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DAY SEVEN: MANANG ACCLIMATIZATION (3/24)
View from my bedroom window
Today was an acclimatization day.
To stay in the habit of moving, Margot and I went on a short hike out of the valley. The 1000′ climb felt easy without packs and the view of the valley was incredible.
The valley we walked through yesterday
The summit of Annapurna no longer seemed that far away. “It’s right there!” We joked, as if we could waltz up there for afternoon tea.
But being this close also made the reality of doing such a climb seem more real and dangerous. I thought about Arlene Blum, an American mountaineer who led the first successful American ascent of Annapurna I (it was an all-woman ascent too), and Lhakpa Sherpa, a Nepalese woman who holds the record for the most Mount Everest climbs (10, as of 2022). Their stories held a different weight this high up.
Bit breezy, eh?
On the descent, we stopped by the lake and drank tea for an hour with a local couple. They told us about their lives here—like many others in the area, they live in Manang during the high season (spring/fall) and in Kathmandu the rest of the year. They have a handful of horses who roam in the highlands on land their ancestors have occupied for thousands of years.
Margot taking photos of the couple
On the way back into town, we found Veerle and Wouter eating pastries outside a bakery. Soon, Norm arrived. Then Fergus.
It’s one of the things I love most about long-distance trail hiking—the way you meet people and continuously cross paths with them, forming an odd mismatched group of companions. It’s sweet how humans do that.
As a solo hiker, I find it comforting. I can do my own thing and make choices for myself, but there are people that I can share experiences with and turn to for support.
That afternoon, I sat in the sun and read about the history of the Himalayas, and in the evening, as we sat around the table, I sensed the collective awareness gathering around the crossing of Thorong-La Pass.
Our conversation veered first to altitude sickness—are you showing symptoms? Are you taking medication? (I wasn’t and I’m not.)
Would anyone be taking the three-day detour to Tilicho Lake? (No.)
When are you leaving Manang? (That depends. What are you doing?)
Manang is at 3,540m. The pass is at 5,416m. We had almost 2,000m/6,561′ to climb in three days, which didn’t seem that bad until you remembered that the air would only be getting thinner.
I’d already checked the acclimatization box, both by staying a full day in Manang and by taking the high route through Ngawal the day prior, but I decided to stay another day in Manang. The others were staying and I felt more at ease knowing that familiar people would be near on the day of the pass crossing. And I didn’t want to say goodbye!
DAY EIGHT: MANANG ACCLIMATIZATION (3/25)
I decided to hike up to Ice Lake on my day “off.” The lake or lakes (there are two) sit at 4600m so it’s a 1100m/3,600′ elevation gain from Manang. You can see why “rest day” is a generous term.
Where I was going
With several bakery goodies packed in my backpack, I retraced my steps back to the last village and turned onto the trailhead. Veerle and Wouter weren’t far behind me and we followed the zig-zagged path together.
We climbed above the tree line but on the other side of the valley
Near the top was a tea house. Fergus came down the hill just as we arrived (small world!). He showed us pictures of the lake while we drank water and enjoyed the view.
I had a slight headache at the tea house, but just as I told the others, we noticed a sign above our heads that said, “HEADACHES AT ALTITUDE IS NORMAL.” Impeccable timing.
It’s when the headache is paired with other symptoms, like nausea or dizziness, that you need to be concerned. I was in the clear so far.
Where I was
While I was tempted to keep climbing to the official summit, I thought I’d done what I needed to in terms of moving my body and acclimating to the elevation. Continuing would have added several more hours to the hike, and, as Veerle kindly reminded me, we’d have time before dinner to read and eat candy if we went back down.
Sometimes I feel a lot of pressure in outdoorsy communities to go all-out or “full send.” To not implies that I’m weak or uncommitted or frankly, not very cool. This mentality has pushed me to achieve feats that I didn’t know I was capable of achieving and I’m thankful for that, but it can be toxic too. I’m learning how to know when I’ve done “enough”–on the trail and off.
I decided to go back into town. That afternoon, I took a hot solar-powered shower (my last before the pass) and read my book, thankful I made time for myself to relax.
Keep reading: https://reillysroute.com/annapurna-circuit-pt-5/