Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 2: Trekking up the Ulleri Steps to Ghorepani 8:39 PM

To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click here for the complete series.

Day 2. Madan (left) and Hari (right) chillaxin' while I take photos. We had to pass through this dense forest in the afternoon.

Day 2: April 18, 2014

Horrible day. Just horrible. With a lot of drama and public displays of grumpiness from my end. Why does Day 2 of a trek always have to be a miserable one?

If you've been following my (mis)adventures on this blog, you'll know that the second day of my Everest Base Camp trek was an unforgettable ordeal--and this year's trek to Annapurna Base Camp just had to follow the same pattern. You know...the kind of hiking pattern that does cruel tricks to the mind and ego: an easy peasy Day 1 to make you feel good about your supposedly mad trekking skillz and then--kablam!--Day 2 throws you a sadistic punch to the stomach and leaves you in near-tears.

I totally blame the mountain trail, of course. And to a certain degree, myself--for being quite unprepared and not reading up more on the infamous Ulleri steps.

The day started nicely enough with a few
suspension bridges along the way. Then things
got rough quickly...

We were out on the path by 8:00 am, and my guide Madan informed me that it would take 2 hours in the morning to finish the steep ascent from Tikkedhunga (1,577 m) to Ulleri (1,960 m). And another 3-4 hours more until we reach Ghorepani at 2,850 meters above sea level by the end of the day. Great, I can do this, I told myself.

Well, see, here's the problem:  I should have remembered (as early as last year's EBC trek, for heaven's sake) that the Nepalis are like super human beings; think of them as a whole nation of agile Legolas-like entities who seem to have been born with a natural speed up on the mountains. What seems like *just* a 2-hour steep ascent to them may not necessarily be the same thing for us regular folks who find it harder to defy the laws of gravity.

I spent 4 hours that morning climbing up, up, up a sadistic, never-ending flight of steep rocky steps. It was like doing the StairMaster beside a ravine for 4 straight hours in the heat of the sun. Actually, to put things into better perspective, the total ascent to Ulleri was like going up the Empire State Building practically twice. From street level to the 103rd floor, the Empire State has around 1,870 steps. The stone stairs from Tikkedhunga to Ulleri is comprised of 3,210 steps; some say it's about 3,480. Try doing all those steps at an altitude level that's three to four times higher than that of the Empire State Building.  Just thinking about it all right now makes me want to hurl.

I kept moaning and groaning during those 4 hours, finding excuses to stop every 30 steps and guzzle down my water supply. Madan, who was used to my moods, knew how to take everything in stride.  I must have looked like a total drama queen to my porter Hari, though. He was always gently advising me to take it easy. "Bistaari, bistaari ('go slow, go slow')," he would say--before sprinting up the steps with my 10-kilo rucksack on his back. And in my mind, I was sobbing out, "Yes, unfortunately, Hari, that's exactly what I'm doing."

I don't have photos of the steeper parts of the Ulleri trail,
which is composed of more than 3,200 steps.  This was
taken during the 'easier' bits.

Wasn't able to take many photos on the Ulleri trail because I was frequently looking down at the steps, watching my balance, and trying my best to survive the ordeal and to avoid fainting from the overpowering stench of animal dung. Dung everywhere. The smell was so strong, I felt my clothes reeked of dung for several hours.

To make myself marinate in self-pity even more, I watched taller, younger trekkers pass me by. The path itself was steep, yes, but the actual steps were also tall to begin with, and so it was all an extra struggle for me. Short-legged petite me was at such a natural disadvantage. The one prayer that kept running through my head was, please God, do play fair and let me lose at least 5 pounds on this literally shitty trail alone.

I wanted to burst into tears of relief when we finally reached Banthanti (2,250 m) for lunch. Because this was such a popular lunch stop, the locals at the teahouses were very busy cooking for everyone, and it took some time before my food (vegetable fried rice) was served. I was ravenous; that was the only time during the entire 9-day trek that I actually wiped my plate clean.

The trail after lunch was, blessedly enough, a 3-hour mix of flat terrain, gradual inclines and steep ascents. I mean, after that morning of Day 2, everything else felt easier. The Ulleri experience just completely stole the 'Worst Day Ever' Award from my EBC Trek Day 2, which was basically a 9-hour trek to Namche Bazaar in the pouring monsoon rain.

As we headed closer to the day's destination, I was feeling sick at the realization that Ghorepani stood at an elevation of 2,850 meters. That meant, from Tikkedhunga's height of 1,577 meters, I had made a total ascent gain of 1,273 meters on this day alone. It was obviously not your regular trekking day. I've never even covered that much in a day's trek on the Everest Base Camp trail.

Donkeys on the trail

I reached Ghorepani, shivering slightly; the hot day had given way to a very chilly afternoon, and I was nursing a small cold as I hiked up. Ghorepani is like a smaller version of Namche Bazaar with many locals settled here eking out a simple living, while trekkers use this main stop to relax and prepare for the tough trail ahead of them.

Every trekker in the teahouse looked worn out and was sharing his or her own tale of woe on the Ulleri trail while drying socks by the stove (where everyone gathers, as this is the warmest place in every teahouse). Personally, I must have looked disgruntled and robbed of all happiness.

I don't think I was very good company that evening for Madan and Hari, who didn't seem to have lost their appetites.  I was so tired, I only had a few forkfuls of my tomato-onion-cheese macaroni dinner; Madan ended up eating the rest of the dish. Hot shower was actually free, but my exhaustion level was off the charts and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and pray that I would make it to Poon Hill (3,210 m) by sunrise tomorrow, still in one piece.

Six hours from Tikkedhunga to Ghorepani? You lie, you signboard you! Kidding aside, I honestly couldn't
do it in six. 

P.S. I write this post today, June 5. This, too, is a very special day for me. Not only is it my birthday today, but it was the same day I reached Everest Base Camp just a year ago.  Within the past 12 months, I feel like my two treks in Nepal have helped me grow so much as a person. These experiences have allowed me to revel in whatever strengths I have and have taught me to accept my limitations as well. It's been an awesome year. Hope there are more to come. :)

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If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their 16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 1: Trek to Tikkedhunga 9:56 PM

To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click here for the complete series.

Annapurna Base Camp. Elevation: 4,130 meters (13,550 feet) above sea level. Photo by Gina Sales, April 2014.

It must have been the cold and fatigue talking, but when I reached Everest Base Camp last year on the 5th of June (my 33rd birthday, to be exact), I muttered to myself that I didn't need to see another mountain again for a very, very long time. At that moment, I was tired as hell, breathless, and dealing with a sunburn and a pounding headache.

But the Himalayas is like a black hole: once you get sucked into it, escape is well nigh impossible---and a second trek is highly probable. Every trekker who's been to Nepal understands the lure of this mighty mountain range.

Six evenings after reaching Everest Base Camp, I was back in Kathmandu having my farewell dinner in Rum Doodle with Naba, the co-owner and managing director of Himalayan Planet Adventures. Over fish and chips, I found myself asking the all-important question: "So, where can I trek next?"

"Annapurna Base Camp."  That was Naba's swift reply and that became my obsession in the following months. I was ready to return to Nepal in 2014 after all.

As early as January 2014, I worked with Naba on an itinerary that aligned with my busy work schedule. I had a route map of ABC on my office desk to keep me inspired every day. I counted the days leading to my April 15 arrival in Kathmandu. I ran, I did yoga, I told myself I was primed and ready.  I thought, oh, I've achieved EBC.  I mean, how hard can ABC be after that, right?

Wrong.

As I was to discover throughout my 9-day trek, Annapurna Base Camp proved to be just as tough and challenging as Everest Base Camp. Sure, it was lower than EBC with only an elevation of 4,130 m (13,550 ft) as the end goal. I didn't realize that terrain was going to play a major factor in testing my endurance in this trek.

To keep to a modest budget for ABC, I opted to take a 7-hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back, instead of taking the plane. The ride wasn't a total ordeal, as I chose to go via Greenline, which is like one of the country's premier tourist bus services with a good safety record. Buffet lunch was part of the package, I had good spacious seats, and there were adequate toilet stops. In short, I was a happy camper. After the recent Nepal Airlines plane crash that killed 18 people heading from Pokhara to Jumla, I wasn't keen on taking a domestic flight anytime soon. I still get the shivers every time I think of my flight from Kathmandu to Lukla in the Everest region.

The classic route to Annapurna Base Camp usually starts with an overnight in Pokhara, a lovely bustling tourist town that serves as the jump-off point for the trek.  I got to rest well and sort out my gear in the hotel while bonding with my companions.  I made sure from the very start of the trip planning process that Madan, my guide to Everest Base Camp last year, would be with me again on this trek. My porter was Hari--who I found out later on is actually Madan's elder brother. With the two brothers watching over me, I knew I was in good hands.


Day 1: April 17, 2014

Started the day right with a big breakfast at my Pokhara hotel. We were out by 8:00 am and on a 1.5-hour ride via private car to Nayapul, where the trek officially begins. There was enough time for a quick snack of spicy vegetable curry and coffee (what a combination) at a Nayapul roadside canteen before hitting the trail at 10:30 am.

Day 1. This dog walked beside me for quite a while on
the trail. My porter Hari was just a few meters ahead.

I was awash in a nice warm sensation of being at home as I started my walk on the trail with Madan and Hari. It felt like being on the EBC trek all over again; the only difference here was that the altitude level was a lot kinder since we were starting at a height of only 1,070 meters above sea level.

(Side note: As I write this first blog entry on Annapurna Base Camp, I realize that today's date is May 29--a very special day.  It is the 61st anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing's historic ascent to Mt. Everest's summit, and it falls on the same day that I started my Everest Base Camp trek last year. Perhaps I was meant to write this blog post on this auspicious date after all.)

As we were still at a lower elevation, it was a hot and humid day. Nothing exciting really happened since the first day was pretty much peanuts--4 hours of trekking on relatively flat terrain plus lunch hour. Since I was doing the trek in spring time, that meant significant 'trekking traffic' on the road.  Last year, I practically had the Everest trail all to myself during monsoon season.  This year promised to be different.

I encountered many American, Canadian and European trekkers. Didn't get to see any Filipinos on the ABC trail (which made me feel a wee bit lonely), but there were a lot of Chinese and a handful of Thais, Koreans and Indians. Yup, the Philippines was sadly underrepresented. And it didn't help that I kept being mistaken for a Thai or Japanese national.

Reached my Tikkedhunga teahouse at 2:30 pm--just in time to settle down before a particularly heavy rainstorm started. Whether it was spring time or monsoon season, I already had a fair amount of Himalayan trekking experience to know that one had to be prepared for any kind of weather up in the mountains.

Had potato cheese momos and hot chocolate (as in really good hot chocolate) for dinner and then I hit the sack at 9:00 pm. I knew we were going to do some tough trekking the next day, and I certainly needed rest in preparation for that.

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If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their 16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package.