25 days Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp Frueh it goes out of bed and our guide, Shiva is waiting already at the hotel reception when we appear strengthened by breakfast in the lobby. In the taxi, it goes through Kathmandu. The city is just waking up and soon the prevailing stress is still not materialized. We still hold fast to an ATM. Then for Mario still worried a head torch and I'm set. At the bus station offers us a well-known sight from South America. Many more or less in running buses and many of the busy people run back and forth. We need more than an hour to get out of Kathmandu. The stop at the gas station a stand for us is actually only 10 minutes later than the bus filled up. Skeptical, we look at the multi-patched tube between the column and tap. The required six hours of driving from our kneecaps and the seat a lot of meat. Middle of the road is a bus crash parts with a rather battered front. Shortly later, we see an over the abyss of hanged truck is secured with steel ropes before finally slipping. Only the front is still approximately on the road. Because very often people ride on the huge loading area I want to think about this here may not happened. In the afternoon we reach Beshisahar. From here we want the next day to begin the round Annapurna.
the morning, we let a lot of time and are probably the last shall start today. The initial daily stages are quite short and we reach the tea houses each in the early afternoon. I'm quite happy about it. A little cold, but after three days of hiking disappeared restricts me to start something. The scope of the trek is both of us in the beginning did not quite aware of and we amuse ourselves a few times about what we realize now for more than three weeks in the Himalayas on the way we shall be only in the course of the coming days.
temperatures over 30 degrees in the sun, and before 10:00 the clock, are the penalty for us Langschlaefer. It vordernde increases goes up and down tortuous descents. We Querré some rivers and canyons to wide and 20 meters high hanging bridges. Your age can hardly hide the rusted elements. Constant companion, the innumerable donkeys columns. In addition to the porters to provide the only opportunity for the remote settlements with the essentials. With our 15-pound backpacks, we look next to this port as Sonntagsspaziergaenger. Simply unimaginable loads transported here on the backs of the men. Many run only in gymnastics training marriages or even flip-flops. Some places look like movie sets. In its simplicity, almost surreal. Would not be available in Coca Cola, Snickers & Co. are we often feel transported to a former time. At the city well, which often consists of just a hose leading to a source, dishes being washed, the laundry done or teeth cleaned.
Catch far the weather extremely spoiled it to snow for two hours before Manang. Completely snowed we lean against the wind and walk. The previous hard and fast climb to Upper Pisang me now lies in the bones and I'm glad we finally reach Manang. Even before we disappear into the tea house we Karin speaks to whether we would participate in a study of Dental. We say, though, are but a few minutes later totally settled in our sleeping bags and no longer feel ourselves able to get up. We meet Karin, Maleika (the dentist) and Simone again later in Muktinath. Later we walk together with the girls the trek. In Manang we also take a first rest day to acclimatise. In the evening we will look at quite a cold snap in a small room the movie "Into Thin Air" at. John Krakauer's eponymous book about an expedition on Mt Everest was the catastrophic initial presentation.
Two days before the Thorong La Pass me affects appetite. The menu, on the whole round, there is every tea house in the same range is exhausted after a few days. Mild nausea is a good friend of appetite. My meals are always smaller. The Tibetan bread, fried in fat Pancakes, for breakfast is already the first challenge of the day. For lunch or dinner to me is often a soup.
In High Camp, about 600 meters below the pass, it is extremely cold. We have overcome the 400 meters height between Thorong Phedi and the camp in half an hour. One hundred meters slight increase in separate me now only on the huts of the high camps. The exhaustion grabs me and I need a full 15 minutes for this last journey. We put on a little thicker but it is difficult to keep warm. The sitting room offers a small but complete furnace is taken by a group of Israelis to complete. Mario and I put in a small room on old mattresses and look with a few porters and children Indian films for a while on TV. Not that we would understand anything, but it is much warmer than our room. There exists almost outside temperature. But here we try to cool quickly and with the next hot lemon warm up. When all else fails we pull the down jackets in the backpacks and get even the nearly 80 feet to the lookout point above the camp. At the top we were now properly. The view is magnificent. We overlook the valley through which we have come here today. The wind is still icy and a few photos we disappear. We are not five minutes back as it finally pulls together and begins to snow. Socks, shirt and pants are in Sleeping bag accommodated. Our breath condensed in the cold room and the next morning things are not helpful. I wake up around midnight with severe headache in the forehead. From cold and exhaustion, trembling I take an aspirin. The been sleeping for four hours probably have to reach today's stage because I find you to sleep.
Today is the first April and the alarm clock rings at 5:00. For breakfast I torture my worst half of the apple pie down on the whole round. More is not the best of intentions. It is minus ten degrees and we are starting to rise further. It goes through knee-high fresh snow. Slowly the sun rises over the summit ridges. An indescribable feeling of satisfaction, Peace and joy takes hold of me. A long cherished dream will finally come true. That is why I'm here. Each kraeftezehrende increase has more than paid off. Two and a half hours later we are at 5416 meters and fall into our arms.
A German couple plagued with diarrhea can be a couple of yaks hauling up the pass. From the doctors, we learn later that the passport is not harmless. Every year people die here, careless to the signals their body is not simply want to hear. Last October, in succession, three young French people died from altitude sickness. We too have heard the days before the rescue helicopter in Manang. Admittedly, to hide such negative news like.
The hardest part of the day we have but unexpected way ahead of us - the descent. Our experience we know that a descent is often harder than the way up. It's a tremendous burden on the knees and the backpack pushes a formally to the ground. The narrow path is slippery, icy, and by the previous groups resigned to going there. For three hours we need to Muktinath we, the famous pilgrimage city of reach.
must
The next day on the way to Kagbeni I really turn around every few yards to the incredible sight ever again in my record. I would like to burn into the brain. The way to pass up looks incredible. To cross the Himalayas is really a moving experience.
Since yesterday we to fight with a fairly strong head winds are also the days until the next stop to Jomsom. For that is the region known. Slowly the vegetation changed again and it is green. In the picturesque Marpha we already see the first blooming cherry and apple trees. The Orangenbaueme already bear the first fruits. Here we meet again Karin, Maleika & Simone. From here we walk together with the three the next few days more or less. Because we're faster way to see the meals and sitting together in the evening comfortable. We also learn about Volker, who has been four months on the road (Turkey, Pakistan, Iran) en route to Asia. He plans to round Annapurna already 20 Years ago and it was exciting to talk with him.
In Tatopani we finally put a rest day. Hot springs make us no choice. The cool air and hot water are a wonderful blessing for our aching muscles.
We are on the way Chomrung. A one-hour descent, we have just left behind. We charged 30 minutes in a river. In the sky, threatening storm clouds are the first and it runs ever closer together. We want to wait for the girls to the distance being too large to leave. Rested it is now on the other side of a steep hill. We pull out our rain jackets and pack the backpacks in the Regenhuellen. After a few listens but it drops again, and I pull my jacket and the same again. The high humidity puts me in a perceived sauna with fresh infusion. Only shortly afterwards, but is finally a land a decent rain. A few moments later we find ourselves in a small tea house on the edge of the gorge. Hail falls deafening drumming on the corrugated iron roof. Karin also has a few minutes until done to our shelter. The other two girls are out there somewhere. The rain is something to and Mario decides to run against the two. He is not far when we see them come around the corner. We could continue for another hour and would be Chomrung. Shiva recommends us to stay here. We choose the right place and minutes later, sitting in the kitchen. The nice couple with his children and the cozy surroundings exude a warm atmosphere. With a few rounds of Yahtzee, we pass the time until dinner. The woman's a fantastic cook, it tastes all. The rooms are very basic. The toilet is not a place where you would like to stay longer than any NECESSARY. After I shower, which consists of a through the window into the dark cell and then a hanging garden hose is attached with tape amateur Gieskannenkopf, in the eyes I fail simply lay hold of the necessary water. With a grin I close the door and think 'me' Well, then just do not ". The next morning we find ourselves with a cup of coffee satisfied at the edge of Seated slope. The old mats to load really long legs, we get a stretch of the already warm morning sun against the faces. As we set off at about half past 10, the girls again 1.5 hours on the road.
It is the 10th April. The delayed several times and are highly anticipated elections in full swing. They should go out for a clear majority, the Maoists. Whether this victory is a victory for Nepal judge I do not want. To make the promise of the Maoists in Nepal in 20 years a country like Switzerland, I think is very exaggerated. Therefore they would have to be the first to have at least 20 years in power. But even then, I have serious doubts about this statement.
Chomrung we adopt in us about Karin. Maleika and Simone will accompany us until the Annapurna Base Camp. In the midday heat, we increase the countless stairs (later on the way back, I'll count it) aileron down to a river, and address on the other side of the strenuous climb to Sinuwa. A few days ago, we were again well below 2,000 meters and now it is the Annapurna Base Camp to go back up to 4130 meters and above. The view from Chomrung on the road and into the valley before us with the dominant Machapuchare leaves me eagerly awaiting the next days. On this day we come to Bamboo. Long time we walk through the shady forest on the edge of the slope. Time and again it's a lot of yards up and down. The many Stones and roots requires concentration and I am quite exhausted when we reach our destination. Meanwhile, my soles with several sore pressure points identified and the heels are chafed. It is raining extremely hard and we get our sweaty things dried. Waiting for the first really hot shower for days on us. I cost half an hour from long and I feel something then dissolved.
The next morning, it is quite early, we have been around 40 minutes as we move directly to some small climbing locations along the slippery Fluessufers are on the water. The guides of other groups standing around helplessly and superior to anything at this point as not to over winding river to aileron.
reduce the risk of avalanches on the other side out of the way to go they had elected them. It does not help in double time it comes back. Well, on the vulnerable side, we step up the pace. The area is safe until half past nine right. We arrive without incident in the rain Daurali. Tomorrow we are in Base Camp. The rapidly falling temperature determined again our circadian rhythm and after a couple of hot tea and supper, there is nothing other than to disappear into the sleeping bag.
In Machapuchare Base Camp there is a very early clock at 11:00 noon. We are surrounded by seemingly endless amounts of snow. A huge wall of clouds pressed through the valley was also our way. The Machapuchare with his eisverkrusteten Cliff rises steeply to the left of me in the sky. Our path is completely tightened as we open ourselves to the last 300 vertical meters that address. Not too far away I can soon see the camp. Even if we again well below the specified time for this section are stayed. It still takes longer than I would have suspected. The few barracks are already on our arrival snowed powerful. The now beginning to turn fresh snow the whole landscape in the next few hours in a fantastic winter landscape with a breathtaking backdrop. Annapurna South and Machapuchare show up at sunset in a fantastic light. We are lucky as we can know a Nepalese. Usually, the view is bad if it is one incurs. With a few very good photos and nearly frozen fingers, but it's quickly back into the accommodation.
5:30. In 20 minutes, the sun rises. In down jacket and equipped with camera and tripod I am in the morning. When it starts I do not know where I should look first. Huge snow flags fly over the summit and give them a soft red shimmering edge. The Annapurna South shines with a fresh orange. Has also paid off this way? You bet! I stand speechless. Turn me over again in a circle around every corner of this vessel to be considered carefully. Eingschlossen in this mountain I feel like a small insect. But the cold weather is driving me back to eat a snack. We should have the longest day ahead of us.
A Russian-American expedition acclimatize for four weeks in the camp to himself. Goal is the 7219 meter high summit of Annapurna South. Shortly before we set off two Russians appear in the common room. The expression of boredom is chiseled them even at this early hour, already in their faces. The already from the new emerging groups to camp beaten path, we start following our slippery walk back. It's really hard to leave this setting. The temperature is rising incredibly fast. Half an hour after leaving, I tucked all the warm layers again in a backpack and walk through the beautiful free quite untouched snow. In the early
Morning light is the valley in an incredibly beautiful light. The atmosphere prompted me to stop again and look around. Only slowly I can say goodbye to the magnificent peaks of the Annapurna Range take. We arrive around 17:00 Sinuwa clock. Meanwhile good twelve hours apart on his feet now with a fresh decline and a daunting climb to Chomrung before us. One foot before the other translating I have tried for a quarter of an hour to count the steps and puffing to reduce the gap between me and the tea house. Although there is much more pleasant in the evening and the sun does not like to descend the stairs seems to me I sweat apparently for the umpteenth time, every drop of my body. There were plenty of days when I my Shirt soaked more than once completely dry to have hung. Today is final up all clothes and no longer to dry, I still have a dry top for the evening. reach 40 minutes and 2270 steps later we after 6.5 hours walking our destination. On the way we needed for this course 3 whole days! Verrueckterweise would be Mario and I liked to go even the last descent to Jinu. After only a short rest, we both still had sufficient reserves. The mere seconds after our arrival hefty rain holds us up here.
continues still ...
