My first trek in the Himalayas was one of the most challenging, transformative, and rewarding experiences of my life. It included my first time seeing snow, a moonlit hike to a 4,200 m (14,000') peak culminating in a simultaneous sunrise and moonset over the mountains, being the coldest I've ever been, and walking 83 kilometers (52 miles) over 8 days. All in the depth of winter. In the Himalayas. In Nepal. It is kind of surreal to write about it - all the more reason why I am so excited to bring you along with me by sharing the adventure here! Pack a LOT of warm layers, and let's go!!
Reading time: 18 minutes
I will recount the journey in terms of each day of the trek. I'll include starting and ending locations, distance, time hiking, and overall elevation change.
Nayapul -> Tikhedhungga
Distance: 9 km (5.5 mi)
Time: 4 hours
Elevation change: +470 m (1,500')
Meet Nick and Olivia. These are two of my dearest (and newest) friends, both of whom I met at Kopan Monastery during the November Course. Nick is from Australia and Olivia is from Kentucky. The group of us formed pretty much by chance, yet we became so tightly knit so quickly, like a family. We set out to do the 4 day Poon Hill trek, but we were having such a good time together that we extended our trek and did the Mardi Himal route too. The trek itself probably would have been awesome regardless, but being with these humans elevated the experience to a highlight of my life.
Tikhedhungga -> Ghorepani
Distance: 13 km (8 mi)
Time: 7 hours
Elevation change: +1,320 m (4,300')
We awoke to this view from our teahouse. We had not yet reached the snow level, but we could see the beginnings of it on a nearby mountain. (By the way: I didn't take photos of our accommodations, but we stayed at teahouses the entirety of the trek. Picture 3 skinny beds shoved into a room with tin ceilings and thin concrete walls. No heat, so super cold; thick sleeping bag and multiple comforters and wearing all of your layers to sleep type of cold. About $1 per person per night, as long as we ate our meals there. Meals were about $5, so $11 per person total for two meals and lodging. Home sweet home!)
After a couple hours of intense stair climbing, we had gained some major elevation. The snowy mountains were getting closer... and little Miss Los Angeles over here had never seen snow, so I was very excited.
Ghorepani -> Poon Hill -> Ghorepani / Ghorepani -> Ban Thanti
Distance: 4 km (2.5 mi) / 7 km (4.5 mi) (11 km, or 7 mi, total)
Time: 3 hours / 4 hours (7 hours total)
Elevation change: +333 m, -333 m / +320 m (1,000')
The day started at a ripe 4:30 AM, when we set out for Poon Hill to watch the sunrise from the peak. The way up was dark, steep, and snowy, and a flashlight was essential.
The sun began to illuminate the sky around 6:30. We were among the first people up there, so we got to enjoy the view relatively by ourselves for awhile. This was awesome because as it got closer to sunrise, the top of Poon Hill was overcome by throngs of tourists. I was shocked that there were this many people in low season... it must be crazy when it's high trekking season!
...and part 2!
The bright pinks and oranges in the clouds foretold the coming sun.
Ban Thanti -> Ghandruk (+ hike within Ghandruk)
Distance: 13 km (8 mi)
Time: 7 hours
Elevation change: -1,240 m (4,000')
I felt like a newborn, seeing the world completely fresh. I floated along in this feeling for the rest of the day and did not take out my phone much.
We ended up at a nice village, where we hiked to a temple in the rain and found a cafe that had German pastries. This was a nice change from the typical meal we were having: dal bhat, a classic Nepali combination of lentils, rice, and vegetables. No complaints about the dal bhat though - this is the hack to the system because the teahouses usually give unlimited refills for this meal only. Food is pricey on treks ($5/meal is actually quite a lot for Nepal), so dal bhat is a great option to stay on budget.
That evening while playing cards - a favorite activity for us - a guide joined us at our table and told us about the Mardi Himal trek. He didn't want anything from us, he was just sharing a trek he loves and thought we may enjoy too. People can be so kind and pure. It was because of his kindness that we ended up extending our trek and starting out to Mardi Himal the next day. We had already been talking about how we weren't ready for the trek to end, so this was the perfect next step for our journey.
Ghandruk -> Forest Camp
Distance: 10 km (6 mi)
Time: 6 hours
Elevation change: +1,100 m (3,600')
The views from our teahouse in the morning were stunning. The rainclouds the day before had obscured these mountains entirely, so we were pretty floored when this is what we awoke to.
We made it to Forest Camp just before sunset. It felt like we had conquered something impossible when we got there. Aside from my hip being quite bothered from all the climbing, we arrived unharmed and so dang excited to have some hours of rest.
Forest Camp -> High Camp
Distance: 9 km (5.5 mi)
Time: 5 hours
Elevation change: +550 m (1,800')
And so begins the recounting of one of my favorite days of my life. I took many more photos in this portion of the trek, so the descriptions will be shorter from here on.
The views were pretty incredible from the beginning of our day. The clear blue skies were truly a gift.
Annapurna 1 is the leftmost peak in this photo, and Machhapuchhre is the rightmost peak. Machhapuchhre is Nepali for "fishtail," named for the fishtail shape the two-pronged peak makes from most vantage points. Mardi Himal is the closest peak in the middle, a little hard to see in this photo because it is shorter than the others.
Here, Annapurna South and Annapurna 1.
Due to the amazing visibility this day, the mountains looked so crisp and close. After sticking our faces in the snow, a photoshoot ensued.
I had a very hard time keeping a serious face... my friends were just being so dang funny, and I was incredibly happy here.
This photo is a good representation of our group. It embodies the phrase, "Mint Tea," an inside joke in our team that basically means something like "derp."
The sunset that followed left us in awe.
The mountains turned pink as the sun said goodbye for the day. We headed inside, played cards, and went to bed in preparation for our earliest morning yet.
High Camp -> Mardi Himal View Point -> High Camp
Distance: 7 km (4.5 mi)
Time: 5 hours
Elevation change: +600 m (2,000') / -600m (0 total)
Our path became illuminated by the glorious sun.
We headed back down the mountain to High Camp. Nick was much faster than Olivia and me, so he sometimes wrote messages in the snow for us to find. Mint tea!
The view of Mardi Himal and Machhapuchhre was stunning from High Camp, as well.
We made a fabulous decision to stay at High Camp for the rest of the day, instead of continuing trekking after our five hour jaunt of the morning. It was so nice to just relax at the teahouse, make friends, drink warm beverages, and wear cozy, non-hiking clothes. Plus, my hip was not in a great mood, so time to rest was much appreciated.
We watched the sun set together, feeling so grateful for the weather, the friends, the whole experience.
Fellow trekkers thought we looked so cute watching the sun set that they insisted on taking our picture. This turned out to be one of my favorite photos from the trek.
High Camp -> Sidhing
Distance: 11 km (7 mi)
Time: 6 hours
Elevation change: -1,700m (5,500')
I awoke this morning before our alarm and watched the sun rise next to Machhapuchhre from out front of our lodge.
Good morning, beautiful Himalayas!
To our absolute delight, one of the last features of our trek was YAKS!!! We were so fortunate to see these! A Himalayan staple animal, for sure. What a treat.
A few hours later, we arrived at our final destination, where we boarded a Jeep to take us back to the city of Pokhara.
This picture summarizes the ride well. SO bumpy and wild!
Time hiked: 47 hours
Elevation change: +4,700 m (15,500') / -3,800 m (12,500')
This is our route marked out on a map. Orange is the path we walked, and the red dots are where we stayed each night.
Reading time: 18 minutes
I will recount the journey in terms of each day of the trek. I'll include starting and ending locations, distance, time hiking, and overall elevation change.
Day 1
Nayapul -> Tikhedhungga
Distance: 9 km (5.5 mi)
Time: 4 hours
Elevation change: +470 m (1,500')
Meet Nick and Olivia. These are two of my dearest (and newest) friends, both of whom I met at Kopan Monastery during the November Course. Nick is from Australia and Olivia is from Kentucky. The group of us formed pretty much by chance, yet we became so tightly knit so quickly, like a family. We set out to do the 4 day Poon Hill trek, but we were having such a good time together that we extended our trek and did the Mardi Himal route too. The trek itself probably would have been awesome regardless, but being with these humans elevated the experience to a highlight of my life.
We started our trek in the early afternoon of January 5. I barely took any photos the first day - living in the moment, and primarily walking along dirt roads - but these baby goats warranted getting my phone out! I promise there are exciting photos to come, read on...
Day 2
Tikhedhungga -> Ghorepani
Distance: 13 km (8 mi)
Time: 7 hours
Elevation change: +1,320 m (4,300')
We awoke to this view from our teahouse. We had not yet reached the snow level, but we could see the beginnings of it on a nearby mountain. (By the way: I didn't take photos of our accommodations, but we stayed at teahouses the entirety of the trek. Picture 3 skinny beds shoved into a room with tin ceilings and thin concrete walls. No heat, so super cold; thick sleeping bag and multiple comforters and wearing all of your layers to sleep type of cold. About $1 per person per night, as long as we ate our meals there. Meals were about $5, so $11 per person total for two meals and lodging. Home sweet home!)
After a couple hours of intense stair climbing, we had gained some major elevation. The snowy mountains were getting closer... and little Miss Los Angeles over here had never seen snow, so I was very excited.
To add to my excitement, I got to pet a precious bovine baby who was walking on the side of the road!! The cherry on top was when Dante, our first trail dog, came up to say hello to the cow, an event captured in the second photo.
Quick aside: one of my favorite things about trekking in Nepal is the trail dogs. They live freely on the trails and will join you for hours or days at a time, hiking with you to your next destination and often staying the night there and leaving with you the next day. They are so friendly and just want occasional attention or maybe a bite of a granola bar. We named the dogs that we adopted into our team along the trek. Dante was with us for the entirety of day 2 and day 3!
Before we knew it, we reached the snow line!!!
Nick said, "Do you want a photo? You may never see snow again, ya know!"
Spoiler alert: believe it or not, this was not the last snow we saw.
My team!
As we got higher, the blanket of snow got heavier and heavier.
Most of the scenery was a mix of green forest, grey rock, and white snow, so these colorful prayer flags over the river stood out beautifully.
Dante was such a little snow dog!
Roxi's first snow revelation: ice is slippery. Anything to pierce it is very helpful in remaining upright. Crampons (basically attachable metal spikes that make your shoes into ice cleats) and hiking poles are wonderful friends to have in these conditions.
We arrived at the teahouse that evening, 1,300 meters (4,300') higher in elevation than where we started in the morning, and it was freezing. Literally. We were at almost 3,000 m (10,000') above sea level at the depth of winter. As soon as we stopped moving, I became extremely cold, probably the coldest I've ever felt, and began asking Nick what hypothermia feels like. We got me to the fire in the main dining area of the teahouse and I felt much better. Keep in mind, the only time I'd ever felt freezing temperatures before this was in the penguin exhibit at Sea World. This was very new for me, to say the least.
Day 3
Ghorepani -> Poon Hill -> Ghorepani / Ghorepani -> Ban Thanti
Distance: 4 km (2.5 mi) / 7 km (4.5 mi) (11 km, or 7 mi, total)
Time: 3 hours / 4 hours (7 hours total)
Elevation change: +333 m, -333 m / +320 m (1,000')
The day started at a ripe 4:30 AM, when we set out for Poon Hill to watch the sunrise from the peak. The way up was dark, steep, and snowy, and a flashlight was essential.
The sun began to illuminate the sky around 6:30. We were among the first people up there, so we got to enjoy the view relatively by ourselves for awhile. This was awesome because as it got closer to sunrise, the top of Poon Hill was overcome by throngs of tourists. I was shocked that there were this many people in low season... it must be crazy when it's high trekking season!
We had staked out a good vantage spot, so we got to take photos with no people in the background.
My person, part 1...
...and part 2!
The bright pinks and oranges in the clouds foretold the coming sun.
The first rays reached our icy faces with instant, very welcomed warmth.
At this point I wondered how cold it actually was. Just below freezing, and the sun was up. This does not happen in Los Angeles.
We traversed the top of Poon Hill, weaving between tourists and watching the peaks dance in and out of the clouds.
Here are some of the aforementioned fellow trekkers. Poon Hill was beautiful, but the crowd (this photo is misleadingly tourist-sparse for what it was actually like up there) did not make for the most peaceful environment.
I waited for a full five minutes for this sign to be free of posing humans so I could snap this photo.
The crowds weren't all human, though - look who joined us all the way at the top!! Dante was always enjoyable company.
Hungry and ready to be in a less populated place, we headed back down to our teahouse for breakfast.
This was the view from our window. Winter wonderland!
Around noon, we were fed, caffeinated, and a little rested, so we set off again.
The untouched snow was amazing to me. It looked so pure and soft and perfect.
You'll notice that many of the photos in this post feature a laughing Roxi, a laughing Olivia, a laughing Nick, or all three. These are pretty good representations of what our trek was like. We were usually laughing at something or other. If laughter extends your life, I think this trek added on a year or two to my life expectancy.
After a hefty climb, we enjoyed walking along a ridge for some time. Nick taught us the Australian phrase, "ridgy didge," which became a favorite for us. It means something like original/true blue/genuine.
The views did not disappoint in either direction.
We befriended a sherpa at the top of the ridge. He enjoyed the combination of Oreos and peanut butter.
While we snacked, a thick fog rolled in and thwarted Nick's hopes of getting a photo of the elusive mountain peaks. Oreos softened the blow of this unfulfilled vision.
Soon, we began a descent which followed a river into an icy canyon. Crazy icicle formations like this dripped down the mountainsides lining the riverbanks. We stayed the night in a teahouse at the bottom of this canyon.
Day 4
Distance: 13 km (8 mi)
Time: 7 hours
Elevation change: -1,240 m (4,000')
This day was pretty epic. We were told at the teahouse that the next stretch of our hike would be "Nepali flat," meaning some ups and downs but resulting in the same elevation. We did not realize that these ups and downs would be an intense, long descent followed by a more intense, long ascent. As we were exhaustedly climbing up the side of the canyon, I exclaimed, "Nepali flat my ass!" The reward when we got to the top, however, was worth everything. We were greeted first by some gorgeous monkeys called grey langurs... and then, it started to snow.
My first snowfall ever. In the Himalayas. Alongside dear friends. And monkeys. It was magical, and a moment I will probably never forget.
I felt like a newborn, seeing the world completely fresh. I floated along in this feeling for the rest of the day and did not take out my phone much.
We ended up at a nice village, where we hiked to a temple in the rain and found a cafe that had German pastries. This was a nice change from the typical meal we were having: dal bhat, a classic Nepali combination of lentils, rice, and vegetables. No complaints about the dal bhat though - this is the hack to the system because the teahouses usually give unlimited refills for this meal only. Food is pricey on treks ($5/meal is actually quite a lot for Nepal), so dal bhat is a great option to stay on budget.
That evening while playing cards - a favorite activity for us - a guide joined us at our table and told us about the Mardi Himal trek. He didn't want anything from us, he was just sharing a trek he loves and thought we may enjoy too. People can be so kind and pure. It was because of his kindness that we ended up extending our trek and starting out to Mardi Himal the next day. We had already been talking about how we weren't ready for the trek to end, so this was the perfect next step for our journey.
Day 5
Distance: 10 km (6 mi)
Time: 6 hours
Elevation change: +1,100 m (3,600')
The views from our teahouse in the morning were stunning. The rainclouds the day before had obscured these mountains entirely, so we were pretty floored when this is what we awoke to.
This day was the hardest day of hiking. We first had to descend to the river at the bottom of the mountain we were on, cross it, and then do a major ascent up the facing mountain on a steep forested trail that was primarily comprised of tall stone stairs. The health app on my phone says that we climbed the equivalent of 243 floors of stairs that day.
While still on the other side of the river, we acquired a new teammate who we named Duffy. Say hello to Duffy!! We were so surprised that he came with us all the way up this very difficult portion of our hike, especially because he seemed older due to his white facial hair. Duffy became a long-term fixture in our team.
Duffy was usually ahead of the pack; he'd run out of sight and at a point, we'd see him sitting on the trail waiting for us.
Note: the white and blue paint on the trees are trail markers. They are SO helpful.
We made it to Forest Camp just before sunset. It felt like we had conquered something impossible when we got there. Aside from my hip being quite bothered from all the climbing, we arrived unharmed and so dang excited to have some hours of rest.
Day 6
Forest Camp -> High Camp
Distance: 9 km (5.5 mi)
Time: 5 hours
Elevation change: +550 m (1,800')
And so begins the recounting of one of my favorite days of my life. I took many more photos in this portion of the trek, so the descriptions will be shorter from here on.
The views were pretty incredible from the beginning of our day. The clear blue skies were truly a gift.
The higher we climbed, the denser the snow became.
Soon, we reached the top of the ridge, where we met our newest trail dog: Didge! (Named after the phrase "ridgey didge," of course.)
Didge was a snow dog if I've ever seen one! Prancing through the tundra, chewing snow, living his best life.
Before long, we were living our best lives, too, with one of the best views of our lives.
Here, we witnessed an unreal expanse of the Annapurna mountains. From left to right: Annapurna South (7,000 m / 23,000'), Annapurna 1 (8,000 m / 26,000'), Mardi Himal (5,500 m / 18,000'), and Macchapuchhre (7,000 m / 23,000').
Annapurna 1 is the leftmost peak in this photo, and Machhapuchhre is the rightmost peak. Machhapuchhre is Nepali for "fishtail," named for the fishtail shape the two-pronged peak makes from most vantage points. Mardi Himal is the closest peak in the middle, a little hard to see in this photo because it is shorter than the others.
Here, Annapurna South and Annapurna 1.
There were truly no bad angles possible.
I had a very hard time keeping a serious face... my friends were just being so dang funny, and I was incredibly happy here.
Feeling accomplished and so grateful.
This was the view behind us as we looked at the mountains. It felt divine to be above the clouds like this.
This photo is a good representation of our group. It embodies the phrase, "Mint Tea," an inside joke in our team that basically means something like "derp."
After another hour of hiking with a gorgeous view, we arrived at our destination for the day, High Camp! We dropped our bags off at a teahouse and went to watch the sunset.
I had never made a snow angel before, and this needed to change. I saw a snowy surface that was just begging to be touched by an angel, so I seized the opportunity. I do not recommend making a snow angel with bare arms... ice crumbles can be sharp! Ouch!
No regrets, though. At the age of 23, for the first time, I made a snow angel!
The sunset that followed left us in awe.
The mountains turned pink as the sun said goodbye for the day. We headed inside, played cards, and went to bed in preparation for our earliest morning yet.
Day 7
High Camp -> Mardi Himal View Point -> High Camp
Distance: 7 km (4.5 mi)
Time: 5 hours
Elevation change: +600 m (2,000') / -600m (0 total)
We awoke at 4 AM and embarked on our sunrise hike to the Mardi Himal Viewpoint. We had one of the most special experiences ever on this morning hike: our path was lit by the full moon and a galaxy of stars. As the moon set over the mountain range...
The sun rose. This simultaneous sunrise and moonset was moving and unforgettable. (Moon setting visible about three quarters of the way to the right of the photo above, directly on the mountain horizon.)
Our path became illuminated by the glorious sun.
Again, we were incredibly lucky for the clear skies this day. I have friends that have done this same trek but couldn't see anything due to clouds/rain/snow.
The colors looked like a painting, or something out of a sci-fi movie.
After a couple hours of climbing with a very painful hip, we reached the Mardi Himal viewpoint!! At 4,200 meters (14,000 feet), this was the highest I have ever been.
It felt like such a huge accomplishment to make it here. Even looking at these photos now, my heart swells with joy and gratitude to myself for persevering and reaching this profoundly special place.
The team made it! Three puffy marshmallows with crampons!
Two of our trail dog buddies accompanied us on the climb: Sandy and Didge! They were being such rascals though. They had been up all night playing, but somehow their energy did not diminish, and they proceeded to come with us the whole morning, barrelling across our mountainous path, sitting down on the trail right in front of our feet, bumping into our legs and occasionally knocking us down as we attempted to do a dangerous, dark night hike up a steep mountain trail. We did not appreciate this. We tried very hard to scare them off so they'd stop coming with us, but they persevered just like we did. I warmed up to the dogs again at the top, as they were no longer putting our lives in jeopardy!
No hard feelings, Sandy.
This is a pretty good representation of the dynamic between Didge and Sandy: playful, in the way of where we were trying to walk, and occasionally even on top of our feet.
We were the only people we saw on this hike that morning, except for a small group that arrived shortly after us and took a couple photos for us. It was awesome to have this place mostly to ourselves, a stark contrast from the crowded experience at Poon Hill.
The sun on our faces was so enjoyable at this freezing altitude.
The view looking the other direction was pretty awesome, too. Layers of peaks for miles and miles.
I love my team!
The view of Mardi Himal and Machhapuchhre was stunning from High Camp, as well.
We made a fabulous decision to stay at High Camp for the rest of the day, instead of continuing trekking after our five hour jaunt of the morning. It was so nice to just relax at the teahouse, make friends, drink warm beverages, and wear cozy, non-hiking clothes. Plus, my hip was not in a great mood, so time to rest was much appreciated.
To our delight, Duffy rejoined us at the lodge!! He had made new buddies a couple days before and stayed with them for a while, but when he found us again it was such a joyful reunion. He was quite territorial though, such that when he saw us interact with Didge and Sandy he went into attack mode - we were his property, after all. The photo above makes me laugh, because although he was just calmly eating snow, his bared teeth show... a warning flash of the aggression to come! Trail dog drama!
Our lodge had a guitar, so we spent a long time jamming that day, with Nick or Olivia on guitar and much joyful singing from all of us. We even composed a song together about our time at the monastery and on the trek.
We watched the sun set together, feeling so grateful for the weather, the friends, the whole experience.
The sea of clouds looked like a fluffy carpet below us.
On the trek, we began to refer to my hair as a natural beanie, for every time Olivia and Nick put on their beanies, I just took my hair down and I was warm. It only felt right for them to try my beanie on!
Fellow trekkers thought we looked so cute watching the sun set that they insisted on taking our picture. This turned out to be one of my favorite photos from the trek.
Day 8
High Camp -> Sidhing
Distance: 11 km (7 mi)
Time: 6 hours
Elevation change: -1,700m (5,500')
I awoke this morning before our alarm and watched the sun rise next to Machhapuchhre from out front of our lodge.
Good morning, beautiful Himalayas!
Nepal, especially this part, is truly one of my happiest places.
Once we were all awake and fed, it was time to descend the mountain for the final day of our trek. Unfortunately, I turned my ankle on the way down, so it was a painful time of very few photos taken. This experience made me so grateful to have friends who helped me and carried my things... and so grateful that the injury waited until the last day of our trek to occur!
To our absolute delight, one of the last features of our trek was YAKS!!! We were so fortunate to see these! A Himalayan staple animal, for sure. What a treat.
A few hours later, we arrived at our final destination, where we boarded a Jeep to take us back to the city of Pokhara.
This picture summarizes the ride well. SO bumpy and wild!
Goodbye for now, Himalayas. We will meet again.
GRAND TOTALS
Distance: 83 km (52 mi)Time hiked: 47 hours
Elevation change: +4,700 m (15,500') / -3,800 m (12,500')
This is our route marked out on a map. Orange is the path we walked, and the red dots are where we stayed each night.
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This concludes the blog post about our trek through Poon Hill and Mardi Himal! Trekking in the Himalayas in January was pretty surreal, and it is definitely one of the proudest accomplishments of my life thus far. Thank you so much for joining us on our trek! Until next time, so much love from Nepal.
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