Namaste Fabien and Base Camp Trem

It’s already been a week since we returned, and we’re only just beginning to “come back down to earth”!!

Once again, it was an extraordinary trek. We were incredibly lucky with the weather: three weeks of beautiful sunshine, with that deep autumn blue sky enhanced by trees dressed in their most stunning, shimmering colors. Combined with the breathtaking high-mountain landscapes, it was pure nirvana!!!

We really loved all the small villages once we were out of the gorges. That is our only regret: not having thought to plan more time to enjoy these typical villages where life is so vibrant and present.

Ashok reorganized the stages so that we wouldn’t end up sharing lodges with all the big groups following the “standard” route. Thanks to that, we were able to spend time with the villagers and exchange with them. Some evenings, we were the only ones in the lodge! We had some wonderful encounters.

During our altitude acclimatization, the ascent to Pungyen Gompa and the arrival on the plateau were simply magnificent. Standing face to face with one of the giants of the Himalayas is a truly precious gift. Likewise, the hike to Manaslu Base Camp allowed us to see the melting glaciers up close, which seem even more catastrophic than in Switzerland…

We really enjoyed Samdo, as the village is well preserved, with all the “hotel complexes” built on the outskirts. On the other hand, just next door in Larkye Bazaar, there is no longer a Tibetan market, as the Tibetan (Chinese) border is closed.

Dharmasala was the great surprise of the trek: a village of tents and metal or stone huts, with the most unusual dining room I have ever seen in Nepal! The long row of tables and benches lined up in a large room reminded me of some mountain lodges in France. The atmosphere there is both focused and relaxed. As for the food, it’s a show in itself. I am always amazed by what the cooks manage to prepare at such high altitude! We even had a bit of snowfall, just to spice up the crossing of the pass.

The ascent to the pass, starting in the middle of the night, will remain the most powerful moment of our trek. The climb itself is not difficult — it’s a series of ups and downs, and the route is well marked — but it’s long… The reward is magnificent when the prayer flags finally come into view!!

The descent at the beginning is quite impressive, as you really plunge into the void and cross several scree fields. Bhimithang then appears as a haven of peace, with its very comfortable lodges.

Crossing over to the Annapurna side to reach Tilicho Lake was a bit of a disappointment: there is almost no trekking trail left (except between Manang and Pisang). The track is badly damaged, dusty, and sometimes very muddy due to the Chinese construction work. We chose to go up to Manang by jeep.

Then Cyclone Montha arrived and stopped us in Manang. We stayed there for three days, fully aware of how fortunate we were: we were warm and comfortable in a wonderful lodge. Everyone who managed to come back down from the base camps (Tilicho and Thorong) arrived frozen and exhausted. We were very surprised to see that the police made sure no one went up, and that no jeep was allowed to go back down into the valley…

With the ascent to Tilicho becoming dangerous due to the high avalanche risk, we mutually decided to head back down to Pokhara as soon as possible, where Ashok put together a fantastic program for us to discover the city and its surroundings.

Back in Kathmandu, we stopped by the agency to thank you for all the help you gave us with our program changes. It’s very reassuring to know that someone is looking out for us behind the scenes…

Once again, thank you for entrusting us to Ashok. His deep knowledge of the terrain and his ability to show hidden gems, his love for his country, his explanations, kindness, attentiveness, listening skills, and understanding all contributed greatly to the success of this trek. We were also spoiled with Jeeban, our porter — always in a good mood, always ready to help, and with an extraordinary knowledge of plants.

And a huge thank you for the surprise evening in honor of Béa’s birthday!

There is a very good chance that we’ll be traveling with you again next year, for new adventures!!
In the meantime, I wish you — a little (or a lot) in advance — a wonderful holiday season.
Take good care of yourselves.

Catherine Mullier