Following from Days One and Two

Trekking Day Three: Ghorepani to Ghandruk

We awoke in Ghorepani at 4:30am to trek up Poon Hill. The views at sunrise are supposed to be spectacular but we’d heard that the past few mornings had been cloudy.

As we climbed, we discovered our luck - there were just a few high clouds and they only added to the epic views.

So yeah - well worth the early wake-up. Many of the peaks in the picture are over 7000m (~23k feet). We stayed up there for maybe an hour and probably could have hung around all day - but the trail was calling.

We ate a hardy breakfast and then said goodbye to Ghorepani.

Immediately out of the village we faced a steep climb which led to more great views.

We then began to descend, following a riverbed. Our goal for the day was Ghandruk - a large village at about 2000m elevation. To get there we needed to cover a lot of ground and lose a lot of altitude; there were also several small villages to pass through.

It was our longest day of hiking so far but we got there by 3:30pm - throughly exhausted.

Trekking Day Four: Ghandruk to Nayapul

When we went to sleep, the himalayan peaks were shrouded in clouds. We awoke to stunning views.

The views held as we began our descent to Nayapul, completing our loop. Every bend in the trail, we’d look back and take in the mountains.

After a few hours of steep downhill, we grabbed a taxi in Nayapul and arrived back in Pokhara in time for lunch.

It was an amazing four days on the trail and I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested. Our pace was aggressive (our four day loop usually takes 5-6 days) but we were never too sore or tired.

We decided not to hire any guides / porters and we didn’t feel we needed them. It might make sense, though, if you’re going to higher altitudes or there during the busy season (so they can run ahead and secure housing). We were definitely traveling off-peak season and I really enjoyed the quiet on the trails. Hours would pass without seeing other trekkers. We’ve heard in the busy months the trails and villages are packed with tourists.

With the trek complete, we spent the day relaxing in Pokhara. We also made arrangements for a ride to Kathmandu, with rafting along the way. I’ll cover that in the next post. Here is one last photo of the mountains at sunrise: