Nepal Trip Report: Go With The Flow, It Will Take You To New Places
Our trip to visit Nepal this past October will always be remembered as the one where we had to go with the flow! Nepal is a magical place that never fails to deliver experiences that impact us in ways that create positive change. In the case of this last trip, it was the reminder that it’s far easier and more enjoyable to go with the flow than fight the current. And it is when we get outside of self imposed restrictions like schedules that we find the greatest adventures.
The monsoon season in Nepal typically goes from July through September. In 2022 it hung around in October and went out with a bang. In the first week of October rains drowned the entire country with record setting rains. It was just at this time that we were arriving in Kathmandu and planning to travel by plane to Pokhara and Jomsom to hike in the Kingdom of Upper Mustang. On the night we arrived it started raining and pretty much didn’t stop for 6 days. Flights were shut down across the country. In the small village of Lukla that is the jumping off point for Everest, there were 1,500 travelers stranded. All of this meant that we had to get creative.
Maybe another time, I’ll write a just blog post on the adventures we had trying to get to Upper Mustang. The short version was something like the Nepali version of that famous Steve Martin and John Candy movie of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. We waited at the airport each day. We put helicopters on hold. We even pushed cars and motorcycles through knee deep mud from landslides. We also got some extra time to visit the sites of Pokhara which include beautiful temples and waterfalls that were at record high levels.
We thought we were so luckily to be flying to Pokhara, but this turned out to be only the beginning.
A landslide washed out the road between Pokhara and Jomsom. Not knowing if a bulldozer would ever come, some cars just went for it in the deep, sticky mud.
After two days of guessing what the weather would do, we decided it was time to make the tough decision to change our destination. Deciding to give up on the remote Upper Mustang Kingdom meant we wouldn’t see all of the mountains and places about which we had been day dreaming and researching. However, the group was always positive and never complained. While our local guide, Kedar, and I were stressing out, everyone just remained positive and took it all in stride. It was great to be supported and encouraged by the people we were leading on this adventure.
The Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by the Himalaya and regardless what direction you head, you are going up into beautiful mountains. To the west by 114km (75 miles) is a trekking route called Ghorepani Poonhill. It doesn’t have the high elevation of Upper Mustang, but it is the southern approach to Annapurna basecamp and has views of some of the biggest 8,000m (25,000 ft) peaks in the Himalaya. There are routes all over the valley such that you could spend weeks in the area and not go the same place twice.
The route we took from KTM to Pokhara to Ghorepani and Poonhill
With false confidence that belied our nagging thoughts that Upper Mustang would open up as soon as we left Pokhara, we hired a Jeep and headed west. It took 3 hours to drive the 114 KM distance due to the windy roads and road damage done by landslides. At a nondescript pull off the road, we unloaded, put on our packs and started walking towards Poonhill.
We spent the next 5 days hiking in beautiful rhododendron forests past rushing rivers and waterfalls. Of course the rivers were rushing because of the seemingly never ending rain. However it wasn’t cold and with good rain gear, it wasn’t too bad.
Gorephani Poon Hill is the northern end of our trek and the highest elevation. The climbing was behind us at this point.
Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhare finally came out to show offer for us.
One of the aspects of Nepal that just gets richer for me on every trip is the beauty of the people and the culture. As I learn more about daily life in Nepal and the integral role religion plays, I am fascinated at the differences from our western perspective. On this trip, I made it a point to capture more pictures of the people that embodied that intrigue I felt. I always made it a point to get their permission to take a picture either through a conversation or a welcoming smile when they saw me pointing my camera at them.
It’s a daily ritual to present a gift at the local temple or holy altar.
Local street vendors in Kathmandu are the final leg of the supply chain. With simple storefronts and hard work, they take pride in their role of serving the community.
Ride or die takes on new meaning in Kathmandu. The ubiquitous scooter is the main mode of transportation. It also means crossing a road sometimes feels like running with the bulls.
This local newspaper delivery man was out early to make his deliveries.
Max (my version of his name) was happy to get a bright red apple and gave the universal sign of peace and love to say thank you.
Mothers are special everywhere. This lovely lady was sweet and made sure my tea cup was never empty.
Farming on the side of a mountain is not an easy job, but the universal kukri knife always helps.
Comparing tattoos is an universal common ground. This guy’s arm has the most common Sanskrit mantra of “Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ”. I shared mine with him, and we got to know each other a bit.
Whether it is the Himalaya that are aptly viewed as goddesses in Nepali culture or the people that I encounter, I always return from Nepal changed with a feeling that my eyes have been widened somehow. My life as a westerner is richer for all of the comforts I better enjoy, and my worldview shifts a few degrees closer to balanced.
““Wherever you go becomes a part of you.”
Learn more about our upcoming trips at www.TopOutAdventures.com/nepal
About the Author:
Dave Smithey is the owner and a guide for Top Out Adventures. His passion for the outdoors and people comes from his experiences as an ultra runner and mountaineer. You can contact him at DaveS@TopOutAdventures.com.