Trek to Annapurna Base Camp
Day I
Sometime during the fall of 2013, I, a starry-eyed girl was dreaming of going for a trek to Annapurna Base Camp. Why? I don’t know. The mountains were calling me and I wanted to go. At the time, it seemed impossible yet possible at the same time. Logistics alone wasn’t just a problem. The problem lay with permission from my family and who I went with. I also did wonder. Itinerary was not even in my vocabulary then. So there I was, the starry-eyed girl, in her dream.
If someone had told me that 27 October 2023 would be the day, I would have just laughed and not believed it yet it was actually happening. To answer the question, who was I going with? Rajan, of course. I wouldn’t have known 10 years before but standing at the point with him holding my hand was surreal. I found my partner. Rajan and I were ready. Our bags were packed and the tickets were in our hands. On the night we set out, boy had I any idea of the adventures I was going to have. I was blissfully unaware.
Day 1: The Trek to Annapurna Base Camp
Ktm - Pokhara - Jhinu - Chomrong - Upper Sinuwa
We reached Prithvi Chowk, Pokhara at 4:40 am on a night bus. From there we were to take another bus to Nayapul. Which would have normally taken 2 hours but our bus did a detour and took 3 hrs. We then waited for a jeep to drop us off in Jhinu Pul from where the actual trek was to start. My stomach had butterflies and all these detours and waitings were just another part of the trek for me. At 9:30 am, we reached Jhinu pul. We carried our bags and set out for the trek. As we took the first few steps, one of the other trekkers brought us to reality. It was the season of trekkers and adventurers. Trail was full of them and we were another speck. So we were advised to make a booking ahead and show up on time because it wouldn’t be waiting for us for a very long time.
We met a family when we were about to get on the bus. As we were just thinking about how we were going to book a room for 2 during a peak season, Bhauju called us and asked us to wait, dai was trying to book a room. We were beyond grateful. We were now a team of 5 and he was successful in booking a room for us, the only condition was we had to get there by 5 pm. The trek from lower Jhinu starts after crossing the bridge. And we set out, relieved with the knowledge that there was a room waiting for us in Upper Sinuwa. We just had to get there on time.
At around 10:25 am, we had our lunch in Jhinu and started walking at 11:00 am. Our pace wasn’t set yet and it took some time to get to the groove. We passed several trekkers who were on the last leg of their trek. Some looked happy and some looked tired. One thing I appreciated about this trek was when we made eye contact, we would always get a smile and “Good morning!” or “Namaste!” in return. The trail to Annapurna was busy. We made our way from Lower Jhinu to Upper Jhinu and you could still see Jhinu pul and the boleros parked even after walking for 2 hrs, which was a little frustrating and I soon figured, it was a mutual frustration shared between other trekkers as well.
At 1:30 pm, we reached Chhomrong, a beautiful Gurung village. We decided to stop for lunch and stretch our legs for a while. Conversations mainly revolved around us getting to know each other better. After all, we had to reach ABC together and also about the rewarding downhill after the intense uphill climb. A bowl of noodle soup and an omelet later, it was time for us to wear our shoes and set off. I was trying to drink in every little thing around me. The view, culture, and people. We decided Rajan would lead us all and get to Upper Sinuwa to reserve the room. We were to reach there by 5 otherwise the room is gone. So without waiting for any of us, he set out. How wrong we were to think that the downhill stone steps would be rewarding. Halfway through the stairs, my knees were hurting and I could see Rajan picking up speed. The downhill went on till the Chhomrung River and then guess what, another rocky uphill started. As I was almost at the bottom, I could see Rajan climbing up the rocky steps. And as I started my climb on the rocky steps, I couldn’t see him at all. I could hear the river, feel the breeze, my steady breaths and sweat trickling down my face. All I could think of was that I had to get to Upper Sinuwa.
After walking for a considerable time, I reached Lower Sinuwa. I was so naive to think that upper Sinuwa should be just a few minutes away. Lower Sinuwa was a big village and a lot more uphill walk later, I saw Rajan coming down. He had made it to the hotel on time and after reserving the room, he came down to get me. He carried my bag, just one more reason to love this man. I reached the hotel at 5:30 pm and what a pleasure it was to take off the shoes and walk barefoot on the cold hard surface.