup who came over to say hi

Snow-clad Dhaulagiri rises up behind terraced rice fields

Chimang was charmingly off the beaten path. A young child called “Namaste!” to us from a doorway. Three
young women combing their hair on a flat roof called down to us in English. At the center of town, women
washed clothes, boys and girls played jump rope, and three older boys somehow lounged on a ladder.

One of the boys showed us the shortest way back to the main trail.
We happily continued on our way to Kalopani, enjoying views like this.

My "trekking beard" lasted for the 30 days of our trek

We picked our way across this floodplain -- better than following the dusty main road

Eventually we reached a pleasant flagstone-paved section
of trail near Kalopani. It's even flat -- a rarity in Nepal!

At Kalopani Guest House we got a great room for just 500 rupees ($7 US). The beds were comfy, the
attached bath had a hot shower and western toilet, and there was even electric power (but still no heat).

One of the cushiest stays of our trek. At dinner they even shoveled
hot coals into brazures underneath the table to make sure we were toasty!

Morning view looking back at the snow-clad mountains as we left Kalopani

Looking across Kali Gandaki Gorge we saw this flat, sunny plateau atop a sheer cliff. By some measures
this is the world's deepest gorge, separating two of the world's tallest mountains: Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

Down, down, down for 4,200 feet, all along road, from Kalopani to Tatopani

We enjoyed delightful patio views during
our lunch near the town of Rupse Chahara

Inviting stretch of trail between stone walls near Tatopani

Closeup of beautiful but thorny flowers draping the stone wall

Not my photo, but it perfectly captures the convivial nature of the
hot springs at Tatopani, where we spent a relaxing afternoon

Small temple by the river on the morning of Day 19

We climbed steeply past terraced fields on a hazy morning towards the village of Shikha

We've really come to like Nepali farming villages with their
terraced fields, domestic farm animals, and barefoot children

Every single day of the trek we saw men and women
carrying impossible loads up and down steep slopes

The norm in Nepal: steep stone staircases

Porters' rest stops are strategically placed alongside steep sections of the trail

Each evening women "herd" one hen and her chicks
under these woven baskets -- a portable hen house!

At the Hungry Eye we got some of the best showers of the trek

Most menus here have a few misspellings -- we particularly liked this one!

The area around Ghorepani was chock-full of rhododendrons in bloom in early April

Home

Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (Days 17-20)

The last four days of our Circuit involved some
of the steepest descents and climbs of the
entire trek. We descended 1,300 m (4,200 ft) to
Tatopani and its convivial hot springs, only to
climb 1,600 m (5,300 ft) back up to Ghorepani.
Halfway through this climb, we left the road
behind for good (hooray!). We count Ghorepani
as the endpoint of our Circuit because from
there we took a link trail to the Annapurna
Sanctuary, heading deep into the conservation
area instead of circling around the perimeter.

The highlight of this stage of the journey came
on our first day when we took a steep detour to
visit the town of Chimang. The detour offered,
in our opinion, some of the best views of the
trek. Dhaulagiri, seventh tallest mountain in the
world, rose up behind terraced green rice
fields, with tiny Chimang perched on a hillside
nearby. At the early morning hour we visited it
was breathtaking. As for Chimang itself, it's
charming and completely unspoiled by tourism.
Just about everyone we met called out a hearty
“Namaste!” and seemed genuinely surprised
and pleased to see us. It was nice to visit a
town well off the beaten tourist path.