Trekking, 'Tiger Venturer Zenith', Nepal, Annapurna, Oct 2011, ID 1083

Gloucester ACF (the Rifles)

After 18 months in the planning, 15 members of Gloucestershire ACF, and 3 members from Bristol ACF finally embarked on TIGER VENTURER ZENITH, a high altitude trekking expedition in the Annapurna Himalayas and community project in Langdi village, Nepal.

The expedition had 2 aims, firstly to trek to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 4,130m above sea level over 10 days and secondly, to conduct a community project at the remote Gurung village of Langdi.

Departing on 8th October, we embarked to Kathmandu via Delhi courtesy of Kingfisher Airlines. Upon arrival in the capital on the 9th we spent the night in a hotel, and then travelled by private charter coach to Pokhara, 220kms to the west along the infamous East-West Highway. Upon arrival in Pokhara late in the afternoon, our next accommodation was the Meera Hotel; the following day spent recovering from the travel and prepping for the trek. Following an early breakfast, day-one of the trek took us to Nayapul by coach, a typical start point for the ABC trail. The day was once again warm and sticky, at 27°C, and after 6 hours of trekking and just over 900m of height gain, we arrived in Ghandruk at 1940hrs. Typical accommodation along the trail are ‘tea-houses’ which provide basic, but adequate digs. Day 2 took us 6 hours onwards to Chhomrung at 2,170m, again a well facilitated resort offering incredible views of the gorge ahead and Machhapuchhre and other Himalayan peaks in the distance.

After a much cooler and more comfortable night, we set off on day 3 for Bamboo, a small settlement situated at 2310m. At this point you enter the Modi Gorge where the vegetation becomes thick and jungle like, with bamboo and rhododendron covering either sides of the valley carved out by the Modi Kola River far below. After 5 hours of pretty tough going in what was a hot day we reached our day’s destination in time for a late lunch. The following day took us to Deurali, deep in the gorge and over the 3000m mark. Again the trail meanders through thick forest, passing by Hinku Cave and the settlement of Himalaya at 2920m, where we stopped for lunch and took a look at our digs for the return leg. A typical breakfast of coffee, boiled eggs, porridge and Gurung bread on day 5 preceded a cold morning start for a relatively short 5hr leg to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC). Now at more serious altitude the pace was reduced to a crawl with frequent stops for water and rest. The temperature here was much lower at around 0°C in the afternoon. At this point some minor signs of mountain sickness were showing, with some members of the team getting headaches, nausea and the dreaded sore throat.

Day 6 was summit day. A very early reveille at 0330hrs followed by a quick breakfast and we then departed for ABC. The temperature was now -6°C with a crystal clear star filled sky but we had the added bonus of a full moon to light our way and the surrounding peaks. The leg from MBC to ABC was the shortest of our trek with just 2hrs, arriving at ABC just before sunrise at 0600hrs. ABC completely lived up to expectations in every way, truly an overwhelming and breathtaking experience. The descent was very much the route up in reverse with 4 more days of trekking to return to Nayapul. In summary, the ABC trail is without doubt well worth undertaking and the experience gained by both Adult Volunteers and Cadets was considerable and something not to be forgotten in a long while.

Phase 2 of our expedition started the morning following our descent with a further trek to the remote Gurung village of Langdi for our community project. During our 2 day stay in the village we experienced the warmth and hospitality of the Nepalese culture in its true depth. The Cadets were able to meet with the elders and feel proud of their achievements in raising significant funds to restore the village school buildings. Time came to reluctantly depart the village and its folk and, with a degree of woe, the long and steep descent to the valley was started with a further 2hrs of trekking along the valley floor, finally arriving at the PUP and a coach back to Pokhara and civilisation once again. Back in Pokhara the delights of hot showers, clean clothes and a good meal were relished. We then had further organised trips to the Gurkhas Museum, World Peace Pagoda and the International Mountain Museum, all well worth the experience.

In conclusion and with hindsight, the trip could have been 2 or 3 days shorter. In all a fantastic and challenging trekking experience, well within the capabilities and achievements of most fit Adults and Cadets. The Satellite phones which were loaned to us by the British Embassy didn’t work at all; we therefore resorted to using cell phones at lower altitudes. The use of Gandaki International, a Kathmandu based company, as our tour operator worked well. They provided all transport requirements, including flights, board and lodgings for the duration, trekking permits, porters and guides.

Many thanks are extended to the Ulysses Trust for much needed assistance with a grant to allow this exped to go ahead.

A Wheatstone, AUO, Exped Leader

Thanks to

working in partnership with