Upper Dobhan – Deurali – Annapurna Base Camp

We have made it to the Annapurna Base Camp at 4130m ! 🙂🏔️🥾

Yesterday, we left our guest house at Upper Dobhan (2520m) and continued our walk along the steep canyon sidewalls and forest above the Modi River, passing the guesthouses further along at Himalaya where will stay on our walk out. Some very long steep pitches of steps here. Beautifully made but never ending it seemed! But yesterday was a shortish day, arriving at Deurali (3200m) village at lunch time, and with a decent elevation gain of about 1000m. As we approached Deurali from below the valley opens up wider and you begin to see snow covered peaks through the steep side canyons. Dramatic-height waterfalls are everywhere it seems. Incredible evening light in the valley below as you’ll see in the pics.

This morning we left Deurali after breakfast and began the last 7.5 kms slow trudge up the remainder of the headwaters of Modi River, leaving the forest and low brush for a grassy alpine tundra, and swinging West at the Machhapuchhre Base Camp and following the alpine valley that used to hold the South Annapurna Glacier. Pacing was deliberately slow as the altitude made you gasp for an extra couple of breaths once in a while. But frequent stops for water, some electrolytes, and a dextrose tablet seemed to allow us to avoid the altitude sickness meds we brought. And we made it just after noon to the Annapurna Base Camp at 4130m. So about another 1000m climb today. It’s so amazing to now be on the other side of the Annapurna South peak that seemed so far away from the viewpoint at Poon Hill! We set a slow pace but have walked so far!