NEMY, POON HILL, GHOREPANI, NEPAL

POON HILL

GHOREPANI, NEPAL

Before we came we were not sure what our actual trekking route was other than it would include “Poon Hill”.  This is one of the most notable side treks in the Annapurna Sanctuary. It offers a 360-degree view of the area.

In our view were three of Nepalese’s eight peaks that rise over 8,000 meters.

The most notable in the photos is Annapurna. As a young man I read and now reread the accounts of Frenchman, Maurice Herzog and his party, which was the first succefssully recorded summiting of an eight thousander and also that of Englishman Chris Bonington’s assault in the 70’s.  Both parties accomplished their goals but both suffered the concequences of entering the death zone.

The common drill, which we followed, was to depart our lodge an hour before sunrise, which was approx., 5:30, and climb for forty-five minutes to the top.

The trail of headlamps on the trail above us resulted in a group of perhaps thirty others. The experience of just being there off set the lack of dramatic sun crest peaks that we would see latter on our trek.

The other great thing about getting up at 4:30 is we were already back at our lodge by seven, with another great breakfast awaiting us. Breakfast turned into my favorite meal of the day. The standard menu between all lodges offered enough variety and standards to satisfy most anybody. One popular dish was an omelet on Nepalese bread, a slightly fried, crispy item that was similar to a doughnut and pancake hybrid.  

It was so nice that whether it was in India or here we came as travellers, and tried not to be tourists. We all wanted to learn, understand and try to adopt the local customs. Not always successfully. Eating a mixed plate of whatever we tried with just your hand proved amusing, said lightly, to more than just ourselves.

The traditional Nepalese supper was Dhal Bat. A plate of rice, Dhal (a soupy sauce made with lentils), potatoes with a light veggie sauce and a small bowl of salty pickled vegetables served with the occasional chapati.

There were times that I wonder what our travelling Kiwi companion thought. I was sure he heard what a kind and gentle people we Canadians were, but a family travelling together that included a nineteen and twenty-one year old that most times ordered the same or shared meals constantly.  To travel as lightly on the environment it was recommended, to order to reduce the impact of cooking with wood to order similar plates. Some parts that we travelled through are suffering from deforestation in order to keep up with the increasing number of visitors.

Then we all grab our gear thank our generous hosts and on to  continue day three.