#macinnepal

[𝗠𝗮𝗰'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗫𝗜𝗜] The Manaslu Circuit was the next on my list of treks to check off my Nepal list. The catch? You are required to do the Manaslu Circuit with a guide and in a group of at least two (the group thing you can get around, the guide thing you cannot - and should not).⁣ ⁣ Luckily, three friends from the Continental Divide Trail, @endlesspsummer, @sarahikes, and @itsbleucheese, were also keen on doing some trekking in the land of the world's tallest mountains. The Manaslu Circuit is a trek around Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak, with a high point at Larke La (a 16,752 ft / 5,106 m pass) and an optional side trip up Tsum Valley (recommended).⁣ ⁣ I wasn't happy with my guide from my Imja Tse (Island Peak) summit, so I did a lot of vetting for the Manaslu Circuit. We landed on Gopal (who would later tell us that his trail name is Mountain Tiger), who was all we could have hoped for and more. Not only was he willing to put in big miles (when the altitude wasn't stopping us), but he was a serious crusher (despite - or maybe because of(?) - his chain-smoking and serious Red Bull addiction).⁣ ⁣ Gopal, in addition to being the Mountain Tiger, also managed to cure @endlesspsummer's ills with salt and garlic, magically pop up in front of us down the trail despite us thinking that he had fallen far behind, and (begrudgingly) took us up to the Tibet border as a side trip on an acclimatization day. He also offered to slaughter and cook a chicken for us.⁣ ⁣ One very important thing I learned from this trek? If you're going to hire a jeep to drive you somewhere (like, say, to the start of your trek), make sure it 1) has air conditioning, 2) has four-wheel drive, and 3) is willing to use the air conditioning at your behest (trust me, this will be important).

[𝗠𝗮𝗰'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗜𝗜] While living in Japan, I had some time off work for the winter holidays and I decided a hike to Everest Base Camp (EBC) in Nepal. Reading things on the internets, I was nearly convinced that I would die unless I went with a guide. However, I 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 wanted to do it on my own; so I did.⁣ ⁣ I flew to Lukla (you know, that airport on the cliffside with the scary runway?) and began my trek at the end of December. Winter in Nepal is between peak trekking seasons. The weather is supposedly clear and dry in the winter months, but this comes at the price of lower temperatures.⁣ ⁣ I had no idea what to expect on the trek and I didn't want to end up in the position of "see, you should have gone with a guide" and so I brought everything required to survive in the mountains - from my own shelter to a four-season sleeping bag. I would quickly learn that this was overkill - I slept in easily accessible tea houses the entire way up to EBC. That said, I did make use of my sleeping bag by sleeping out on the decks of numerous tea houses where I got to drift off under some spectacularly star-filled skies.⁣ ⁣ I hit a new high elevation atop Kala Patthar (an 18,519 ft / 5,644.5 m) peak (but more like a high point) just south of EBC (which sits a bit lower at 17,598 ft / 5,364 m). Fun fact - you can't see Everest from base camp (but you can from Kala Patthar - which is why I went up there for sunrise).⁣ ⁣ The only thing that disappointed me with my EBC journey was that I was too conservative. There's another trek in the region known as the Three Passes Trek which can be done to include a detour to EBC. I wish I had done this instead. It was like finding out about the Pacific Crest Trail while hiking the John Muir Trail.⁣ ⁣ That said, it left me something to go back for.