Trek One

Pokhara to Muktinath 3700m.

When booking the trek I let over enthusiasm and exuberance get the better of me and arranged a guide to go with me. This I quickly found out was an expensive mistake. But one lives and learns.

The trek starts with a short (2 hour) bus ride to Nyapul then followed by an utterly exhausting climb of over 3000 stone steps (I counted 3287). I was considering that if the entire trek was like this then I would be half dead by the end. Thankfully after a day of climbing 3287 stone steps they cease.

The next day one has to descend to go back up again. 3287 stone steps (a little flatter and more spread out, but still there). My legs have never felt so punished. By day three at Tatopani and its hot springs I felt shattered. Also the idle of a quiet solitary mountain trek had somewhat been altered by my discovery that a very rough mountain road has now been consturcted along the line of the trek and the huge frequency of tea houses and guesthouses. So I changed my plans, jumped onto a jeep and traveled quickly so I could see the views of the high altitude Lower Mustang desert.

Mustang province in Nepal is considered Tibetan outside of Tibet. Untill 1991 off limits to tourists, and the Upper Mustang is still heavily regulated (entry permits cost US$500, one has to travel in pairs or groups and guides are compulsory). Mustang features stunning barren landscapes bounded by the 8000m Annapurna range to the south. This range prevents wet moist air moving up from the south keeping the district very dry. Upon getting here I started to really enjoy the trek. A little less busy than lower down, solitude and spectacular scenary becomes happily familiar.

Trekking life develops a certain routine. The first is when dark sleep, when light wake. There is little to do in the evening and electricity is sporadic. Walking in the morning is also far preferable as its cooler, the sun is less harsh, views are much clearer and there is no wind. After lunch the wind really picks up so much that if one faces it exfoliating creams quickly become redundant. So I would often arrive at a town at about lunch time giving me that afternoon to explore before sleep at 8pm.

After 7 days my trek came to an end and I had a short flight around (not over!) the Annapurna range back to Pokhara where I have decided to do more treks, this time without a guide who is utterly not needed and for longer.

I feel that the biggest problem with using a guide is that the quality of your trip is hugely influenced by the quality of the guide. If a guide is unenthusiastic, lacks knowledge or is just simply not required then the enjoyment of the trip will be impaired. I have long since wanted to trek in Bhutan. A place where guides are compulsory. On this trek I met an individual who trekked in Bhutan for a week with a guide who was very uninterested and he left with a feeling that the trek was not so good. Anyway. I'll be back up the mountain tomorrow and trekking for 3weeks or so. By the time I get back I suspect it will be Prime Minister Cameron...