We did it!

We trudged back into Pokhara as the walking wounded. We are battered and bruised, limping, and very, very dirty. But we’ve done it. The past seven days have been the hardest physically and emotionally of my life. And will likely be the most satisfying, but it’s too soon to tell.

The Annapurna National Park is a lower level trek and is deemed moderate, with some parts demanding. Everything is relative, of course, and being able to run three miles without stopping or scrambling the Ice Glen in the Berkshires really isn’t proper training for the Himalayas.

My breaking point came on day four, our first down day after ascending into the clouds. I thought it would be my easiest, but it was my day for tears. We all had rough days. There were leeches, giant bugs, water buffalo in the camp (and at one point a stampede of them around the toilet tent which I was occupying at the time), and a monsoon which we weathered in a fragile tent on the mountainside.  We shared moments of great joy, loads of laughs, and a few low points. Twice on the trek we heard about others like us who had suffered – on our first day there was an avalanche that killed 11 and on our sixth day a plane headed to Everest with trekkers crashed killing all aboard.

Every day I did something I cannot believe was possible for me. I am filled with emotion from the trip.

But now I’ve showered and am drinking a beer with Emma, toasting our accomplishments.  We are all off to a celebration with our guides and porters where there no doubt will be hugs and cheers all around. Tomorrow we fly back to Kathmandu, the next day Emma, Fiona, and I take a quick flight to Everest and then I am off to Bangkok. I will update you all on the details of the trek in the next day or so. For now, I”m off to join my new friends!

I miss you all!