It was about last year, I remember, when I with my friends went for trekking in Nepal late in September. We were the only group doing the Annapurna Circuit Trekking at that time. The mesmeric snow-clad mountains always fascinate and lure the wanderer in me with its sheer magnificence and tranquil ambiance. So, last year I with my friends decided to soak up the beauty of Nepal and take an adventurous walk into nature.
The trek length of the route usually goes from 10-15 days, and the quick route is of 11-12 days.
As stated earlier, we went in late September, and the climate was moderate, but the nights were chilly. It was altogether a pleasant temperature for trekking, but you can never be fully sure of the Annapurna region, so it is advised to come prepared for uncertainties.
We all were so excited and thrilled for this trip to the Himalayas, that with full zeal and preparation we five went there to experience the expected and of course, plenty unpredicted.
I would label our trekking experience as amusing, thrilling and hilarious.
We reached the destination at dawn, and all decked up for the trek. We hired a guide for our trek as an experienced guide knows the trail well and is also well aware of accommodation facilities and what to do in times of emergencies. It is always advisable to hire a guide from a reputed agency.
It was such a calming moment standing amidst the gigantic mountains, and Annapurna circuit trekking is no less than heavenly.
The day one went well, and before sunset, we climbed around 1000 meters up the hill which seemed desolate and dreary. We made ourselves comfortable at the tea-house and settled down for the night. Nights in the mountains are both relaxing and scary crediting to the sound of animals and voices of bats.
We were having a great time and though we were a bit tired from the long walks every day, but the excitement of reaching the base camp kept us going. I remember, it was on the 6th day of our trek and we were passing through a forested area when we suddenly heard something unusual. The sun was setting down behind the horizon and we heard some footfalls following us, which I guessed were wolves.
All scared, we stopped and looked back, and yelled in our trembling voices. There was no reply and only deathly silence followed. Our experienced guide told us to stay quiet and move as fast possible to the nearby tea-house accommodation which was still quite a distance away. We hurried our pace and kept looking back to see what was making those noises. When we ultimately reached the tea-house, our guide told us that indeed it was pack of wolves which had come down from the upper region in search of food.
It was a spine chilling experience, and even remembering it today gives me goosebumps.
We had never experienced something like that ever and the incidence kept on running in our minds till the time we were back to the comfort of our homes. But, one thing which we didn’t pay much attention to at that time but, later had a great laugh was that one of my friends, a guy named Sushil pissed on his pants. He was so scared to death that he literally thought that this was the end of him and in fact, all of us.
When we got together again we started teasing him and he was all too ashamed and started blaming us for what happened that day.
It was truly excitement at its extreme during our trekking in Nepal.
But we learned a lot, filled ourselves with peace, and realized that if mountains are tranquil and beautiful, they can be blood-curdling as well.