Chame to Upper Pisang – Onward and Upward (3rd blog in 14 hours)

Another decent night’s sleep. These are local hostels with typically five or six rooms, all without heating, and maybe attached toilet and shower or outside toilet and shower. If you’re lucky you can get a western toilet, but they are mostly holes in the floor. Showers can be warm or cold. What do you expect for £4 for a twin room? The beds are ok but we cover our pillows in silk pillow cases that we brought, and we have our own sleeping bags for higher up when it will get cold. The forecast for tomorrow night is minus 8. 

The track to the outside world at the moment is cut off by landslides so goods don’t come up in great abundance, and transport is restricted to jeeps and motor bikes. And, as we’re climbing up, the forest is becoming predominantly pine, and the bamboo has disappeared. See you later bamboo baby.

We set off at 8am, our little Fellowship of the Ring – we’re walking in a ring around the Annapurna Massif, which is 14 peaks all over 23,000 feet, including one over 26,00 feet. We’ve been so lucky with the weather. Dry and sunny, although it has been hot, and it got hot for a shorter time around noon. The views were going to be good!

We crossed the river, again and joined a footpath which climbed the mountainside above the river, starting with a Buddhist shrine.


Passing 10,000 feet and the views were becoming more amazing as the air was getting a little thinner and my breath was getting shorter.

Then either side of the footpath an apple orchard opened out and a large building turned out to be an apple warehouse and cafe. It sold apples! But surprise surprise, it also sold fresh apple stuffed doughnuts and chocolate doughnuts. In the heart of the Himalayas. Delish.

The track continued round a corner to the next valley, which was pure rock ground out by glaciers over millions of years. 

The path dropped down to the river, which is usually bad news as you have to climb up again. Another footbridge, but these are all metal suspension bridges mostly with strong cables and modern engineering. No Indiana Jones manoeuvres. The path did climb and climb, although it levelled out after a tiring hour. We passed a French couple on the way and I explained in French how tired I was and feeling old. Attention seeking baston. It got a laugh out of them.

In the forest were miniature cairns erected by Hindus, which Prem explained were built to please the gods and ease the individual’s way into heaven on expiry.

Eventually we arrived at a village for lunch, with beautifully painted guest houses.

Lunch was eaten on the roof of a restaurant and looking back the curvature of the rock was clear. Locally this rock face is called Heaven because people do climb it but never come back.

After another hour and a half, having crossed the river again and climbed a hundred or so metres up the valley side, we came to Upper Pisang where we were to spend the night. A two storey wooden structure clinging to the slope, with a view southwards towards Annapurna IV. Later in the afternoon the cloud on the tops cleared a little. Wow wow wow! 

We were at 11,000 feet, well within the high altitude zone where individuals are prone to altitude sickness. We drank lots of water coupled with a good night’s sleep.

Night night.