Nepal Duo 2016: Leg 2 - The run around

“Are you ascending more than 500m a day?”

“Are you exerting yourself at altitude?”

“Are you sleeping more than 1,000m higher each night?”

Tick, Tick, Tick….

“Well you are officially in the class of medium risk for HACE and HAPE and as your doctor, I suggest altering your plans”…this would have been sound advice if I had of visited a bit earlier than the day of departure. Oh well – armed with some altitude medication and a healthy dose of “you’re an idiot” from my GP – I was away.

After a day’s rest in Pokhara and some logistics sorting, I was feeling pumped for the next leg of my adventure. The Annapurna circuit has fascinated me for some time. It the perfect circuit – a manageable distance, some serious mountains, the world’s highest pass, all dotted with interesting villages to help house, feed and secure a weary traveler. Consequently – there would be no need to carry camping or cooking gear, nor excessive layers of clothing - meaning I could move fast and light through spectacular mountain scenery. Even better – as a point to point run – I could get a taxi to the start and a flight from the end.

Im definitely no expert runner – in fact I’d describe myself as decidedly middle of the pack. A steady plodder I guess. Sometimes my plodding is faster than other times but rarely results in a finish anywhere near a podium. But that’s ok, it’s more about the challenge within isn’t it? Like many others, running is my vehicle – my vehicle for health and happiness and escape from the daily grind. – and this was a challenge that had all that in spades.

After cycling from Kathmandu to Pokhara, I had left my bike in the safe hands of a hotel and packing the bare essentials for a planned 6 day odyssey through the Annapurna region. Traditionally, this trek is tacked as a 12 – 18 day venture, complete with porters, acclimatization days and structured planning – none of which I had the luxury or inclination of entertaining. My goal was to complete in 6 – 5 days of running and 1 enforced acclimatisation day from the medical experts.

At the start line

The driver from Pokhara must have known I needed a warm up as he was doing his best to ensure I get a morning core exercise as he screeched and screamed the 3 hours to the start line in a quaint village of Besisahar. After a full serve of chow mein and some last minute gear adjustment - I was away – making it a full 500m before the chow mein made its way back out. Lucky for me i had toilet paper in the pocket!!!

While Besisahar is the official start point of the circuit, lately the road construction taking place has encouraged most trekkers to get a jeep for the first section of track. There’s a lot of talk about the road construction and its removal of the "purity" of the trek. I can’t say I take the same view. Sure, maybe some tracks that were formally only fit for walkers can now accommodate jeeps, but these jeeps and trucks that ferry villagers up and down are the same ones that carry supplies that the very trekkers who oppose the road rely on. It’s all well and good to say "road construction is ruining the trek", but you cant say that while enjoying the cold beer and snickers bar at the end of a tough day. Besides - I think its a shame that people skip the start as I had a lovely run through terraced fields and small villages and was happy to buy some snacks and do my bit to support the villages who’ve lost some business because of the road. I got passed by about one slow moving truck every 30 mins on an otherwise makeshift gravel road - so it was barely the Hume highway!!!

Alas, I shall digress. I made good time through the early stages and was in for a lunch break around the 20km mark when I heard the familiar rumblings synonymous with mountain weather....yep, after a week in blazing sun, I was about to get smashed by wind and rain. Initially I tried to push through but gave up when it got heavy and sought refuge in what appeared to be an abandoned barn. All the time in Nepal I was being told that “rain is good – moves the clouds so you can see the mountains”, well I can tell you that I was not seeing good in any of it while I was huddled in a tin shed with the waft of goat shit in the air. It was still early afternoon so I still had time left to make it to my destination for the night....if the rain ever stopped! 2 hours later, I gave it another go, but after another 3 or 4 kms, I was drenched again and stumbled upon what would be my first bed for the night, slightly below my goal distance for the day but otherwise happy to be on the march.

Lush lowlands

Waiting out the storm

Slippery trails - day 1

Route Planning assistance

The rain and wind that buffeted my window all night did in fact clear the clouds and I woke to picture perfect views of the mountains. A belly full of porridge later and I was on my way.

I read a quote recently that said "the first km is a liar - don't believe it for a second! " I like this because it can be read both ways - a good start doesn’t mean a strong day and vice versa. For me it’s typically a slow start as physically and mentally I like to have a few km behind me before I warm into it. Today was no exception as the initial descent changed into a grueling climb within the first hour. This would be the theme of the day – climbing! I guess its to be expected - the goal for today was a village at 2,700m and I started at 1,200m, so there was no hiding away from what was to come. I was feeling strong and happy though and every corner seemed to produce an even better view of the Annapurna range. Together with waterfalls, fascinating little villages serving me running snacks and perfect weather, life was good.

After a solid morning and another feed of rice and potatoes the day turned a but tricky with the weather rolling in and a sucker punch climb of 500m in 5km late in the day, knocking the stuffing out of me. I crawled into town after 5.5hrs on my feet and snuggled up by the guest-house cooking stove for the night – happy, but tuckered out.

Welcome to the village

Exposed trails

The next few days were absolute standouts – climbing high into the Himalayas and enjoying perfect views of the Annapurna range around every bend. I had to stop myself from asking villagers “how far until the next town…”. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting as a result – “yes sir, actually you have already run 30km, disregard that fancy watch of yours – it’s clearly broken”. Unfortunately my watch and maps are horribly accurate!! Not that there was a worry, the spectacular running coupled with absolutely vertical climbing and break neck descents made the days interesting and challenging.

I simply love being in the elements and when it’s windy or hot or raining or anything – I love the challenge of fighting through. Given I was facing a max altitude of 5,400m on day 6, the main element I was up against were the climbs. Switch back after switch back led me into the thin air. I’m certainly no Alpinist but I have been in the mountains enough to understand that clear conditions are far from a promise, rather a luxury enjoyed by few. I was that few. After a week of cycling in the murky air of the low lands, I was blessed by clear skies from sunrise to sunset, watching the alpenglow in the morning, getting red shoulders in the afternoons and watching the sun disappear behind the snow capped giants in the evening – I was one lucky runner.

First view of Annapurna

Switch switch switchy

Heeding the doctors’ advice, I stayed a night at 3,600m to catch my breath. I felt strong and wanted to keep going, but secretly, my legs were happy with my decision and after 3 days I’d already covered 94km and over 4,000m of climbing, rest and refueling was a good idea.

Well equipped for trekkers, villages along the route are complete with bakeries, trekking shops and anything else a weary walker may want. Combined with the stunning scenery, it really is a luxury to finish each day at a “lodge”.

Cinnamon rolls and book reading in the sun would have to come to an end at some stage though as I was up and at it for the next stage. With the big kms behind me, now came the unknown – climbing up above my previous high point of 4,400m and towards the pass.

As I left Manang, it took me a whole 2 minutes to realise that running today, would be at best futile, and at worst, plain dangerous. The trail climbed steeply up switch back upon switch back as I wound along ridges following the ever deepening valley. The altitude was ticking off on my watch at an alarming rate, 3,500, 3,600, 3700…. after an hour, with a grand total of 6km under my belt, I found myself 600m higher than where I started, as the bakeries and luxuries of Manang disappeared into the valley below.

Entrance to Manang - day 3 - i was happy to see this!

Just when you think you are the crazy one though– you come across people sillier than you – Australian’s obviously – who’d decided, evidently fool heatedly, that this would be a good place to ride your bike……let me tell you that there was more bike pushing than bike riding happening on these trails!

Altitude and heavy legs combined for a relatively tough day, but I was happy to get into base camp at 4,600m around noon for a big lunch and a consequential nap in the hammock.

Tempted to go against all logic and medical advice and attack high camp at 4,900m, I opted for the safe bet and stayed put for the night, mingling with other trekkers from all walks of life, excited to tackle the big pass the following morning.

Gnrly descents

Found Annapurna!!!

With the cold morning air awakening me in my concrete room, I was up and ready to tackle the pass by sun up. A steep climb greeted my morning haze and immediately I was catching my breath, striving hard to get to the pass in my self imposed 2 hour limit. Passing friends from the night before who seemed determined to pack as much as they could for the trip, I was happy to be moving faster than what I thought and made it up past high camp and onto the pass by 8am. Enough time to watch the sun slowly make its way over the snow capped peaks of Annapurna 2 and Thorung La, standing proud at 8,000m.

Topping out at 5,420m, this was the highest mountain I’d had the privilege of being atop and I was pretty stoked. There’s no guarantees in the mountains, but the gods must have been smiling down because we were greeted with postcard perfect skies, above 0 temperatures and a glorious morning, complete with some hot tea and a mars bar from the little shack on top.

On my way to the pass

Thorung La Pass

High Camp

Mr Roboto - high altitude guardian

Watching some familiar clouds on the horizon and keen for the descent that I’d been waiting for all week, I started down. And down and down and down…..now I absolutely love running down hill. The steeper more technical the better. In fact, the climbs are just a vehicle to get me to the descent the majority of the time. That being said – this was gnarly! Steep pitches, loose under footing and dramatic trails made for a knee busting, smile inducing, heart pounding fast few hours. I dropped like a stone off a bridge, falling from the snowy pass at 5,400 to the arid, desert like Mustang plains at around 2800m in about 90 mins. As I write this days later, my quads are still pulsating, but at the time, my grin could not have been wider! 34kms and 5 hours after leaving the snowy camp, I arrived at the dusty outpost of Jomson, tired, dirty, sweaty, but happy. I’d managed to complete the circuit in my goal of 5 days plus 1 rest and also come under my second goal of 24 hours moving time.

Now all that was left was to survive the 20 minute flight through the mountains the following day…