Sep 7 – Chomrong Ascent and Censorship
Dog barking mid of night. Rise 830. Vid chat w mom 17min, said look into Wealthsimple promos 1% transfer match. Take black tea 60r, make cafe. Walk to other side of town w few GHs, get chk chowmein 400r. Checkout Annapurna 11a, pay 800r tab (700+60), nice spot. Trek downhill to muddy jeep rd, one path on OrgMaps not there by jeep station. Reach Jinhu Danda around 140 ez. Walk down to hot springs, no ticket, soak awhile in springs solo. Walk back up, get hungry. Chk fried rice in Jinhu Danda 600r. Steep stairs up to Chomrong. Arrive Chomrong 345, get water at Muni tap, try purif tabs first time; ez checkin Lucky GH 300r cheap double room. Lucky no rain w clouds. GPT says Nepal censored YouTube, WA, X, LinkedIn starting Sep5—the digital world is shrinking. Handstand prac on GH terrace, got 4 x20s /15 ish. Front neck bridge on bed, light crawls. Chill bit in GH dining room. Pray at local stupa. Order veg dalbat, cold shwr, rest, lite stretching n meditate. Chill in dining room slow af got, eventually got veg dal bat over 1hr later, got 2nd serving. Research Weathsimple promo in dining room til big woman kicked me out.
Sep 8 – Annapurna Ascent: Pushing the Limit
Can't sleep awhile, don't smoke at night, read bit. Rise earlier 720, drizzle. Served black coffee, make more instacafe w purif water. Skip bfast, leave Lucky GH around 9, pay 1200 for everything, nice place. Checkin at ACAP counter, guy annoying guv worker said he has ez job. Trek to Sinuwa ez, few food spots, keep moving. Grab dal bat in Bamboo main spot 740r, simple dalbat w 1 refill of each. Chat w 2 Chinese girls from Lucky GH, paid 700 USD each for guide, porter, all food and GHs—the price of easy travel. Brush teeth, rain hard, chill bit. Catch up to girls at Dovan. GH wants 500 + 300 for wifi. Hike to Himalaya town, China girl actually caught up at 108 waterfalls, said I'm impressed. Only 3 lodges, Himalaya Hotel 400r free wifi, chat awhile w Aussie, talkative, travelled alot. Fingers tingling and bit cold. Pay night w CC 416r. Order egg dal bat 1150r, GH wants to pay tmr morn. Cold shower freezing, rest ok comfort double room, warmup in room, pretty comfy. 9p order egg pizza, eat in dining room. Chill til kicked out at 11. Chat w Questrade in bed, threaten to move accounts, want 9500 CAD—the financial war continues.
Sep 9 – ABC Reached: The Cocky Summit
Rise 720, still rain, hoodie and shirt still wet. Order black tea 160r x2, make insta cafe. Shit in shwr. Order dal bad 800r. Shit again. Stuff still not dry. Pay 3200r on card, start trekn 910am. Stairs into Deurali reached quick. Pass Indian group after 50min that left about 90min before me. 3x Hindu pace speed. Reach MBC Machapuchre Base Camp 1145 too ez. Grab black tea 170r, run into 2 China girls again. Start twd ABC 1210, pass everyone on trail. Reach AB around 1pm, lodges all want 800 + 300 wifi. Neg hotel Sunrise 800r inc wifi, pay cash, stoked reached in 4 days solo ez in rain. Wants 200 NPR per charge. Feel bit cocky since passed every other trekker. Talk some shit to Aussie guy, walk to ABC VP on boulder beside canyon. Rain coming in. Try to get water bit murky seems sketchy. Walk around to other lodges for food, say only serves guests. Relax in bed, use blanket as xtra matress, try to nap but big Chinese group yapping. Skip lunch. Guy knock on door for dinner—order dal bat for 630. 630 have tea and dal bat 1190r, slow service, big chink group taking service. Bed at 8pm, use 3 blankets total, bit too hot. Try to sleep early since saving power. Read and chill, tell chinks to shut up.
Sep 10 – The Long Descent and The Forgotten Lock
Sleep lite, bit too hot, piss outside, mountains clearer at night. S7 phone glitch in morning. Rise 6am. Take black tea w 4 Nestle packs. Small shit, water freezin. Checkout Sunrise 640, pay 1400r for dalbat and 2 teas. Nice solo hike down to MBC, visit same spot a yday, charge stuff free, mint tea 200r w honey. Do lite mobility, chat w Peter from Salt Lake/Singapore, likes Solana, Bitminer. Leave lodge 8am ez hike down to Deruali, local kid passed while helping cute dog n puppy followed me from MBC. Local fast kid gave me electrolyte powder at VP, chat w 2 Polish guys while fast kid passed again. 10a bfast in Himalaya Hotel that takes card, get dalbat 800r. Sun came out, put out stuff to dry, dalbat fatigue tastes ng. Leave Himalaya 1140, long stop. Realize forgot Mr DIY lock on Sunrise GH door in ABC, give key to girl asking for directions. Hike to Dovan ez, rain start again. Grab food in Sinuwa around 230, chk noodle soup 850r, keep running into 2 China girls. Walk to Chomrong in rain, get ACAP stamp at counter, guy less annoying, could tell I was tired. 2nd half tougher than expected though would be easier than ABC-Himalaya. Arrive Lucky GH around 440, longest day so far. Got same room, pretty wiped, clean shoes in cold shwr n rest. Order egg fried noodles. Rest in bed tired af. Eat noodles in dining room pretty good, order tea 130r and chk curry 900r. Put stuff by heater to dry. QT ATH broke 800k.
Sep 11 – The Great Frustration and The Transfer Mess
Sleep fast, real tired. Dog barking in mid of night again. Rise 8am, rainy. WiFi not working. Order bfast inc cafe, eggs n bread 750r. Scrape teeth while waiting for rain. Tot bill 2860npr for room, 3 food itmes, tea n water, pay 3000r, leave Lucky GH 10am drizzle. Walk up stairs thru junction back to Pokhara, nobody else goin this way. Stop for rain at real Chomrong Lodge, prac HS while waiting, got 2 outa 10 ish. Rain persists, try to order egg noodles, woman sweeping floor after 20min, got pissed n left. Hike solo, few trekkers other way. Stop for snack at Mountain Discovery Lodge, chk soup 450r no noodles, use lodge wifi—Mom can't seem to figure out I want Mike to refer her for WS—WTF. Keep hiking, sky cleared bit. Stop for lun at 230 at Hotel Rainbow, chk dal bat 850r solid, use wifi catch up on some remote work. Keep trekn uphill to Tadapani, rain hard near village. 430 checkin first place Hotel Superview 300r triple room, not sure if wifi included. Tougher than expected hike from Chomrong. Nice wood drum heater in lounge, dry stuff over wood stove furnace. Comm w Mom n Mike about WS xfers, Mom doesn't want Mike to know about. Relax, stay inside, rain persists. Chat w guide said Thorong La not too hard, chat w his client Singaporean business broker has 3 kids. Finally hot shower.
Sep 12 – Dry Day and The Shepherd’s Revenge
Sleep better finally no barking. Rise 745. Get Nepali bfast 800r. Total tab 2450r inc hot shwr, 2 meals n room, pay 2500r solid deal. Walk around small village has 9 lodges. Leave Superview around 915, start trekn to Gorepani. Uphill to Durali arrive around noon, grab black tea 100r, feeln good finally a dry day. Reach Gorepani small fork 750m outside town, can't go down cuz of shepherd with 2 dogs n 100 sheep. Take detour down to rd, slip in mud, get mud in phone port—pissed, cuss out shepherd. Gorepani GHs 200-1500npr, pick cheapest Hotel Moonlight, no other guests 200r, order dal bat lunch in time for rain. Eat dal bat hungry. Wash shoes outside using communal brush no soap. Hot shwr, rest, meditate, read bit. 7p kid making fire in barrel stove same as Tadapani. Sew Oakley right strap worn bad, white padding revealed. Order chk pizza for din n couple teas, pretty comfy, only me n family beside furnace.
Sep 13 – Abandoned Summit and The Final Push
Quiet night sleep ok, room bit cold, no insulation. Wake 540a, rain hard w fog, no Poon Hill. Rise 9am, really foggy decide to skip Poon Hill. Order Nepali bfast 750r w xtra cafe. Checkout Moonlight late around 11, pay 3000r decent inc 3 meals n hot shwr. Start trekn downhill stair, got shoes muddy stupid jeeps. Rain start after 30min, take shelter at family yard. Arrive Shikha 130, register at ACA office. Eat at See You Lodge has rooms for 200/1000npr, order chk rice 650r, use comp while eating. 250 walk to village center totally dead. Rain start again, keep walk to end of village, 2 GHs left only Hotel Arpan available, negot 300r room w dinner n bfast orders, just no wood furnace. Chill bit in dining hall, sew Oakley straps again. Power out. HS practice on terrace—frog press 10rep. Free HS 2/6 feels bit better, in rain. Power back, order omelet as snack 250r, order chk dal bat for din at 730. Walk around town bit, find small shop buy chips. Nice hot shwr in room, rest til din on time at 730, dal bat solid for 750r. Power out again, back to bed, read bit, head back downstairs pitch dark. Chill bit in room, flying bugs but no moskies. Bed at 11.