Annapurna Circuit (pt. 6)

Last post: https://reillysroute.com/annapurna-circuit-pt-5/

DAY ELEVEN: THORONG PHEDI to MUKTINATH via THORONG-LA PASS (3/28)

Thorong Phedi (4450m/14,600′) – High Camp (4880m/16,010′) – Thorong-La Pass (5416m/17,770′) – Muktinath (3670m/12,040′)

Distance: 15.1 km/9.4mi

Today was the day! I was crossing Thorong-La Pass, one of the highest navigable passes in the world.

I woke up at 3:30am after a bad night’s sleep. Nonetheless, I felt focused and energized about what was to come.

The hotel forgot to make our breakfast orders, so several of us were delayed by 30 minutes or so. I ate my pancake quickly when it arrived and packed the second for later.

Fergus and I walked together for the first part up to High Camp. It was dark when we left, the only light coming from our headlamps, but as we climbed, the sky turned a soft shade of blue.

We walked slowly and stopped often to catch our breath, but I felt good as we ascended the first 500m/1640′ in less than an hour. The only problem was my stomach.

It was like a fist was wrapped around my intestines. I wanted to throw up and I knew it was because of the pancake. When we reached High Camp, I learned another girl from our hotel ate the same breakfast as me and threw up. Later, I would learn the tea house we stayed at had a reputation for food poisoning.

It took me a while to realize what was happening. I was so focused on the first leg of the trail because of the steep grade that I didn’t mentally prepare for the second and far more lengthy half of the climb. This was a mistake.

This section had roughly the same elevation gain as the first (540m/1770′) but it was over double the length at 2.5 mi. It was expected to take 2 to 3 hours.

I walked most of it alone, slowly shuffling up and up. I saw some familiar faces, but I was aware that most of today’s trekkers were ahead of me, including my friends. It made me uneasy. What if something happened? Who would find me?

The pass went on forever. Just as you came over one hill, there was another in the distance.

With each passing step, my stomach worsened. I couldn’t get myself to drink water. I tried to stay focused on my breath, but every time my mind wandered, I started to choke from the lack of oxygen.

“How do people like this?” I thought to myself.

Not having a good time

I was experiencing altitude sickness (and/or food poisoning) and I knew the number one thing to do was ascend and quickly, but where? Did I turn back to Manang or did I keep going?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. The uncontrollable choking almost sent me over the edge but I knew I had to keep my shit together.

Remember what I said about the toxicity of “full send” culture? Yeah, so this was the time to send it.

Thorong-La Pass, over an hour from the summit

The German guy with the bike from a few days ago was walking behind me. He was a little bit slower than me (because he was pushing a literal bike) and I felt comforted by the presence of another person.

“Do you want me to carry your backpack?” he asked me as I sat on a rock with my head between my legs.

At first, I said no.

But after a few minutes passed, I thought, what am I trying to prove by saying no? I accepted his offer. He slung my backpack over his shoulder like it was a handbag and we continued.

Twenty minutes later, we saw the flags denoting the end of the crossing. Familiar faces sat outside the tea house and cheered for us as we approached.

You’d think this would be a heart-warming, celebratory experience, where we ran into each other’s arms in slow motion and cried tears of joy. Yeah, no.

Thorong-La Pass was my nemesis and I wanted to get away from it as quickly as possible. Immediately after hugging my friends, I threw my phone at Fergus and asked him to take a photo of me by the sign. Part of me wishes I did a better job at taking an “Instagram-worthy” photo, but I also think what was captured was an accurate representation of where I was at mentally.

After taking photos, I raced down the mountain. All I could think was, “descend, descend, descend.”

I felt better within minutes. Fergus, Veerle, and Wouter caught up to me soon after.

Fergus next to a porter smoking a cigarette

We exchanged war stories as we rested, popping headache and anti-nausea medication. We were all a bit sick and I vowed to take altitude medication the next time I was this high (hard to say when that will be).

It was comforting to know no one found the experience that pleasurable. Veerle told me Wouter carried her pack for part of the climb, which made me feel better too.

But the day wasn’t over yet. We had 1746m/5728′ to descend and it would take another 5 hours for us to reach Muktinath. Thankfully, I felt myself returning to normal once we dropped below 5000m.

Happy again

As we reached Muktinath, we could see the village but were unclear on how to get there. A local Nepali man passed by us and offered to lead us to town via a shortcut.

People on pilgrimage

I hadn’t expected to transition into urban life so quickly. I thought this side of the pass would mirror the other in the sense that there’d be villages but not swarms of tourists.

Turns out Muktinath, which is technically the name of the temple not the town (Dhawalagiri), is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus.

We walked through crowds of people with our backpacks on, weaving between mules, babas asking for offerings, and pilgrims walking up and down the steps.

The main road was dusty and unpaved, but full of activity and lined with cafes, shops, and hotels. It was a stark difference from the wilderness we were in a few hours prior.

Shocked by the change of pace and increasingly exhausted by the day’s hike, I was thankful to see a friend on the second-story balcony of the Bob Marley Hotel. I booked a room and bought a celebratory beer, feeling the effects immediately.

It was strange to be done with the “big thing.” All this time I’d been working to cross the pass and now it was over. I felt relieved that it was done but sad.

Some of my friends were leaving, like Margot. Others planned to continue, like Emma, Wouter, and Veerle. A few wanted to walk until the end.

Everything was changing and I wasn’t ready.

Finish the story: https://reillysroute.com/annapurna-circuit-pt-7/