Where We Be
| The rhododendrons were in full bloom and absolutely stunning |
| From this dramatic viewpoint near Ghorepani, the mountains seem to float above the haze |
| Washed-out background but a rare photo of the two of us |
| Little teashops and snack shops are located at strategic points all along the route, so you're never too far from sustenance |
| One of the astonishing things about this trek is the huge changes in terrain -- from alpine to jungle in a few hours |
| In 90 minutes we dropped 800 meters (over 2500 feet), then crossed a river and climbed right back up the other side |
| A rare sign pointing the way (that said, the trail is usually pretty obvious) |
| Do we have to? |
| A young kid stands on the back of its elder to reach a green shoot |
| Stone steps in Nepal are like grains of sand on the beach: countless |
| We descended stairs into "middle Chomrong" to arrive at Chomrong Cottage, our home away from home both on the way up to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and on the way back |
| Robin enjoys a hot pot of masala tea on the patio at Chomrong Cottage, one of our favorite lodges of the trip |
| We dreamed about this chocolate cake during the hke to ABC! We knew we'd get the chance to have it a second time on our return. |
| We became friends with the wonderful owner (left) and the cook's daughter who served us food (right) |
| And down we go! Of course we had to gain it all back up again before reaching Tadapani |
| We descended through terraced fields, actually passing through the yards and patios of several farmsteads |
| The hiking was hard but the scenery easy |
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| Annapurna Sanctuary, Nepal (Days 21-22) |
On these two days we crossed on a connecting
trail over to the Annapurna Sanctuary trail. This
entailed a lot of ups and downs: as soon as we
descended into a valley we climbed right back
up the other side to a ridge -- only to descend
again, only to...well, you get the idea. On the
first day we descended through a truly lovely
stretch of rhododendron forest -- the highlight
of this leg of the trip. We really hit the peak of
the rhododendron bloom.
On our second day, after a whole lot of ups and
downs, we reached Chomrong, which should
be dubbed "the town of two thousand steps."
The actual total is something like 1,800 stone
steps from the top of town to the river valley
far below. Chomrong itself is a charming town --
one of our favorites -- and it is something of a
nexus on the Annapurna Sanctuary trail. From
here to the top of ABC (Annapurna Base Camp)
requires three hard days of hiking. Unlike the
Annapurna Circuit this isn't a loop trail, so you
backtrack the same way you came -- which
means you get to stay in Chomrong twice.
trail over to the Annapurna Sanctuary trail. This
entailed a lot of ups and downs: as soon as we
descended into a valley we climbed right back
up the other side to a ridge -- only to descend
again, only to...well, you get the idea. On the
first day we descended through a truly lovely
stretch of rhododendron forest -- the highlight
of this leg of the trip. We really hit the peak of
the rhododendron bloom.
On our second day, after a whole lot of ups and
downs, we reached Chomrong, which should
be dubbed "the town of two thousand steps."
The actual total is something like 1,800 stone
steps from the top of town to the river valley
far below. Chomrong itself is a charming town --
one of our favorites -- and it is something of a
nexus on the Annapurna Sanctuary trail. From
here to the top of ABC (Annapurna Base Camp)
requires three hard days of hiking. Unlike the
Annapurna Circuit this isn't a loop trail, so you
backtrack the same way you came -- which
means you get to stay in Chomrong twice.
| A lone rhododendron on a steep hillside makes a colorful statement |
| Day 21. Ghorepani to Tadapani |
| Day 22. Tadapani to Chomrong |
| Color coordinated with the flowers! |
