Nepal Trek Day 5. Chame to Ghyaru

Elevation gain:  8760’ to 12,100’ (+3360’) Estimated miles: 20km Time: 7am-4pm We left Chame early for what would be are biggest day of hiking yet.  The botany has still been going strong, and the trail has provided us with good footing, but when the trail gets anything more than slightly uphill we can really feel the altitude.  Today was the first day the trail has actually seemed busy.  Rather than seeing one or two other groups of trekkers we were seeing plenty.  We already missed the solitude of the trail, and were thankful we had begun our hike before the main tourist season, which will start in a few days from the valley.  Soon 400+ trekkers a day will make it to the checkposts. After crossing a bridge we were rewarded with incredible views of a huge bowl of rock.  In America, this in itself would be a reason for a trail and all types of photo-ops, but here, the formation did not even have an english name.  It was just another wonder along the way.

   

Most people decide to stop at Pisang for the night, but as it was only 2:30pm and we felt restless, we decided to take the side hike scenic route up to Ghyaru, another 1500’ straight up the hillside.  This side hike goes up away from the river valley which we had been following, but promised to give spectacular views of the Annapurna range - views which had up til now been only partially visible between valley ridges. So most people get up early in Pisang and start their day with the 32 switchbacks to Ghyaru.  Well, we thought it was a great idea to just go for it at the end of our day instead.  So we did.  And it was a brutal end to an already long day.  Once up at the town, we realized we were the only tourists.  The Nepali are wonderfully friendly and all was well, but we quickly realized just how much we missed Raz and Ofer, who were in Pisang for the night.  This was our first night without them.  I also had a bad headache, whether from altitude or dehydration is not known, but it worried me. I did not like being the only two up there, and knowing the high altitude could start taking its effects was scary.  An Advil helped. Until sunset and immediately at sunrise the next day, the elders were in their fields farming.  It was truly incredible.  No more rice, it was now wheat and barley. As promised, Ghyaru gave great views of the mountains.  And it was a good thing, for the whole next day was cloudy, so those who started in Pisang in the morning might have missed the best of the scenery from this part of the trek.