Jomsom Trek in the Annapurnas
Destination visited: Nepal
Activities included: Birdwatching, Hiking/Trekking, Mountain Climbing, Walking
11 day trek in the Annapurna Region of Nepal, through the second highest mountians in the world.
We took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then an 18 seater flight up to the tiny, dusty town of Jomson. From there we walked up to our highest point at 4000 meters, Muktinath, a holy pilgrimage site for both Buddhist and Hindus. Then we walked back down over the next 8 days toward Pokhara.
Walking through the Lower Mustang Valley and seeing the Mustang “Gate” (the entrance to The Upper Mustang Valley) which is as close as you can get to Tibet without a permit.
Soaking in the Tatopani Hot Spings after 6 grueling days of walking.
Having 11 days to walk and talk with our Nepali guide, Hiran and learning about his family and culture.
The famous Marpha Apple Brandy.
The ever-changing scenery of the trek from high desert to lush green valleys filled with orange groves and the always looming giant mountain ranges as a back drop.
The constant beaming smile of Tikka, our porter.
It is possible to trek alone or with an organized group. We (my husband and I) chose to go just the two of us with a private guide and porter who carried all our stuff in one big bag. This cost the same as the organized tours (when booked in Kathmandu) and much less than if we had booked from the US. It also allowed us a lot of flexability and all of the money we directly to our guide and porter instead of a trekking company.
Even though we were told this is not the most difficult trekking terrain in Nepal, and we are young (30) and in decent shape, we chose to take a porter. As it turns out, this was the best thing we could have done. The trail turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated, and combined with the altitude, would have been impossible if we were carrying heavy backpacks.
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