Trip Reports

Annapurna Circuit - 7 to 24 April '16

Jagged Globe team on the Thorong La
Trip Report

Written by Leader Mungo Ross, April 2016

Iím writing this in the same annex of the Summit Hotel exactly a year after the first of two earthquakes that wreaked such havoc here in Nepal, killing nearly 9000 people, injuring many more, leaving tens of thousands homeless and costing who knows how much in structural damage.

So how does it feel to back here, how has Nepal been affected and what has been done to get everything back to normal? You could be forgiven for not realising that anything so catastrophic had ever happened: sitting by the pool in the tranquility of the Summit Hotel garden in balmy sunshine with birdsong, cocktails, cheerful chattering children and the so familiar sincere and friendly service feels just like it has always felt. Driving round Kathmandu is no different than before; there may be even more vehicles (who knows?), but the madness that is normal (or is it the other way round?) is just the same; a traffic system that appears to be based on two simple principles ñ no contact and (more or less) drive on the left. The horn is used not to demand ìget out of my wayî but rather just to let other road users know that you are there ñ and there are a lot of road users letting each other know that they are there!

The newspapers are full of anniversary articles about the billions of dollars bequeathed in response to the earthquakes that are not being spent or even allocated as the government are being blamed for procrastination, incompetence and corruption (so nothing different about any of that). Itís being reported that thousands of families are still living in makeshift shelters, that most home-owners are still waiting for the funding for repairs and that the rebuilding programme is spectacular in its stagnation. There are still occasional aftershocks, maintaining the awareness that another ìbig oneî could happen at any time, but resilience and the acceptance of karma (or is it resignation?) appear to have the visible population ìback to normalî.

What is evident is the reduction in tourist numbers, published estimates suggesting that the trekking population is down 60%: but what of the trekking itself? Iíve just enjoyed a delightful trek round the Annapurna Circuit, another Jagged Globe leader, Andy Chapman, is just back from a trek up to Island Peak, we have teams on Mera, Mera and Island Peak, North Col of Everest, and the teams on Everest are making great progress. So far this season itís very much ìback to normalî, except there is just not so much work for the Sirdars, Sherpas, Porters and everyone else who have come to depend on the trekking and climbing teams.

But this is supposed to be about the Annapurna Circuit Trek. It has to be the classic trek in Nepal, is still popular and deservedly so. Bob Dylan sang the words years ago ìThe times they are a changingî ñ they certainly are! (indeed, that is one of the true certainties that we all live with); and the Annapurna Circuit Trek is no exception. Roads are being constructed from East and West, even being bulldozed above Muktinath toward the Thorung La. New lodges and even Lodge villages have been built and since the terrible blizzard 18 months ago, several shelters have been constructed on the pass. 40 years ago it was a path all the way from and back to Pokhara; now you can drive to Manang in the East and fly back or drive from Jomsom in the West. But itís still a spectacular area! With just a little imagination and ingenuity itís possible to get off the road, trek into the Himalayan wilderness and experience being in the high mountains. This group has shared doing just that, getting on well together, enjoying the views, the food (too much, they cried!), the near-perfect weather throughout, the challenge of altitude (well may be not exactly ìenjoyedî) and the exceptional services of Lhakpa our Sirdar and our Sherpas and porters. Star of the show has to be Louis, who at the age of 12 (came along with his dad John), proved that age has nothing to do with it when it comes to meeting the challenges of high-altitude expeditioning (just as well for those of us at the other end of the scale!). Youíre a real inspiration Louis.

Thank you Jagged Globe for yet again organising and supporting another memorable trek through the mountains of Nepal. Thanks to all the group for your good company and humor, for sharing a wonderful three weeks and as we share and exchange photographs on the internet to keep the memories alive a bit longer, we can use them to help inspire the next adventure.

Mungo Ross, Summit Hotel, 25 April 2016 « | Next report »

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