Annapurna Base Camp Day 2

The first section of the Annapurna Base Camp trek was quite short and easy, giving me a taste of what was to come. Parlad Dharel, my guide, was very helpful showing the way, measuring a good light pace, and telling me about the villages, temples, and waterfalls we came across.

After we finished the first section the day before, all I did was rest and sleep, so I was excited about the path ahead. We agreed to start quite early, around 6 AM, because the monsoon rains at noon would kill any pace or progress we'd gather.

Check out other hikes from this trip:

• Kathmandu Day Tour
• Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Day 1
• Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Day 2 (you're here)
• Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Day 3
• Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Day 4
• Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Day 5
• Pokhara World Peace Stupa 71

When I woke up, the sun was still rising over the ridges of nearby mountains. The whole valley was covered in sun rays and light mist, and the clouds have dissipated overnight to give us a clear view of Annapurna South (7219 m).

The second day had us leave Chhomrong at 7:00 and start our trek to the Himalaya village. I had far better rest than I expected, with the mild temperature and fresh air of the mountains helping my deep sleep. Although some people report altitude sickness even at this elevation below 2000 meters, these issues avoided me for now.

I had a discussion with my guide about his work and the profession in general. He started being a porter at 16 years old, working as a source of income for his bachelor's studies and his family. At some point in his third year, he didn't pass an exam and dropped out, focusing on being a porter full-time.

After working for 4 years and being a guide to popular destinations too, he was allowed to do a 45-day Sherpa course and pass an exam to become certified. As he explained, the government has different exams and certifications for trekking guides, jungle experts, city guides, etc. He passed the exam and started working for a tourist company, otherwise he would have had to go trekking for another 2 years before he'd be allowed to take the exam again.

We quickly descended from Chhomrong to the Tilche village on the other side of the river, waited for some mules to pass and started going up.

The road here is also very well-kept, with paved stones and occasional support rails all the way. We then reached Sinuwa, our potential hotel for the night on the way back. This is the point where the mules stop, as the road ahead is closer to a forest trail and is not that comfortable for animals to pass through.

Nevertheless, there is a horse carriage service you can pay for that goes all the way to Bamboo, Dovan, or even Himalaya. Along the way, most of the time you can see Machapuchare (6993 m), also known as Fishtail for its shape.

On our way, we passed a small stone bench area with mantras hanged up overhead. I was explained that the different colored "flags" all have the same prosperity prayer, and walking under them bathes you in spiritual blessings, bringing good fortune and positive energy. We took a small break and continued towards the next village. Sinuwa is the last point you can reliably buy stuff, as the following villages and tea houses don't get goods delivered that often.

Next up was a long trek to Bamboo village. We passed quite a few bridges over waterfalls on the way. The road here is less steep and goes through a shaded mixed forest with lush trees and bamboo groves.

In good weather you can see Gangapurna (7455 m) most of the time. In our case it was cloudy, but instead we got nice views of clouds passing by in the valley of the nearby rivers and over the mountain ridges.

We stopped in Bamboo village for a tea break and some snacks. That's when I noticed the power plugs they had around. Of course, Nepal like India operates on a weird permutation of European plugs, but in the mountains they also had USB-A sockets along the rest. If you have a recent device cable with USB-C, make sure to get a converter!

It's also important to have some small change in the local Nepal currency to pay for water, food, and drinks. A liter of water is around 250 Nepal Rupees, drinks are between 150 and 350, and food is 500 to 800.

The last reachable helicopter pad is located right next to the Bamboo village. If someone gets injured on the way, including locals, they either go here, to one of the base camps, or trek all the way back to Samrung.

After the break in the Bamboo village, we kept going for a bit more and reached Dovan. The path between is quite comfortable, but has many ups and downs, so you have to prepare your legs for quite some exercise.

This section features more nice waterfalls, especially those falling 100s of meters from the ridges above. My guide also asked if everything was fine with the stay in Chhomrong last night, since many older tourists usually write complaint letters after the trek is over saying they expected other conditions or disliked something. Be nice to your guide!

Dovan itself is split into several smaller sections. We walked past the lower ones, went up some more steps and took the lunch break at Greenland guest house. Around this point the monsoon rain came, and we had to think about what to do next.

We didn't have much time to think, so we put on our rain gear and headed to the next village. I even forgot my water bottle there.

When we reached our destination for the day, Himalaya, I was already drenched from sweat from the raincoat.

I still took some photos along the way, getting my phone wet too. There was a really nice stupa near a bunch of waterfalls on a vertical cliff, a perfect photo spot if it wasn't for the weather.

The rest of the road was uneventful but difficult, covering a forest and some small waterfalls we crossed. It was nice, but by the time we finished I was very tired.

Once in the Himalaya village, I had dinner, rested, and took a cold shower with a bucket. My phone was completely soaked from the rain and refused to turn on or charge, so I put it in the pillow hoping to warm it up and dry the USB port. Thankfully, by next morning it was back in business. What an eventful day...