We made it to Annapurna Base Camp today and I have no words. Seriously, I really have no idea how I am going to convey the experience. But I will try. Just realize, that no matter what I am writing it cannot, by any measure, come close to describing actually being there.

We started out early from Durali because it was a two hour walk to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) where we will spend the night. The plan was to get to our tea house, drop off most of our stuff, then continue up the valley to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), another two hours walk beyond, look around, then climb back down to MBC. With this approach, if the weather would not be favorable today for good views, we would be in position to try again the following day. Staying at Annapurna base camp was not feasible as they were full, meaning that the only space available was sleeping in the dining room. At Machhapuchhre rooms were available, although only dorm style. Tonight I am sharing a room with two couples, a total of five in our room.

View back down the valley which we have been hiking up.

I cannot believe how lucky I have been with respect to the weather. It has been hazy and cloudy for the last few days but this morning it was crystal clear and the sun was shining brightly in the sky; perfect for ensuring the best view of the Annapurna range. The hike up the valley from Durali to MBC was a 500 meter gain in altitude but it was gradual, comparatively so, to other days’ efforts. The views were spectacular coming up the valley. We walked along side a large river, gurgling and flowing with impressive force back down along the route we had been traversing for the past two days. In the distance, looking ahead, easily seen now that the clouds were gone, was a white capped mountain. It was impressive, but little did I know how much better the day was to get.

We easily reached our tea house at MBC by 9:00 am. I was thrilled to be able to lighten my load as we had another 400 meters to go to reach ABC, at 4100 meters, another two hour walk. I brought with me a collapsible nylon day pack and after stuffing that with some warm weather gear and water I was ready to go. My regular backpack load is around 8-9 kilos, this light load was easily half that so I was ready to fly up the valley, instead of my usual trudge. We were determined to get there as soon as possible because it was inevitable that sooner or later the clouds would gather, after which the view would disappear. In general, I was really anxious to get there, too, as this has been a goal of mine for a decade or so!

Part of the MBC complex.

The trail was a gradual up, somewhat challenging, and fairly busy with people climbing, like me, and others descending, having gotten up at 4 am to see the sunrise and thus done for the day. It was absolutely amazing, as I slowly climbed up the valley, to have the Annapurna range come into view. Let me describe the geography a little in an attempt to help paint the picture. The valley that we have been climbing up the past few days has been carved by the river that flows through it. At MBC the valley takes a sharp turn to the left, continuing to climb up to the base camp, where it dead ends surrounded by the Annapurna range. Thus as you leave MBC and head to ABC you enter kind of a bowl. Consequently as I climbed towards ABC, slowly on every side of me, more and more of the range came into view. It was really important to stop and do a 360 degree turn, to see the complete vista. The mountains are huge, impossibly high, sparkling white, with dark ares where the slopes are too steep for the snow, reaching forever up into the blue sky. It was stunning. It was beautiful. It was magnificent. It was awe-inspiring. It was emotionally moving. I go back to the word I used to describe my first, but distant glimpse of the mountains- it was majestic. I really cannot come up with enough adjectives.

After a two hour climb I reached Annapurna base camp. I had tears in my eyes the whole way and by the tie I reached base camp I am not ashamed to say that I was crying like a baby. (Prem says this happens to some people who come here.) Part of it was the sense of accomplishment, certainly. But there was so much more. This is where words cannot describe the experience. It was simultaneously a feeling of total insignificance, being overpowered by the towering mountains, while feeling yourself expanding to meet the immense space around, like it was not possible for your body to contain you. Seriously I cannot describe it- even though as I sit here writing this I can feel that emotion still resonating inside me.

There was a helicopter ferrying people and equipment up and down from MBC to ABC. It looked like a toy against the immense peaks around it.

After getting the obligatory photos as well as getting my emotions under control, we sat down for tea and a view. Looking back the way we had come, it was evident that we got there in the nick of time. Clouds were slowly drifting up the valley; shortly the view was going to disappear. How lucky can I be?

After a quick visit to the sanctuary, a sacred place to the Bon religion, a mountain belief system that predates Buddhism, and now also a special place for Buddhists, we headed back down. It only took us about an hour and a half to reverse our steps as it was a nice comfortable gradient. We were walking into the clouds, though, and the views were fast disappearing. I felt bad for the multitude of people we saw struggling up the trail. Hopefully they will have an opportunity to have their own special experience tomorrow morning, when there is a chance it will be clear again.

Resting on the way up to ABC.

Now, warm and dry at the tea house, I look out the windows of the dining hall and it is raining again. Tomorrow is the march back to Chomrung and that stairway up, up and up.

(For scenery of ABC, see Day 6, part 2)