Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna Range
Poon Hill
I decided to have a warm-up hike, and the World Peace Pagoda on the southside of Phewa Lake is a nice place to test one’s limits. It is accessible from Pokhara, and sits on a hill to the southwest of town.
Although it doesn’t compare to the trails in the Annapurna, it is a challenging half-day hike, requiring a short, steep effort to the top.
The trail out of town works its way up the hillside, into a forest – and a welcome relief from the warm sun. Even in late February, the heat made me sweat substantially when exerting myself. Within the woods, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a troop of macaques. They were neither aggressive nor shy. Instead, the monkeys seemed indifferent to my presence.
The view
At the pagoda, high above the town, I was treated to a spectacular window to the Himalayas. The large lake lies below relatively modest mountains directly behind it, with the town to the East. Then, beyond – distant yet still imposing – stand some of the tallest mountains in the world.
The highest mountains here reach over 8,000 metres into the sky. I felt the most impressive-looking is Machapuchare, or ‘fish-tail’. It is the most dramatic of the peaks in the Annapurna Range. It’s craggy, pointed summit is partly why the success rate for climbing reportedly stands at around 30%.
Into the mountains
I was now ready to delve – tentatively – into the Annapurna range, on the well-trodden path to Poon Hill. I needed to buy some cold weather gear from a shop in town, as I had travelled to Asia with warm clothing only. It is an approximately three-day round trip, and samples some of the intense trails you find on longer routes here. Make no mistake, this is a demanding hike. The hill itself is 3,210 metres above sea level.
I started this hike at Nayapul, around an hour’s drive from Pokhara in the late afternoon. The start of the trail was a combination of dusty paths and stone steps, with a mixture of gradual inclines and steep steps. Due to the late start and short amount of sunlight, I limited the first day to around two hours, before I stopped at a lodge for the night. Many villages dot the trail and, as it was out of season, I always found space at the lodges. At busier times, you may need to book ahead.
Rice Terraces
I woke early on the second day very excited to continue – excitement I was to need to face the tough day ahead. On the way to Poon Hill, there are passages of steeps stairs that seem almost endless – up, up, and up the mountainsides. I keep active in my daily life and consider myself fairly fit, so it was manageable. But I would strongly recommend some form of training for a hike here.
There were also periods of smoother paths where I could appreciate the views without feeling breathless. I loved the sight of the rice terraces that layered the slopes. The terraces stretched wide across the mountain sides, above the river valley below. I also appreciated the untouched areas: the trees on the trailside, and the stony rock faces above – impassable for humans, yet goats and snow leopards manage to survive there.
Making friends
As it’s a popular route, even in off-peak season, it’s easy to meet other hikers along the way. I met people of all nationalities, sometimes stopping for a chat on the road, or in the many tea houses. I befriended a Russian named Yuri on the second day, and we kept each other company for the remaining hike to Ghode Pani – the village before Poon Hill.
On the morning of third day, we climbed Poon Hill before sunrise – along with a hoard of other hikers. You must use a torch – or rely on others’ – to navigate up to the top. Arriving early meant the snow-capped mountains were initially only slightly visible in the darkness, until the sun gradually begins to illuminate them.
Atop Poon Hill
The hill sits quite a distant from the tallest mountains, and while they feel far off, it provides a panoramic view. The mountains towered above the morning clouds. And as the sun began to rise, the light hit just the tips of the peaks, illuminating them above the darkness below. It was when the sun rose further, and shone down on the entire mountains, I could truly appreciate how huge the mountains are compared to the surrounding area.
After a small taste of hiking in the region, and jealous that Yuri continued on to higher ground while I turned back to town, I was determined to return for another foray. This time, it was to be my most challenging hike – and the most rewarding.
