I remember as I was struggling up Mt Kinabalu in 1993, I said to myself, ‘Why am I here? This will be my first and last mountain trek.’ But memories can be short-lived sometimes. Soon, the pains and the aches were at the back of my mind and a year later, I was up on another mountain (in China). And since my trip to Nepal in 1998, I had been longing to return for more trekking.
And so when Leow called me one evening saying, ‘Hi, I am planning to go trekking in Nepal again some time later this year. Destination – Muktinath, like to join us? Think about it and let me know later.’ ‘Oh, no need to think, count me in.’ The conversation was short and brief, and it was followed by months of preparation and rigorous training.
Yes, as Leow had mentioned earlier, our mission was to trek up to Muktinath (at 3,800m) via Jomsom. Muktinath, located on the north of Central Nepal, is an important pilgrimage place for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is also one of the most popular treks in the region. We had a much bigger group this time – 14 of us (nine ladies and five men) – including Alice and Leow. We also trained much harder. Our favourite training ground was the steps at Batu Cave, besides the trail at FRIM (Forest Research Institute Malaysia) and Bukit Gasing. Leow had also briefed us that from Muktinath, should time permit, we would proceed to Torong La (Pass) at 5,416m.
At that time, I was overseeing the construction of six 5-storey hostel blocks. Every morning as soon as I reached the office and every evening before I left the office for home, I would ritually walked up from the lowest to the highest floor, stopping at each floor; from the first to the last block. Whether my regular, twice a day appearance at the site had made the workers worked harder and be more conscientious, I was not sure; but one thing I was very sure was that it was a very good training and it helped to improve my stamina tremendously. Coupled with training elsewhere, I was much fitter and much better prepared this time round compared to my first trip.
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‘Home-Coming’
As I stepped out of the plane on the morning of 27 September, I felt the sense of ‘home-coming’ when the familiar crisp mid-morning breeze brushed against my face. Beyond the airport, the screeching sound of tyres, the incessant sounds of horns were all too familiar to me. I was overcome by the nostalgic feeling and was grateful my dream of returning could be realised. A wave of emotion overpowered me.
After lunch, we flew to Pokhara. We had a leisure evening, shopping around the town.
The next morning, we took a boat ride across the lake to the other side of town. Our guide, Krishna (we engaged the same guide from the previous trip) told us that, as a warming up exercise, we would trek up a ‘small’ hill to see a Buddhist temple. ‘We will walk slowly, nothing difficult about the trek. It will take only about an hour,’ Krishna told us. Well, the ‘small’ hill and ‘nothing difficult about the trek’ turned out to be more than a warming up exercise. And it definitely took us more than an hour. It was a rather hot day and we were all dying of thirst. Lucky for us, there were some local people selling drinks and cucumbers. What a welcoming sight! The cold coca-cola and the cool, juicy cucumbers were most refreshing. We sat under a big shady tree, slowly savouring the ‘hard-to-come-by’ treat.
On the way up, we met many local women carrying construction materials up the hill. We also saw many students, in their uniforms, taking boats across the lake. They then had to walk for ‘seem-like-endless’ journey to their schools. It’s a tough life out there!
Finally, we reached the temple. We were not allowed to go inside it, but we could hear the chanting of mantra and prayers coming from inside the building.
After a short rest and a few snapshots, we started to head back, stopping over at a Tibetan refugee camp on the way. Nothing really special about the place, save for the few stalls selling Tibetan curios.
After lunch, we flew to Pokhara. We had a leisure evening, shopping around the town.
The next morning, we took a boat ride across the lake to the other side of town. Our guide, Krishna (we engaged the same guide from the previous trip) told us that, as a warming up exercise, we would trek up a ‘small’ hill to see a Buddhist temple. ‘We will walk slowly, nothing difficult about the trek. It will take only about an hour,’ Krishna told us. Well, the ‘small’ hill and ‘nothing difficult about the trek’ turned out to be more than a warming up exercise. And it definitely took us more than an hour. It was a rather hot day and we were all dying of thirst. Lucky for us, there were some local people selling drinks and cucumbers. What a welcoming sight! The cold coca-cola and the cool, juicy cucumbers were most refreshing. We sat under a big shady tree, slowly savouring the ‘hard-to-come-by’ treat.
On the way up, we met many local women carrying construction materials up the hill. We also saw many students, in their uniforms, taking boats across the lake. They then had to walk for ‘seem-like-endless’ journey to their schools. It’s a tough life out there!
Finally, we reached the temple. We were not allowed to go inside it, but we could hear the chanting of mantra and prayers coming from inside the building.
After a short rest and a few snapshots, we started to head back, stopping over at a Tibetan refugee camp on the way. Nothing really special about the place, save for the few stalls selling Tibetan curios.
Poon Hill – the Second Chance
Like our previous trip, we took a coach to Naya Pul, the starting point. We went up to Hille (1,540m), then to Ghorepani (2,750m). On the way, we met some familiar faces – the children we met during our previous trips. Poon Hill was in our itinerary again. As I had missed it the first time, I was all too eager to see for myself the place that was most talked about. We started at 4.30am. The sky was dark and the air, crisp. As we were struggling our way up the steep and winding path, we could see torchlights, like fireflies glowing in the dark, all along the trail. Some were way ahead. There were people who were more eager and anxious than us to see the sunrise!
We arrived at the summit before six just in time to catch the first ray of sunlight. When I saw the ray coming up from the horizon, I dashed for the best spot to capture the beautiful sunrise on my camera before it disappeared. The mountain range, the Dhaulagiri peak – Oh! So beautiful, so enchanting! I was lost for words. Was I dreaming? Is there really such beautiful scenery on earth? I am running out of superlative to describe it. Seeing is believing. As I gaped in awe at the heart-stopping vista, it became clear to me why Alice and Leow would want to go back for the third time! The arduous climb was worth it.
From Ghorepani, instead of heading east for Tadapani (as in the previous trip), we went north to Tatopani. (Tatopani means hot water in Nepali. The village gains its name from the hot springs near the river below the village.) We left the lodge at 8.50 after breakfast.
We arrived at the summit before six just in time to catch the first ray of sunlight. When I saw the ray coming up from the horizon, I dashed for the best spot to capture the beautiful sunrise on my camera before it disappeared. The mountain range, the Dhaulagiri peak – Oh! So beautiful, so enchanting! I was lost for words. Was I dreaming? Is there really such beautiful scenery on earth? I am running out of superlative to describe it. Seeing is believing. As I gaped in awe at the heart-stopping vista, it became clear to me why Alice and Leow would want to go back for the third time! The arduous climb was worth it.
From Ghorepani, instead of heading east for Tadapani (as in the previous trip), we went north to Tatopani. (Tatopani means hot water in Nepali. The village gains its name from the hot springs near the river below the village.) We left the lodge at 8.50 after breakfast.
The Knee-Cracking Battle
The journey to Tatopani was the toughest of the trip. After the battle of going uphill to Poon Hill earlier, we then faced the battle of steep, ‘knee-cracking’ descent. From 2,750m at Ghorepani, we descended to 1,190m with uphill climb and occasional flat tracks in between. From the steep flagstone steps, we went through muddy and at times rocky trail. From the beautiful terraced fields, we marched passed quaint villages, occasionally meeting the friendly local villagers who would greet us with ‘namaste’. We also crossed several suspension bridges as the trails cross path with Ghar Khola (Khola means river or stream in Nepali.) and Kali Gandaki. (Gandaki also means river in Nepali.) It was a strenuous, tiring day.
During the earlier part of the day, we were full of zest and we would stop by for snap shots and to enjoy the beautiful scenery. As the day wore on, with our energy almost depleted, and the steep descent took a toll on our knees, the beautiful scenery suddenly seemed so ordinary. We would stop only to catch a breather. Even the chatty ones had become silent!
Somewhere down the trail, I missed the sign that indicates the direction to Tatopani, which was to cross the suspension bridge on our right. I went straight ahead. Leow, Alice and Cheok Siew were in front of me. I could hear their voices yet I could not locate them. When I turned around, I could not see the rest who were behind me. I went further, then I realised something was amiss. I started to panic. I found myself walking through a narrow alley of a village where a religious procession was taking place.
I remembered reading in a guidebook which says that ‘Nepalis are very polite and courteous people. They find it hard to say “no”.’ The advice was to ask questions which require definite answers and not just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ which would invite trouble. With that in mind, instead of asking, ‘Is this the way to Tatopani?’, I asked the villagers, ‘Which way to Tatopani?’
I retraced my footsteps and saw the bridge. After crossing it, I saw the rest of the team members waiting for me on the other side, with anxiety written all over their faces. I was happy to be reunited with them but I did not know at that time what was in store for us. Krishna said that we had to go through a landslide area as there was no alternate route! By then, the sky had turned dark. As we did not anticipate to trek in the dark, none of us, except for perhaps two, actually had torchlights with us in the backpack. We could hardly see a thing. All I knew was the terrain was very steep and sandy. We had to walk on ‘all four’. We were struggling and fortunately it was a short distance. We did not realise that worse was to come. After the steep trek up, we were then on the edge of a cliff with very narrow ledge to walk on. It was pitch dark, save for the occasional flickering from someone’s torchlight behind me. My legs were wobbling frantically; my heart, throbbing erratically. The sound of the roaring river (which I imagined was easily more than 15m below) added more fear and drama to the whole episode. It took us more than an hour (from the bridge) before we reached the destination. By then, it was 7.00 o’clock.
By the time we reached the hotel, we were drained of energy and worse, we found out that our rooms were on the first floor. By then, even to take a step up the staircase seemed a daunting task. We were on the ‘road’ for ten hours with short breaks for lunch and rest in between. The consolation was, the hotel was good and the food was excellent. In fact much to our surprise some of the rooms came with attached bathrooms with ‘sitting’ toilet bowls (instead of the usual squatting type) and nice hot showers.
As I entered the room, I sighed out loud, ‘Oh! What a day? What have I got myself into?’ Excitement! Challenge! Yes, that was what all of us wanted. That was ‘what we are here for’. But what we experienced on that day was more than what we had bargained for!
After settling ourselves down, we headed for the dining room which was located on the ground floor, which meant more of walking up and down!
During the earlier part of the day, we were full of zest and we would stop by for snap shots and to enjoy the beautiful scenery. As the day wore on, with our energy almost depleted, and the steep descent took a toll on our knees, the beautiful scenery suddenly seemed so ordinary. We would stop only to catch a breather. Even the chatty ones had become silent!
Somewhere down the trail, I missed the sign that indicates the direction to Tatopani, which was to cross the suspension bridge on our right. I went straight ahead. Leow, Alice and Cheok Siew were in front of me. I could hear their voices yet I could not locate them. When I turned around, I could not see the rest who were behind me. I went further, then I realised something was amiss. I started to panic. I found myself walking through a narrow alley of a village where a religious procession was taking place.
I remembered reading in a guidebook which says that ‘Nepalis are very polite and courteous people. They find it hard to say “no”.’ The advice was to ask questions which require definite answers and not just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ which would invite trouble. With that in mind, instead of asking, ‘Is this the way to Tatopani?’, I asked the villagers, ‘Which way to Tatopani?’
I retraced my footsteps and saw the bridge. After crossing it, I saw the rest of the team members waiting for me on the other side, with anxiety written all over their faces. I was happy to be reunited with them but I did not know at that time what was in store for us. Krishna said that we had to go through a landslide area as there was no alternate route! By then, the sky had turned dark. As we did not anticipate to trek in the dark, none of us, except for perhaps two, actually had torchlights with us in the backpack. We could hardly see a thing. All I knew was the terrain was very steep and sandy. We had to walk on ‘all four’. We were struggling and fortunately it was a short distance. We did not realise that worse was to come. After the steep trek up, we were then on the edge of a cliff with very narrow ledge to walk on. It was pitch dark, save for the occasional flickering from someone’s torchlight behind me. My legs were wobbling frantically; my heart, throbbing erratically. The sound of the roaring river (which I imagined was easily more than 15m below) added more fear and drama to the whole episode. It took us more than an hour (from the bridge) before we reached the destination. By then, it was 7.00 o’clock.
By the time we reached the hotel, we were drained of energy and worse, we found out that our rooms were on the first floor. By then, even to take a step up the staircase seemed a daunting task. We were on the ‘road’ for ten hours with short breaks for lunch and rest in between. The consolation was, the hotel was good and the food was excellent. In fact much to our surprise some of the rooms came with attached bathrooms with ‘sitting’ toilet bowls (instead of the usual squatting type) and nice hot showers.
As I entered the room, I sighed out loud, ‘Oh! What a day? What have I got myself into?’ Excitement! Challenge! Yes, that was what all of us wanted. That was ‘what we are here for’. But what we experienced on that day was more than what we had bargained for!
After settling ourselves down, we headed for the dining room which was located on the ground floor, which meant more of walking up and down!
Rest Day
We decided to have a day rest to give our aching legs a chance to recuperate. We spent the next morning soaking our tired legs at the nearby hot spring. The water was hot, nice and soothing. It was refreshing. Some of us also had our legs massaged by a local masseur. It cost Rs 300 (about RM16). It was worth it.
Volleyball is one of the most popular games in Nepal. And among us, there were six die-hard volleyball players. So, on this rest day, they took the opportunity to have a game with the porters. The Malaysian women’s team versus the Nepalese men’s team! While some ‘non-players’ were sporting enough to join in the friendly match, others (including me) preferred to stay on the sidelines to watch, cheer and enjoy the games. If what people say about ‘rules are made to be broken’ is true, then this was a classic example. One could see all kinds of actions, especially from those who do not really know the game. Acrobatic actions seemed to be the order of the day. Oh! Well, it was therapeutic. Suddenly, all muscles were loosened and all the aches disappeared. It turned out to be a fun-filled day.
We retired early that night. With good food, good rest, good laugh and entertainment and more importantly, good sleep; by dawn break, we were raring to ‘march’ on.
Volleyball is one of the most popular games in Nepal. And among us, there were six die-hard volleyball players. So, on this rest day, they took the opportunity to have a game with the porters. The Malaysian women’s team versus the Nepalese men’s team! While some ‘non-players’ were sporting enough to join in the friendly match, others (including me) preferred to stay on the sidelines to watch, cheer and enjoy the games. If what people say about ‘rules are made to be broken’ is true, then this was a classic example. One could see all kinds of actions, especially from those who do not really know the game. Acrobatic actions seemed to be the order of the day. Oh! Well, it was therapeutic. Suddenly, all muscles were loosened and all the aches disappeared. It turned out to be a fun-filled day.
We retired early that night. With good food, good rest, good laugh and entertainment and more importantly, good sleep; by dawn break, we were raring to ‘march’ on.
The Long and Tiring Journey
We continued our journey to Ghasa (2,010m), then to Marpha (2,670m) and Jomsom (2,710m) before going on to Kagbeni (2,800m). The rhododendron forests soon gave way to pine forests as we headed further north. Gradually, the green disappeared behind us and we were greeted with arid desert-like barren landscape as we approached Jomsom and Kagbeni. We were going through the Kali Gandaki valley. It wasn’t an easy trail. We went through a lot of ‘ups and downs’, rocky trail, muddy and slippery path and occasionally, we walked on the well-crafted flagstone pavement through the villages.
On the way to Marpha, Krishna told us that we had to detour to avoid another landslide area. It was either due to oversight or miscommunication, some of the team members went ahead towards the landslide area. From where we were, we could see them sprawling on the steep slope like spider men (and women). There was no ledge for them to walk on. Some of them seemed to be hanging on to the slope precariously not knowing what to do while some tried to put on a brave front. There was no turning back. Fortunately they all managed it and were reunited with the rest safely.
The journey to Marpha was tiring and taxing. And at some points, we had to walk across the river, and the water was icy cold! It was another long day of nine-hour trekking. The trail to Kagbeni was not any easier. Our steps became heavier as we trod along the dry river bed of Kali Gandaki River. The route seemed endless; the weather, torrid; and the wind, gusty. We were in the wilderness. We jumped for joy when some buildings finally came into sight – we were going to have lunch!
We came across many ‘bends’ while walking along Kali Gandaki River. Each time we came to a bend, we would say to ourselves, ‘Oh, this is it! We are there, just behind the bend.’ Unfortunately, that was not the case. It was many more bends before we finally reached our destination.
The most challenging part was, I believe, to cross a long suspension bridge under the influence of strong and powerful wind. While we were wobbling like drunkards, the bridge amazingly remained very stable.
Although the journey was tough and we felt tired and exhausted at times, we were always in high spirit. We talked, joked and laugh along the way. That helped to make the ‘seemed like never ending trail’ shorter. We also took time off to enjoy and appreciate the serene mountain landscape. We were often captivated and spellbound by the spectacular and magnificent scenery.
The jokes and performances by some of the team members were so hilarious and entertaining that they often had us in stitches. Sometimes it helped us to forget about the tiredness, the pains and the aches. We definitely had a lot of fun and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest amidst all the ‘uuh’, ‘ahh’, ‘Why so long still cannot reach?’, ‘How long more to go?’, ‘So steep, how to climb?’
On the way to Marpha, Krishna told us that we had to detour to avoid another landslide area. It was either due to oversight or miscommunication, some of the team members went ahead towards the landslide area. From where we were, we could see them sprawling on the steep slope like spider men (and women). There was no ledge for them to walk on. Some of them seemed to be hanging on to the slope precariously not knowing what to do while some tried to put on a brave front. There was no turning back. Fortunately they all managed it and were reunited with the rest safely.
The journey to Marpha was tiring and taxing. And at some points, we had to walk across the river, and the water was icy cold! It was another long day of nine-hour trekking. The trail to Kagbeni was not any easier. Our steps became heavier as we trod along the dry river bed of Kali Gandaki River. The route seemed endless; the weather, torrid; and the wind, gusty. We were in the wilderness. We jumped for joy when some buildings finally came into sight – we were going to have lunch!
We came across many ‘bends’ while walking along Kali Gandaki River. Each time we came to a bend, we would say to ourselves, ‘Oh, this is it! We are there, just behind the bend.’ Unfortunately, that was not the case. It was many more bends before we finally reached our destination.
The most challenging part was, I believe, to cross a long suspension bridge under the influence of strong and powerful wind. While we were wobbling like drunkards, the bridge amazingly remained very stable.
Although the journey was tough and we felt tired and exhausted at times, we were always in high spirit. We talked, joked and laugh along the way. That helped to make the ‘seemed like never ending trail’ shorter. We also took time off to enjoy and appreciate the serene mountain landscape. We were often captivated and spellbound by the spectacular and magnificent scenery.
The jokes and performances by some of the team members were so hilarious and entertaining that they often had us in stitches. Sometimes it helped us to forget about the tiredness, the pains and the aches. We definitely had a lot of fun and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest amidst all the ‘uuh’, ‘ahh’, ‘Why so long still cannot reach?’, ‘How long more to go?’, ‘So steep, how to climb?’
Our Legs Needed a Break!
From Kagbeni, we decided to horse ride up to Muktinath (3,800m) instead, to give our ‘over-worked’ legs a break! As most of the members were keen to go on the horse, I went with the tide.
Initially, we were quite frightened. My heart cringed with fear and I had to close my eyes when the horse tried to overtake the one in front from the outside and we were barely (if my estimation was correct) 500mm away from the slope!
I found out that horses have a lot of pride and ego, just like human. A horse from behind overtook us and my horse was agitated and angry. He tried to overtake back. I said a silent prayer that all would be well. To be thrown off the horse and rolled down a few hundred meters down the slope would be too dramatic a scene. In between the silent prayer, I screamed in order to drown the sound of my thumping heart.
The normally quiet and tranquil mountain region was filled with our laughter and screams. It was quite a sight to behold! But who cares; after all, how often do we have such opportunity to let our hair down and be really who we are? Despite the fear, the screams and the pain on the buttocks, we nevertheless had a lot of fun. It was indeed thrilling and exciting. It was an indelible experience.
While in Muktinath, we visited a Hindu Holy place. We spent the evening relaxing and we had a good time and fellowship with team members, the guide and the porters, recounting the experience which we had thus far.
We had either run out of energy or we had become more experienced handling the horses, as there were much less laughter and screaming the next day when we journeyed from Muktinath to Jomsom. We took the opportunity to admire and enjoy the beautiful and picturesque surroundings.
The journey on horse from Kagbeni to Muktinath took three hours while from Muktinath to Jomsom took four hours.
Trekking in Nepal would be incomplete without the performance by the porters. The evening at Ghasa was the most unforgettable and memorable one. The porters, together with the guide, Krishna and some of our team members gave us a superb performance of singing and dancing. As always, I sat at the sidelines enjoying every bit of the performance and savouring every moment.
Initially, we were quite frightened. My heart cringed with fear and I had to close my eyes when the horse tried to overtake the one in front from the outside and we were barely (if my estimation was correct) 500mm away from the slope!
I found out that horses have a lot of pride and ego, just like human. A horse from behind overtook us and my horse was agitated and angry. He tried to overtake back. I said a silent prayer that all would be well. To be thrown off the horse and rolled down a few hundred meters down the slope would be too dramatic a scene. In between the silent prayer, I screamed in order to drown the sound of my thumping heart.
The normally quiet and tranquil mountain region was filled with our laughter and screams. It was quite a sight to behold! But who cares; after all, how often do we have such opportunity to let our hair down and be really who we are? Despite the fear, the screams and the pain on the buttocks, we nevertheless had a lot of fun. It was indeed thrilling and exciting. It was an indelible experience.
While in Muktinath, we visited a Hindu Holy place. We spent the evening relaxing and we had a good time and fellowship with team members, the guide and the porters, recounting the experience which we had thus far.
We had either run out of energy or we had become more experienced handling the horses, as there were much less laughter and screaming the next day when we journeyed from Muktinath to Jomsom. We took the opportunity to admire and enjoy the beautiful and picturesque surroundings.
The journey on horse from Kagbeni to Muktinath took three hours while from Muktinath to Jomsom took four hours.
Trekking in Nepal would be incomplete without the performance by the porters. The evening at Ghasa was the most unforgettable and memorable one. The porters, together with the guide, Krishna and some of our team members gave us a superb performance of singing and dancing. As always, I sat at the sidelines enjoying every bit of the performance and savouring every moment.
Glimpse of Mt. Everest – Remained Just a Dream
Back in Jomsom, we celebrated the completion of our mission of reaching Muktinath by having a big feast. (As we had spent an extra day in Tatopani, we did not have time to trek up to Torong La.) While the men were having a good time downstairs, the ladies had their own party upstairs in the hotel.
From Jomsom, we flew to Porkhara. In Pokhara, we went for a shopping spree before taking a bus back to Kathmandu the next morning.
While in Kathmandu, we went to Nagarkot, the most popular mountain-viewing spot and about 32km away, to catch the sunrise and to view Mt. Everest. The sunrise was not as spectacular as the one we saw in Poon Hill. Our hope of catching a glimpse of Mt. Everest was also dashed as it was shrouded in cloud. We left the place rather dejected. Nevertheless, we took some photos for our albums.
From Jomsom, we flew to Porkhara. In Pokhara, we went for a shopping spree before taking a bus back to Kathmandu the next morning.
While in Kathmandu, we went to Nagarkot, the most popular mountain-viewing spot and about 32km away, to catch the sunrise and to view Mt. Everest. The sunrise was not as spectacular as the one we saw in Poon Hill. Our hope of catching a glimpse of Mt. Everest was also dashed as it was shrouded in cloud. We left the place rather dejected. Nevertheless, we took some photos for our albums.
Changes and New Development
It is interesting to note that there have been a lot of changes in Nepal over a short period of two years. People, including children, have become more enterprising and entrepreneurial. Business also seems to be flourishing. Along the trail, young children were offering us apples (abundant in Marpha area) and bamboo ‘walking’ sticks in exchange for a few rupees or sweets / pens. New lodges are springing up along the trails while existing ones underwent extensive renovations. The same goes to Pokhara and Kathmandu. These new lodges / hotels are more modern and have better facilities. Electricity was now more readily available on the mountains. Stalls had been set up in Poon Hill offering drinks, snacks, biscuits and etc. to the tired and hungry trekkers (I was told there were no stalls two years ago). Children have also changed. They have become more ‘sophisticated’. When they asked for sweets / pens and when we said we had run out of them, some would ask for camera! Many children greeted us with ‘Hello’ instead of the usual traditional ‘Namaste’.
I hope amidst all the changes and development, it would not lose its peace, tranquility, charm and beauty.
I hope amidst all the changes and development, it would not lose its peace, tranquility, charm and beauty.
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