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Our ninth day was our pinnacle day – the day we would reach the Annapurna Base Camp (aka as far as you can trek before you start walking on pretty dangerous ground). Knowing this, we were up early and out walking before many people had finished their breakfasts.
A steady five hour climb along the Modi Khola valley brought us to the Machhapuchhre Base Camp for lunch, where many people were setting up camp to sleep the night. The ABC sits at 4,139 meters/13,580 feet, which makes people a bit nervous. Rightly so, AMS is nasty (as I learned on our Stok Kangri trek in northern India) but we were set on sleeping at the ABC, so on we went.
Lunch at the MBC
The walk between the two base camps is pretty short. You can almost see one from the other, but don’t let that fool you – as it did us. It takes a good hour to walk this short distance. Trekking at these altitudes make our bodies work with less oxygen than they’re used to. Two young, relatively fit trekkers like ourselves were reduced to shuffling geriatrics.
The route from the MBC to the ABC
The reward for all this walking was given in abundance on our arrival at our destination. Rather than having arrived somewhere that boasts one beautiful mountain, “oh look, what a pretty view”, the ABC sits literally in the middle of an amphitheater of Himalayan giants. The 360 degree view prompted expletives from us that are frankly better left off this site.
A view of the ABC and surrounding mountain range
Our pictures, of course, do it no justice. You really need to be there to experience it yourself, something I think everyone should do once (or many, many times) in their lifetime. It’s a landscape you won’t find anywhere else – creaking glaciers, soaring 8,000 meter peaks and two little guesthouses filled with adventure lovers like yourself. It was a magical evening and exactly the kind of pinnacle you wish to reach after nine days of walking.
Click here to check out all photos of Day 9.
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This entry was posted on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 5:21 am and is filed under Nepal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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About Us
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
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