Nivea in Nepal: Pokhara to Ghandruk

Saturday Oct. 4th 2014

Time to leave Kathmandu jahnu (to go) to Pokhara. An early 6h30 am start + 7h bus ride later we arrived in Pokhara.

As soon as the bus started climbing the hills surrounding the city, nature's green and endless terracing replaced the densely populated and extremely polluted Kathmandu.


Bus stop

One of the many suspension bridges on the road

Once more, very little time to explore this city as we arrived pretty late and needed to get organized for yet, another early start the next day for our final destination: Ghandruk.

Pokhara lake

Sunday Oct 5th 2014

Around 7 am we trade the comfort of the Middlepath Hotel in Pokhara for a Jeep ride taking us closer to our destination. About 40 km separates Pokhara (820 m) from a location named Birethanti (1025 m).

This is a well travelled and colorful road. A mix of both locals, tourists buses and Jeeps play a cacophony of klaxons and game of who is passing who... pretty interesting...

Trail from Birethanti to Kilu

Birethanti is also the checking point for the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) permits required to use the trail up to Ghandruk.

From Birethanti (1025 m) our chaffeur drive us another 8-10 km "off road" to the village of Kilu (1400 m).

Village of Kilu

At this point, our bhariyah (porters) meet with us to load themselves with our bags. I do know the feeling of carrying a 20-30 kg backpack as I have done it myself and therefore, I can only admire their strength when observing these little boys/men and girls hiking up under such loads waring not much than flip-flops...