Bucket List: Trek to Poon Hill

Nepal, Annapurna Region

This was and still is one of the most enjoyable trips that I had taken. The trip was a long time ago in 1998 when I was still a footloose twenty-something who was rich in energy but poor in resources. Almost fresh out of military service, I had scraped together a couple of years of savings to afford this trip and went along with two other friends. 

The total number of days spent trekking was 6 days although I had spent considerably more time in Nepal during the trip, taking the chance to visit Kathmandu and Pokhara before starting on the trek. After the trek, I also took the opportunity to visit the Chitwan National Park in the Terai Region, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

This is a chronology of the trek from Day 1 to 6.

Day 1 (3 April 1998) - First day of our trek. The day began early at about 7.40am. Driving out of Pokhara (900 meters above sea level), our cheerful driver brought us to the foot of Dhampus Hill. Here, there was a little hut that sold coffee and tea.

Checking that we had the necessary items, including our trekking permits, that were to last us for the next 6 days, we started to climb Dhampus Hill at almost 8.40am, an hour after we left Pokhara. This was a relatively steep ascend and I was panting badly by the time I had reached the summit of the hill at about 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) above sea level. Along the way, we had stopped twice for drinks as well as to catch our breadth. 600 metres (1,968 ft) of climbing in about an hour, this would set the tone for our routine for the next 4 days.

Mules were harnessed for the laborious tasks of carrying goods up the hills, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

We stopped for lunch at a teahouse on top of the hill. There were some Tibetans selling handicrafts outside the teahouse and as I had finished my lunch ahead of my friends, I went to chat with them. exchanging small talks even though I didn't buy anything from them. 

The next part of the trek continued after lunch. After all those climbing before lunch, I was delighted that we were finally walking on level ground. But soon, stairs started appearing before me and it was another long climb. 

The target destination was to reach Potana before the end of the day. We achieved that target and reach Potana earlier than scheduled. Our Sherpa Guide then decided that we had time for more trekking and we continued on our way. This time, it was downhill. After all the earlier climbs, I was happy to be going downhill with the flow of gravity instead of against it. But I was to be proven wrong. If going uphill was tiring, going downhill was well, downright scary. As we made our way down the steps, we had to constantly apply "brakes" to avoid slipping. These stairs were nothing more than rocks loosely stacked together. Due to erosion and rain, they were not exactly stable and if one was not careful and happened to step on a loose rock, then it will be free tumble downhill.

We finally managed to made our way safely down these treacherous stairs and stayed the night in a teahouse near Landrung. After a day of almost non-stop trekking, it was nice to have a warm shower and to be able to sit down to rest our tired feet.

Steps, steps and more steps... On the way to Landrung, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

An interesting fact that I learned today was that almost all the buffalos that we had seen along the way were wild animals. I had thought that they were domesticated. If the locals wanted any meat, they literally just "grabbed" one and slaughter it on the spot! The meat was then shared among the villagers.  

Day 2 (4 April 1998) - We woke at 6.00am and breakfast was at 7.30am. It was a simple meal of Tibetan bread and hard-boiled eggs. Nevertheless, it was enough to keep our stomachs full as we resumed on our trek. Without stopping for any breaks, we trekked for about 3 hours until we reached Landrung at noon. Along the way, we managed to have some clear views of Mount Annapurna South. The view of the majestic mountain that towers 7,219 metres (23,684 ft) above sea level, more than made up for our laborious trek.

The rapids of a fast flowing river along the way to Ghandrung, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal  (1998)

From Landrung, it was downhill all the way as we crossed a river, the Modi Khola, and climbed Ghandrung. In 3 hours and 15 minutes, we reached the peak of Ghandrung at 1,960 metres (6,430 ft), effectively crossing a valley on foot. The day before, I had "pulled" a thigh muscle on my right leg while trying to prevent a slip. Thus throughout the climb, I had to mostly relied on my left leg to do the climb. But still, I made it.

The author at a tea house near Landrung, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

Surprisingly, Ghandrung seemed rather "advanced". They had electricity and radio. There was a police checkpoint where our Guide went to have our permits validated and stamped.

A view of the hillside of Ghandrung, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

Day 3 (5 April 1998) - One of my friends had to end his trek due to food poisoning. A porter was hired to accompany him to Ghandrung before the drive back to Pokhara.  

We continued on our trek and were soon climbing again after we had departed from Ghandrung. Because it had rained the night before, the ground condition was especially slippery. The phrase "slippery when wet" suddenly had a new and very practical meaning to it. I slipped several times on the way to Tadapani but fortunately, did not get injured. I ended up with lots of dirt marks  on my pants and backpack. A testimony to my trek for the day.

As we continued on our climb, the visual spectacle that was to be our reward, justified the hard work and endurance. For a period of time, we were walking amidst lush forests of Rhododeron trees with trunks covered thick with moss. Coupled with the mist surrounding us, the scenery was more than exotic. It was like traveling back in time to the age of dinosaurs. We were walking amongst the clouds at an altitude of nearly 2,700 metres (8,858 ft) above sea level.

Journey to Tadapani, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

We finally reached Tadapani and had lunch before continuing to Berthanti. From Tadapani, it was downhill for almost 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) before we had to reverse "gears" and went uphill again. Along the way, we made our way past footpaths that encircled the hills. One slip and it will be "good night and thank you".

The forest of Rhododeron trees that lies between Ghandrung and Tadapani, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

Day 4 (6 April 1998) - This was the fourth day of our trek and a relatively short one. Before noon, we had reached the peak of Deurali. A check on the altitute meter showed that we were nearly 3,400 metres (11,154 ft) above sea level. We encountered snow for the first time since we started on our trek. Although it was a beautiful sight to see the terrain before us covered in patches of white, it unfortunately also meant a more slippery trek. The snow coupled with the moisture from the high altitude meant that the trek had become more difficult and dangerous.

But we continued on our trek safely and soon arrived at Ghorepani. For the rest of the day, we just lazed around in Ghorepani. At dinner time, I took a look around the teahouse and was amazed at the sight of people of different nationalities huddled together around the fireplace, drinking hot tea and engaging in conversations, oblivious to the cold outside which must have been near to zero degrees celcius. People of different backgrounds, age and language but bonded by a common desire to be near to nature's wonders. Among the group were Nepalese, Americans, French, Japanese, Norweigians, Singaporeans and Taiwanese. I had a good conversation with an elderly French couple. They were delighted at the fact that I could speak a little French and in a combination of French and English, we had a really nice chat.

Scenic view from Ghorepani, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

Day 5 (7 April 1998) - We rose from our sleep at about 4.00am and climbed up Poon Hill (3,194 meters, 10,479 ft)) in the dark. The cold wind caught me by surprise as I was only clad in a pair of T-shirt and jeans plus a light jacket. By the time, I reached the top of Poon Hill, I was almost shivering but a cup of warm coffee was enough to help me overcame the cold air, at least a short moment.

Poon Hill offered a panaromic view of the Annapurna range of the Himalayas. The clear morning air and rising sun made the view even more spectacular. From here, we could clearly see Mount Annapurna South (7,219 metres, 23,684 ft)), Mount Annapurna-I (8,091 metres, 26,545 ft), Mount Annapurna-II (7,937 metres, 26,040 ft), Mount Hiunchuli (6,441 metres, 21,132 ft), Mount Machhapuchchhre (6,993 metres, 22,943 ft)) and Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167 metres, 26,795 ft). There are definitely more peaks than those I have named, but I was unable to positively identify them.

Mount Annapurna South bathed in the warm rays of the rising morning sun, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

The sun rising over the Annapurna Himalayas. Mount Machhapuchhare (a.k.a. Fishtail) is the highest peak on the left of the picture, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

Mount Dhaulagiri at 8,167 metres (26,795 ft), is the 7th highest peak in the world, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (1998)

After Poon Hill, we headed downhill from Ghorepani. We were on the last leg of our trek and it was all downhill from here. No more climbing. 

Our journey back took us past the villages of Banthanti, Tikedungha and Ulleri. By the time we reached Birethanti, it was almost 5.00pm and we decided that we would spend the night there. We had descended almost 2,000 metres (6,561 ft) in about 7 hours and my feet had developed blisters. I badly needed a rest.

Day 6 (8 April 1998) - The 6th day was a relaxed one. We were up by 8.00am and started for Pokhara at about 9.30am. Trekking past some small villages, we were soon on the main road that took us to Pokhara. We finally returned to Pokhara and reached the Stupa Hotel at about 11am. I wasted no time in taking off my trekking shoes and soaking myself in a nice warm bath. The trek had been completed and I had experienced one of the best trips of my existence. The next day, we would leave Pokhara for the Chitwan National Park.


Note: Parts of this article were first published in an earlier post in this blog on 8 September 2014.