wayno wrote:whats the hardest trip you've done and why was it hard?
were you expecting it to be that hard?
would you do it again?
what lessons did you learn?
...
After a bit of trekking in Kashmir and Karakoram I headed up to Annapurna. It was wet season so the leeches were out in force, rivers raging, fog hanging over the mountains all day and night. I tried to hire a guide and/or porter but they gave me a map, arranged my permits and sent me up to ABC solo. On the first morning some local teens attached themselves to me and we spoke English all the way to lunch (when we had enough breath to speak that is). From that lunch on I ate with the locals and ate what they ate, they adpoted me for a week. The family were from Annapurna and were doing a pilgrimage to a sacred lake located about 5,000m with a pass crossing about 6,000m. As we made our way further up, further from the villages on the main tourist tracks we slept in yak huts, head to toe with goats, bullocks, yaks, sheep and each other. A couple of the growing party were suffering from altitude and one night I nearly choked on a phlegm ball the size of a golf ball. Out of 30 locals only the 3 teens spoke English but I really connected with their mum, gran and aunties. Communication was mostly sign language and predicting each other's needs. The food was awful but they made it clear i wouldn't be able to join if I couldn't handle it. I drew the line at salty yak butter tea.
It took 4 days to climb to the final camp then a whole day of rituals and ceremony, including everyone stripping naked and washing (no soap) before stepping on sacred ground and walking barefoot around the lake and then some high altitude athletic games like races, pony riding, shotputt and javelin (they let me win the shotputt).
It was all over with 4 hours of light left. The younger family members and porters carrying the remains of their sacrificed livestock decided they could make it back to the closest village before dark so i joined them. We ran, jumped, stumbled all the way back but most of us didn't have enough energy to lift ourselves if we fell. We didn't make it before dark but one of the aunties knew the path to the closest village so we stuck close together with everyone helping each other when someone fell. What took us 3 days to climb took 5 hours to race down with only one break for water. I fell while getting caught in some tree roots and I had absolutely no energy left to lift myself back onto my feet. It was a bit scary but seeing the lights of the village glowing through the fog was a huge relief.
I continued on to ABC after the pilgrimage and was treated like royalty after work of the pilgrimage travelled through the villages. The fog cleared the one night at ABC and I spent an hour standing outside marveling at the monstrous mountains surrounding me then watched an avalanche fall off the side of Annapurna sounding like a hundred trains crashing down the valley.
After completely losing track of time I had only 3 days left until I needed be back in Pokhara to phone home for my dad's birthday but after the pilgrimage everything felt easier, lighter, faster.
My scarpa boots completely fell apart, couldn't cut it in an Himalaya monsoon.
I was the second only foreigner ever to be allowed to the sacred lake and the first person ever allowed to photograph everything including the rituals.
Nobody asked me for money, all they asked of me was to respect their traditions, follow their rituals to keep the ghosts and spirits happy so everyone stayed happy.
It was the hardest trek ever but the biggest honour and privilege and one of the most amazing experiences in my life.
I would do it again without any hesitation but I would do it differently. Next time it will be with my beautiful friends and their own daughters and I will learn a bit of their language before joining the pilgrimage. I will be able to contribute practically with local food for big family meals and pack my own mint tea.
No more scarpa. In monsoon season I carry a pouch of salt to rub on leeches. Chewing peppercorns helps relieve symptoms of altitude sickness, gives an energy boost and relieves thirst. Warm pepper and lemon water helps relieve congestion caused by altitude and keeping the neck wrapped up prevents it getting worse, even if it feels warm.
Some of the friends you make in some of the wildest places can become some of the most true and loyal.