A long day of descent featured a visit to the romantic fortress town of Kagbeni located in the Kali Gandaki River valley which defines the western side of the Annapurna circuit leading all the way down to Tatopani. Here one finds medieval buildings and terracotta Buddhist figures with interesting details (examine the photo carefully).

Extensive use of terraces enables the agriculture needed to sustain the local community.

I enjoyed lunch here while observing the locals at work and leisure.

Covering a lot of ground, I continued down the desolate and wind blown Kali Gandaki River valley until I reached Jomsom by which time I had developed a serious set of blisters under the toes of both feet and on the heel of my left foot.

Most people consider the climb over the Thorung La Pass (at 17,769 feet) to be the most difficult day of the Annapurna Circuit trek. You start before the sun is up and will not arrive in Muktinath much before sun down. It is a long day with a huge ascent and an even more punishing descent. For me it was a piece of cake compared to yesterday because the trail was not nearly as treacherous. The downside of doing this trek in December is that it is very cold and the winds can be very strong. My hydration reservoir water line froze in my first five minutes on the trail. A rookie mistake, I failed to blow air back into the tube after taking my first sip. That mistake cost me dearly as it meant no water until it thawed at about 2PM, 8 hours later. At the top of the pass, I paused briefly for pictures.On the trail the winds seemed to be in the 30 mph range. At the top of the pass I would say they were closer to 50 mph and the windchill was insanely cold. My gloves came off for only a millisecond as I set the timer on my camera and tripped the shutter. I had to spread the legs of my tripod to their most extreme angle to prevent the wind from knocking my camera over. The descent took its toll on my knees but with every step the air got thicker, the winds weaker and the temperature warmer. An entirely new set of views appeared and a real sense of euphoria set in. Perhaps this or the lack of water caused me to take a wrong turn. I descend down the wrong side of the valley and had to add an hour to an already very long day to correct the mistake.

The nature of the trail changed dramatically today. Wide and flat has given way to narrow and slanted. Stable sand and rock has given way to fickle scree fields, often covered in ice. If I had to pick a single word to describe the situation I would say treacherous. In many places a single missed step would result in a long uncontrolled fall to certain death. For the first time on the circuit I was unable to manage my fear of heights and found myself paralyzed, unable to move forward and unable to retreat. In every case, I eventually forced myself to move forward as the fear of what was yet to come was never as great as the fear of what I had already been through. There was simply no going back and I knew that I would make it over the pass tomorrow because no force on Earth could compel me to travel this trail again. Most people have no more trouble on the trails today than yesterday and would be more likely to complain about how hard the elevation gain was in thin air. For the acrophobic, however, there is a world of difference. Had I known how psychologically challenging today’s trekking would be I would have never started the circuit. Now that I have done it, I would never do it again. That said, I feel a real sense of accomplishment having pushed through my irrational fears and making my way to High Camp. None of today’s pictures illustrate the portions of the trail which caused me terror. Once my anxiety gets triggered the simple act of taking a photograph becomes absolutely impossible. All I am able to do at this point is tighten my grip on my trekking poles, narrow my field of vision to the trail under foot and take one more step and then force myself to breath.

Above High Camp is a ridge leading to a viewpoint said to offer an exceptional panoramic view. Just looking at the trail I could tell this would be another test of my acrophobia but kept telling myself I had not come this far to miss one of the best photo opportunities of the trek. I had to get on my hands and knees at the very end but I made it to the top and can say it was absolutely worth the effort. I eventually mustered the courage to stand up so that a fellow trekker could take my photo in this spectacular setting.

All in High Camp that evening would be trying to make it over the pass tomorrow and that shared challenge made for a strong sense of camaraderie. We all huddled together to fight off the cold before we turned in for the night.

Looking back on Manang after an early morning start the consequences of using wood fueled fires to cook the morning meal were apparent. The trail has grown increasingly quiet with only the occasional trekker and very few locals. Skies remain unbelievably blue but day time temperatures are now on the distinctly chilly side.

With each passing day the mighty Marsyangdi River has grown smaller and smaller as I gradually hike my way to its source. Apparent on the other side of the valley are the landslides which routinely take out the trail and can be very dangerous at this stage of the climb.

Today I made the very short hike to Manang where I must spend the night to properly acclimate before advancing to a higher altitude tomorrow. After settling into my guest house I made several short excursions without my pack to explore the area. I found no shortage of subjects to capture my attention.

I can say with total confidence that this is the first time that I have ever used a pile of dung as a foreground element in one of my photos. I will leave it to my viewers to determine if this was a crappy idea or not.

I have now crossed the 10,000 foot altitude threshold and the big Himalayan peaks draw closer every day while the day and night time temperatures continue to drop. Even as I look back down from where I have come the mountains loom large in comparison to the little villages where I rest each night.

As I continue to advance ever higher, the lush pines start giving way to a much more arid environment with little vegetation.

I have been covering from 7 to 10 miles per day thus far. As the trail gets increasingly steeper and higher, however, my travel distance is limited by a maximum elevation gain of 500 meters per day. It is necessary to follow this precaution to ensure the body has sufficient time to acclimate. Hot water for showers is now non-existent and it is necessary to sleep with my hydration bladder to keep it from freezing at night. The skies remain as blue as I have ever seen. I have been reading for several hours each night and thus far have completed “Born to Run” and “The Lone Survivor” both providing different forms of inspiration as I trek. I also have with me the complete works of Sherlock Holmes which I hope to put a major dent in.

Pictured below is a long wall of prayer wheels, to be passed on the left hand side with the wheels to be spun clockwise. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers that are written upon it. Traditionally, the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is written in Sanskrit on the outside of the wheel. The wheels are to be found in and between every village as well as inside and around temples, monasteries and religious monuments.

As the altitude increases, so apparently does the height of the frequently encountered waterfalls. This is due, no doubt, to the fact that the canyon I am travelling in is gradually growing narrower and deeper with each passing day. The one pictured here is actually incomplete. Missing from the wide angle photo is the top and bottom third of this unbelievable cascade. The trail now is sometimes literally carved from the rock walls and the consequence of a poorly taken step is less forgiving. During the course of a day I will typically encounter a half dozen or so other trekkers and a dozen or so locals. I have gotten to know many of the folks doing the circuit as we tend to meet up during the evenings or at lunch time. It is wonderful to share the day’s stories with each other but I still prefer to trek solo. My style is to pause only for photos and to move at a pace which I can sustain indefinately. During an ideal day, I will stop to take off my pack only twice. Once for lunch and once when I reach my destination for the evening. In between, I find myself scanning the horizon for interesting photo opportunities while my mind relaxes into what I might describe as form of meditation.

“Working Mother” is the title I have given to the image which follows. This woman was one of a dozen who were carrying huge rocks on their backs from a quarry to a nearby construction site. Back breaking labor is to be seen everywhere in Nepal and I am struck by the amount of it which falls to women and children.

My trekking ended in Upper Pisang today where a Buddhist temple is located. The monks here routinely survey the village from their high vantage point and I enjoyed a hot lemon tea with one of them while enjoying the views. The day started with a very steep section of the trail that lasted for 2 hours. So far I am having no problems with the altitude and am feeling quite strong. The trick for me is to adjust my pace so that I can always breathe through my nose even if it means reducing my stride to a matter of inches to do so. I think of this as my creeper gear and I am willing to put one foot 6 inches in front of the other for hours on end. It is the equivalent to eating an elephant one bite at a time. Younger hikers invariably zoom past me but I generally overtake them all as they stop to rest or snack. Think tortoise and the hare. During these very steep ascents is when you really get inside your own head. It is a rhythmic form of intense meditation for me during which your entire focus is on your breathing and on the next step. Nothing else.

The Annapurna tea house has long since given way to what I would describe as a guest house or lodge. Rooms are sparsely furnished with a bed, foam mattress, quilt, and occasionally a night stand. Thus far toilets have been of the Eastern (squat) variety and generally shared with other rooms or occasionally located outside the lodge building. I have started taking the drug Diamox which climbers use to help speed acclimatization of the blood to high altitude. Given the trouble I had 100 meters from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro I am taking no chances this time out. One unfortunate side effect of the drug is a need to urinate every hour or so which does not lend itself to a restful night’s sleep. Most of my non-sleeping time is spent in the dining rooms where a stove or fire pit provides heat and other trekkers congregate to pass the time. Upper Pisang offers spectacular views into the valley in both directions and tonight’s lodge was one of the nicer I have stayed in so far.

Evening temperatures are starting to get quite cold. My sleeping bag is very toasty but I find myself quite cold inside the unheated guest houses during the hours between trekking and sleeping. Generally, there is a fire or stove in the dining room and guests will huddle around it for hours rather than spending time in their rooms. One shares the trail with all manner of beast, from horses and mules to goats, yak and cows. It is wise to always take the high side of the trail when passing animals on the path. In the event one becomes startled or agitated and pushes you it will prevent you from falling downward.

Valley views are gradually giving way to snow-capped mountain vistas. Every turn of the valley or ascent to a ridge top offers dramatic new views of the high Himalaya in what I would describe as a slow reveal.

So far trekking between villages has involved large ascents followed by large descents. Today was no different as I worked my way up the Marsyangdi valley. Although not of the mountains, the views thus far have been very wonderful.

I passed no less than half a dozen waterfalls today, each one grander than the last.

At every turn one observes the local villagers of all ages involved in back breaking labor. The young girl on the left was breaking large rocks into smaller ones to be used for footings being prepared by several men. Women of all ages seem to be the primary haulers of firewood to the home.

Starting very early this morning I hiked for a total of 8 hours pausing frequently to photograph the local folks. The trail steadily gains in elevation at a very modest rate and daytime temperatures are in the low 60s making for very comfortable conditions.

When I reached the village of Ghermu I noticed that it was almost empty. Upon further investigation I discovered a soccer match underway some five minutes from the trail. I hung out for a bit enjoying the game which was played with reduced numbers on a tiny dirt field.

As I continued on my way, I eventually encountered a number of villagers who were butchering some type of beast. In that moment I decided I would not be eating any meat for the balance of my visit.

I caught the earliest bus for Besi Shahar, the official starting point for the Annapurna circuit, this morning. The 20 minute taxi ride ($5) to the bus station from my hotel cost more than the bus ticket for the 7 hour trip ($3.75) to the trail head. Of course the taxi driver did need to stop and remove a large boulder from the road that was blocking our progress which I reasoned was good justification for the higher fare. By contrast the driver of my bus at one point hit a pedestrian, knocking him off his feet. This, however, did not warrant a stop, only an exchange of profanity, mostly from the driver. Riding the buses here was quite an interesting cultural experience. The bus crew includes a driver and what I call a “barker” who constantly hangs out the door trying to drum up passengers. He calls out the destination of the bus to anyone who looks like they might need a ride. When he hooks a rider the bus slows down but does not quite stop as the passenger jumps on board. If there is baggage, the barker hauls it to and lashes it upon the roof of the bus, all while it is moving. All vehicles in Nepal beep their horns constantly to signal their presence and warn pedestrians and other vehicles of their intent to pass. The horn is used in lieu of turn signals and to deal with the absence of traffic lights of any kind. The capacity of any vehicle is roughly three times the number of seats it contains. When the bus reached Besi Shahar I was very ready to hit the trail and did so immediately after obtaining my TIMS permit. I hiked until the sun set at roughly 5PM and then selected a lodge in Bhulbhule where I found myself at that time. For the next ten days or so I will be following the Marsyangdi River, pictured above, to its source. I find both the young and old here to be very photogenic and pause frequently to make portraits.

My flight arrived in Kathmandu 4 hours late, around 11AM. A driver from my hotel was there to meet me and I was able to persuade him to drive me directly to the government office which issues the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit which is required before entering the trekking circuit. I knew that the office closed at noon on Saturdays and it was essential that I obtain that document today or I would immediately lose a day from my schedule. We arrived just in the nick of time. Also required is a Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) permit but that office closed before I could get there. Fortunately, the TIMS permit can also be obtained at the beginning of the trail head so I will pick it up tomorrow. I spent the balance of the day exchanging currency, picking up a good trekking map, and stocking up on small food items for the trail. I am staying in the Thamel section of Kathmandu which is trekker central. There must be two dozens stores where you can obtain every manor of trekking gear, countless agencies which will arrange for local transportation, guides and porters, and several bars where solo trekkers post listings to find partners. Unfortunately, my hotel is situated right in the center of the action which means that it is noisy as hell well into the early morning hours.

I have many impressions of Kathmandu which I will share in later posts. For now let me just comment on the obvious lack of planning and thoughtful infrastructure. This photo is typical of the wiring that can be found throughout the city. No apparent rhyme or reason with old wires abandoned in place and new ones connected point to point with no coordination or master plan. The same principles at play here can be traced into every other aspect of civil infrastructure (roads, water, sewage treatment, zoning, etc.) contributing to a very low standard of living and safety. Despite an abundance of hydroelectric power, for example, one can expect rolling blackouts everyday because most of the power is sold to India at discount rates (no doubt the result of government corruption and special interests).

You can’t throw a stick in Thamel without hitting a store or stand where tourist type gifts can be purchased. I will wait until I return at the tail end of my visit before making any acquisitions so that I do not have to carry the items with me while hiking.

I left Boston yesterday beginning 26 hours of continuous travel to Nepal. I flew first to Dublin, from Dublin to Istanbul, and from Istanbul to Kathmandu. I passed the time reading more about Nepal and finalizing my trekking itinerary. Several delays and the near failure of my checked baggage to connect in Dublin made for a less than relaxing journey. Because of the 10 hour and 45 minute time change, I made an effort to start making the day for night sleep schedule transition even as I was in transit. My plan is to spend one day/night in Kathmandu where I must secure various travel permits and then immediately begin my trek the following day. This view from the air while on final approach gave a real appreciation for how the Nepali use terraces to turn mountainsides into farm land.

The entire family, plus Jeanine’s sister Susan, participated in a 5K Turkey Trot this morning to raise funds for Open Table. The family took a moment to model the complimentary shirts we received and this somehow evolved to include funny hats and eventually Nala was dragged into the scene.

I leave for Nepal this afternoon and will not be posting again until I return on December 22nd.