Trekking in Nepal

by Anisa Patel
(Derby, UK)

Rising at the crack of dawn to walk for an average of 7 hours a day, hauling yourself uphill backpack in tow, struggling not to slip in 6 inches of snow and a serious lack of hot showers may not seem like everyone’s ideal way to spend 4 days – but put yourself in the stunning surroundings of the Annapurna mountain range, with breath-taking views, fresh air, and isolation from the commotion of city life, and you may have one of the most unforgettable and amazing experiences of your life.

When I was initially planning my gap year, I knew Nepal had to be one of my stops: not only to absorb the culture of such a fascinating and diverse nation, but also to experience the enormity of natural beauty it had to offer. It was my first time doing serious trekking, so naturally I was concerned at my ability to do it, but the team and guide from Experience Real Nepal, who organized this trek, were ever-obliging and great in reassuring me.

Though tough at times, the overall experience of the trek was fantastic – I don’t think I have ever done anything as physically challenging that left me with such a sense of accomplishment at the end. The diverse landscape also meant you were constantly taking in a range of views of the vast terrain: from lush green covered hills, to blankets of fresh snow and muddy woodland.

Even though The Royal Trek is one of the easier treks, there were some grueling parts (especially since I am not the epitome of fitness): at one point, we had to climb 3,300 steps up to Ulleri, the village where we spent our first night. After what felt like a never ending experience, especially as the sun had disappeared, and being extremely sweaty from the mornings stretch, all I wanted to do was have a nice hot shower, and not climb thousands of steps uphill.

Getting to the top was tremendously fulfilling though, as well as a great relief, and it was exciting to see our first bits of snow. Having some snow on the trek definitely turned out to be a lot of fun. It also added to the picturesque surroundings, which were so tranquil and beautiful – at times, I felt like I was walking through the forests in Narnia. I remember a moment when we got to the top of a snow-topped peak, we were greeted with the most amazing 360 degree view of the mountain range – it was brilliant! But sometimes, it became less visually appealing, and posed as an additional obstacle…

Walking downhill in the snow turned out to be a more arduous and difficult task than it first appeared, and after slipping and falling more than a few times, I found myself wishing for a pair of skis – it would’ve been faster and probably a lot easier!

Climbing Poon Hill to see the sunrise was an incredible highlight – though getting up at 5am and then going out into the bitter cold and total darkness of the early hours, aided by only a torch to climb 400m was not my idea of the perfect Sunday morning. Nevertheless, making it to the top in time to see the luminous hue of orange creeping into the sapphire blue skyline, casting its warm rays onto the snow capped mountains whilst sipping on hot chocolate was absolutely sumptuous.

What came to follow the spectacle of the sunrise, however, was possibly the hardest thing I have done – I think I pushed every bone, muscle, ligament, and all my other body parts to the maximum. We knew we had a good 8-9 hour walk ahead of us, so we set off early, walking 5 hours straight. After the first few hours, the sun had gone away, and the surfaces seemed more slippery than usual. I was beginning to think, “Why am I doing this to myself?” I was cold, tired, and hungry, my feet were wet, and it felt like our destination was miles away. Regardless, after a quick stop for lunch, we carried on another 3 hours to Ghandruk, our resting place for the night. I’ve never been happier to see a trekker’s lodge than I was at that moment. “We did it!” – 10 1/2 hours of walking, finishing in one day what most people take a day and a half to do.

Sometimes the best part of trekking was reaching my destination triumphantly, the trekkers lodge, at the end of a day’s walk. With cold, often wet feet, exhausted, and in need of a hearty meal, it was almost decadent warming myself by a nice fire with a hot cup of tea, accompanied by other trekkers from all over the world. The lodges, though basic, boasted a lively, spirited atmosphere - with only our banter to keep us entertained, we sat around the fire exchanging life and travel stories. It was also great being able eating copious amounts of food as this was probably one of the only times that I could eat so many carbs without wanting to kill myself!

Finally, the evenings would end with people dropping into their beds one by one at shamefully early hours (I think 7:30pm was the most disgraceful of my bed times…).

At the end of the trek, I was left with blistered feet, bruised toe nails and aching muscles – but I also had the most amazing and cherished memories of a fantastic expedition that rounded up my experience in Nepal perfectly. I’m already planning when I can return to try a more challenging trek!

Experience Real Nepal can be found at www.realnepal.org