It should go without saying that trying to hike over a 5,500m pass with a chest cough is a stupid idea. Nevertheless, I still did it. It should also be said that I am two weeks later and still dealing with said cough.
Setting off with Nabil and Seb we first had to endure 6 hour bus journey to the start of the circuit in Besisahar. As is common in these parts and similar to Central Asia the objective is to cram as much cargo and as many people as you can in the bus. Think of the path between the seats laden with live chickens in a bag, boxes of parts and people on stools. I have a feeling if they could’ve put people on the roof they would’ve done.
Bumpy, bumpy jeep
We arrive and grab a quick lunch. Because the Nepalese government has built a road the walking has become rather dull, still beautiful, but you can’t beat a proper trail. We opted for a jeep to Kato on the walk, about 2,600m. This meant negotiating. The guide price from the hostel was about 1,000-1,500 Nepalese rupees. But they had formed an odd union and the price had jumped to 3,000 rupees (~£20); however, there was not work for them all. It took a while but we managed to negotiate a better rate of 2,000 but two people had to jump in the boot!
The jeep journey took 6 hours and you feel a new spine is needed afterwards! Due to a lack of tourists after the pandemic accommodation is practically free but you have to buy both dinner and breakfast. Less food to carry and purchase whilst en route. We also met a guide who was checking out another route and gave us some tips and places to stay. Plus we also joined Jo, Andreas and Ken who were doing the trek as well.
We set off the next day to Upper Piseng, 3,100m, it was a short walk, mainly on a mud track but with little traffic. We are limited to 500m per day for sleeping, you can go higher but not sleep any higher. This would mean a lot of short days. My cough, which I thought was practically gone at the start of the day, made a return. There is not much to say about Upper Piseng, it was a quiet village but mainly devoted to looking after tourists on the trek.
My first Buddhist monastery
We split into a couple of groups the next day. Andreas, Ken, Nabil and Seb were going to set off to do the Ice Lake before dripping back down to Bhraga at 3,450m. I was going to do a high pass (3,800m) on the way to Bhraga. We would then regroup for dinner. I set off but managed to take a wrong turn and missed the upper pass, I was following others thinking they were going the same way! By when I realised, it was too late. But I bumped into Ken and Andreas who also managed to take a wrong turn and we headed into Bhraga together.
I started to pass some locals at this stage carrying items in a basket, fixed to them by a strap across their heads. I couldn’t help but wonder how strong their necks must be, along with their spines!
That afternoon Andreas, Ken and I headed up to the Buddhist monastery. We also got a chance to go inside and be given a tour explaining the concepts of Buddhism. The monastery itself was over 700 years old and contained scrolls dating back 900 years. The scrolls came from Tibet originally. Its name was the monastery of 1,000 Buddhas because all families in the area donated Buddhas, some more than others until a total of 1,000 had been reached.
I also found out they have a concept of unredeemed Buddhas. They are tucked away in the corner, out of sight unless you go looking. Some areas of Buddhism believe that you should not be forgiven and should wear your sin.
Still ill
The next day I woke feeling ill again, the cold and cough had fully returned. I still made it up to the cave of a Tibetan poet at 4,000m. But I had little energy and was glad when I started on the route back down. Then it was a short walk to Manang, a hub of the area, for lunch with everyone including Moritz who was cycling the route. They went off towards another lake but I chose to stay in Manang and have a short day.
Having the short day worked out well and I felt rested enough to carry on, the cold was gone and my cough receding a bit. The next step was to Yak Kharka, 4,000m. I was walking alone but there are always people on this route and you will end up chatting to many. Including a small group of 3 from the UK who had flown in to spend some time in Nepal. The route was nice, no vehicles including motorcycles allowed in this area, so quiet as well. You pass through valleys of green, grey and white with the river running in between.
I had a choice for the next day, aim for Throng Phedi (4,500m) or High Camp (4,800m). The latter would break the rules of sleeping higher than 500m the day before. In the end, I opted for the latter but stopped in Throng Phedi for lunch where I met a guide, Sweta, and her client, Alex. They were heading up and so I joined. However, I arrived just a little too late and they had run out of beds but I ended up sleeping on a spare mattress on the floor with a couple of workers and some mice! Not a great night’s sleep when you have to climb a pass of 5,400m the next day!
Finally the end
We started at 4:30 am, I joined Sweta, Alex and Ana, another lone hiker, who also joined us. I soon fell behind, in my usual position! It was gruelling hiking at that time in the morning and cold. I would estimate minus 5 or 10 Celsius. When the sun eventually peered over the top it was a happy moment. There was a tea room part way up, a nice place to warm the fingers a little.
We eventually reached the top, but didn’t linger long, grabbed the obligatory picture and headed back down. It was a long climb for me about an hour longer than others, but I made it, lungs dying slowly! The way down was tough on the knees but went quickly enough and made it to Muktinath. It was an enjoyable end to the circuit and time for a beer! I also got to catch up with Nabil, Seb and Moritz.
The bus journey back was split up by an overnight stop for some hot springs in Totapani. Back to Pokhara and time for the lungs to get some rest.