Ghandruk, Kaski District, Gandaki Zone
It was an amazing race. No sooner we landed, we hailed a taxi; we were to catch a van to Ghandruk. (Behind the stage was one of my uncles organizing the trip. ) After 2 hours of drive, it was time to walk. 1.5 hrs of trek but we took over 2 and half because of the sun and frequent coming and goings of mule/donkey trains (Yeah, blame the donkeys).
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| Donkey Train |
The village sits at the top of the steep trail. The trek ascended gradually for most part until we reached welcome gate of Ghandruk. Then, the steep trail, it was almost 90 degree. We were famished. We didnt know where to go. An elderly woman welcomed us and made us Daal, bhat, sukuti for lunch. I never had 'Sukuti' (dried meat) that tough and hard to chew, yummy though. It was 3 in the afternoon and It started to pour. We decided to stay.
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| A typical house in Ghandruk. |
This beautiful Gurung village of rows of neat slate-roofed houses on top of the hill is a popular place of Annapurna range which offers various accommodation possibilities and easy trails.
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| Stone trail |
Late in the afternoon, we took a troll. Clouds started to move after the rain. It revealed us the elevation of the valley and snapshots of beautiful mountains, the massive peaks of Annapurna South (7219m) and its neighbour Hiunchuili (6441m) including Machhapuchhre (6993m) towering over the valley. Viewing mountains in Monsoon was quite a experience. We walked through a swirling vortex of fog so thick that we couldn't see the ground. It was amazing. It didn't last long though. The white misty fog was moving apart and moving quick.
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| Home Stay |
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| Dal Bhat |
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| Home Stay |
We spent a good couple of hours at night talking to this old couple (owner).The home stay was cozy and comfortable; we were well looked after.The sunrise view in the morning from the verandah was spectacular. It was five in the morning. I saw a grand show of mountains. It was gorgeous. It must be some of the most spectaculars in Nepal. I went back to sleep hoping to see more later. When I woke up allergic (caught up earlier in the verandah), it was all covered up.
A bit of farewell again with blessings and flowers and we headed back.
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| Narro trails |
