Kathmandu recently saw its first snowfall in over 60 years. This was
perhaps an indication of what to expect up in the mountains. My ambitious
trekking plans didn't get off to a good start as I enjoyed my last afternoon around the impressive Patan Durbar Square in Kathmandu. Pleased at another good day's sightseeing I headed towards a taxi, failing to see the enormous pothole a few yards in front of me. I heard a crack and felt rather a lot of pain as my dodgy ankle gave way. This was followed immediately by more pain as my dodgy knee buckled from under me. As I hobbled into the taxi a wise old man on the pavement tutted in sympathy, as if he knew I was about to walk for 23 days. Things didn't improve in Pokhara when my "pre-trek safety pizza" had exactly the opposite effect thus forcing me to revert back to purely Dhal Bhaat again for the entire trek. It then got even worse when we heard said snowfall had apparently blocked the route up to Annapurna Base Camp, but we set off anyway so see for ourselves. Mansing my able and friendly guide led the way and for the first 3 days walk up the valley all we met were trekkers turning back having failed halfway up due to persistent avalanches. We quickened the pace and got to the edge of the avalanche zones a day early in the hope the weather would be kind and we could make an early morning dash for it before the sun hit the slopes sending more avalanches our way. At Deurali (3200m) the pleasant sunshine of the lower slopes had given way to biting cold and I was beginning to doubt the advice in Kathmandu that "hmmm, a light fleece should be fine for Annapurna in the Spring". Fortunately of course, I had my multi-coloured safety hat which i'm convinced kept me alive over the coming nights. To improve our chances we teamed up with the extremely likeable Koichi from Sapporo, and his equally friendly guide Rabi. Most groups had still turned back and we settled down hoping for a clear, cold night to firmly freeze the snow to the slopes. I hadn't even put my hat on when a huge prolonged roar pierced the night and another avalanche crashed down the mountain, about 50 yards below our lodge as it turned out. I was beginning to get cold feet. Nonetheless, we got our clear night and the weather was with us. Up at 5:30 we began our British-Japanese assault on Base Camp, needing to clear the avalanche zone by 0am. Disappointingly, we had told the rival Belgian team our plans over dinner and they beat us out the door by 10 minutes. The race was on and there was no hanging about as we clambered over many imposing and downright precarious avalanches, the ice cold river waiting far below for one slip of a boot. We quickly overhauled the technically superior Belgians and pressed on, clearing the risk area by 8am. We now had a free run at Base Camp (4130m) but the snow got deeper and the ridge got deeper. We battled on up through the incredibly impressive Annapurna Sanctuary, a full 360 degree panorama of jagged peaks, the highest being Annapurna 1 at 8091m, the 10th highest mountain in the World. With the finish line now in sight we made our biggest mistake, stopping to take comedy photographs. This was just the chance the Belgians had been waiting for, and out of nowhere they were past us in a flash. Struggling in the thin air we quickened the pace once more, British and Japanese pride at stake. Eventually, in a splendid display of sportsmanship, we all crossed the line together and enjoyed perfect blue skies with almost too many towering peaks above us, and the creaking South Annapurna Glacier pointing our path home. Amongst the first groups to make it up this year we of course had to pose for the obligatory flag waving. So, with the rather limited and unexpected choice of Nepal, The Basque Country and Wales, I made mom proud. All we had to do now was make it back
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