Annapurna in June : Amazing Video Clip!

08 Feb 2012 By

  • Trekking the Annapurna Circuit in June has a special charm : Clouds!

SOAKED IN RAIN and all those great views of the Himalayas obscured by clouds and misty weather? Sure, trekking in the monsoon period can be a wet experience. June is early monsoon period in Nepal, and it’s getting more cloudy this time of year. Some years though, there’s hardly a drop of rain in the month of June. It’s really just unpredictable to say exactly what the weather will be like on the Annapurna Circuit in June. Almost guarantee for clouds though. If the rain does come in June, it’ll usually just be showers and they won’t last all day. So don’t be afraid to trek the Annapurna Circuit in June – just bring a rain cover for those showers.

And if that little pep talk didn’t do it for you, check out this absolutely AWESOME video clip from the Annapurna Circuit in June 2011, produced by Australian photographer Jody Brown. It’s almost surreal with those clouds! Hint: Click the full screen button, it’s recorded in HD.

Annapurna Adventure Nepal – Time lapse from Jody Brown on Vimeo.

Category: Annapurna, Nepal, See Video, Trekking  Leave a Comment

How To Find A Snow Leopard

04 Feb 2012 By

  •  Improving your chances : How do you go about finding a snow leopard in the wild Himalayas?

Several trekking agencies offer each their variety of a “snow leopard trek” – but what are the chances of actually seeing a snow leopard in the wild Himalayas? And does hiring one of these agencies improve your chances in any way?

Well, considering just how vast, huge and enormous a place the Himalayas is, and the fact that there’re only about 1000 snow leopards living in the whole Indian Nepalese and Bhutanese Himalayas combined, odds are not in your favour to begin with. Coupled also with the fact that the snow lion is a very shy animal that likes to live alone in cold and remote parts, your chances of seeing a snow leopard on any normal trek are pretty slim. That said, people do see them from time to time. And what a fantastic sight it is! Check this rare footage of a hunting snow leopard:

If you want to improve your chances of running into a snow leopard on your next Himalayan trek, I have 10 suggestions for you here below. PS: I’m by no means a snow leopard expert, just extremely fascinated by this majestic animal. This is what I’ve managed to put together:

First and foremost, if you can: Hire an agency with a good “track record” – they need to have a professional tracker. These will usually be affiliated with some kind of wildlife conservation organizations. This is really the top advice I can give you.

But how about finding a snow leopard on your own, or with a non-expert guide? Much smaller, but people do get lucky from time to time. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Some say winter is the best time, but I’ve seen reports of sightings in summer as well
2. Winter : Look in lower altitudes (2-4000 m)
Summer : Look in higher altitudes (4-6000 m)
3. Go where the blue sheep go. They are the snow lions main prey
4. Go off trail, far away from popular tourist trails
5. Go up into sidevalleys
6. Go for rocky terrain
7. Be quiet
8. Bring binoculars
9. Look in high viewpoints
10. Talk with locals, ask for sightings – although snow leopards tend to move around and won’t necessarily stay in the same valley for more than a few days.

Whether you find a snow leopard or not, remember to enjoy the hunt!

Category: See Video, Trekking, Wildlife  One Comment

‘Broken Moon’ Movie : Claims Disputed

03 Feb 2012 By

  • Is it really global warming that is causing Himalaya nomads to flee the mountains?

I’ve just seen the movie “Broken Moon”, telling the story of a Himalayan nomadic tribe living in the Ladakh Himalayan range. It’s a wonderful and picturesque movie, telling the story of the tribe and the challenges faced by global warming and receding rivers. The film actually won a first prize at the KIMFF – The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival – in 2010.

In the end of the movie though, it claims that 80% of the nomadic population in the area have migrated due to lacking resources as a result of global warming. A claim that perhaps does not stand some scrutiny and fact checking. There may certainly be global warming effects taking place in the Ladakh Himalayas, and it is likely that many nomads have moved to the cities. But there are other factors involved, other reasons for the nomads to leave their natural areas and migrate towards the cities. A foundation called StarKids claims that migration is mainly due to lack of schools in the area, not to global warming effects. Of course, this foundation is in the business of education, not the business of environment. It may tint their claims.

So which is true? Not sure… The sad fact is that the Ladakhi nomads are migrating and their traditions and way of life is endangered.

It is still a great movie with a convincing personal story, and praise to the instructors for giving us a glimpse of life is this region. You can see movie trailer here:

Category: Development, Environment, India, Ladakh, See Video  Leave a Comment

Big Changes Ahead for the Manangi

03 Feb 2012 By

  • The Nyeshangba, Narba, Phuba and other people of Manang are facing big change, as the first motorable road to the area comes closer…

Blasts and explosions echoes through the otherwise quiet mountain valleys in Manang, just behind the great Annapurna mountain (8091 m). The Nepal Army is in charge of opening up a track to the district headquarters of Chame, located in 2670 meters altitude.

Initially, the road work was scheduled to finish in 2009, but now 3 years later, the road work is still ongoing. Actually, at the time of writing, January 2012, the road work is on hold due to immediate lack of funds, but it’s likely to pick up again later. The locals are optimistic about the new opportunities the road will bring and they even have plans to take the road further up, all the way to the ancient village of Khangsar (3730 m).

What happens when a modern road meets an ancient village?

The bureaucrats in Kathmandu expect the Manang road to be a key factor in alleviating poverty, improving food security, health services and increase trade and investments. They even expect the number of tourists to rise. The big question is, if all the negative effects of the Manang road will scare more people away than the transport advantage will bring. Until now, the only way to travel to Manang has been by foot, walking for several days. A report from the UNEP lists the following possible negative effects of the new Manang road:

  • The traditional style of architecture is likely to disappear. It will gradually be replaced by cheap cement and corrugated sheet constructions.
  • Crop patterns expected to change to more cash crops and monoculture.
  • Manangs rich biodiversity likely to degrade.
  • The smaller villages along the walking trail will be abandoned.
  • The population will concentrate in fewer places, with increased problems of waste and sewage handling.
  • Increased threat of HIV/AIDS and other STDs.
  • Increased disparity between rich and poor.
  • Cultural and spiritual degradation.
  • Wildlife poaching expected to rise further.
  • Pollution increase.

Those are some serious threats to the small population and fragile environment, and the Manang road plans were also met with initial resentments from trekkers and some trekking agencies. Did the bureaucrats not know that Manang was part of the Annapurna Conservation Area? Did they not understand the meaning of the word “Conservation”? And why did the Annapurna Conservation Authorities (ACAP) not do anything to prevent it?

It’s too late to stop the road now, and even if we could, it might not be wise. Changes has happened before, as when the area was opened to tourists in 1977, 3 years after CIA stopped backing Tibetan insurgency groups in the area. Most of the locals have been in favour of the new Manang road since day one, and I guess you can’t keep a population locked in their own, ancient ways of life, like a living museum, just to preserve things “the way they were”.

Category: Annapurna, Development, Environment, Manang, Nepal  Leave a Comment

10 Best Sidetrips on the Annapurna Circuit Trek

01 Feb 2012 By

  • 10 suggestions that will make your trek around Annapurna even more adventurous!

Each year, close to a 100.000 trekkers are trekking the Annapurna Circuit (should that be ‘Circus’?). Far most of them follow pretty much the same route: Anti-clockwise, starting in Besisahar, going up to Chame, then Pisang, then Manang village, over the Thorung La, then it’s Muktinath, Kagbeni, Jomsom, Marpha, Tatopani and home. The typical AC trek takes about 2-3 weeks. but there’s many interesting sidetrips you can do around Annapurna. As road construction continues scarring ever more trekking trails, the side trips become even more attractive. Some require camping gear and supplies for a couple of days, but others can be done as 1-day exploration trips. if you’re up for it, here’s my top 10 of the best extra sidetrips you can do off the Annapurna Circuit:

  1. Nar and Phu Villages (4100 m)
    Remote, dry area of the trans-Himalayas. Break off main trail in Koto (2600 m) and follow trails north with your tent and sleeping bag with you. Phugaun (Phu village) is optional sidetrip, then circle around through Nar village and over the Kangla pass (5100 m) down to Manang (3540 m).
  2. The “Pisang High Trail”
    From Pisang (earlier also possible), the high trail offers better views than walking down in the valley below. A little longer, but recommended. High trail joins main trail again in Mungji before Manang.
  3. Kicho Lake (4600 m)
    Start in Braga, (3450 m) just before Manang village. Head up the loose trail on the northern slopes. There are signs for “Ice Lake”, but no tea houses. Possible to return back same day.  Note, there’s also a nice yak grazing place if you continue the trail along the map contour lines, rather than turning north up the steep trail around halfway to the lake.
  4. Tilicho Lake (4949 m)
    Rather than turning away from the main valley after Manang, you head straight into it! If you like mountaineering history, this is where Herzog passed through in 1950, trying to find out where those darn Annapurnas were! The Tilicho route will add 2-4 days to your trek when you leave Manang (3540 m), and with only one lodge at Tilicho BC (4000 m), you need to bring camping gear. You can skirt the main tourist pass, Thorung La, by continuing over the passes to Jomsom, but it’s 100% camping trek. Alternatively, backtrack to Kangshar village and join main route towards Thorung La.
  5. Upper Mustang incursions
    Upper Mustang requires expensive permits, but apparently little sidetrips into the area are now allowed! Close to the Muktinath temple, a trail breaks off north and you can circle through Chhengar and Jhong, back to the main trail. Another chance is in Kagbeni, where you can cross the Kali Gandaki on a bridge and go up to the village of Tiri. There might be other options in the area as well.
  6. Panda Khola / Lubra Village
    From Muktinath it’s possible to cross over the southern ridge and walk down to the Panda Khola (river) and into the bönpa Lubra village… The village can also, more easier, be accessed from the Kali Gandaki itself…
  7. Kagbeni Viewpoint
    From Kagbeni, cross the Kali Gandaki (bridge) to the Dhaulagiri side, and a zig-zag trail goes up to a high viewpoint that (must) have some amazing views!
  8. Bön villages
    In the Muktinath-Kagbeni-Jomsom-triangle, there are several interesting villages where the people belong to the pre-Buddhist Bön religion. Bizarre things can happen. Worth a visit for the culturally interested.
  9. Avoiding Jomsom
    Perhaps less of a sidetrip, rather an alternative route around Jomsom. When walking down, take the trail that goes left just before crossing the bridge in Jomsom (2780 m). This will take you on a more scenic route. Takes about 1 hour extra, then joins up with main route before Marpha (2670 m).
  10. Dhaulagiri Ice Fall (ca 3700 m)
    A glacier, actually. A very impressive glacier! Can be done as a -long- one-day sidetrip out of Larjung (2550 m) or Kokhethanti (2525 m). There is, reportedly, a safe trail and a quick trail… up the south-east face of the Dhaulagiri-Tukuche mountain. In the right conditions, consider spending a night up there, just beneath the 7th highest mountain in the world!! But take precations of avalanches, ice, rocks and debris tumbling down from time to time. Real danger!

 

Category: Annapurna, Nepal, Trekking  Leave a Comment