You could take a thousand pictures and still not fully capture the beauty!
October 27 post but not uploaded till today (October 28)
We spent two nights in the Annapurna Base Camp and we’re glad we did because it allowed a bit of a rest day, and a day to enjoy the magnificence of the Annapurna glacier basin with some perfect weather and views. Yesterday morning we woke early and were able to take in a beautiful dawn, lighting up the rim of the peaks. The down filled pants that we bought for the trip turned out to be a good investment as it was about -5C at daybreak and we were freezing! After sunrise and after breakfast we hiked up a rough trail that climbed the sidewall above the base camp guesthouses. Not a great trail, but Bharat and I were able to push up to 4380m before sitting down on the steep grassy slope. We had an amazing view of the receding glacial path of the last century. Bharat pointed out where the glacier’s toe was when he started guiding 27 years ago, and the retreat distance is quite jarring.
In the afternoon Ali and I wandered further up the lateral moraine and rocks to look up at the Annapurna IV peak’s hanging glaciers. Everywhere you look there’s another photograph! The temperature drops pretty quickly after sundown; there’s no heating in the guesthouse rooms so we typically go to dinner early as it’s warmer in the dining area from all the body warmth and we linger after to read, catch up on email, and stay warm.
This morning we took in another sunrise then started the 10 km descent back down the trail that we walked up a couple of days ago.
Today was the first day where we experienced tummy troubles. It was so fortuitous that our tummies rebelled at exactly the same time just as we were passing the Machhapucchhre Base Camp where we were able to quickly access neighbouring toilet stalls at a guesthouse. Quite a damper on an otherwise beautiful morning! A double dose of Imodium seems to have quelled the rebellion (for now)…
We had a very light lunch and calming lemon honey ginger tea at Deurali then continued down the masterpiece of a rock staircase into Himalaya village where we are staying tonight. Hot shower and clean bunk at just below 3000m means a warmer night and a bit more oxygen. Pretty pooped tonight, but grateful for another bluebird day of walking. Bharat and Hire continue to do an amazing job of looking after us!
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