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[Paul]

Paul

You will get bored with the food, and you will eat loads of choclate bars as you walk, buy a load on day 5, because after that, they will get expensive. They will double in price. So buy as many as you can

That is good advice, I hope I remember it.

[uncle_davros]

On the Annapurna Circuit, they also have water re-filling stations. With your pass, well whe we bought ours last year, it gave you two one litres at half price. We used the water and had no problems, but the higher you go, the more expensive it is, so save the tokens until you are near day 7/7. Fill up before you go to High Camp with your last token. Once over the other side, everything becomes much much cheaper

[uncle_davros]

When I was having a look around today Paul, I came across this user - sandratamer who had just done the Annapurna. Take a look. It was a good read

[Paul]

Excellent. Thanks for that. I had a look. The story of the woman walking off with her bag in the airport is a worry. And how she put up with that tour guide for the whole time is beyond me, I think I would had sacked him and found a new one or promoted the porter. But, anyway, it was a good story for us, as she said she had never done anything like that before, and yet she did it and sounds like she loved it. Gives me confidence that Kanchana will be fine. It will be interesting how she handles the cold weather, as she has never been out of a tropical climate, but even in that story, the writer had been in the tropics for 2 months before arriving in Nepal (without any warm clothing by the sounds of it). Really shows how easy all this travelling can be with the right attitude. Why don't more people get out there and see the world? YAY!

[uncle_davros]

I think it is a bit hard to sack someone halfway through a trek as you pay them up front. I don't rate the guides along the trek. The only good ones we met were from the expensive arranged trips. I am glad both Lucinate and myself did it solo. We met loads of good people who we still keep in contact. As for clothes/sleeping bags, I have always believed in carrying it all. We brought ours originally from Australia, and they wore out over the years, we re-newed in London, and the quality was far superior over what we saw in Nepal. We did buy some microfleeces for a couple of dollars that copped a caning, started to full apart early on the trek, and Lucinate had to sew them up!!! So if you have jackets or bags, take them.

There are loads of stories in TP, mine are pretty detailed for heights and distance and if you want to see how boring the food is, I have also written down what we had for breakfast, lunch and tea

[Paul]

Oh. Well that is a good point I suppose that explains why he wasn't sacked.

As for the gear - I agree it is much safer to have your own tried and tested stuff, before going somewhere remote where the weather can kill, but still it was good to hear that the person mentioned seemed to get away with a much more relaxed attitude than what I would probably suggest.

I have read some of the other entries on Annapurna, not yours yet, but I will.

Still seems a long way off and I haven't got the money for it yet, but it is coming up pretty soon, so fingers crossed all goes well.

[uncle_davros]

Allen is right, you will be walking along, just taking it in, stopping loads of times, looking at the glaciers. So beautiful. Amazing. It is almost as though you can reach out and touch them.

When we were in Pokhara and Kathmandu. the majority of the shops looked at our jackets and knew that they were the genuine article. It is the quality of the way they are made. When I go back, I will once again take my own gear because I will be trekking in Pakistan before and you cannot get the bags/jackets out there. Better to be safe than sorry. Yes, it is a little extra weight, but hey, I am carrying it

[Paul]

Thanks for the previous 2 comments.

By the way, I still would like some more people to come?????

OK, it's past my bedtime. Good night.

[uncle_davros]

Paul, if you need anymore info, I am here to help. Please don't hesitate to ask

[Paul]

Paul, if you need anymore info, I am here to help. Please don't hesitate to ask

Thanks very much for the offer. I should be right but if there is anything I can think of I'll let you know.

I started reading your posts on Annapurna. I am up to day 4. Very comprehensive. Excellent. Thanks for including the list of what you took. I was unhappily surprised that Pokhara and subsequent villages sounded like they have the usual people trying to sell you stuff you don't want or ask for pens etc. I don't know why, but I hadn't thought that would exist there. Surprised also that the first couple of days looked so green and tropical. I have heard that before but it seems hard to get into my thick skull that a country with numerous 8000m mountains can also have lush green valleys. Also surprised by how much you swear in your posts and how weak you are. Ha ha. I shouldn't talk until I start walking up those mountains I suppose. I have also started reading lucinate's posts on the subject to get a more truthful version. OK, thanks to both of you for the info.

See ya

[uncle_davros]

Paul, if you need anymore info, I am here to help. Please don't hesitate to ask

Thanks very much for the offer. I should be right but if there is anything I can think of I'll let you know.

I started reading your posts on Annapurna. I am up to day 4. Very comprehensive. Excellent. Thanks for including the list of what you took. I was unhappily surprised that Pokhara and subsequent villages sounded like they have the usual people trying to sell you stuff you don't want or ask for pens etc. I don't know why, but I hadn't thought that would exist there. Surprised also that the first couple of days looked so green and tropical. I have heard that before but it seems hard to get into my thick skull that a country with numerous 8000m mountains can also have lush green valleys. Also surprised by how much you swear in your posts and how weak you are. Ha ha. I shouldn't talk until I start walking up those mountains I suppose. I have also started reading lucinate's posts on the subject to get a more truthful version. OK, thanks to both of you for the info.

See ya

Yes I swear a load in my blogs, but it is me. Oh well. I read them today, and it was hard, but it was loads of fun. Can't wait to go back myself and do it all again

[Paul]

Allen, Davros (and others.) Thanks again for the comments. Hmmm, i am looking forward to it. I was thinking I wouldn't carry my own pack for a change. But maybe I will. Ha ha - I won't promise to update a travelpod from Pokhara, I may wait until I get home. We'll see. My next plan is to think up a way of conning my wife into staying in Nepal a bit longer so we can look at Chitwan. Is it worth it? Or perhaps we should head home and see that another time?

Paul, if you need anymore info, I am here to help. Please don't hesitate to ask

Thanks very much for the offer. I should be right but if there is anything I can think of I'll let you know.

I started reading your posts on Annapurna. I am up to day 4. Very comprehensive. Excellent. Thanks for including the list of what you took. I was unhappily surprised that Pokhara and subsequent villages sounded like they have the usual people trying to sell you stuff you don't want or ask for pens etc. I don't know why, but I hadn't thought that would exist there. Surprised also that the first couple of days looked so green and tropical. I have heard that before but it seems hard to get into my thick skull that a country with numerous 8000m mountains can also have lush green valleys. Also surprised by how much you swear in your posts and how weak you are. Ha ha. I shouldn't talk until I start walking up those mountains I suppose. I have also started reading lucinate's posts on the subject to get a more truthful version. OK, thanks to both of you for the info.

See ya

Yes I swear a load in my blogs, but it is me. Oh well. I read them today, and it was hard, but it was loads of fun. Can't wait to go back myself and do it all again

[uncle_davros]

I enjoyed Chitwan. I think it is worth seeing for two/three days

[Paul]

I think we may be able to fit in Chitwan at the end. We'll see.

I am still slowly getting through Uncle Davros' blog on his trip. Can't remember what day I am up to but nice to hear it has gotten cold and the views are amazing. I have also read quite a few other people's blogs. All very useful and interesting. Thanks.

It has surprised me to learn that even through the times of lots of travel warnings against Nepal, it sounds like the trail was still very well used. I wonder what it was like before 2001? Was it crowded?

[uncle_davros]

Paul, it gets cold in Novemer. We also had loads of snow to contend with as there was a huge early dump in Octoer. You need to find some blogs that are to do with April as you are going then. Can't tell you what the weather will be like

We had a friend go in 1999 and she said it was a major highway then

[Paul]

Thanks again for both those responses.

I arranged for the trip in April as it coincides with Thai and Western holidays and although it is not the best time to go, it is supposedly still OK, and a time when people in the original group could get some time off. It still remains the best time for us (wife and me) to go as she is going to finish working as a public servant in March and start working for herself on our return. So for that reason we'll have to stick with the dates, although more on that later.

Regarding the busy-ness of the trek - interesting. I think more trips to Nepal will soon happen again and so I am glad to be going in April. I think the near future will see those tracks crowded again as in they were in teh past. Although it is great for Nepal to get more visitors, a bit of solitude on the track sounds great to me.

Now - a question - the trekking company just sent me an itinerary for the Annapurna Sanctuary walk as opposed to the Circuit walk. I have asked for the circuit walk, but no harm in considering the shorter walk also. Any comments / thoughts? For me, I'd love to do the circuit. But, part of the aim of this trip is to introduce the wife into travel and trekking and hopefully get her to fall in love with it and want to do lots more trips and walks. So, maybe the sanctuary walk is better suited to this???????

I dunno. I would like to come back and do lots more in Nepal, although realistically I know I can't go away on trips as often as I like. So maybe I should do the most I can while I have the chance??????

Just to throw more confusion into the whole deal, Kanchana (the wife) thinks she may be pregnant. It is still too early to be sure, but if that was the case she couldn't go. Hmmm, and then would I go????? The trip would be down to just two people.

Arrgggghhhhh! Why is organising this so hard? It was much easier when I just did things by myself, instead of trying to please everyone else.

Ha ha - OK that is my b!$@% for today.

Anyway, I think I will end up doing some walk in the mountains in Nepal next year, somehow. And no matter what I will enjoy it as it sounds bloody good.

(by the way, I know I could do it myself without the trekking company and the idea of that appeals to me - but I will stick with them for now as they have already put a bit of work into organising a trip for me, and I thought it would be better for all involved to get extra cultural info etc from a local, as well as the extra flexibilty that if Kanchana gets sick, I can look after her, while others can continue with the guide)

[uncle_davros]

Paul, the Annapurna Base Camp, or ABC or Annapurna Sanctuary walk, is meant to be very beautiful. Yes, it is only four days, and you get to around 4000ish metres, ut upon entering the camp, you are meant to be in an amphitheatre of mountains. It is very beautiful all the guides told me. If I was to go ack to Pokhara, I would consider doing this trek

Good luck with it all, especially your wife

[Paul]

Hopefully you've got a message from me "loveadventure"


Paul

I think I better change the title of this thread from Everest Base Camp to Annapurna, as perhaps it is misleading people.

So, no more on this one please. I will start another one and continue discussions on that. OK?


Paul