The Himalayan Trek
For the second part of our journey we took a stroll into the Himalayas. Our chosen trek was an extended six day "Poon Hill" Trek.
Trekking off season brought its own advantages and disadvantages; on the upside we often had both the tracks and the tea houses, where we stayed each night, to ourselves. On the downside it was a tad chilly in the evenings without heating. The weather presented just about every condition to us; glimpses of the surrounding peaks on the occasion the clouds did clear, a day trekking through falling snow and the occasional period of bright sunshine.
We had decided to hire not just a guide but porter as well to ensure we enjoyed the trek to its maximum. Having met other trekkers who were carrying their own packs we were glad we took this decision. Both our guide, Jeevan, and porter, Chet, were excellent and would come highly recommended. If anyone is thinking of making a Trek in the Himalayas drop us a line and we would be pleased to put you in touch.
Our route was:
| Day One | Nayapul to Hille | Car from Pokhara to Nayapul. Snaking along the side of the valley with a steady ascent to 1495m. |
| Day Two | Hille to Ghorepani | Climb huge stone staircase up to 2070m before trekking through immense Rhododendron forests to Ghorepani at 2850m. |
| Day Three | Ghorepani to Tadapani | Snowing, slippery underfoot. Gorgeous trekking over mountain peaks and through more Rhododendron forests. |
| Day Four | Tadapani to Landruk | Mostly downhill with breathtaking views of the Annapurna mountains. Stop in the Gurung-inhabited village of Ghandrung for lunch before heading steeply down a stone staircase to the river and up the other side to Landruk. |
| Day Five | Landruk to Pothana | Hugging the steep valley side before climbing up to Deulari at 2100m. Afternoon trek down to Pothana for our last night. |
| Day Six | Pothana to Pokhara | Decend down to valley floor and road where collected by car for journey back to Pokhara. |
