One of the main things I wanted to do on my return to Nepal was to trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary for a second time. First time around in November 2002, I felt that I missed a lot and as this must be on of the most spectacular treks in the world, I felt I had to do it again.
My plan was to complete the trek in seven days, which would mean that I would be averaging about 6 – 7 hours per day on the trails. I also decided to go solo and carry my own pack. As I’d covered the ground before I knew roughly what to expect. I had also
packed on a few added pounds in weight over the past few years and this gave me an opportunity to push myself hard and get back into shape. I knew I would meet other trekkers along the way so it wasn’t a case of being lonely on my own. It would also give me a lot of time to think.
Trekking in Nepal is an amazing experience. Most people trekking in Nepal have travelled a considerable distance to get there. It allows you to share your experiences with other people, whom you would have very little in common with in everyday life. On the trek it’s a different story. You find that you have lots in common, at least for the duration of the trek. Firstly you have decided to travel to Nepal and have selected the Annapurna Sanctuary trek – same purpose, same destination. Whether you chose the do it yourself option, as I did, or you go with guides and porters, you still have to get to 4,130m above sea level and back, under your own steam, one step at a time. You share the same aches and pains, moans and groans and pray that it will all be worth it in the end.
The trek in itself is no pushover. You really have to stretch yourself, getting up every day to start your next leg along the trail, no matter how tired you are or how sore your legs are is a challenge. Some days you can lose 800m in altitude, only to make it up again on the side of another hill, before you can reach your destination and a bed for the night. At some points you can spend more than an hour ascending or descending steep stone staircases and all you can think about is “when is this going to end?”
The reward however, is that you do get to witness some of the most spectacular scenery in the world and spend time in the worlds highest mountain range. At the sanctuary the highest mountain on show is Annapurna 1, which is the 10th highest mountain in the world standing at 8,091m.
I ended up completing the ascent in four days and the descent back to my starting point, Phedi, in three days. In all, I trekked a total of 48 hours out of the total of 168 hours I was on the trails. I’m really pleased with this outcome and happy that everything went according to plan. I would certainly do this again and can highly recommend this to anyone with a spirit of adventure who’s looking for something challenging and a bit different.
