For around 20 years I have been dreaming of the Himalayas, and in April 2022 I was finally able to fulfil this dream with a trip to Nepal.
After a lot of research, respect for the altitude, and thorough and patient advice from Gülüstan Kolay, I decided on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. What convinced me was the modified, partly more remote route via the Muldai viewpoint, the fact that there is no road on this trek, and that, due to Corona, the otherwise busy tour would not be overcrowded.
Since the 3 other bookings for this trek all had to be cancelled, I ended up being able to do this trekking tour on my own and had the luxury of being able to arrange times, breaks, and countless photo stops individually with my guide Kersing and the porter Man. Through the two of them I was able to learn a great deal about culture, flora and fauna, and the most important phrases in Nepali. Both were incredibly warm-hearted and always made the effort to reserve the best tea houses with the loveliest views and the tastiest Dhal Bhat, and constantly made sure that nothing was missing. So our day, for example, started before breakfast with stretching exercises in front of a breathtaking mountain backdrop and ended in the evening with a health check over hot tea. We had an incredible amount of fun together with our mix of English, German, Nepali, and hands and feet.
What I found particularly fascinating were the first days through the breathtaking “fairy-tale forests” full of blooming rhododendron trees in all sizes and shades of red, with the highest mountains on earth in the background, and in between breaks and overnight stays in original Gurung villages.
And reaching the Annapurna Sanctuary early in the morning by moonlight and glittering snow. To stand at 4130 m surrounded by mountains that are again twice as high was very magical.
Especially since on the two previous days we had been caught in a heavy thunderstorm with hail and the sky was already clouding over again during the descent. As if on order, we had the most beautiful mountain weather imaginable – like a theatre performance right on time for the highlight of the trek.
Nepal has not let go of me since, and in my thoughts I am still in the Himalayas.
At this point I would like to warmly thank Gülüstan Kolay for the wonderful support before and during the trip and our lovely dinner in Kathmandu. Likewise Kersing and Man for the warm and wonderful company in the mountains – I felt in the best hands and, surprisingly, very much at home. Deepak for the funny and incredibly informative city tour through Kathmandu and our reunion in Bhaktapur… and all the warm-hearted travellers and Nepalese I was able to meet and gain insights into their lives.
Lena
