Tatopani

Tuesday 1st November – They’re Racing (Tatopani to Shikha – 11km, 1935m)

Of course today is the day where the Australian nation stops to watch the Melbourne Cup. I have by the way asked Alice to place a bet on numbers 9 and 12. You may well ask why these numbers? If you are a fan of rugby league you would know that 12 was the original number for the hooker which has been since superseded by 9. They didn’t call me the Happy Hooker for nothing! We will have to check the results after arriving in Shikha.

If we had decided to trek to Ghorepani then this ascent would make it the biggest of the Annapurna Circuit. We have decided to take it easy by walking to the halfway point at Shikha. After departing Tatopani at 8:45 we headed south for 30 minutes, leaving the road to cross the Kali Gandaki and then the Ghar Khola rivers on high suspension bridges. At Ghar Khola village the trail branches left up a series of stairs. A steep ascent of 380m leads to the Santosh viewpoint and teahouse, atop a rocky spur called Durbin Danda (1555m). From here on the valley opened up and we ascended through terraced fields to the top of Ghara (1780m). The trail then made a gentle ascent across a landslide area to the first houses of Shikha, a large and prosperous Magar village. At midday we crossed a stream and then climbed to Shikha’s stone paved main street. It was a tough ascent but both of us handled it with ease as the altitude is not so debilitating now.

After checking out a couple of lodges we chose the Hotel Arpan which has a triple room with attached bathroom. I negotiated the price down to RS400 and then ordered lunch. The food was good and there was so much that neither of us could finish. The view from the rooftop dining area is superb. You can see the snow-capped peaks in the distance as well as right down the valley to Ghara. The Nepali’s have a big day today and this afternoon they celebrate the second most important festival on their calendar, Tihar. Our porters are disappointed that they are on the trail and will miss the excitement.

Directly opposite our hotel is the Mona Lisa Hotel and it has been invaded by the local population as they gather to celebrate the festival. Young girls are attired in traditional costume and of course are taking selfies. The older women have also dressed up for the occasion and have positioned themselves on the steps. The men have also turned it on and look debonair in their best caps. Someone has set up a large speaker and a soundboard which puts out a big sound, hopefully not into the night. It is a sensational sight as three men are playing traditional drums, the women are chanting or harmonizing to the beat as a small group of men and young girls dance rhythmically in a slow circle. Their delicate hand movements help to tell a traditional story. Judging by some of the laughter the eldest man who appears to have had a skin full of the local Raxi (firewater distilled from rice) is singing a song with ribald lyrics. I don’t know how long the music and dance will last but we feel privileged to be witnessing these festivities. Towards the end of the festivities the men were becoming concerned over the drunken antics of one of the villagers. He was blind drunk and thought he could dance so he kept on joining into the girls dance routine. One guy tried to restrain him as he looked like kicking over the offering plates that were next to the dancers. His name will be mud in the morning.

Wednesday 2nd November – Top of the Hill (Shikha to Ghorepani – 7km, 3000m)

It was a cold night but we both managed to be up by 7:15 for breakfast. The sun is shining which should make it nice and warm later in the day. We got away at 8:15 and immediately started walking uphill. James is in rare form and is powering his way up. My legs are a little tight and in the beginning it was hard yakka. After climbing for 15 minutes we had to drop into the ACAP checkpost before we could continue. From here it’s another 3 hours to Ghorepani. It was still up, up, up as we kept climbing to Phalate (2390m). We passed a large landslide area and then a primary school en-route to Chitre (2420m). There are several trail junctions, but the correct trail almost invariably leads uphill. The large New Dhaulagiri View Hotel is a fine place with sunny garden seating where I stopped for a cup of tea and to admire the stunning views back towards the high peaks.

From Chitre the trail makes a steep ascent for an hour through lovely rhododendron and magnolia forests, interspersed with waterfalls, a few shepherds’ huts and pastures. Even with all this amazing scenery the one thing in your mind is to keep moving up by placing one foot in front of the other. Prior to reaching the first lodges you walk through an entrance portal welcoming you to Ghorepani and Poon Hill. This is a bit of a false hope as you still have to hike up a steep incline for another 15 minutes. The boys were keen to stay at the Super View Hotel and I must say that it would have been a good choice. The only problem is that James and I have become accustomed to having separate rooms (no snoring) with an attached bathroom, glamping Nepal style. They only had one room left and it came with a double bed and I am sure neither of us wanted to go there. I climbed the next set of stairs and the Hill Top Lodge where I have stayed twice before was able to accommodate us.

After settling in I went back down the steep flight of steps and escorted James up to our lodging. The porters did not have to wait long for their Dal Baht lunch and they gave it a thumbs up. Tika thinks that this lodge on the strength of his lunch is better than Super View. James had pizza which he thought was below par but my Vege Burger rated high on the David scale. Afterwards we took a stroll down in the village and bought some Pringles and some Marpha Apple Brandy. Back up at our lodge we decided to take advantage of the sunny patio that has amazing views of Dhaulagiri. It doesn’t get much better than this a few snacks, great company and a view to die for. There was a little afternoon cloud about so we have decided not to hike up to Poon Hill for the sunset. We will wait and see what the morning brings and if there are no clouds we will set off at 5:00.

Inside the lodge is nice and cozy due to the wood fired stove that pumps out some amazing heat. Dinner has been ordered for 18:30 and afterwards we will hit the sack for hopefully an early start.