Written by Andrew Keenan and Kaivon Ash
What’s New?
Since our last blog, most of our time has been filled with trekking. We are on the sixth day of the trek, counting the short hike to Ghandruk. Currently, we are at Fishtail Guest House & Restaurant in MBC. Today, we ascended to ABC, enjoying the panoramic view of the mountains for a few hours before descending immediately to avoid altitude sickness. The trekking days prior to today have been long and challenging. However, the breathtaking views of the Himalayas, accompanied by card games at the end of each day, have made it all worthwhile. I am looking forward to the trek back down, which starts tomorrow and may include a stop at a hot spring.
Top Highlights of the Week
- Reaching the Pinnacle of Our Trek: Earlier today, we reached the apex of our trek at ABC. From there, we saw massive mountains in all directions (when not covered by fog), glaciers in the landslide-formed valley below, and waterfalls created by the melting glaciers.
- Adopting Trekking Dogs: We picked up and essentially adopted two dogs throughout the trek. One is a black lab named Panda, and the other is a German Shepherd we un-creatively named Shepee. Panda posed for our photos at ABC today, and both dogs have tried to sleep in our rooms on several occasions. A few days ago, Panda sat at the dinner table politely without eating any food, as if expecting to be served directly.
- Stay in Pokhara: Just before the trek, we stayed in Pokhara. The food in the hotel’s restaurant was the best we’ve had throughout the entire program, at least in my opinion.
Challenges of the Week
We faced some difficulties during our first full day of trekking after leaving Ghandruk. It was a steep and long day, covering around seven miles while gaining barely 200 net meters of altitude over steep stairs going up and down. It rained the entire time, which led us to learn how to remove the leeches we picked up on the trail. By the time we reached our destination in Chromrong, we were exhausted but relieved. The second day was much better, but it was certainly an extremely challenging introduction to the trek.
Group Well-being and Morale
The group as a whole is doing well. While some members have experienced altitude sickness, it has been manageable and hasn’t required any emergency descents. Morale is high now that the team can look forward to descending to altitudes with more oxygen. The camaraderie is strong, with friendly interactions and large, lively card games bringing everyone together.
