This blog post is entirely dedicated to my trek on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, which I completed in February 2022. I also give tips for those who are planning to hike through the Himalayas themselves in February or winter.
If you are not interested in the Himalayan trek in detail, feel free to scroll through the pictures, jump to the conclusion or directly to the next blog post, where I will tell you about my onward journey to India.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Preparations
On February 20th, 2022 I was ready to start my trek trough the Himalayas. I decided to hike on the popular Annapurna Circuit – a circular trail around the Annapurna mountains, which is said to be one of the most beautiful routes through the Himalayas with its varied and breathtaking scenery.
The entire route can be covered in about 14 to 18 days. The highlight is the Thorong La pass, at 5,416 metres one of the highest mountain passes in the world. The first half of the trek leads steadily uphill; after the pass, it goes steeply down again. In winter, the pass is often impassable due to high snow and can be dangerous due to avalanches and blizzards. That’s why I decided to hire a guide.
As the trek runs along some roads at the beginning and end, the starting and ending points are variable. It is worth consulting some blogs and deciding on the basis of the pictures which parts you want to hike and which you want to do by bus or jeep. For me, this blog, among others, was very helpful.
Hire a Guide – Yes or No?
Besides the danger on the Thorong La pass in February, I decided to take a guide as this was my very first long-term trek. Hiking for several days at such altitudes was a new experience for me – and especially at higher altitudes, I was very happy to have my guide named Saroj. Besides, my sense of direction is not the best and I feared getting lost without a guide as I usually do.
October and November are the most popular travel months in Nepal, March and April belong to the second season. In these high seasons, in my opinion it is not necessary to hire a guide because of the many other hikers. With a little preparation, a map and the occasional glance at it, the trails should be easy to find. Then, a good guide is more of an added luxury to the trip, as they talk to the local people, know the best places to stay and take care of trekkers’ requests such as ordering food.
Suitable Company
I didn’t want to travel alone with Saroj, so I sent numerous messages on Workaway and posted my plans in various Facebook groups in the hope of finding fellow travellers. In fact, I found three interested people, but they all cancelled shortly beforehand for good reasons. Among them was a German, Viktoria, whom I would meet again later in India, but more about that in the next blog post.
Three days before the start, David – a 49-year-old Briton who had just landed in Nepal and was also looking for hiking companions – finally discovered my ad. We met in Pokhara, the chemistry was right, and so on February 20th we finally set off together on an early bus from Pokhara to Besisahar, the standard starting point of the Annapurna Circuit.
On the trek we were to meet other fellow hikers, but you’ll read about that later.
Physical Preparations
Due to my travels through cold Nepal and to catching Covid before, I had to take a break from training for about a month and a half. A month before the trek, I started my workouts again and focused a bit more on conditioning and leg training using the Freeletics app.
Every other morning for four weeks I trained my lower body with different leg exercises like squats and lunges and their jumping versions, burpees, different jumps and some butt exercises. The other days I dedicated to the upper body, the abdomen as well as my back (lower and upper) to be fit for backpacking.
I also walked a lot through Pokhara and reached at least 10,000 steps every day, spiced up by a few smaller uphill hikes.
Accordingly, I had no real problems climbing mountains later on during the hike. However, this training is not mandatory: David as well as other trekkers we met started the Annapurna Circuit without any further physical preparation, and all of them managed the trek, too.
Nevertheless, I recommend getting in shape before the trek, as it is simply a nicer feeling to enjoy the view with some residual air in the lungs and not quite so burning legs.
Equipment – What Should You Put Into Your Backpack?
The backpack should be as light as possible with all the equipment – at best under 10 kilograms (without water). My backpack weighed about 13 kg and was far too heavy. Especially after a few days, I noticed its weight more and more, so that it became the main strain for me on the hike.
This is my recommended packing list for the Annapurna Circuit in February:
Clothes
- waterproof and well-worn hiking boots
- three to four pairs of hiking socks
- three to four pairs of underpants
- on pair of long pants (thermal)
- two long-sleeved thermal vests
- two t-shirts
- a thin pullover
- a fleece jacket
- one pair of trekking trousers
- a pair of thinner trousers for the shelters (worn with long pants)
- a down jacket – I rented this in Pokhara for 100 rupees a day. It should be suitable for minus 20 degrees. During the day I only needed it when crossing the pass, but it is worth its weight in gold in the evening in cold tea houses.
- a thin rain jacket that can be worn over the down jacket as wind and rain protection if necessary
- a hat
- a pair of thick and waterproof gloves
- optional: a thinner sun protection like a sun hat or a cap
Even in February, it got very warm during the day in the sun while trekking, so I often just wore the thermal vests without another layer – especially at lower altitudes. The t-shirts are more suitable for the stays in the huts. Normally you wash your clothes every or every other evening and let them dry on your backpack while hiking. Unless you want to smell more severe from the start.
Equipment
- quick-drying towel
- two hiking poles – They are optional, but I was very glad to have them! They save the knees, help with the ascent and even saved the life of a fellow Danish hiker of ours when he slipped down a slope and found stability by ramming the trekking poles into the ice. In Pokhara I bought a good pair for a total of 1,500 rupees. David had bought a cheaper pair, but both of his poles broke in the course of the strain.
- a water bottle (if you want to save weight, take a normal plastic bottle)
- optional: a thermos flask (I was very happy to be able to drink warm water from the morning in high altitudes, while the water had frozen for some fellow hikers)
- a headlamp (important especially for the pass!)
- a good power bank (necessary as there is no electricity in some accommodation at higher altitudes)
- optional: lighter and a candle (often there is a power cut)
- rubbish bags (to keep your feet dry in the high snow and to collect rubbish)
- two or three clothes pegs and some kind of line to turn the backpack into a clothes dryer while hiking
- something for entertainment – e.g. an e-book, card game, a few downloaded films on the Netflix app on the mobile phone. Some days the climb is quite steep and getting used to the altitude is demanding, so the trek is over after only four to five hours. The rest of the time wants to be passed in the (sometimes bitterly cold) houses.
- crampons / spikes – can be lifesavers in high snow/ice. We bought the cheapest ones for 1,000 rupees a pair – for some of us (including me) they broke the first time we used them. So it’s worth not taking the cheapest ones.
- rain cover for the backpack
- I also recommend something to keep a diary (paper/book + pen) and a map to track and plan the daily routes (available in Pokhara).
- optional: sleeping bag. I am glad I saved this weight, because every accommodation offered several blankets. Even at an altitude of 4,900 metres at minus 25 degrees, three blankets and my full equipment including down jacket were enough to keep me nice and cosy – I didn’t need a sleeping bag. Other hikers, on the other hand, were happy to have an extra and, above all, clean sleeping layer.
- optional: hot-water bottle
First-Aid Kit / Toiletry Bag
- Diamox against altitude sickness – just in case. They are not supposed to be particularly good for the liver, so it is better not to take them prophylactically.
- Ibuprophen, Paracetamol, charcoal tablets – to be on the safe side.
- Pills that purify the water and make it drinkable; alternatively a SteriPen (Note: At higher altitudes the boiling point of water is lower, i.e. not all germs are boiled away. Therefore, it is worthwhile from about 4,000 metres to purify boiled water as well).
- Lip balm (lips get incredibly dry as the days go by; treat with honey after the hike!)
- Sun cream! (I had the sunburn of my life when I forgot it on the day of the pass crossing)
- blister plaster
- a creme for the face
- Instead of shower gel and shampoo, I had a curd soap with me – it is also suitable for washing laundry!
- something for washing clothes – curd soap, washing powder or washing gel. However, make sure that it does not harm nature too much (because there is no sewage system here, everything goes back into nature); at best, bring natural ingredients already from your home.
- toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss (don’t forget!)
- to be on the safe side, a pair of nail scissors that can also be used for other cutting tasks
- needle and thread in case the button of the hiking trousers falls off
- toilet paper!!
Catering
Food is not absolutely necessary – you will regularly pass restaurants, especially at the beginning, so you should not go hungry or thirsty anywhere. Nevertheless, a few recommendations from me:
- multivitamin tablets, as you don’t always get your necessary dose of vitamins
- I had a supply of unsalted peanuts with me – they fill you up, have lots of calories and, above all, protein, of which you usually get too little in the dishes in the Himalayas.
- I also carried a pack of walnuts to enrich my morning porridge not only with protein, but also omega-3.
- I also bought a packet of oat biscuits and a jar of peanut butter to snack on between meals (much cheaper than a Snickers bar).
- It’s never a mistake to have a packet of biscuits with you.
- I had continued to get a small cup of ashwagandha powder in Pokhara – this gingseng root is supposed to do wonders for the immune system and muscle regeneration. I mixed half a teaspoon with water every morning and at least I didn’t get sick!
- Finally, I also had a few green tea bags with me. In the mornings, I had boiling water filled into my thermos bottle and thus had my very own tea every day during the hike.
Money
Apart from the optional costs for a guide and/or porters, you need to bring cash for each day, as you cannot pay by card anywhere and there are no ATMs far and wide. You should plan on about 25 euros in cash per day for accommodation and food, then you are on the safe side. On average, I spent around 10 to 15 euros per day; at higher altitudes it gets a bit more expensive. Note: These were the prices from February 2022.
What are the tea houses like?
The accommodation where trekkers spend the night is also called tea houses. They consist of extremely simple rooms with beds with rock-hard mattresses and one blanket (I always asked for one or two more blankets).
The toilet (usually the typical Asian hole in the floor) is usually outside the rooms. The same goes for the “shower”, which still works in lower locations and, with a bit of luck, even provides hot water.
The huts usually have common rooms where the backpackers eat, warm up and spend their evenings. They usually have a stove in the middle, which is the core of the lounge, but it doesn’t work in every tea house or really radiate much heat.
Wifi worked really well for us for the first few days, but it was a bitch from about 3,000 metres up, which meant we spent about a week completely without internet.
Personal Hygiene
Water is no longer available at higher altitudes, as the pipes have frozen over. There are often water buckets next to the toilets (with ice floes inside) that function as a “flush” with a plastic bottle cut open.
In the snow area, I put snow in my bottle for brushing my teeth and do a quick cat bath. With the meltwater and my soap, I could at least get rid of body odour and wash my clothes from the day under my arms. The stove in the tea houses, or the backpack the next day, were good for drying. That way I got through the trek relatively stink-free. Less picky hikers simply didn’t change their clothes or wash for a week, but that works too.
Choosing a Tea House, and Traffic
Normally, the Annapurna Circuit is walked by 40,000 hikers a year; about 200 pass through the pass per day in high season.
We were travelling both in the off-season and during the Covid period, so a lot of the huts were closed and we were among the only trekkers in the Annapurna range, which made the journey very pleasant. However, this situation did not leave us much choice in terms of accommodations and restaurants (usually only one guest house per village was open), but in return we had our peace and quiet, especially on the trails. We finally crossed the pass in a group of only 20 people. The High Camp in front of the pass opened only for us – thanks to our guides, who informed them beforehand.
So much for the preparations. Now it’s time for the trip report!
From Day to Day – Hiking on the Annapurna Circuit
February 20th, 2022 – Day 1 of the Anapurna Circuit: Pokhara – Besisahar – Bahundanda
4am my alarm clock signalled the start of our trek. I dropped off my large luggage at the reception of my hotel before taking my hiking backpack and the local bus to the central bus station in Pokhara.
There, my future hiking companion David and our bus were waiting for me. About four hours of jolting through Nepali “roads” later, we reached Besisahar, where we also met our guide Saroj.
Besisahar is a popular starting point for the Annapurna Circuit. It is the last major place where trekkers can stock up on equipment and provisions. Saroj also provided us with our permits – for the Annapurna region, a permit paper is required, which is checked at various border stations. Those travelling without a guide should get the permit in Kathmandu or Pokhara, as it costs double in Besisahar.
As it was already early afternoon and the trail led along a muddy road, we decided, on Saroj’s recommendation, to take the local bus from Besisahar to Bhulbhule. This turned out to be a good decision, as the road was muddy and not interesting.
From Bhulbhule we started our real trek. Unfortunately, it started to thunder (thunder in the mountains sounds impressive!), so we marched fast through the rain for about two hours until we reached our first accommodation in Bahundanda.
There we shared a room, enjoyed a warm shower and a filling supper – hoping for good weather the next day. Apart from us, there was an ambitious extreme trekker from Egypt staying in Bahundanda who wanted to reach the Thorung La pass in three days instead of ten. Our guide Saroj, on the other hand, feared that we would probably not be able to cross the pass because of the high snow, but we remained optimistic.
Day 2: Via Jagat and Chamche to Tal
The next morning the pleasant surprise – completely clear sky! And what a panorama, which we couldn’t see at all the day before because of the rain clouds!
Enthusiastically, we started our first full day of hiking at 7:30 am. From our accommodation, a path led downwards across an inhabited and tilled high plateau. I had not expected to find such a beautiful and mountainous landscape already on the second day – after all, we were still on the edge of the Annapurna National Park.
I quickly made friends with my new walking poles, while David moved forward like shit off a shovel. He is an experienced walker of the Camino de Santiago, so flat roads are no problem for him.
In a valley between two green mountains was the village of Jagat, where we had an extensive lunch break and took a look at a local school. We were the only backpackers far and wide, which made the Himalayan villages and their culture even more authentic.
Normally, the second day ends in the next village, Chamche. However, we were quite quick and reached the cosy village already at 2 pm. We decided to hike on to the next valley, about three hours away.
The trail led downwards; we crossed the canyon via a suspension bridge and hiked back uphill along the river on the other side. The view was great! While David dashed away on the flat routes, I was faster uphill, probably due to my previous training.
Further up, the hiking trail ended abruptly because it had completely fallen into the gorge due to a landslide. So we had to climb a little way cross-country until we reached the entrance gate to Tal.
Tal is a valley village and had a somewhat strange feel to it. The whole place, which consisted of just a few houses, looked like an abandoned gold mining village. Thanks to Saroj, we found one of the only open guesthouses, where we enjoyed ourselves in the evening by the fire.
Day 3: Crazy long way to Chame
The next morning was the first time I was really grateful to have Saroj with us. After Tal, the path led through a canyon again, which had been created by the raging glacial water of the mountains. David and I wanted to follow a path on the eastern side – however, a dead end would have awaited us there after about two hours of hiking, without any possibility to cross the river.
Saroj, however, led us shortly after Tal on the other side of the river through some bushes until we arrived back at the hiking trail, which we would not have found without Saroj due to a wooden bridge that was no longer there.
For about an hour and a half, we were accompanied by a street dog that I would have loved to take with us. But when he marked his territory on my towel hanging from my backpack during one of our drinking breaks, I lost this wish again. Fortunately, there was a water source nearby where I could wash my towel.
The rest of the way led through a canyon with steep rock formations. Around noon we also discovered the first snow-covered peaks.
In the early afternoon, we had to stopp for about an hour: A landslide had destroyed the road, which was being repaired by an excavator. While waiting, we met Maria from Ukraine and her guide Corby – the first other trekkers on our trip!
After the road was cleared by skillful use of the digger, we continued through more hilly countryside to Danakyu, where we had lunch.
From there it became cloudy and foggy, the landscape increasingly barren and wintry – we saw our first snow! At times it became so foggy that we could barely see ten metres, so we stayed close together.
On our way we met some Nepalese trekkers and a British couple. They were returning from the Thorong La pass, which they could not cross because of too much snow and a blizzard. Of course, this was not very encouraging for us, but we did not give up hope that the pass would be passable again in a few days.
David was visibly exhausted and there was simply no end to this trail. Saroj nevertheless recommended that we continue hiking to Chame. It began to get dark outside, I noticed a blister on my foot and the weight of my backpack, while David was running out of breath and spirits. About an hour and a half before Chame, a jeep crossed our path, taking David to Chame for an expensive fare, while Saroj and I continued our forced march – in a hurry to arrive before nightfall.
Later, some Nepalese, including a permit inspector, declared us crazy for having done all the way from Tal to Chame in one day, as it is normally a two-day trek. I honestly don’t recommend to do this trip in one day when there is snow, as it is unpleasant to walk in mud for several hours, the way is just too long.
I was so happy when we arrived at the tea house and David greeted us in the cosy room, where two French couples were also warming up. David and I learned to appreciate the heated Nepalese wine in the evening (which tastes like pure vodka), and later Maria and Corby also reached our modest hut with bitter cold rooms by jeep.
Day 4: In a Winterly Environment to Upper Pisang
After breakfast with Maria and Corby, we left Chame behind and trudged through mud and a bit of snow along an enchanting forest before admiring the largest apple plantage in the Himalayas at Bhratang. Over 65,000 apple trees are planted there and an out-of-place modern retreat invites you to spend the night.
We continued into more and more winterly scenery until we passed a surreal-looking mountain carving. Finally, we reached a forest where David and I took a break.
Suddenly we heard music. Where was it coming from? A Nepalese man came out of the bushes with a huge suitcase on his back and typical Nepalese music tootling from his mobile phone. Behind him: the two French couples from the previous evening with their light daypacks. While they marched comfortably through the winter forest, their poor porter had to carry all their luggage – no wonder he needed some music.
We followed the group through the forest until we ended up in the village of Dhikur Pokhari. There we took a rest and enjoyed a wonderful panorama in bright sunshine.
A decision had to be made, because the trail forks from here into Lower and Upper Pisang. Lower Pisang leads along the valley and is the easier route, but it also offers fewer views.
Fortunately, I had read some arguments for Upper Pisang in the Lonely Planet guidebook beforehand, so I was able to convince Saroj as well as David to take the way to Upper Pisang – which paid off the next day with the best view of the whole trip!
We finally reached Upper Pisang in the afternoon after a beautiful walk across a plateau. Upper Pisang is an interesting village, half of which are guesthouses and the other half old stone buildings, all of which were abandoned in February.
While David caught up on sleep, I explored the village and climbed a small hill above a Buddhist monastery where I meditated and soaked in the beautiful scenery. We spent the evening with the French group in the common room, which was made even more charming by a power cut and candle light.
Day 5: My Favourite View on the Way to Manang
It snowed overnight. Although the two centimetres of fresh snow were no good news for our later pass crossing, they were beautiful to look at.
The walk from Upper Pisang to Nawal was the highlight of the trip for me. It was extremely steep uphill, we had quite a struggle. But it was worth every breath: the view that awaited us after about 400 metres of ascent was literally breathtaking. I almost had to shed a little tear and was sure I would never enjoy such a view again in my life. Annapurna II loomed before us at almost 8,000 metres. Photos cannot do justice to the enormous dimensions, but here are some impressions:
While we were enjoying the view, the French porter and later his entourage caught up with us; far down in the valley we could make out Maria and Corby.
The beautiful trail continued to Nawal, where we took a break. From here we went down again over an increasingly dry landscape with strange rock formations.
After two days without wifi, I had a bit of reception in between, which sent news to my mobile phone. No good ones: The Ukraine war had broken out, which was the topic of our conversation for the rest of the long journey to Manang.
On the way, it began to snow lightly. We took a last rest in a Tibetan tea house, where we curiously watched another trekker couple passing by.
Apart from the snow, the Manang area is very dry and barren, which made the rest of the walk easy. Arriving in Manang, we met the two trekkers from before – Nike and Fabi, a couple from Leipzig, a city very close to my hometown of Dresden! A nice surprise for me, of course. We checked into one of the two open guesthouses together with them and from then on we were a larger travel group. Three became five!
We spent the evening together at a stove that was not very hot, but still well warmed up and a bit tipsy thanks to the “Mustang coffee” – Nepalese wine (i.e. schnapps) with coffee. Still recommended here, but not at higher altitudes.
Day 6: Acclimatisation Day in Manang
The road ends in Mustang, which means that trekkers can theoretically also travel by jeep up to here. Mustang is the last major “bastion” before the pass, which offers a little more equipment and some markets to stock up on provisions.
However, the town was deserted. Apart from us and the French, there were no backpackers at all; half the villagers had not yet returned from their winter holidays and the remaining local people eyed us suspiciously.
Even the famous bakeries that were supposed to spoil hikers from their exertions were all closed. We had expected more.
Manang at over 3,000 metres is a popular place to take a day’s break from hiking and acclimatise to the altitude. Altitude sickness affects 50 to 70 per cent of all hikers to varying degrees and from about 3,000 metres it is important to reduce your pace and not climb more than 500 metres per day.
In addition, the oxygen level becomes increasingly lower, which is already noticeable in Manang.
Hikers spend the rest day either relaxing in town or taking one of several day trips around Manang. When we were there, the day trip destinations were unfortunately impassable due to the snow (there was fresh snow overnight). Therefore, Nike, Saroj and I did a small mini-hike to a photo motif that I had discovered in the Lonely Planet guide and that brought me to the Annapurna Circuit in the first place. There, for my sake, we did a little photo session and hiked up through the snow a bit to touch Annapurna III.
We spent the afternoon trying to survive the severe cold by the cold stove and warm up with warm drinks and lots of dalbhat. The wifi was partially working here, which helped us catch up a bit with voice messages and news around the world.
Day 7: Bigger Hiking Group to Yak Kharka
During our acclimatisation day, other hiking groups had reached Manang. These included Maria and Corby, who had caught up with us, Hanni from India with her guide, and a small group consisting of three Danes, the American Dean and his guide.
The weather turned sunny again and the likelihood that we would be one of the first groups this year to cross the ever-approaching Thorong La pass increased. Nevertheless, the crossing was not without danger, which is why all our guides coordinated and we set off together as a larger group to cross the pass together. From now on, there was no turning back and the hardest part of the journey had begun.
In bright sunshine, the path led us through beautiful snow-covered landscapes. The lower oxygen levels and the heavy weight of my backpack made it quite difficult for me that day. I was the last one in the group, as I stopped quite a lot for photos and to put down my luggage.
The landscape became increasingly barren, the snow turned to unpleasant mud and there was a strong wind. At one point between two mountains, this led to an interesting sound play as the wind drove through the canyon and the metal flagpoles.
We reached Yak Kharka at about 4,000 metres after only four hours. However, further ascent is not recommended as we had already covered almost 1,000 metres in altitude and many trekkers experience the first signs of altitude sickness at Yak Kharka.
So we spent a lot of time in the only open, bitterly cold tea house. From here on, there was no mobile phone reception, wifi or running water. The water bottles in our rooms froze, and the water barrels next to the “toilets” contained thick ice floes.
We bundled up and each of us spent the afternoon in the common room, either reading, sleeping, playing or watching a film. I had previously downloaded “14 Peaks” on Netflix – a very inspiring documentary about a Nepalese man who had climbed the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world, including in the Annapurna range.
Unfortunately, the stove in the room didn’t work very well, so David and I treated ourselves with two hot Nepalese wines to warm ourselves up inside – against the recommendation not to drink any more alcohol at this altitude. The bill came promptly: We got very drunk, the alcohol immediately gets into your head at this altitude. At least we were nice and warm and had fun philosophising with the Danes and Dean.
Nevertheless, during the night I regretted our little alcoholic excess. Due to the lack of air, I kept waking up gasping for breath, plus I was nauseous and everything was spinning. To make sure that altitude sickness hadn’t got me and that my misery was purely from alcohol, I took a Diamox pill. It is supposed to be harmful to the liver, but I took that risk in the cold of the night.
Day 8: Tough Ascent to High Camp
The second-last day before the pass crossing had begun – and also one of the toughest, where we reached our limits. 900 metres of ascent in harsh conditions lay ahead of us.
Basically, there are three options from Yak Kharka: One is to hike up to Thorung Phedi, a hike of only four hours with 500 metres of ascent. This is recommended by many guidebooks as the safer option. On the one hand, the avalanche danger at this base camp is lower than an overnight stay at High Camp, which is about two hours away. On the other hand, the recommended 500 metres of ascent per day are actually already exhausted in Thorung Phedi.
However, crossing the pass from there means a much longer next day, as the High Camp has to be reached first before going to the actual pass – unless you hike to the High Camp the next day and then spend the whole day there fat minus 25 degrees, only to cross the pass the day after.
We didn’t want to do either and our group decided to climb directly up to High Camp – also because the weather forecast for the next day sounded promising. So we set off early.
At the beginning, the sun accompanied us again as we hiked through a plateau in waist-high but frozen snow. It felt like an expedition to the Arctic with our tour group. The Danish guys as well as the French with their porter quickly gaining a clear lead.
The path then led along a very slippery and therefore dangerous mountain slope. It was cold, windy and slippery. David fell and one of his walking poles broke. We struggled quite a bit until I finally urged us to put on the grampons, the spikes under our shoes for better grip.
We reached Thorung Phedi all exhausted, both from the dangerous slippery conditions and the cold, and from the lack of oxygen. Accordingly, our lunch break in the quite warm and cosy parlour was a little longer – some took a nap on the wooden benches. Fortunately, there was enough space; after all, we were the only 20 hikers in the area at the time (normally there are ten times as many in high seasons).
But we had to go on, because a snowstorm was coming up and we had to cover another 400 steep metres in altitude. Here it became very adventurous. Due to the blizzard, we could not see far, everything froze and we noticed the low oxygen level with every second. It was a very meditative experience for me, as I concentrated purely on my breath and on every single step, while I tried to ignore the pain in my back and face from the cold.
David was at the end of his strength. He gave up and said he could take no more. It took some encouragement and support for him to remain brave. Giving up was simply not an option – the hut in Thorung Phedi had only opened for us and then closed again, so a return was not possible at all.
Finally, we reached High Camp and everyone was happy to have made it and to warm up at the working stove. Here, at about 4,900 metres, we spent our highest evening – and the last one before crossing the Thorong La pass. It was a sociable evening.
Because the next day was to start at 4am and we were all exhausted, we gradually retired early at around 8:30pm. The night was unpleasant, as I kept waking up hyperventilating. At this altitude, the oxygen levels are only 50 per cent; minus 25 degrees do the rest. I was not alone with having a terrible night, while others were able to sleep like babies.
Day 9 Part I: Crossing the Thorong La Pass
This day started in a very special way. We had been anxious for so long whether we would really be able to cross the Thorong La pass. We had met a few trekkers scattered along our path, for whom the pass was closed. It would have meant that we would have had to walk all the way back again.
But fortune was with us, as there was hardly any fresh snow and the day of the crossing was supposed to be sunny. Additionally, we had experienced guides with us who went ahead and cut a first swathe in the metres of snow. It was a blessing that we had come together as a group, because David, Saroj and I would not have been able to climb the pass alone.
We got up at 4 am (I was already awake anyway), had a hot breakfast and prepared for the pass. There was a tense atmosphere – everyone was excited, introverted and busy preparing their equipment. It felt like we were facing a military operation. In fact, there are hikers who don’t survive the pass crossing. The weather can change rapidly. A few years ago, about 40 trekkers died at once because they got snowed in.
But of course these are very rare exceptions when you realise that the pass is normally crossed by 200 people a day. We were only 20, but determined to conquer one of the highest mountain passes in the world at 5,416 metres!
The day I had been looking forward to for a long time began. At 6 am we started in single file. I was right in the second row behind the guides who were paving the way. The atmosphere was magnificent: it was dead quiet, the sun was slowly rising behind the mountain ranges and the first rays of light touched the mighty peaks and their masses of snow.
After about an hour, the group was quite fragmented. David was last in line with Saroj and I was worried about him as he had shown signs of altitude sickness in the morning. Nike also seemed not to have taken the previous evening’s food well, but she held her own. So I waited, losing sight of the Danes and French, who were well ahead of us.
To be honest, I was quite happy with the waiting time to catch my breath. Every step was a strain at this altitude. My nose was constantly running and freezing at the same time. Despite thick gloves, I had the feeling that my hands were freezing off. But the roughly four-hour walk up to the pass was breathtakingly beautiful and, thanks to the clear weather, much more pleasant than the climb the day before. That made up for the physical exertion.
At about 10 am, Fabi was the first to see the flagpoles marking the pass summit. Together we reached the Thorong La pass and took lots of photos.
I was really looking forward to this moment and was a bit saddened that my group wanted to move on quickly. In fact, we were supposed to cross the pass before 10 am, because strong and sometimes dangerous winds were supposed to occur from this time. However, Hanni from India was still behind us with her guide, and I didn’t want to leave them behind and make sure they were safe. So I let our group go ahead and waited alone at the pass, soaking up the peace and magic of the moment.
After a while, however, I did get a little worried and went back, but was then able to find Hanni safe and sound, just taking her time. The winds were fortunately not strong, so even at 11 o’clock it was sunny and pleasant at the pass.
In my euphoria, I would not have thought that the hardest part of the trek was now waiting for us – a six-hour descent of almost 1,700 metres in black ice.
Day 9 Part II: Down to Muktinath
Hanni was fine, so I went ahead to catch up with my group again. To be honest, I was a bit angry at this point that my team was so flat and lacking in euphoria. Nevertheless, the panorama was breathtaking and at first the descent through the thick but stable snow went well.
Quite quickly I had caught up with my troop again – and overtaken them. They were very exhausted, so I went ahead and then waited at a sunny spot where there was the ruin of an old house. Here I noticed that I had stupidly forgotten to use my sun cream – too late, I was already clearly burnt.
David and Nike in particular took a really long time to get to my waiting spot. Nike seemed weak, and then confessed: she wasn’t feeling well at all, she had already secretly thrown up several times. And the next hut for a proper rest was two hours away.
So what followed was a rather worrying descent. Actually, this stage only takes three hours. But now everything was frozen, every step required the utmost care not to fall. Then again, the sun had already melted some parts of the ice cover, so that some steps also led – unrecognisable from the outside – into the depths of the snow. I sank several times into the snow, which went up to my upper hip. And those who know me with my 1.93 metres height can imagine the depth of the snow.
Our grampons were completely screwed. David’s walking poles had both given up by now and we shared mine, complaining about the shitty China quality. We also distributed Nike’s luggage among ourselves, with Fabi taking most of it. It was amazing how much strength and bravery Nike showed despite her physical condition. She had no other choice, but her will was very inspiring.
In the meantime, David slid down a slope and sank into the snow – I slid after him to help him, but sank in another place myself. Cursing, freezing, sunburned, running low on provisions and with plenty of gallows humour in between, we sank into the snow again and again, fell down, slid down, got up again and slowly and arduously made our way down until we finally found an open cottage with a kitchen.
The French and Danes were miles ahead of us, while Maria, Corby, Hanni and their guide caught up with us. Unfortunately, even in the “restaurant” there was no way for the visibly tired Nike to be picked up to the next village, as the road was completely snowed in. Only a horse could have been ordered for a lot of money and with much patience, but Nike pulled herself together and we managed the rest of the descent together.
Back below 4,000 metres of altitude, it was then much more pleasant and parts of the snow turned to mud, which was easier to run off. At a picturesque sunset, we finally reached the holy town of Muktinath, where the French couples were already waving at us from the “Bob Marley” hotel. We had made it.
In Muktinath there was also mobile phone reception for the first time in days, as well as running and even hot water – the first shower in days, although still not a pleasant one with minus degrees in the shower.
We spent the evening completely exhausted by a large fireplace, where our soaked clothes dried and we warmed up with tea and plenty of dhalbat. We were all branded with sunburn, chapped lips, blisters and aching feet and backs. We had well deserved this upcoming sleep in a cozy bed!
Day 10: Holy Ritual in Muktinath and the Way to Jomsom
The morning at the hotel was wonderful. We had planned to sleep a little longer, so I didn’t wake up before 7am and spent another hour in the warm bed.
Muktinath is a sacred place and its two temples a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists worldwide. We were also there on a special holiday: Maha Shivrati, Shiva’s feast day. On this day, it is officially allowed to consume marijuana in Nepal.
Accordingly, the little town, which can also be reached by bus from the other side, was thriving – which was a bit weird considering where we came from, as the other side of the mountain was isolated and lonely. Saroj and I set off in the morning to visit the temples. On the way we met the Danish boys, Dean, Maria and Corby.
Together we took part in the festive ritual of purifying ourselves spiritually under freezing cold water. Around the Hindu temple – one of the highest temples in the world – is a series of 108 ornate fountains that bring forth water from the glacial ice. Wearing pants in sub-zero temperatures, we took on the icy challenge and walked through all 108 fountains to become mentally purer.
Oliver – one of the Danes I was to meet again later in India – rather limped through, because two of his toes had almost frozen off in his broken sneakers the day before. Not a pretty sight, but the corners of his almost black feet were fine again a few days later when we met again in Pokhara.
The Buddhist temple was also interesting, as here, very tiny, a natural flame blazes eternally from the mountain.
After our sightseeing tour, we all said goodbye to each other. The French travelled back to Pokhara by bus. Maria and Corby made a detour to another Annapurna area and the Danes also chose a different route than us. Unfortunately, we also had to say goodbye to Nike and Fabi, who needed a day of rest in Muktinath and were still unsure whether they wanted to continue hiking afterwards. Dean also stayed in Muktinath, while Hanni travelled on to a place with hot springs.
David wanted to be back in Pokhara in two days. Actually, the Annapurna Circuit would have lasted at least five more days, but I didn’t want to continue travelling alone and, to be honest, I was also longing for some comfort. So we started the last part of our journey again as a team of three, with Saroj, David and me.
The way first led us through Jaghat and a valley known for its strong winds along a surprisingly well-maintained road. We rested in Kagbeni and in the evening reached Jomsom, a small town in a very barren, stony mountain desert with its own airport.
We planned our next day and spent our last evening together with a British professor who had come to Jomsom from the other side and was staying in the same inn.
Day 11: Marpha and an Adventurous Bus Trip
Our last morning together had begun. We hiked it for about two hours under once again impressive scenery to the hamlet of Marpha, known for its apple cider and interesting architecture. A truly beautiful and peaceful place with laughing Buddhist children educated in a monastery, which we were allowed a glimpse of.
From here, the Annapurna Circuit ended for us. We boarded the bus that would take David to Pokhara. I wanted to see Poonhill, famous for its sunrise, so Saroj and I only did part of the journey on the bus.
The bus ride was very adventurous, sometimes only a few centimetres away from steep cliffs – with oncoming traffic. No wonder many Nepalese have accidents here. But I had a deep sense of trust in the bus drivers. In addition, there is the danger of landslides here. Some of the mountain passes have to be crossed quickly, as huge rocks keep tumbling down here.
And indeed, our bus came to a halt because the road ahead had to be cleared first. Saroj was a little uncomfortable with the continuation of the journey and advised David and me to get out and cross the most dangerous part on foot until the bus caught up with us later.
That’s what we did. And as small stones trickled down the rocky slope, Saroj suddenly shouted, “Run!” and took off running. So did the guide of a blonde hiker from the opposite side. David and I, who were used to situations like this at this point, were amused by our little adventure and in the middle of the path we stopped briefly to greet the bewildered hiker. However, we were quickly rebuked by our guides with clear panic in their voices, so we crossed paths and ran to the other side. Nothing had happened.
After about an hour, the traffic tentatively resumed and our bus caught up with us. Saroj and me went off in Tatopani, where we said goodbye to David and wanted to continue to Poonhill by jeep taxi.
Unfortunately, there seemed to have been another landslide, so we had to wait another two hours for our onward journey, during which we met Corby and Hanni’s guide again.
We finally reached our hotel near the Poonhill station in the evening, where a group of loudly slurping Nepalese (I hate loud eating sounds, in contrast to the Nepalese) took us in possession and could hardly believe our “death wish” for having crossed the pass in these wintry conditions. Saroj was fortunately good at absorbing the many partly private questions from the Nepalese group, of which I was honestly a little annoyed. I was not in the mood for socialising and wanted my peace, which I eventually found in the cold hotel room later.
Day 12: Sunrise in Poonhill, Descent to Nayapul and Return to Pokhara
At 4:30 am we started our march to the Poonhill mountain station, which took about 45 minutes from the guesthouse. We were the first to arrive in complete darkness. Gradually, more people arrived. After days of being alone with our group, it was a bit surreal to see the many Western as well as Nepali tourists who had arrived either in a day tour or by bus to admire the sunrise.
The sunrise was undoubtedly beautiful with the Annapurna massif in the background – however, we had experienced more impressive sights in the mountains in the past days.
As we had a long way to go and did not want to go with too many tourists, Saroj and I quickly made our way back to the hotel. After breakfast we started our walk to Nayapul, from where we wanted to take the bus back to Pokhara.
The walk was very beautiful and so different from the impressions of the days before. We were well below 3,000 metres in altitude again, the landscape was blooming, green and spring-like. The steep descent, which lasted for several hours, was quite exhausting and my back was clearly fed up with my far too heavy backpack.
But I felt all the more sorry for the many trekkers who met us on the way and hiked up all the steps. I preferred going downhill at this stage.
We reached Nayapul at 3 pm and took a taxi back to Pokhara from there, as no one knew when or if there would be another bus at all. Saroj and I finally said goodbye – he took an overnight bus back to Kathmandu, while I stayed at my hotel, where I had also stowed my other luggage.
That evening, like a savage, I ate all the sweet supplies (especially biscuits and a jar of peanut butter) that I had actually bought for the trek but then decided not to take with me because my backpack was already too heavy.
I had the best hot shower and shave of my life and fell asleep – without freezing – in a soft bed. My trek, and with it one of the greatest adventures of my life, was over.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the twelve-day journey along the Annapurna Circuit was the highlight of my six months in Nepal. Although we didn’t walk the entire route in the end, I don’t regret cutting short the last few days, which were mainly along a road.
An adventure like this brings a team together. Above all, David, Saroj, Nike, Fabi and I became real companions who are still in contact with each other. But also meeting the other personalities who dedicated themselves to the trek at that time of year (and during Covid) was inspiring.
Unbelievable to me are the people who live in these regions that are actually hostile to life. Just thinking about it fills me with great humility.
It is interesting how adaptable we humans are. I would have found it hard to imagine almost a week without internet, several days without running water and minus 25 degrees Celsius in a simple wooden hut. But somehow it works, at least for a few days.
I admire David and Nike for their bravery. I myself also reached my limits in parts, but I didn’t have to overcome them. The most interesting part for me was the meditative ascent to High Camp in the snowstorm. Here I became aware of my own transience and at the same time my will. There was no turning back and standing still would have meant death, as no rescue helicopter could have come there. We were truly at the end of the world. And yet we had pizza at High Camp a few hours later.
Less dramatic but more impressive was the ascent to Thorong La pass the next morning in complete silence and isolation as the sun quietly rose. And most joyful was our visit to the monasteries in Muktinath after we had conquered the pass together.
There were many beautiful moments. And, of course, many moments when I just wanted to lie in a warm, cosy bed because it was bitterly cold and my back was on strike. I recommend everyone to really make sure to pack their backpacks as light as possible.
We all struggled with burnt skin, chapped lips and chapped noses in the days after our trip. But the feeling and our own pride made up for everything. After this hike, I thought nothing could stop me in this world. My confidence in myself was at an unprecedented high, and even today I draw a lot from my memories and the many impressions.
So for those who are considering hiking the Annapurna Circuit, I give a clear recommendation. If you don’t dare to do it in February, you will find more pleasant conditions in October, November, March or April. But there are also a lot more hikers, which can be good and bad.