{"id":16929,"date":"2013-09-07T22:09:04","date_gmt":"2013-09-08T04:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=16929"},"modified":"2013-09-07T22:11:42","modified_gmt":"2013-09-08T04:11:42","slug":"manaslu-2013-trekking-through-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/07\/manaslu-2013-trekking-through-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Manaslu 2013 – Trekking Through Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

After 10 days of trekking and travel we have arrived at Manaslu Base
\nCamp on Saturday, September 7, 2013. The team is doing well and everyone
\nis in good health and spirits.<\/p>\n

The trek can be described as I’m glad I did it but wouldn’t do it
\nagain in the monsoon season. I can only imagine how spectacular it is in
\nNovember without the rain and low clouds. So let’s get this out of the way.<\/p>\n

The drive out of Kathmandu was slow and tedious with a lot of road
\nconstruction and it got significantly worse as we transferred to a
\nheavily modified high clearance bus to travel the extremely rough and
\nmuddy road to the small village of Arughat at 1,870’\/570m. This is where
\nour trek began.<\/p>\n

It rained intermittently, the heat was oppressive and the humidity was
\nsevere. These conditions remained for the next few days until we broke
\n9,000 feet. If it sounds uncomfortable, it was, but there was much more
\nto the experience.<\/p>\n

Each morning we arose around sunrise, had a fully cooked breakfast
\nbefore walking for 2 to 4 hours. Lunch each day was again a hot meal
\naccompanied by local fresh vegetables picked from a teahouse garden.
\nAfter another several hours of trekking we arrived at our camp for the
\nnight. Usually it began to rain around 3:00PM each day. But the Altitude
\nJunkies (AJ) porters and Sherpas had the big dome tent set up with
\ntables and chairs so the rain fell harmlessly.<\/p>\n

I often joke with friends about expeditions who only advertise their
\n“delicious food” and I sometimes mock those dispatches who talk about
\nthe “great food” and not the actually climbing. So I’m about to join
\nthis crowd! I have been on a lot of treks and expeditions and have never
\neaten so well. I have absolutely gained weight. The meals are fresh,
\ncreative, balanced and nutritious.<\/p>\n

Considering the cook team had to trek along with us, set up their
\nportable kitchen, cook, serve, clean and pack back up three times a day
\nthey are a case study in organization and leadership. Now that we are at
\nBase Camp, it will only get better. By the way, the AJ cook is Da
\nPasang, a Sherpa cook who can compete with the from anywhere in the
\nworld for expedition cooking.<\/p>\n

The trek itself followed the Budhi Gandaki River. I have rarely
\nwitnessed such a powerful force of water over so many days. Of course
\nall the rain is the driving force feeding it with streams and endless
\nwaterfalls. We started at a very low altitude of only 1,870 feet and are
\nnow at 15,750 feet at Base Camp. Just another 11,009 feet to the summit!<\/p>\n

The terrain started with open areas of rice fields nurtured by the
\nGurung farming villages. Soon the terrain narrowed into sharp, steep
\nrock walls creating a canyon just wide enough for the river itself and a
\nnarrow trail carved into the steep walls. We followed the centuries old
\ndirt trails that serve as the primary road way for the local villages.
\nWe crossed countless bridges from somewhat modern steel cable rigs to
\nancient wooden ones with rotten slats. No cars, motorbikes, bicycles
\nallowed – nothing motorized – only feet and hooves.<\/p>\n

Each day brought new sights of the terrain and the culture. It was like
\nmoving through time, backwards. As the canyon narrowed, the waterfalls
\ngrew more impressive. I ran out of words to describe what I was seeing.
\nThe monsoon clouds hovered low above the narrow gorge obscuring the top
\nof the rock walls but the waterfalls betrayed the drainage of the higher
\nterrain.<\/p>\n

The falls ranged from trickles to raging torrents that exploded in a
\nsparkle of water droplets illuminated by the filtered sunlight. Some
\nwaterfalls were quite wide, more like a falling lake than a rushing
\nriver. Nature put on a show that humbled anything man could render.<\/p>\n

One day, the low clouds broke long enough to reveal a jagged snow
\ncovered ridge line leading to a sharp summit. This “small” 6000m
\nmountain reminded us of why we were here.<\/p>\n

The culture was equally impressive and revealing. The low areas reminded
\nme of my early treks through the Khumbu. Given we are at the end of the
\nmonsoon season and the trekking seasons has not begun, often we were the
\nonly westerners on the trail. Our schedule is necessitated by the brutal
\nwinter snows on Manaslu that start in late October.<\/p>\n

Walking through the villages, we were met with smiles and greeting of
\n“namaste” by the adults and children. Many children were in school
\nuniforms, eager to practice their English. “Namaste! Where are you from?
\nWhat is your name, My name is …” a dialog repeated often and with
\npleasure on both sides.<\/p>\n

As we rose higher, getting closer to the Tibetan boarder, the culture
\nshifted from Nepali to Tibetan in the Bhotia villages. Long straight
\nblack hair adorned bronze faces with smooth features. The turquoise
\njewelry spoke to their heritage. They walked proud whether carrying a
\nbasket full of vegetables, or a tiny new born child.<\/p>\n

Women wove garments and rugs on centuries old looms so focused on their
\nwork that they were oblivious to our passing. Men cut lumber using long
\nsaws, one on each end to skillfully create the wooden planks used to
\nbuild homes.<\/p>\n

The final day took us through a very primitive area. Building made of
\nstone, no wood, created villages. The Tibetans who lived here smiled as
\nwe passed, pressing their hands together as they now said Tashi Dhelek
\ninstead of Namaste.<\/p>\n

One old woman sorted wool taken from sheep or perhaps one of the yaks we
\nsaw earlier that day. A group of women gently braided the hair of an
\nelder woman showing her resect and admiration. They laughed easily with
\none another as we passed by, again seeming to not even notice us.<\/p>\n

Once at Sama Goan, the last village before base camp, we saw a building
\nboom driven by an impressive display of human strength and ingenuity.
\nKnowing that the Manaslu Circuit is gaining popularity the entrepreneur
\nspirit is bringing new tea houses and commerce.<\/p>\n

It was amazing to see the skilled work underway to build the
\naccommodations complete with electricity and perhaps internet, when it
\nis working! However, there was a sense of loss seeing the villages join
\nto the modern world yet good to see the benefit of making for a better
\nlife for their children.<\/p>\n

One tiny boy had an injury to his neck, A rather large Japanese
\nexpedition had arrived by helicopter the same day we trekked into Sama
\nGoan. One of the Japanese climbers was a Doctor. She carefully ed
\nthe small boy’s injuries – giving back.<\/p>\n

As always, the trek to a Base Camp is a special time for me. Whether on
\nthe Baltoro in Pakistan, the Khumbu near Everest or the approach in the
\njungles of New Guinea, all represent the diversity of the human race;
\nthe need to accept differences without judgement, that the simple smile
\nis a universal greeting.<\/p>\n

We will take a few days to rest up after the trek and adjust to the new
\naltitude before, weather permitting, we begin our climb of Manaslu. I’ll
\ndo another post on our Base Camp in a day or so.<\/p>\n

Climb On!
\nAlan
\nMemories are Everything<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

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