Annapurna Base Camp Day 4

Now that I reached the Annapurna Base Camp the day before and spent an evening there, I was ready to start the descent back to the valley. Parlad Dharel, my guide, suggested to go as far as we can, so we can take our time going slower the next day.

He also mentioned that the road between Chhomrong and Samrung has a small hot spring, so I could take a bath there and enjoy mylself, given enough time. This sounded like the best opportunity, but it meant I'd have to walk a lot today, making me a bit anxious.

Check out other hikes from this trip:

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

We took our morning photos with the only other active European group of British blokes. There were stil some hopes to see the clouds move away and reveal the mountains, but it was not to be. We discussed some cool routes that professionals take to reach the top of Annapurna and other peaks, but it boiled down to "it's too dangerous even for them so nobody does it". The southern slope of Annapurna is especially bad in that regard, so there was a very small number of attempts.

On the way out of the base camp, Parlad asked me for a testimonial video for his services and their company in general. He was very accommodating and helpful throughout the trip, so I was happy to do it. I talked for around a minute without any script, but he seemed happy with the take and said we were done with the formalities.

The road back was much better that the ascent. The whole route is not that steep, and the road is quite sturdy despite the moisture and fog in the air, so we could walk at a good pace. Although the clouds were still covering the peaks, the morning sun gave an amazing light to the valley and the mountains, making an unforgettable view. Parlad offered to take some videos for me, which I ended up using for my compilation clips at the end of each post and on social media.

We walked past the lake and the blooming flowers quite fast and reached the Machhapuchhre Base Camp in no time. The view from there was getting better as the clouds were slowly moving upwards, so we took one of the best photos of the trip there. The valley was still covered in clouds, but without the thick fog the views and the river were showing through.

From the MBC we descended the slightly steeper section towards Deurali (3200 m) and walked past the glaciers and waterfalls I've first seen on the way up. By that point the clouds were pretty high up, so the whole valley was visible and the lush forests were showing in full glory. Although in the previous days we barely saw any other hikers except for a few Indian groups, we started seeing more and more people on the way down. The rain also subsided and the forecast was looking good for the whole day, so we enjoyed the warmth while we could.

Next up was the section towards Himalaya past the Hinku Cave shrine. This time around we were walking so fast that we skipped the shrine completely, but it was still cool to look at. Given the distance we had to cover, we chose to take photos only when taking breaks. Besides, I already had a lot of photos from the way up with roughly the same weather conditions, so I didn't feel like taking more.

We didn't take any breaks in the Himalaya village either, but we did stop for a while at the Pojenhyam Baraha Than Temple. On the way up the heavy thunderstorm caught us right when we were coming up to this shrine, getting me and my phone completely wet. This time around the weather was much better, so we could actually take our time, pose for photos, enjoy the waterfall across the creek and in general calm ourselves down.

From there on we walked past Dovan (2500 m) and Bamboo villages until we reached Kuldhigar and took a small break there on the way to Sinuwa (2340 m). The original plan that the tour operator offers is to spend the night in Bamboo or Sinuwa (2340 m) depending on the hiker's pace, but with me being comfortable in the mountains and Parlad being a very experienced guide, we decided to push all the way to our original hotel in Chhomrong.

The section between Kuldhigar and Sinuwa (2340 m) was the "resting" part of the trek. The way there is quite flat, with occasional hills to go up and down, so I had plenty of time to look around without being too careful about my steps. The views towards Pokhara and the valley were starting to peek from behind the remaining mountains, which was also cool to see. The air was still very moist, layering mist over the hills, but you could still make out the summits and the small villages near them.

Sinuwa itself is split into multiple semi-separated villages connected by sherpas and donkeys. The main village is the higher one that I passed at that point. From it, you can already see towards Chhomrong and further, but the path is still long and winding. The lower village, on the other hand, is a bit more timid and accessible, so it is more popular with tourists.

From there only one village remains before reaching Chhomrong - Tilche. It's a tiny settlement without tourist facilities, but it's surrounded by rice fields and has locals working the soil there. After Tilche, the path goes down to the bridge over the river and then up some more rice fields to the main houses of Chhomrong.

We walked past some small shrines and a bigger place of worship. Parlad explained to me that the smaller shrines are usually for locals who were loved by the community or contributed to it before passing away. Their relatives can come to the shrines to pray and remember the dead. The bigger one is a normal Buddhist stupa, which is a place of worship for the whole (living) community.

All in all, despite the quick pace and the long distance covered, it was one of the most memorable days of the trip. I got to experience all the best portions of the hike all over again in one big package, and enjoy the views I normally had my back turned to on the way up. The weather was also much better than on the previous days, with only a small shover near the end, so I could take my photos in peace without worrying about drying my phone in such a humid weather.