“This Isn’t a Vacation, This is a Mission” Trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal

Writing to you as I open my laptop for the first time in weeks. I’m finally back in “civilization”: sitting inside a cozy little cafe, one of the few with decent WiFi, overlooking the busy streets of Kathmandu. I left Minnesota for Nepal only a little over two weeks ago but it feels like an entire lifetime has happened. This is a reoccurring pattern as I travel; time warps into a measure I can’t even explain. The fact that this feeling of being in a completely different world still shocks me to the core tells me I’m not used to this lifestyle of travel and I hope I never will be. 

Getting to Nepal was an absolute mission. I almost didn’t make it. I left Minnesota on a Friday afternoon, flew to Chicago with a 4 hour layover, then a 9 hour flight to Switzerland with a 1 hour layover before another 9 hour flight to New Delhi, India. I was told on arrival that my following flight to Kathmandu was canceled due to poor weather conditions. They told me the next flight out of New Delhi to Kathmandu would be 3 days away. My trek with Niall and Jaden (who will be introduced to you shortly) was scheduled to start the following morning. I couldn’t take this for an answer. While simply doing my own google search and looking for flights out of New Delhi I could see that my original flight was still scheduled to fly. The bad weather had subsided a day before. It was at this point I was thankful I had spent some time in India previously and understood how things tend to work on this side of the world. I have a deep love for India, for many reasons (here is one of my blog posts from my time there), but their systematic organization is very different from what we have in the US. This disorganization leaves a lot of room for corruption and I had the feeling that they were trying to get some extra money out of my wallet by telling me my flight was delayed. I’d have to stay at a hotel for two nights before my next flight… which also required an upcharge to purchase. I spent close to 4 hours, with little to no sleep, talking to as many airline managers as possible. I told them I knew my flight was still scheduled and there has to be a mistake with my ticket. I channeled my inner Karen. Sometimes you have to. Especially when you’re a blonde American in India. Finally, after being passed from manager to manager I was able to speak with someone higher up and within 2 minutes they gave me a smile, a nod and my boarding pass for my original flight. If you’re reading this and plan to go to India I promise the nightmarish bureaucratic threshold is worth it. 

The most rewarding thing about this flight wasn’t that I was able to actually take it. It was that Jaden was on the same flight, coming from Boston. Jaden is Niall’s friend from home. Jaden and Niall studied abroad together in South Africa in 2020, the year after I did. Niall and I met while I was teaching English in Thailand in 2022, where he still lives now. Niall recruited Jaden and I separately for this trip to Nepal and he was right when he told me that Jaden and I will get along instantly. Jaden and I met before our flight and found consolation in sharing our New Delhi hiccups. Jaden was told that she’d have to go through immigration in India in order to get her bag, which she didn’t have a visa for, which would’ve also held her up for days…. And wasn’t true.

The flight from New Delhi to Kathmandu was short, and I could see EVEREST peaking up above the clouds before we landed on the tiny airstrip tucked away in the rolling green Himalayan hills that surround Kathmandu. It was such a relief when we spotted Niall waiting for us at the airport. I hadn’t seen Niall in almost two years but we’ve been keeping in touch via WhatsApp. He awaited us with a sweet little sign and a driver ready to bring us to our hotel. This was just the beginning of one of the greatest adventures of my lifetime. Writing this now, I wish I could go back to this moment and do it all again. 

We had a motto for this trip: “this isn’t a vacation it’s a mission” and it sure was. The plan, which was put together via group chat in the previous weeks, was to trek the entire Annapurna circuit in the Himalayas in less than two weeks. The Annapurna circuit is a popular route mapping peaks and valleys in the Annapurna region in the Himalayas. Trekkers are encouraged to hire a guide and a porter as it can be easy to get lost. Altitude sickness and landslides are a real risk and we are not adjusted to this elevation compared to the strong Nepali people. The trek is around 145 miles long and usually takes 12-14 days to complete. We did it in 8 days. Jaden only had a limited period of time for her PTO so we had to treat this like a real expedition and I honestly preferred this pace. I felt like we were on a real quest. 

Niall was the true hero on this quest because he had been to Nepal last spring for work and had all the important connections needed to make this possible. Niall took care of Jaden and I from the moment we landed. Leading us around places that were more familiar to him than us, always offering to carry our heavy items on the trek, opening doors, a true gentleman. One of Niall’s lifesaving local connections was Major Ram or “baje” (grandpa in Nepali) who was our spirit guide and organized our trekking route. Major Ram made sure we were all sorted and hired our local guide Gopal and our porter Eek. He’d frequently call to check on us and give us motivation as we went. He even gave us certificates signed by himself when we finished the trek. 

We had only one night in Kathmandu before we got on a 9 hour WILD bus ride to Dumre, climbing elevation on roads that were recently destroyed in a landslide. Then we hopped into a small taxi cab for a few more hours where we reached our first destination: Beshishahar, roughly 2,700ft above sea level. Jaden and I were still adjusting to the time zone change and crashed right after we ate. The next morning was an 8 hour jeep ride to Chame, 8,900ft above sea level. Here is where we finally began the trekking part of the trek. 

Altitude sickness is a serious risk in the Annapurna region. Just as ascending too fast while scuba diving can be deathly, ascending too fast in the mountains is the same. I had a bad case of altitude sickness when I summited Mt. Kilimanjaro last year and did not want to mess with anything like that again. Luckily Diamox, altitude medication is available and without it we probably wouldn’t have been able to move through the mountains at the pace we did. We also got to check our blood oxygen level in the beginning to make sure we were adjusting properly.

From Chame we trekked to Dhukur Pokhari, 10,040 ft above sea level. This was a short hike (4 hours) and got us used to the feeling of trekking with the weight of our backpacks. The best part about the Annapurna is that you don’t need to carry a tent with you like other multiday treks. There are little “tea houses”: cabin-like accommodations scattered throughout the mountain range that offer a bed and a meal. We usually got a room with three twin beds or a twin and queen that Jaden and I would share. You’d think we’d get sick of each other. 

From Dhukur Pokhari we had a big day ahead of us: a 14 mile trek to Manang (11,600 ft above sea level). This was a tough one. The lack of sleep from traveling across the world, the time zone adjustment and the quick ascent were starting to catch up with me. After this day a part of me was worried that I wouldn’t withstand the rest of the trek in this condition. My head hurt, I had zero appetite and this Minnesotan that has dodged the past two winters was freezing. That night I slept for 11 hours and woke up like a new, mountain woman. I felt like myself and was ready to tackle the rest of the challenge the Himalayas presented.

We spent two nights in Manang to adjust to the altitude. We took an 8 hour day trek up to Ice Lake, 15,157 ft above sea level. This is higher than every mountain in the contiguous United States.

It was at this point where we could really see the magnitude of the Himalayas. I knew going into this that these mountains are monsterous, as a result of one of the most powerful geological events on earth: the collision between two continental plates. The Himalayas are also very, very young by geological standards. That’s why their peaks are so sharp, jagged and dramatically tall compared to older mountain ranges like the Appalachians. But it’s one thing to know these facts, it’s another to see them. It makes sense that in the presence of these mountains spirituality runs deep. In Hinduism, the leading religion in Nepal, the Himalayas are seen as the “abode of the gods” with stories of deities making homes on mountain tops. In Buddhism, the Himalayas are equally sacred. The Buddha himself was born in the Himalayan foothills and the region is the center for sought enlightenment. 

Scattered throughout our trek were Prayer Wheels. Cylindrical wheels inscribed or filed with rolls of paper printed with thousands of mantras, usually “Om Mani Padme Hum”. When people spin a prayer wheel clockwise, it is believed to have the same spiritual effect as reciting all the mantras inside of it. Each rotation sends blessings, compassion and positive energy into the world. I loved spinning the prayer wheels as we trekked by and this always indicated that we were approaching a village, which meant a break for tea and food. 

The transition between the wilderness and the humble villages we passed through and stayed in made the Annapurna circuit magical. We got to see first hand what village life was like tucked away in the hills. Scattered temples, small shops, people doing farm work, kids playing, dogs sleeping outside of homes, horses and donkeys roaming freely. Nepali village people often wear yak wool to stay warm and we could see many yaks scattered throughout the valleys. The babies were my favorite. 

This is how our days went: Wake up, breakfast, tea, put on all of our gear, trek for around 7 hours, stop for lunch in a village, arrive at our accommodation, snuggle up in our sleeping bags until dinner is ready, and lights out around 9pm. It wasn’t luxurious but the company and the commitment to the mission made everyday exciting. 

On our 4th day of trekking we made a big push to our highest elevation yet: Telichio lake (16,200 ft above sea level). Telichio lake is considered one of the highest lakes in the world. This push was a side quest to our route, but a very important one. Every time we ascend higher than we sleep that night our body adjusts to the altitude. We needed this additional expedition to prepare us for the grand finale at the end of the circuit: Thalong La Pass (17,770 ft above sea level). 

We woke up at 3am to prepare for the trek. Puffers, hats, mittens, wool base layers and headlamps were necessary as we began to step higher and higher. The stars and the moon illuminated the path for us and we could see the white peaks of the mountains ahead in the moonlight. I love trekking at this time. It feels unnatural to be moving at this ungodly hour, and even more unnatural to be this high in the mountains. There are no other signs of life, just rock and ice and eventually snow. It almost feels like trespassing on earth and I like the thrill of it. Like I shouldn’t be here. I think if the mountains had an opinion they’d laugh at us silly humans. Sometimes we need to be reminded of our own mortality. 

As the sun peaked over the mountain tops I walked through snow for the first time in a few years. I wanted to just throw myself in it for a while. I miss the snow. I thought I was having a moment until we met a woman from Nepal and she told us with pure excitement in her eyes that this is her first time seeing snow in her life. Seeing that was even better than reaching the snow ourselves. 

The trek from Telichio lake to our night’s stay in Sirikharka was terrifying for lack of better words. I wish I had more photos from this section of the trek but I didn’t feel like risking my life to take out my camera. The narrow pathway with one side of sheer cliff and the opposite side a thousand foot drop with nothing to stop a fall. Occasionally a cargo donkey would have to pass us and we’d press our bodies against the rock wall and I’d notice how badly my hands were shaking.

Over the next couple of days we made our way up to the base camp (16,000 ft above sea level) for Thorong La Pass. At this point I could feel the elevation gain and the volume of the weeks worth of trekking my legs have gone through already. Every step felt heavy but I realized how much more of a mental challenge this is over a physical one. When I had light, happy thoughts; like thinking about my adventures ahead, the places I’ve been, friends I’ve met along the way, good memories from home, stupid jokes with my sister, memories from teaching- I wouldn’t even notice the work my body was going through. 

We slept at 16,000 ft that night. Although the summit of Kilimanjaro (19,300 ft) is higher than Throng La Pass, the base camp for Kili wasn’t nearly as high as our base camp on the Annapurna. This is the highest I’ve ever slept. Functioning at this altitude isn’t easy. Plus, we dropped below freezing temperatures that night and there is no heat source other than our down feathered sleeping bags. Somehow we all managed to get to sleep by 7:30pm to wake up at 3am for our ascent over the pass. 

Niall, Jaden, Gopal, Eeek and I began our step by step ascent in the dark. We could see headlamps ahead of us that could be mistaken for stars. Eventually the sun began to peak through, the mountains first turned blue, purple then gold. Our drinking water froze and we made sure not to take breaks for too long; better to keep warm and keep moving. It felt like we were on a different planet, the rock formations began to change. In the distance I could see the Nepali prayer flags fluttering in the wind, telling us that we’re close to the highest point in this pass.

We trekked silently, focusing inward on just getting up there but as soon as we reached Throng La Pass, there were hugs, high fives and even a few tears. We thanked Gopal and Eeek, there is not a chance we would’ve made it up here without them. We soaked in the energy of the pass: other trekkers coming up from behind the ridge, congratulating each other. This was a once in a lifetime moment for many people who made their way to the Himalayas. There was a moment where I felt genuinely proud of myself along with Niall and Jaden. This was a moment of accomplishment and success. Just a couple of years ago I wouldn’t put something like this in the category of "success". Success was limited to career achievements, raises, and milestones like marriage or buying a house. There are all still successes, but I felt just as accomplished completing the Annapurna Circuit. Overwhelmed with gratitude, again, for an experience like this. I can’t put it into words how this feeling of deep appreciation overtakes me, every time. 

The Annapurna Circuit was a mental and physical reset. It’s like a system update. I’m stronger in both my mind and my body; a better version of myself. Someday I’ll be older, slower, and hopefully wise enough to keep this experience with me even though my body won’t be able to do something like this again. 

We descended around 5,400 ft to Mukinath where we spent a night of rest before we took a jeep to Pokhara, this is where our celebration was planned to take place. Finally, after reaching a lower elevation, my mind was faster, breath was deeper, and body felt lighter. A common conversation on the trek was what we were going to eat as soon as we finished, and after many hours of consideration and debate we decided on sushi. We went to the best rated sushi restaurant in Pokhara and followed up with Gorkhas: the local beer. We had a night on the town with live Nepali music. We were walked back to our hotel by some street dogs we picked up along the way that knew we needed some assistance. 

Jaden had a few more days in Nepal with Niall and I before she headed back to the US. I’ve never made a friend so fast; the way Jaden and I connected instantly. We share a lot of things, love for nature, adventure and hiking. She’s so easy going and can roll with the punches, which is essential for a trip like this. But we related on a deeper level than just our curiosity of far away places. Jaden and I both lost our dads. Jaden’s dad passed away from cancer in 2023. I remember in the beginning of our trip, with the luck we were having, I said “someone’s gotta be looking out for us” and she replied with “yeah, it’s probably my dad”. At this moment I knew that it was no coincidence that Jaden and I met. Jaden is a tough chick, and we understand each other on a level that is unfortunate but so beautiful. Jaden told stories of her dad, how hard of a worker he was, his sense of humor, and how he protected her from everything bad in the world. I like to think that because Jaden and I became friends, maybe, somewhere out there, our dads are meeting each other too. I think they’d get along. Niall really recruited the dream team. 

Niall and I will spend the next week together in Kathmandu. We both have a lot of work to do. Many Internet cafes ahead of us along with some adventures with his local friends. It’s nice to be around someone so dedicated and passionate about their career, it’s inspiring me in my own business and I have a lot to learn from him. 

I can’t wait to share my Kathmandu adventures next before I’m off to my next destination. If you do a simple search of Nepal you’ll see that there was some political unrest just a little over a month ago in this city. More on this to come, first hand. (But I’m 100% safe grandma!) 

This was a long one! If you’ve read this far: thank you thank you thank you. I’m so happy to be writing blog posts again. What a dream. Talk soon. 

Han