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What goes up, must come down. On the way to Ghorapani we made an ascent of 1360 m from Hille. Today, to get to Tatopani and the hot spring baths we have to go down. 1750m down to be precise and most of it on limestone slabs that are so wet and slippery from rain
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Four a.m. and I hear a faint tap at my door. It’s Laxman. “Time to get up.” I grunt and roll over then catch sight of the night sky through the window. It’s dark and clear and the stars are shimmering. It rouses me from my stupor almost immediately and I am up and alert
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The reason people stop in Ghorapani (aside from the fact that it is a vibrant and picturesque little hill town in its own right) is that it is from here that you can make the 500m ascent of Poon Hill and take in the breathtaking sight of the Annapurna Range. From this vantage point you
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This is as strenuous as it’s going to get. An ascent of 1390 metres in one day and all of it on a stone staircase of more than 3300 steps. But watching the early morning mist trail off on the rice terraces it doesn’t seem such a daunting prospect for some reason. There’s something about
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Day one and it’s an early start. Six a.m. and we’re all packed and ready to go, standing in the garden, bleary eyed and dazed, waiting for Laxman and the cars that will take us to Naya Pul and the start of the trail. I am no good in the mornings so all I recall
