Toby Diary
The usual morning pattern and we are off towards Tadopani
(1200m).
We climb out of Ghorepani to
the east, gradually rising onto a ridge about the same height as Poon Hill –
over 3000m - which we skirt along until we get to Daearli.
Neither the map in the guidebook nor
the map we have show the correct layout of the paths between here and
Tadopani.
Deardi is an hour along the
path
and then we drop down to Birethanti in a wooded valley
(as described in the Guide Book) before contouring out of this valley to the
north west and dropping to cross the main river before climbing again to get to
Tadopani on the ridge. Just as we get to
this crossing, with Marhis in front, we surprise a group of three to four Langurs. Unfortunately Marhis charges on scaring them
off into the bamboo undergrowth before I can get the camera ready. As Jules and
I get there we can see the occasional little black face peering at us out of
the undergrowth before they dart away, their long tails flicking behind
them. After the descent has to come the
climb to Tadopani which is long but not too bad as we pass through some thick
jungle like forest. Tadopani is a bit of
a dump despite the great views. We have
lunch here but are all a bit weary. The
panorama of Machapuchara and Annapurna South, now much clearer, is marred by the high
cloud which does not give us our now customary deep blue background. The corn bread is now not worth bothering
with. Clearly the Dana version was a one
off. The descent to Ghandruk, although
steep in places, is mostly a leisurely downhill trog through forest along a
narrow and occasionally muddy path. We
get to Ghandruk in only two hours and settle into the Annapurna Lodge half way
down the village.
We have had some expensive days because of lashing out on
whatever takes our fancy (though beer has generally been paid for
individually). We are now short of
Rupees so ration ourselves to 150 each for dinner and 100 for lunch and
breakfast. This is not difficult as prices
have dropped compared with further up country.
Nonetheless it is a useful discipline to get out of the habit of
unnecessary eating. I will still get a
veg curry, Tibetan bread and tea for my R150.
The lodge is full and as we wait in the packed dining room one of the
porters is playing folk songs on his flute.
Mark Diary
We left at 8am and climbed the hills to the north east,
opposite Poon Hill which we had climbed the previous evening. From the lodge
the path left the village almost immediately, entering into woods and a sharp
ascent.
We broke through onto the top of
a ridge and followed it along, shoulder height bamboo and trees to the right
and to the left the views of the Annapurna range as we had seen it the previous
day but from a slightly different angle.
Behind, and a mile away, lay Poon Hill and to the right, glimpsed
through the trees and bamboo, the foliage covered hills and valleys of the
Himalayan foothills.
We followed the
path for about an hour, rising and falling with the crests of the ridge until
the path began a steep descent down the side of the hill.
A knee jarring descent until we broke out by
a small village before steeply following a small stream and descending its
narrow ravine.
We broke out into the
open again by a couple of shacks and restaurants which calls itself Birethanti
at which point we crossed the river and then began to ascend on the other side
of the valley.
The ascent seemed to
just go on and on and I was tired in both body and mind.
We passed through rhododendrons and other
temperate foliage and then through bamboo.
After perhaps an hour of hard climbing we broke out into the town of
Tadopani.
We stopped for lunch and then
we pressed on.
At last it was flat and
we trotted along until we reached the outskirts of Ghandruk which we passed
through on narrow slabbed street towards the bottom end.
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