We followed a carved out white gravel path up and along the mountain side, following the river for the most part. Dotted along the way were local kids, playfully asking for a photo, chocolate or a balloon. Or in some cases money - they know what they want. We crossed our first suspension bridge and then it was time for our first little climb. If you have never trekked before, (like us), you cannot underestimate how challenging it is to climb 50m with an 11kg pack on your back. The sweat was pouring, muscles burning. And this was just the beginning.  Anyway, a quick recovery on a strategically placed rock made everything feel better - the snickers helped too. We pushed on, passing through a few small villages where the locals greet you with a kind face and a Nameste. We were the only ones on the trail - and loved every chance to soak it in and appreciate nature unadorned by human inventiveness. 

We rounded a bend before coming to the hydro plant, and a newly constructed road / tunnel, which can take you all the way up to Manang! We walked through the tunnel, buffs around our mouths, feeling a little like Larry from Kings, 'The Stand'.

Half an hour later, we rounded a bend and arrived in Bhulbhule! We looked around for the first sign of a bed / place to stay and heavens steps appeared before our eyes. It's no wonder it's called this by the way. SO many steps. Just what you need after half a day trekking/travelling. The lodge host was amicable, making up for the punishing stairs. She has lived here for 15 years with her husband and mother in law - doing all the cooking and cleaning for the trekking guests. A quick negotiation in $3 a night satisfied us, and she showed us up to our room. We felt like kids on school camp again - wooden walls and a cabin like atmosphere. The bed was as hard as a board, the pillows potentially harder. But, it's all a part of the experience, and we loved it!

We hung up all our sweaty clothes and made our way down to the shower to cool off. After this, we sat on the balcony, and chatted the night away with a couple from Berlin - Silvija and Andreas. We both genuinely feel concerned for Andreas - he has done this circuit 3 times before (20 years ago) and was full of amazing route suggestions, but his diet, he proudly proclaimed, is 60 cigarettes a day, beer, fried potatoes and french sausage. Talk about a German stereotype. After dinner and about 4 hours of passive smoking, we headed to bed at 7.30. We fell asleep to the sound of Andrea's chesty cough, and the raging river, meters below the rocky cliff. 

Day 2
Bhulbhule - Ghermu
480m ascent 180m descent
Lodge: Rainbow Lodge 

Woke up at 6am to the view of the mountains peaking through the valley and our SteriPen not working. We purchased some water and set of on the wide and ambling road to Ngadi. We stopped in at the hikers lodge, off the main road on the forgotten original track which runs through some beautiful little villages with a school and banana trees. The owner of this lodge was happy to see us, his first business in 24 hours! We had a pancake each with honey and jam and chatted about his life as a lodge owner on the trail. He is a secondary school teacher - his kids have their exams coming up!

Dawns ray's were popping over the mountain, and slanting down into the cold trees like cathedral light. We continued along the track, past the huge hydro project and started to head up the side of the mountain a little - gradually clocking meters on the altimeter. We climbed high above the terraced mountains, cow herders and bleating goats welcoming us at every turn. We searched the landscape for the screw palms, and kept a keen eye out for local bird life and butterflies. It was getting quite warm and after 15 min of steep stone stairs, we were both covered in sweat. We somehow we made it to the top of a ridge where we could see our next destination, and our first permit check point, Bahundanda (meaning 'Hill of the Brahmans'). That welcome arch rivalled the crazy views of the mountains for my favourite of the morning - but we had a bit more of a climb to reach it - up a seemingly hand made river bed, bamboo shading our every step

Day 3
Ghermu - Tal
640m acsent 80m descent
Lodge: The Hotel Paradise 

6am wake up time and we are prepared for wet weather. The forecast is warning us, so we decided it was better to be safe than sorry. We set off from the memorial archway out the front of our lodge and followed the rocky stairs descending down to the river. It's always a bit scary when you descend too low, because you know a climb is coming up to replace it! The views in the morning light are beautiful, the smoky haze amplifies the rays of the sun as it peeks over the jagged tops. It wasn't long before we crossed the suspension bridge to a little village called Syange. From here it was up up and up for an hour. Slowly and steadily we climbed, sharing the road with cattle, farmers, locals and the odd chicken. We decided to take the steep short cuts, scaling the cliffs, no rail guards of course. Apparently it's all about momentum, so we just kept pushing until we finally rejoined the road at the top - only after crossing a precarious looking bamboo bridge. 

We rounded a bend and saw the town of Jagart - and old tax town for the salt miners. It was a nice little place, tiny medieval style lanes and friendly people. We decided to get some breakfast here at the Everest hotel guest house - it had a nice little garden overlooking the mountains. We shared ginger tea, pancakes and eggs. From Jagart, we continued on, a cow herd proving great company on the road. We travelled over the suspension bridges, and high past rocks as old and big as dinosaurs, griffons flying overhead. We climbed through lush bamboo forests, the humidity proving a worthy opponent and our backpacks feeling heavier than ever. We finally reached the top of the ridge at Chamchye, and sat at the porters stop for a little while to reclaim our breath. The same herd of cows busied the main street, much to the annoyance of the lodge owner who then spent the next half hour cleaning up the poo off the cobble stones. We chatted to an Aussie guy for a while and treated ourselves to a well-earned snickers. We headed off on the trail shortly after, Daniels horse like legs pumping up the mountain side - while I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. To make things just a tiny bit harder, a flustered chicken sprayed me with ash which I was digesting for the next hour. The fresh mountain air helped ease my lungs, and I was easily distracted by the fields of Christmas trees and cascading waterfalls. We knew we were getting close, but the hardest bit of the day was yet to come. 

The climb to Tal was a tough one and I definitely couldn't have done it without my motivator. Near the top we were greeted with a sign that we are now entering altitude climbing area. And just a little bit over the ridge - the best sight all day, a huge welcome arch and a breathtaking view of the open riverbank. We had arrived! We walked to the north of the town and stayed in the Paradise Hotel - the rooms seem to be getting bigger! They even had fluffy white rabbits on the lawn. We were both pretty exhausted, so we showered, ordered a black tea, and settled down with a book as the rain stared pouring down. A trio of trekkers sat with us for a while, a kiwi, Norwegian and German. We ate dinner together and then headed for bed shortly after.

The lightening storm raged on, lighting the way to the toilet at 2am.

Day 4
Tal - Chame (11 hour day) 
1100m acsent 90m descent
Lodge: The Eagles Nest 

Our little friend SteriPen refused to work again, so our early morning quest was put out slightly by a trip to the safe drinking water station. All hydrated and prepared, we headed north along the riverbank, climbing over grey boulders to make our way to Karte for breakfast. Perched on a ledge, we sat in the warm sunshine eating Tibetan bread and pancakes, accompanied by the owners cat, little Suri Suri, who took a liking to my backpack.

We bid farewell and continued along the churning river gorge, over a few suspension bridges, and along the road, making our way to the ACAP checkpost at Dharapani. It was here that we played doctor, and helped the guys we had met at the lodge last night with a sprained ankle. Oh the importance of a first aid kit!

A forest of spruce, hemlock, maple and oak led us to the climb that I have been nervously awaiting since researching this trek. The climb from Danaque to Timang is a steep and unforgiving 500m ascent - luckily it is outrageously stunning; moss covered trees, rhododendron forests, cascading waterfalls, crystal creeks as shallow as your hand. It took the best part of 2 hours to achieve, and we were greeted with the most amazing 360 degree views of the Annapurnas and Manaslu.

The Griffins circled overhead, while we feasted on pizza and drinks.

After ample rest, it rolled on to 3pm, and we decided to try and make our goal - to get to Chame! The lady at the restaurant looked dubious - but we believed in ourselves, we had come so far already. 

We set a good pace leaving the town, feeling refreshed and motivated - not even budding blisters could slow us down! In no time at all we came to the notorious 'Heart Break Hill'. As you descend one side, your eyes can't help but follow the line of the trail up the other side of the ridge, rising 200m. Thanchowk really makes you work for it! Being one of the most original villages on the trek, we took our time taking photos and appreciating the tiny wooden houses, lush green rice fields, and ancient Chortens. The road led us further along, and we knew we were getting close, we had to be! Our bags felt about 10kgs lighter when we saw the beginning of a town appearing before our eyes. Unfortunately, the oasis wasn't the town we were after, Koto had deceived us. Another checkpost confirmed that we had another half hour to go, so on we went, prowling further into the wilderness as the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky.

Tired and exhausted, Chame saved us from a night in the cold and the Eagle Eye was to be our home -a cosy lodge at the top of town. With the sun gone, the temperature dropped and it was freezing! The warm glow of the kitchen and dining room looked more inviting than ever. It was a cheerful place where we shared stories with some crazy kiwis who are motorbiking the trail! A quick dinner lulled us into an exhausted sleep state, both of us falling asleep in beanies, jackets, thermals and sleeping bags. 

Day 5
Chame - Upper Pisang
600m ascent
Lodge: The Annapurna Hotel 

Yesterday's efforts forced us to take our time this morning -  we didn't leave Chame until 8.45! We had a leisurely breakfast with our motorbike crew friends before setting off on slightly sore legs and tense shoulders. We headed west of the town, up into the most beautiful pine forests. It smelt like a clean bathroom and Christmas all rolled into one. The pine needles made a cushiony bed under our feet, while our eyes gazed on the ineffable majesty of the mountains. After a time, we rejoined the road and my body felt like it had started to shut down. I honestly felt so exhausted I could have curled into a little ball and died. I haven't been hungry at all on this trip, a mix of altitude and anxiety I assume, making eating a dreaded challenge. 

Daniel insisted on taking on the role of semi-porter, carrying a few heavy items in my pack, which helped get me through to the next town, Bhratang, which is 90% apple orchard, 10% amazingly new/modern lodges. We stopped in at the little cafe to revive and survive, feasting on the best apple muffin I have ever tasted, along with a freshly squeezed apple juice. We sat here for about 40min, entertained by our books and bunny-hopped by the kiwi guy from Tal.  

Feeling a little better, we hit the climb. To get to the climb, you had to cross a suspension bridge with 2 big red 'x's on it. I was a little dubious, so decided to take the road bridge, Daniel decided to risk it of course. Safely on the other side of the gorge, it was a steep but short climb up to a really sweet porters stop where we got a snickers to recover. Those things work like magic.

You could feel the temperature starting to drop considerably, the pine trees now had pools of snow at their feet.

We followed the road all the way to Dhukur Pokhari, where we reached the nearest rooftop and tried to have lunch. I struggled to eat again and Daniels patience was wearing thin. He forced himself to eat the remainder of my potatoes, which subsequently led to him vomiting in a juniper bush. We walked quietly for an hour or so, before a well timed glimpse of Upper Pisang, and a welcome release of dopamine, energising us for one last push. There was a friendly guy waving from a balcony at the top of the hill, so, feeling a little obliged, we headed for it. The Annapurna hotel - A rustic and atmospheric wooden cabin, fit with gaps in the carpentry, squeaky floor boards and questionable angled walls. Passport photos and well wishes decorated the walls as we sat down for a comforting welcome tea. This is unfortunately where Daniel picked up the start of a never ending cold; we blame the trickle shower, lack of heating in the dining area and cold drafts, relentless and unforgiving. We headed off to bed early as usual, resting our heads on so described 'hard as yak shit' pillows - it's probably the worst bed we have had in a few days. Lucky we didn't have to pay for it with the eat and sleep free deal. 

Day 6
Upper Pisang - Ngawal
540m acsent 310m descent
Lodge: Peaceful Hotel

The routine hummed into action at 5am this morning. By 5.45am our soft and vulnerable feet were duct taped, I managed to force down some museli and warm yak milk and Daniel was all wrapped up, camera ready. With the spectacular sunrise hitting the Annapurna II peak fresh in our minds, we set off from the lodge, the air feeling nippy and grand.

A beautiful blue pine forest was our backdrop for the good part of an hour until all of a sudden, a huge line of prayer wheels and a glance up ahead signalled the beginning of our steep climb for the day. This one was tough. 350m zig zagging straight up the mountain, at an altitude of 3760. We were racing the sun a little, having become wise to the benefits of walking early and in shade rather than the relentless sun rays through thin air. Up and up we went, stopping at every second switchback for me to count 10 breaths and keep going. The hour felt like an eternity and every muscle of my body could tell you about it. The prize was definitely worth the effort; the views from Gharyu were unbelievable. The photos can't capture the feeling of vertigo you get when you look up to their rocky tops, or how insignificant they make you feel. It's something magical that I will never forget. An apple pie restored our energy levels, and Drill Sergeant Daniel insisted we keep moving - our destination was only 1.5 hours away. 

We threw our packs back on and started to head out of the town, somehow managing to pick up a little walking buddy - Ch Ch is what he answered to, so let's go with that. We walked past the old chortens and followed the path as it climbed higher still, following the natural curve of the mountain, Gharyu sitting in our peripherals, so ancient and so beautiful. The path got quite narrow at points, and if you didn't watch your footing, it wouldn't be much to slip on a piece of shale and be lost forever over the edge of the cliff. Ch Ch kept up with us, darting over the side every now and then, chasing rodents and gerbils. The road seemed to go on and on and on. The sun was getting quite strong, the wind was picking up and we walked on like two people on a mission.

As we rounded a corner, there was a little shop set up selling cinnamon scrolls and chocolate rolls. The smell was infectious, but unfortunately the baker was a jerk and refused to accept a note with a small tear in it. Cruel, I know. To add to the blow, it was here that we discovered Ch Ch's real reason for following us - he was a bakery fan too. Noticing that we were empty handed, he promptly found some new humans to pursue. Pride a little bruised, and stomachs feeling betrayed, we pushed on.

As we approached the 2 hour mark, with still no sight of a town, our spirits were getting low. But this wonderful place has a habit of reminding you why you're here, and offers a surprise at every corner. We rounded a bend, and there it was! We had made it! We stopped at the first place we saw for lunch - noodle soup and Tibetan bread, whilst listening to traditional music blasting from the kitchen. The cool mountain air brought our body temp down in a matter of seconds, and food had never tasted so good. We negotiated board at the Peaceful lodge, and nearly cried in delight at the thickness of the mattress and the soft pillows - and our own private squat toilet! Our room overlooked the entire mountain range, as well as 2 beautiful horses and a dead cow that the vultures were feasting on. We spent the afternoon sitting in our room listening to the wind howl and swirl around us, disrupted only by the throaty shouts of the cow herders in the fields below.

Day 7
Ngawal - Manang
540m ascent 310m descent
Lodge: Hotel Nilgiri 

We woke up to our increasingly difficult SteriPen not working again, but it was nothing a safe drinking water station couldn't fix. 

7.30am: We climbed a little to get up over a ridge for a beautiful view back over the frosty medieval town. The trail spat us out at a monastery-like boarding school, and it was from here that Daniel sprang into action. Something needs to be said about his mountain man skills, whether it's assessing goat poo for its freshness, or scanning foot prints to indicate direction, he really has adapted to the trekking life quite well. I'd still be doing laps in a blue pine forest somewhere if it wasn't for him. We decided to go a bit 'off-road' and headed down a mountain side covered in pine needles towards the little town of Julu, an ancient village hidden and almost forgotten in the mountain valley. Daniel briefed me on appropriate falling techniques and how to scale down shaly, slippery and narrow goat trails. It took just over an hour to get down to a town which was still asleep, there wasn't a soul in sight, so we kept walking following the trusty red and white trail markers only stopping to refuel with a $2 (expensive) snickers at a quaint tea shop.

The bizarre lunar landscape had us preoccupied and it wasn't long before we arrived in Bragha - a town well known for its Seabuckthorn juice, yak meat, impressive entrance kani and collection of ancient Tibetan religious paintings which we regretfully didn't get a chance to see. Our bellies rumbled at the thought of vege burgers and pizza, and this little town was only too obliging - the lodge even had a sauna! There was a little kitten there who we named noodle - she entertained us with her vocal demands for food and attention. 

We arrived at the Manang plateau a short walk later and checked in to the Hotel Nilgiri - we were excited to have a room above the kitchen - the extra warmth was welcome, along with a stream of pleasant wafts from the oven. The remainder of the day was spent chatting with a pair of guys from Canada / Australia, whilst trying to make our charger work, strapped to the wall with Elastoplast.

Day 8
Manang rest day 

A day of rest has never felt so deserved in my life! We sleep in till 7am, what a treat, and woke for a filling breakfast from the little bakery out the front. Not ones to leave our boots untouched for too long, we decided to explore the town a little, investigating the movie cinemas hotels, bakeries and trinket stores. Through the little laneways, we spotted a glacial lake just out of town that lured us with its milky aqua tones and reflective photographic opportunities. It was blissfully peaceful lakeside, although we questioned the claw marks and footprints in the bed of the lake... (Discovering a few days later that some crazy Russians had jumped in for a swim). We headed back to town - got some decongestant for Daniel, mended his sleeping bag, found some band aids and then headed back to the hotel to whip out the solar panel, partner with a huge slice of chocolate cake and charge up for the next few days of adventure. 

Day 9
Manang - Yak Kharka 
520m ascent
Lodge: Yak Hotel and Restaurant 

Aurora was hemming the horizon as we set off this morning, hiking further up into the alpine regions of these magnificent mountains. At the tiny village of Tengi, (a reward for our first climb) we purchased 2 woven bracelets with some spare change from a Tibetan refugee, who wished us luck on our quest - everyone knows that from Manang, things start to get serious. The trail climbed out of the Marsyangdi valley and greeted us with uncompromised views of the Annapurna family. We continued through pastures and miniature juniper forests to Yak Kharka - always under the contemplative eyes of the grazing yak above and below us. The snow piled like icing on the top of the dark umber mountains, leaving our path relatively dusty and dry. As we swung around into a side valley and crossed a suspension bridge, we watched a porter pull into town just ahead of us hauling a mere 35kgs with his neck and head - those guys are like no one we have ever seen! 

A long line of ancient mani walls welcomed us into the town, where we settled on a lodge towards the end of the track for a quick escape in the morning, not knowing that it would give us front row seats to 2 emergency rescues with the helicopter - an unsettling reminder of the dangers of altitude sickness to say the least. Everyone came out of the woodwork to have a look, and we bumped into quite a few people that we'd met along the trail. A giant dust/yak manure cloud forced us back into our cosy cabins as the sun begun to set. It wasn't long before the dining hall called, but this time, fate had something in store for us - she had decided that it was time we found some quality trekking buddies. You know a friendship is going to be long lasting when you can spend hours covering a spectrum of topics, from Indian train etiquette to artificial intelligence. It was in this dining hall, brought together by our shared need for warmth that we met Ged (From England) and Coco, better known as 'Le Chèvre' (from Belgium). We got along like a yak poo stove fire, interrupted only by dhal bat and vegetable noodle soup. The hours flashed by and 9pm is considered a late night on the trail, so we decided to call it a night and went to bed beneath a velvety clear night sky - Mars, Mercury and Orion's belt in full view. 

Day 10
Yak Kharka - Thorong Pedi
440m ascent
Lodge: Thorong Base Camp Lodge 

Rolling out of bed to another crisp morning, I don't think I have ever felt so alive. My toes and fingers fizzled with excitement and uncertainty - tomorrow was the day! I tried desperately to move this to the back of my brain, the focus was to get to Thorong Pedi as swiftly as possible to allow for as much rest as we could afford. The morning climb was gradual and beautiful. The sky was an intense cerulean and we were feeling good. We spent some time watching local yak herds go about their family life, Mum making sure baby reaches the juiciest grasses, balanced precariously on a shale cliff. 

We slowly wrapped around the increasingly sparse landscape, and could feel the approaching base camp in the air. There was one final challenge to weed out the ready from the unready, the landslide walk. A desolate, 'Lord of the rings' style test, allowing only the bravest to cross and attempt the Thorong La pass. Imagine a giant pile of asphalt, a path about 30cm wide cut through it, and us, walking across, hoping we didn't knock out that one load bearing stone to bring the entire mountain-side down. It was enough of an incentive to pick up the pace a little - the altitude making this increasingly difficult. Step by step, we edged closer to the prize, making it to the 'thank you' sign all in one piece, our confidence rattled only by one medium sized stone having thrown itself at my feet. 

We had made it - our final resting place before the culmination of all of our efforts. We spent the afternoon chatting to other trekkers, playing chess, reading and doing a quick practice climb up 220m to acclimatise a little better. The clouds rolled in like clockwork, and the waning crescent moon appeared. Dinner was the power food that is dhal bat, shared with our friends Ged and Coco. We were in bed by 6.45pm, ready for what tomorrow will bring.