Towards Annapurna - Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

We immediately fell in love with Kathmandu when we arrived from Tibet. Fantastic food can be found at every corner and the Nepali people are so incredibly friendly. We spent the first days in Kathmandu doing nothing but eat, sleep and making plans for the coming time in Nepal. Because Marta did not want to leave Nepal without seeing Mount Everest, we planned to do the Everest Base Camp trek. As a warm up, we have decided to do a trek in the Annapurna area near Pokhara. It involved 4 days of hiking and one day staying in Pokhara, the second biggest city of Nepal, located near the Phewa Lake.

Our first day of hiking was through terraced mountains where locals grow rice and other vegetables. We started at an elevation of 900 meters above sea level and passed through local villages inhabited by people from the Magar and Gurung tribes. We finished at 1570 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in a village called Tikhedhunga. Our guesthouse was decorated all around with Christmas colorful lights. All facilities were well maintained and rooms were shared only by 2 hikers.

The second day was much more strenuous. We had to hike 1300 meters up to a place called Ghorepani at 2850 m.a.s.l. This village was a gateway to Poon Hill, a major lookout point for the Dhaulagiri-Annapurna range of the Himalayas. When we arrived, the sky was very cloudy, however, from time to time, clouds cleared and we could see the snow-capped peaks of Annapurna I and Annapurna South.

The next morning, we woke up at 5am to hike to Poon Hill for sunrise. From Poon Hill, we saw a beautiful panorama of the Dhaulagiri-Annapurna range, including the two eight-thousanders Annapurna I (8091m) and Dhaulagiri I (8167m). The last peak was especially interesting, as it was completely covered in snow.

After spending one hour at Poon Hill, we hiked back to Ghorepani with our guide to enjoy a warm breakfast before embarking on the further hike to Tadapani. Shortly before arriving, we were caught up in heavy rain. We spent the rest of the day warming up at the oven in the common area, talking with other hikers from Norway, the USA and other countries.

On the last day of our hike we went 1700m downhill, via beautiful lush green rice terraces, which looked amazingly fresh right after the monsoon season. Again, we passed through many villages inhabited by the Gurung tribe. After reaching the end of the trek in Nayapul, we drove back to Pokhara.

For the next two days, we enjoyed good fresh food in Pokhara and life at a slow pace, knowing that a few days later we will be departing on another trek.

Overall, we very much enjoyed hiking in the Annapurna area. Teahouses were well equipped and maintained, decently clean and stocked with tasty food. Views during the hike were also great, although, the best ones we enjoyed from Poon Hill. This 4 day hike was, in our opinion, a good teaser for the famous Annapurna Sanctuary (the trek which goes to the Annapurna Base Camp) or the Annapurna Circuit. As we liked the Annapurna area very much, we feel encouraged to come back one day and try one of the longer treks, where one can see Annapurna I, II, III, IV and South much closer.