#mountainscape

Full of excitement and delighted to be heading to the mountains in Nepal! After spending two days in the vibrant city of Kathmandu,  we were like wild animals waiting to be unleashed. I was the UK Leader for a group of free-spirited ladies, the #awsoms …dynamic…business minded…up for a challenge…I was looking forward to our bespoke luxury trek around Poon Hill. Yes, that’s right…this was no ordinary trek…we had found the best accommodation the mountains could offer…no long drops or smelly shared squatter toilet facilities…we were going…en-suite!

After two days spent busy shopping in the narrow streets of Thamel and taking in several cultural sightseeing tours, the #Awsoms couldn’t contain their excitement. Glad to be heading away from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and on our spectacular journey through the jungle and in the foothills of the stunningly dramatic Annapurna range of the Himalayas.

With our bags packed…all in corporate Mountains in Mind duffle bags, we headed out of the city like girls empowered on a mission. Strutting our stuff as we headed to departures…our cool demeanour was rather abruptly halted…I squealed! A banana I was carrying in my right hand was rather daringly swiped from my palms by a little monkey…yes, right out my hands…before I could even comprehend what had happened!

Mugged for my banana! The cheeky little chappie ran off and proceeded to eat it with some delight! He (and I say he, but I don’t really know) seemed to be enjoying it so much that I couldn’t really begrudge him of that, could I?!

The flight to Pokhara went without any drama…we met up with our team of porters and guides at the other end and were ushered into our respective jeeps. We had a 3 hour journey ahead of us to the trail-head at Hille. Hot and sweaty, there was nine of us crammed into one jeep with all the bags loaded on top…it looked like we were going on safari rather than a trek.

The journey to Hille was hilarious…dusty, winding roads, potholes the size of craters, roads washed away by the monsoon, hazards around every bend and a driver that insisted on overtaking at every opportunity…and that was just the main road! No chance of catching up on any sleep from the early start. My eyes were heavy and I could feel myself nodding off, but every time I tried to doze off I was rudely jolted awake by my head virtually hitting the roof as we went over another mini-mountain in the road…I’m glad I’m so small!

That was the main road…then came the jeep track! A single track track, with death defying drops down to the river far below…and what’s more…no passing places. That it made it interesting, I must say! Those on the left-hand side of the vehicle were decidedly twitchy as they looked over the drop…me…I was on the right-hand side and wondered why they had white knuckles! Even more so…when another vehicle approached in the opposite direction!

We got to Hille and all piled out…before we even got started on the trek, it was up a flight of steps and straight into a restaurant for lunch! You never guess what? We ordered momos…Now there’s nothing wrong with momos. In fact, these little Nepali dumplings are a bundle of delight, but in the mountains everything is freshly made…Now you certainly can’t complain at that!…but when 7 people order momos that’s 70 momos that need to be made!

Everyone was beavering away in the kitchen like a little production line…The team work was mesmerizing to watch. Our assistant guide, Cshiring, became the chief momo stuffer before handing it over to the crimper. From this point onwards…Cshiring affectionately became known as Mr Momo!

With our bellies full, it was time for the strenuous climb up the 3421 steps, yes, someone had counted, to our first lodge at Ulleri.

It was warm and sunny when we arrived so some of the ladies decided to sit out on the grassy garden terrace, drinking tea and enjoying the views. Now I can’t blame them for that, but…unbeknown to us lurked little bloodsucking zuckers in the grass otherwise known to us as leeches…eugh!

Later on at our evening meal, we found one of the bloated slug-like creatures curled up on the floor of the dining room. Little did we know at this point, it had gorged itself of blood and had lazily dropped onto the ground off the ankle of one of our group!

Nothing to worry about… they don’t spread disease or infection, but the thought of having them sucking our blood certainly caused a commotion from time-to-time when one was spotted on our boots! From this point onwards, the term zuckers was used by the guides if they required prompt action…it certainly got the group moving quickly, much to our amusement!

The following day, the trek snaked it’s way gently up to Ghorepani. En route we passed through lush green rhododendron forests and besides stunning waterfalls to reach our overnight lodge.

An early night ensued as it was up before dawn the following morning. Out of bed at 3.45am and out of the door by 4.15am, we left the lodge in the dark, winding our way up the paved footpath to the summit of Poon Hill. Amazingly, we were one of the first groups to arrive there in the dark.

We added our warm layers…and waited around on the summit hugging  mugs of sumptuous hot chocolate bought from the hill top cafe. Before long, dawn slowly crept over the horizon. The orangey hues and heavenly glow of the sun’s rays cast shadows from the mountains all over the landscape. The colours turned through a whole spectrum from menacingly black to blue, to orange to white to yellow, followed by a warm rosy alpen glow. We were lucky to see such a mesmerising panorama with the formidable snow-capped peak of Dhaulagiri on the left, the stunning Annapurna range with the sacred Machhapucchre jaggedly pronounced on the right…A sight to behold and memories to last a lifetime.

After day break, it was a quick descent and back to the lodge for breakfast. With everyone on a high, the trek continued on it’s way. A little bit of up…followed by a little bit of down…through claggy rainforest and open scrubland. There was lots of wildflowers that captivated the attention of the group and emblazoned the landscape…Himalayan blue poppies, Michaelmas daisies, Ragwort and a variety of Balsam brought colour to the greenery.

Over the high col of the Deurali pass we had our head in the clouds as the mist closed in. A steep descent led us through a deep rocky gorge where we passed several dramatic waterfalls.  This rocky downhill section started to take its toll on the group and tiredness crept in as they began to feel the impact of the early start. After a refreshing lunch, it was all systems go again. Re-energised we continued through the small village of Tadapani to reach our overnight stop in the hamlet of Chuli.

Another lumpy day followed with plenty of ups and downs. They call this the Nepali flat! We had a big descent to the river below, followed by a big climb out of the valley on the opposite side. The path split here and we were presented with two options…either a more direct route with no place to stop for lunch or continue to follow the original more convoluted route with a nice lodge to stop at for something to eat. We chose option one, a fantastic choice as it happened…off the beaten track through small terraced subsistence farms and well away from any other walkers. This is what the real Nepal looks like without any tourists!

The hot waters were a delight. A chance to relax and soothe away any weariness from the past day or two. On the walk back up to the lodge, I felt a sharp scratch on my shin…I looked down at my leg…and oh my god…there was a zucker! It was about to take its lunch on my leg…no way…a quick flick so I thought, but it then became attached to my finger! After a little song and a dance..the little blighter was duly flicked with gusto into the bushes!

The following day was the day of three bridges. It began with a dramatic crossing over a newly constructed suspension bridge that spanned a whopping 287 metres over the raging Modi River below. Further down the valley, we crossed back to the south-side of the valley before finally crossing a rickety old wooden bridge over a tributary stream before heading up to the village of Landruk.

Our lodge was the last stop in the village, at the top of a very steep, sweaty climb. However, any negative thoughts were soon dissipated when we were greeted with great views and the most luxurious quarters we’d seen on the trek, complete with fluffy towels and crispy white cotton sheets on the bed rather than our sticky nylon sleeping bags. Little luxuries we’d missed over the last couple of days. The rest of the afternoon was free to relax on the sun loungers or read a book on the veranda.

At 6pm it was happy hour at the bar! We invited our porters and guides, bought them all a beer and held a mini-celebration to show them our gratitude for all their hard work and support on the trek. It was here that we thanked them as we presented them with their tips.

The following day, rather sensibly with no fuzzy heads in sight, we had a steady descent to walk alongside the Modi River, first on paved footpaths, then on meandering narrow trails through farmland and terraced fields and finally onto a wide-open track. It felt good to be able to stride out at a pace with our lungs now filled with oxygenated air.

We arrived at a lodge and rested briefly before ascending sharply under the blazing hot midday sun to reach the Kurlung Baraha Basic School situated high on the hillside above. Bright red in the face and literally dripping with sweat, we were ushered quietly into a shady classroom to regain our composure and cool down.

The #awsoms bought with them a stunning array of gifts…pens, pencils, books, posters and a range of teaching aids that were all gratefully received by the teachers.  We were served the most fantastic meal of daal bhat, the Nepali speciality, all freshly cooked…it was that delicious that we voted it as the best daal bhat of the trip…even better it was served with homemade chips…a true taste of home!

Following lunch, we were accompanied outside to the playground. The school children were all dressed in their navy and white school uniforms and had congregated together with their families outside to greet us. We became part of the ceremony and were presented with a garland of fresh flowers around our necks and blessed with a vermillion red dot on our forehead. Without further ado, the celebrations commenced with singing and dance performances to watch, followed by several speeches and the handing over of funds the #awsoms had raised for the school. It was a very humbling experience to watch, with the vibrancy of colours on display and the gratitude that was displayed by the community for the lovely gift to the school.

After saying our goodbyes, we left the school for the steep descent back down to the track. We were loaded onto two jeeps to commence our return trip back to Pokhara…with the fun of the bumpy roads to follow!

A couple of hours later, we arrived back in Pokhara. Staying in the elegant Temple Trees Resort and Spa, we sadly said out goodbyes to our guides and porters.  Now was the time for celebration and relaxation! A complimentary massage included within the bespoke package was swiftly taken advantage of by some of the team before we headed to the bar for cocktails…