Simien Trek Ethiopia – day 1

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Day 1: Gondar-Sankaber (3250 m), 3-4 hours walking

6:30am Ethiopian coffee

7am pick-up at the (recommended) L-Shape Hotel in the tourist town Gondar. Room about $13 in 2014.

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It was an easy 2hr drive to Debarq, the jumping off point for Simien Mountains National Park. Quick stop at the National Park office.

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We had breakfast at the Great Work Hotel. Excellent Mango juice.

Our car returned with gear, guide, cook and … personal armed Park Ranger. They call themselves Scouts. A guard is still required for each trekking group in 2014, though these days it’s more of a make work project for the Rangers.

We drove through the Park gates and continued about another hour.

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This road is rough. Though it was being improved while we were there.

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We’re HERE. Trekking the Simien mountains. What a thrill.

Simien Ethiopia Map

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I’d joined Josh and Nadine, a couple from Edmonton, Canada who have been volunteering in Burundi for the past 2 years.

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Here’s our excellent Guide, Adoo.

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And our Scout, Adim.

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Immediately we headed for the great escarpment.

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It’s a long, long way down. About 800m here.

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Simien - Josh and Nadine horse

Local people are everywhere. This is a shared use National Park.

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We heard that road and power lines being moved further away from the trekking route. I hope that’s true.

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Adoo detoured from the cliff when he spotted a group of 200-400 Gelada baboons. (more photos)

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Geladas are found only in the high grassland of the deep gorges of the central Ethiopian plateau. They live in elevations 1,800–4,400 m above sea level, using the cliffs for sleeping and montane grasslands for foraging. …

Geladas are the only primates that are primarily graminivores and grazers – grass blades make up to 90% of their diet. They eat both the blades and the seeds of grasses. …

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They mate in May, have babies in November. Females were very protective of their youngest. Some looked like newborns.

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We sat down and let the group graze past us. Some of the toddlers were curious enough to TRY to touch us.

Simien - Rick baboons 600

What a fantastic 2 hours. This might be the best wildlife encounter anywhere in the world. It was my best wildlife encounter ever. 🙂

Simien was one of the first sites to be made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1978). Due to serious population declines of some of its characteristic native species, in 1996 it was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The word Semien means north in Amharic. But the name Simien and the word simian do make a good mnemonic for this hike. Geladas are the highilght. 🙂

Elated, we shuffled another hour or so to Camp 1. Talking about the baboons.

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It’s a very easy half day, yet everyone was huffing and puffing due to altitude.

Popcorn and hot drinks on arrival were much appreciated.

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I rested an hour. (I opted to use my own tent. Not the one supplied.)

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We headed over to the ridge for the sunset, surprised how cold it was in Africa at night.

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Josh got some great pics.

Dinner was impressive: soup, bread, fish, salad, spinach, deep fried banana. I skipped the salad (worried about my health) but tried some of everything else.

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We checked the full moon, then retreated to our tents. There was no campfire. I climbed into 2 sleeping bags. The one provided. And my own. Everyone was surprised how cold it was at night in Simien.

Simien - Josh and Nadine

more photos

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | info

December 2, 2014November 20, 2014

Great Himalayan Trail

The Great Himalaya Trail is a proposed trail of more than 4500 km stretching the length of the Greater Himalaya range from Nanga Parbat in Jammu & Kashmir to Namche Barwa in Tibet thus passing through Kashmir, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. When completed, it will be the longest and highest alpine walking track in the world …

It will never be “completed”. There are many GHT routes, higher and lower. They can be hiked continuously or by section.

map

Check out two main websites, both pretty good:

• greathimalayatrail.com

• thegreathimalayatrail.org

The second mostly covers GHT Nepal.

The guidebook I’m researching is from Trailblazer – Nepal Trekking & the Great Himalaya Trail 2011 by Robin Boustead.

He’s got a coffee table book, as well, that I’ve never seen – The Great Himalaya Trail.

Stuart Bilby solo’d the Nepal GHT Nepal in 127 days in 2014, an incredible accomplishment. No cars, buses, planes, donkeys or yaks for transport. Stuart lost 19kg body weight. Actually, the first half he did with Lisa Lee-Johnson.

Linda Bezemer published a (much more reasonable) GHT Low Route electronic guidebook which you could use with an iPad on the trail. 1550km broken into 11 sections.

Seth, Kathleen and John did a 2014 east-west GHT Nepal traverse.

But my favourite is Gerda Pouler’s account of her 2012 very personal adventure – Great Himalaya Trail: 1,700 Kilometres Across the Roof of the World [Kindle Edition].

November 18, 2014November 20, 2014

Langtang Trek – day 6

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Langshisha Kharka 4110m to Kyanjin Gompa 3830m

… day hike towards Tilman’s Pass basecamp

Dawn broke clear and cold.

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Up to pee and walk down to the river (my water bottle had frozen), plan was to return to my sleeping bag until the sun hit the tent at 7:19am.

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I’d not been cold wearing all my clothing layers, including down parka, in a -3C sleeping bag.

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A few minutes later, the sun reached the nearby Japanese group.

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The green number is their toilet tent.

Tenting groups are up and gone quickly in the morning. Yaks move in immediately for urine. Like other mountain mammals, they are salt deprived.

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I took an hour before finding a way to cross the icy Langtang without getting my feet wet. Some large expedition had built 3 sections of temporary bridge.

Rick crossing Langtang

Luckily I’m a gymnast. 🙂

Very few each year scramble up this gap in the high mountains towards Tilman’s Pass, the Langshisha Glacier.

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Major Harold William “Bill” Tilman … (14 February 1898–1977) was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages. …

During his extensive exploration of the areas of Langtang, Ganesh and Manang in Nepal in 1949, Tilman was the first to ascend Paldor, 5896 metres, and found the pass named after him …

He penetrated the Nanda Devi sanctuary with Eric Shipton in 1934 …

In my wildest dreams I’d hoped to join a mountaineering expedition crossing Tilman’s Pass to make a loop of the Langtang. Finishing at the luxurious Last Resort.

It’s much tougher than I’d imagined. If interested, click through:

• trip report – Across Tilman’s Pass to Naya Kanga 2010

• trip report – Trekking and climbing in the Langtang, Nepal 2009

Even better are Bob’s notes. A Spring crossing.

Instead, I scrambled up the easy way. As high as I could go.

About 2hrs up I came across these instruments.

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Utrecht University and other researchers are measuring snow and rainfall here.

This is as distant on the Langtang as I would get. I believe the lowest notch to the right of the peak is Tilman Pass.

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To get there you’d descend to the glacier then climb to the notch. Ugly.

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This day hike was fairly straight forward. I did need to work my way through snow at one point.

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I drank melt water on the way down having brought no food nor water with me.

Psychologically I was ready to turn back. Down is easier. Right?

Unfortunately “Nepali flat” means endless ups and downs. “Nepali down” means endless ups and downs.

You do not see many wild animals on the Langtang trek, but the birdlife is plentiful and interesting.

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These are swarms of red-billed and yellow-billed choughs. Similar to crows.

By far the last hiker walking back towards Kyanjin Gompa this afternoon, I had – aside from grazing beasts – the valley to myself.

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Whew.

I was extremely relieved to have made it back before nightfall. Just.

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Instead of checking in to the Holyland, where I’d already spent 2 nights, I tried Dorje Bakery, instead. Turns out Dorje is not attached to a tea house. But the chef had his brother take me over to one in the family.

I slept well that night. 🙂

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | info | … Gosainkund

see all my high res photos from this day

November 13, 2014November 20, 2014

Langtang Trek – day 1

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Kathmandu 1400m to Syabrubesi 1503m to Pairo 1800m (Landslide)

I was at the Macha Pokhari bus area in Kathamandu by 6:30am.

There did not seem to be any Jeeps at the Jeep counter, so I went directly to the bus ticket wicket. Very quickly I had in hand an assigned seat on the next Super Express for $5.

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My assigned seat was the most cramped on the rig! Tight even for a Nepali.

Happily, one of the guides offered to swap my seat for his … beside a gruff, old German client.

Super Express was not bad. Far better and smaller than most Asian buses.

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The bus did fill. With people. Luggage. And radish.

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It would end up taking 7.5hrs total to Syabrubesi. Not too bad for Nepal.

We had a terrific driver. Very skilled. Very careful.

Though a Nepali bus (killing tourists) had crashed just a few days before, our cliff edges were never scary close.

The rear view mirror may have been nudged a time or two.

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Only one landslide delayed our upward progress.

I skipped breakfast. Ate only a few Digestive Biscuits at lunch. In my experience, it’s better to ride Himalayan buses on an empty stomach. With an empty bladder.

Instead of lunch, I wandered the stopover town.

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Sections of the journey were pretty.

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My only one reservation with the driver were times when he and another bus driver played music back and forth using horn and noisy brakes. (VIDEO)

Three times en route we disembarked at checkpoints. The first only looked at our TIMS card. The next two required both TIMS and our Langtang National Park permit.

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I had paid for both in Kathmandu, but some on the bus were missing one or both. Happily, you could purchase them at the checkpoints.

We disembarked Syabrubesi 1300m at 3:30pm.

I had late “breakfast” and enjoyed free wifi before starting up the trail. Very late in the afternoon.

Everyone else spent the night in town. I was rushed to get high.

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I walked about 90 minutes up to Pairo (Landslide or Hotsprings).

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___
Marketing 101:

Good marketing is calling your lodge Hotsprings. Bad marketing is calling your lodge Landslide. 🙂
___

Great lodge. I had fun my first night chatting with a Brit and his Guide who were boozing, celebrating the end of his adventure. Sadly, the hotsprings were not available as a bridge had washed out. It was supposed to be repaired by the time I came back down trail in a week.

see all my high res photos from this day

___

Heading up trail towards Pairo is by far the most popular start to the Langtang trek. More scenic, but longer and tougher, is starting towards Khangjim 2235m instead. The mantra is “slowly, slowly” on the way up. Walking via Khangjim is slower, better for acclimatization for altitude. I should have gone that route.

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | info | … Gosainkund

October 25, 2014October 25, 2014

new Nepal trekking regulations?

I’ve just arrived Kathmandu.

Officials in Nepal say they plan to introduce tougher controls of the trekking industry, a week after a devastating Himalayan storm.

In future, all trekkers will be required to register before setting out on the Annapurna circuit, they told reporters.

Only properly trained and accredited guides will be able to lead treks. …

BBC – Nepal plans to tighten rules on trekkers and guides

This news report, like many I’ve seen in the mainstream media, are not accurate. Click over to wikipedia for ongoing updates and an a more objective overview of the tragedy.

Not clear in the media is that all Annapurna trekkers already must register to get their ACAP permit. All Guides are trained and certified.

My best guess is that independent trekking will still be allowed in 2015. The director general of the Department of Tourism, Tulasi Gautam, has to say something.

This for example:

… In future, all trekkers must register at check posts when they enter and leave the popular trail (Annapurna), officials said. …

On Annapurna, Everest, Manaslu, etc., you already check in with multiple checkpoints. It’s been that way for decades.

I’ll be careful. Don’t worry.

October 16, 2014

deaths on the Annapurna Circuit

Rescuers in Nepal are trying to reach more than 20 trekkers trapped below a high Himalayan pass by heavy snowfalls and avalanches as the death toll from the unfolding tragedy was reported to be as high as 32.

High winds and blizzards hit much of central Nepal this week as the tail end of a cyclone travelling west across northern India reached the Himalayan mountain chain. The head of the Trekking Agencies Association Nepal said there had never been a disaster like it. …

Local officials said 24 bodies had been found on the Annapurna circuit, which circles the Annapurna mountain and attracts thousands of walkers every year.

Guardian

I was there last year. In perfect weather. 😦

There was a similar disaster some years ago. Many killed. Many hikers trapped at the Annapurna Sanctuary.

September 30, 2014September 29, 2014

31 hikers dead on Mt Ontake

😦

The bodies of 31 hikers have been found near the top of Japan’s Mount Ontake a day after a sudden volcanic eruption. …

The volcano, about 200km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, erupted without warning on Saturday …

BBC

(via Kolby Kirk)

September 29, 2014September 22, 2014

climb Misti for me

Misti at 5822m (19,101ft) is one of the easiest, most visible, most popular, most accessible high summits in the world. It is recommended for all self-sufficient hikers. If you tolerate cold & altitude symptoms, the ascent is little trouble in good weather.

BestHike editor Rick McCharles 2005

Misti is one of the best trekking peaks in the world — no mountaineering skills nor gear needed if the weather is good

3 days, 25km circuit plus the climb is recommended. Most do it in 2 days, 1 night, however.

Easy access from Arequipa, our favourite city in Peru.

Click PLAY or watch a short Yeti Adventure trip report on YouTube.

Unfortunately, the freezing temperatures, high winds and an incoming storm forced us to turn back without reaching the summit.

We’ve recently moved and updated our Misti information page.

September 26, 2014September 23, 2014

history of Yosemite climbing

VALLEY UPRISING is the much-anticipated documentary from Sender Films about the epic history of climbing in Yosemite National Park and the counterculture roots of outdoor sports.

Narrated by Peter Sarsgaard, the film features digitally-animated archival photography, spectacular climbing footage and interviews with Yosemite greats — from pioneers like Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins, Lynn Hill and John Long to cutting edge modern athletes like Dean Potter and Alex Honnold. Valley Uprising tells the story of the bold men and women who broke with convention and redefined the limits of human possibility in America’s legendary national park.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

To be released Fall 2014.

(via Hiking in Finland)

September 24, 2014September 20, 2014

Walking the Earth’s Spine

This looks great. I’ll try to find a copy in Kathmandu.

When Jono Lineen‘s brother died in tragic circumstances, he gave up a comfortable life, moved to the Himalayas and over eight years immersed himself in the cultures of the world’s highest mountains.

The experience culminates in his book Into the Heart of the Himalayas, a fascinating memoir that traces his solo trekking odyssey from Pakistan to Nepal across thousands of kilometres of mountain terrain. No-one has ever before attempted to walk the length of the Western Himalayas alone, but Jono’s intentions were more psychological than physical. It was about integrating the Himalayan culture he had grown to love, assimilating the wisdom of the place and coming to terms with his loss.

Jono’s openness with everyone he meets on the trail – from Pakistani military officers to Tibetan lamas and naked Hindu Saddhus – lies at the heart of one of the most complete portraits of the Himalayas ever written. Jono Lineen – a lone, disarming man – crosses borders, religions, castes, languages and philosophical boundaries to find the way to embrace his future.