NEMY, GHANDRUK, NEPAL, MORNING

We start our last day of the trek. Annapurna is the most prominent peak

in sight. It is a massif containing upwards of six different peaks. All

collectively, this is the most dangerous mountain to climb in all the

world. Records show that if you summit or are a part of any support

team, you have a little less than 66% chance of returning alive, let lone

hurt.

The other peak of notice is recognizable by it's appropriate

nickname"Fish Tale", Machapurchare. It is held sacred in Nepal. It is

the only mountain of size in this country that has not been climbed and

no permits are granted.

Tapai ramro hunu huncha.

NEMY, HOTEL TREKKER'S INN, GHANDRUK, NEPAL

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1,2011 00:12

Here was our nicest stay.

This is tough country to live in to start, so all more respect to the    lady, and her niece (photo) who ran this place. She apparently is a 

driving force for all things good for the locals and tourism. She has 

been   written up outlining her work for women's rights in the third 

world. She is single and in business for herself, unheard of in Nepal.

.

The photo of the Nepalese traditional dish Dhal Bat has James

in the background. Hoping for a better piclater but I believe I have
never meet anyone who resembled a notable person as James/ Adam
Sandler. The first time I realized this I asked him to say something 

funny. A Kiwi Mr. Deeds!

Nmasate

NEMY, TADAPANI TO GHANDRUK, ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY, NEPAL

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Some of these posts have recreated from e-mails prior to my blog.)

(i have been cutting and posting this trip from old notes. some of this 

looks a little hack. like they have gone over the brink)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 9:05pm

One thing that we keep forgetting to write about is some news on this 

side of the world you may not of heard about. Our intentions were to 

write everyone numerous post cards but are unable due to "POSTCARD 

WRITERS STRIKE"

They can be quite unreasonable at times.

I have told myself to stop rambling and actually write somethings that have relevance to our trek.

All my life I have associated Nepal with just one thing. The Himalaya. We knew due to our time restraint that we could only push so far up the valley we chose.  The result was we hiked most of the time in a sub-tropic zone that was also reflective of the warmer weather we had.

We did dodge the Monsoon, but still were in the wettest part of all 

Nepal. Not quite glacier terrian, 

which would be possible if we kept 

going another 2-3 days, but 

beautiful in its own way. We maxed  out at about 3,100 metres were we 

did experience cooler temps.

I have never been a big fan of monkeys. It is probably a product of were I would see them. In some cage or running from some guy's shoulder to my pant pocket were I would be expected to think it's cute when he took 

twenty bucks from my wallet. Here they occasionaly swung freely along theforest canopy.

The
forest also offered some beautiful swimming stops. Leeches were quite
common . Tikka was on constant vigil. I invariantly ripped one off,
which is what you are not supposed to do and had a good bleed.What this
rain forest didn't have was a cafe.



















The images here are of us traversing from Tadapani to Ghandruck. Again
you will see some, said lightly,stairs. I had already resigned myself 
long time
ago to the fact that if I complain about climbing just one, I thought
of the poor @#$%^ who set just one. 










One image is of Tika picking some
Tea.

Thank You
Paul, Kate, Nicola and Hyla

NEMY, TADAPANI, NEPAL- MORNING

Hello
Images we are sending are from our 4th morning. In Tadapani. The one is
probably a 5:40am sunrise. 

The trekers in the photo are mostly Russians. 

The lady, Irish, on the balcony was hiking on her own, with a 

porter.

Here we also meet a solo guy, about my age who grew up in Winnipeg and
now lives in Cambodia. We also had supper with two ladies from Quebec

ws about the election. They were kind to us but not towards the Pri
who were just finishing up a four month tour of Asia. Gave them the
n
eme

ster.

Min
i

Here our rooms were a little older and not as nice as the rest of the
trip but adequate. We everyday had our three meals. Some pops and

5cdn/perday. Rooms were avg. $7.00/night.

snacks on route. Two rooms. All for an average per/person of
$20-

2

We did a lot of living outdoors including at some places Toothbrush

Time. I spy with my little eye the toilet, sort of.

HYLA NEMY, NICOLA NEMY, GHOREPANI TO TADAPANI, NEPAL - TREK DAY THREE

MAY19, 2011

TREK DAY THREE

GHOREPANI TO TADAPANI, NEPAL

Our reward for our pre-dawn summiting was that as soon as we walked out the door after breakfast we immediately started climbing what seemed the identical length, amount of time and steepness, but now on new ridge going in a new direction.

NICOLA NEMY, HYLA NEMY

 This gave us a grand view of where we were in the early hours of day before we descended and repeated this pattern throughout the day.

Both today and the previous days saw us climb straight up at various degrees of speed and rest for sometimes well over an hour. Always respective of each others well being and whereabouts, it was at these times that the unspoken word of “I prefer to suffer on my own and will see you at the top if there is one” was silently conveyed.

We originally thought we would hire a porter, but even with Tikka’s relentless requests to carry some of our gear, we seemed not ready to give in an accepted and slightly paid for our stubbornness.

At times when I desperately casped for air and carefully repositioned my backpack shoulder harness over my heart so as it would not pop out of my chest as it seemed to try, my thoughts drifted.  Is it possible that this will be my stairway to heaven?  Was it some cruel trick that, with a backpack, I was hiking myself to my own death zone? Are there no Angel porters?  I was also resigning myself, quite easily, to the acceptance of what lies at the bottom of these stairs. Somebody did tell me once to “Go to Hell” As the day was quite hot already, I would be already somewhat acclimatized. Now I shall opt for my newfound option. It’s Buddha time!

NICOLA NEMY

Tika proved to an eager studier of the world.  It was quickly reflective that over His twenty years of exposure to travellers from throughout the world, he amassed, and partly adopted, a significant knowledge of vast amount of countries, their people and customs.  Though most importantly, and many times carefully explained to us, he was Nepalese.

With Tika we had many discussion about both Nepal and as he was always eager to learn, Canada. One such discussion led to local heath care.  I very much enjoy Tikka’s ultimate response after much explanation that when you have an afterlife, why worry about rushing off to some hospital. Trying to be the accommodating travellers, it was this option that was looking pretty good in my sorried state of Himalayan climbing. I would ask to be taken now. Then kindly ask to have the rest of the day to wash up and rest awhile. I would start my new life tomorrow. Something that would combine the reward of life long achievement and siting. Preferably not a Subway Token Collector as I believe they are occasionally subject to ridicule.

 

I also at these time, unbeknownst to Kate, that I gave the girls specific instruction that if I was to found in ultimate human failure on these steps that I be dragged to the nearest, steepest cliff and thrown over immediately. I would be quite comfortable to have my obituary read; MR. PAUL NEMY succumbed to injuries sustained on a perilous climb in the Himalaya. I would request that it would be dully noted that these are the highest mountains in the world and also include the local phonetics, HE-MALL-YA, as I believe it only adds to the snootiness.

It is often that one sees a photograph of a mountaineer’s crowning achievement with summit flag in hand, but pretty unrecognizable due his or her face being obscured by goggles and the breathing apparatus worn.

I had dreams of a photo being leaked to the world of myself lying face up, all legs and arms extended, on some couch of a lodge we just visited. Supplemental oxygen breathing mask securely attached with the attached story tag line reading “ Paul Nemy, at the dizzying height of 3,000ft (which was a blatant misprinted, as it should have stated 3,000 meters) tries to gain a head of steam in final preparation for an assault on a mountainous piece of Nepalese dessert.

Beyond all this nonsense I shall conclude that whenever I Look upon the CN tower from the window of mom’s Toronto apartment, my thoughts will not be the same as I left. My thoughts will be that the four of us, laiden with gear, climbed and sadly descended the equalivent of over three towers most everyday we trekked.

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.