Day 11.. A day of 2 halves
Still just a few more days before I get to manang and a rest day. If needed, I just about have the flexibility in my schedule for 2 rest days/acclimatisation days and this will be strengthened if I have a good day today.
The reason for this is that my Plan A for the day is only 5 miles away and a little village called Timang.
The reason Plan A is so short is that I have been basing my itinery on posts and schedule on that of a co description uple who did this a year ago on bikes and posted about each day on a facebook group for the circuit. They stopped at Timang and their blog of the bit from Dharapani to Timang basically described it as really difficult. They had been fairly on point up till now and it was hard to dismiss their thoughts.
That said, speaking to some of the Nepalis and looking at the profile on maps. Me it was not as arduous as the day before and looked like it got easier after Timang, so plan B was Chame, a further 5 miles up the valley. I would see how I went, how my body was feeling and whether I had anything left to continue when I got to Timang.
I set off early and initially managed to actually ride my bike a bit. Through the village and along a bit, before being hit by the first steep gradient of the day.
My legs often don't play ball first thing in the morning... like recalcitrant children they throw a hissy fit, bang their feet on the floor and refuse to move. Then as the miles go by (or hours, whichever is first), they kinda give up the temper tantrum and play ball in case I will give them sweets for being good.
The early morning sun was hitting the tops of the mountains but not penetrating down to the floor and initially I wore my down jacket for the first time. I quickly got warm and had to strip off again, but it was a reminder that it would get colder the further I went up. I had started at just over 6000ft today.
After that the road continued on its upward trajectory, some ok enough to ride, some hike a bike territory. It was ok and I quickly fell into the rhythm of previous days, with frequent stops to admire the scenery. Not long after I had got going, I was treated to a magnificent view of Manaslu, the world's 8th highest mountain, gleaming in the morning light. It was like the mountain gods were in battle with the cylcing gods... the mountain gods trying to bolster my mood as quickly as the cycling gods were trying to drain it.
I plodded along alternately riding and pushing, steadily making progress but then the road took a turn upwards in gradient and it was mainly pushing from there on in.
I passed my first prayer wheels of the trip and took great delight in spinning them round for good luck. The scenery was beautiful and kept me entertained as I plodded along grateful for the bit of sunshine that filtered down. Before long, I reached one of the safe drinking water stations and stopped there to refill my bottles. I was just getting ready to go agaim when whizzing down the hill towards the water station were 2 more CraZy people, i. e they were on loaded bikes. Funnily enough they were from North Wales and had heard about Love Hope Strength Foundation, the charity I ride for. They organise a yearly round Annapurna Circuit bike race (unloaded) and were clearly therefore much fitter than I am. That said they made me feel better as they did say hike a bike was the norm around here (with a loaded bike). They also told me that I had a bit of a climb coming up, which confirmed the other reports I had but that after Manang, it got easier to ride. Fingers crossed thats true for me as well. They certainly made me feel better about my efforts so far. They left, whizzing off downhill, leaving me to turn my head uphill and prepare for the difficult bit to come.
Some of the trekkers from last nights accomodation caught and passed me whilst I was chatting at the water station, but in a sweet little bit of downhill to a river crossing, I caught up with them as they were preparing to head up one of the trekking side trails. It looked like it just went straight up the side of the mountain and in that moment, I didn't envy them at all. It looked like hard work.
However, my pain and suffering arrived shortly after as the road wound up the side of the mountain. It went past a stunningly waterfall, roaring down the mountainside with such power, having carved out the rock into beautiful shapes on the way down. I got quite wet standing next to it taking photos, somewhat mesmerised by the rushing water. But I couldn't stand there forever and so continued on up. The road vecame rideable in short spurts so once again hopping on and off the bike to make forward progress. I was slow though and wasn't confinced I would make the 5 miles and the village of Timang by 1230 even. I had originally projected 1130 but that clearly wasn't going to happen.
Then just as I thought it couldn't get much worse the road went straight up the mountain in a series of neverending switchbacks with increasingly horrible gradients. No hope of riding that. So one foot in front of the other. Keep forward momentum, enjoy the views of the Manslu massif as you go. It was hard work and my body was getting to the point where it had no energy left at all. It seemed like I was so close to Timang yet every step wasn't getting me much closer.
Not helped by the traffic jam of goats crossing the road... to get to the other side😂🐐
Still... at some point you have to get to the highest point... and eventually, at about 1230, I crawled into Timang, totally done in. It had been a hard fought battle with the road, but on that bit at least I had emerged victorious.
I saw the 2 hikers I had caught up with earlier, sitting in a rooftop restaurant, so I dumped my bike at the bottom, frankly at that point, not caring if it got nicked, and climbed up the steps. There I got an absolutely fantastic view of Manaslu in all its glory and both the mountain and the rooftop I stood on were bathed in bright sunshine.
The other 2 weren't staying to eat which suited me fine. I ordered my new favourite, potatoes and cheese and a mint tea, and sat down, giving my legs a well earned rest.
It was a nice place to eat lunch and would have been a nice place to stay but given that it was only 1330 by the time I had finished lunch and I suspected that the hardest bit ofnthe day had been done, it would have been criminal not to push on. The food had also given much needed fuel to my weary muscles and I felt much better than I had when I crawled into the village.
I was treated a a bit of lovely downhill to start with after lunch which is always good for the soul but then once again started up. zthe gradient however was doable and the road surface ok which meant I could ride larger portions of it and make better time than I had this morning.
The scenery around me had also started to change. Instead of a jungle feel, the deciduous trees were in the main now connifer trees and it felt more like being in the USA as I wound my way through the trees.
I was also starting to need a jungle wee but its very difficult to find anywhere here as as a rule one side of the road is steep rock. and vegetation and the other is a steep drop. Neither particularly good when it comes to having a safe jungle wee. So I ignored it and carried on up, riding a bit, occasionally pushing when I was confronted with a steep gradient. It was still tough, not this morning tough, but draining nonetheless.
Wearily I rounded a bend and stopped to catch my breath and glanced up from the road. There, standing tall and majestically was Annapurna.
It was a bit of a shock to suddenly be confronted with the mountain, just like that.
I have to say, I felt a bit emotional. It had been hard work and a long road to get here from Kathmandu and this mighty mountain stood as if it knew it was worth the effort. Rising to a sharp peak, parts of the face of the mountain were too steep for snow to cling to, so the dark grey rock provided a contrast to the white peak.
I stood there for a while staring at the mountain. The peak was almost shrouded by a haze and the photos did not really do the sight justice. Eventually I tore myself away and carried on. Just after that came one of the best downhills I have had yet.... Swooping. and diving round obstacles and over rocks, then some. smooth road, speeding past a group of trekkers, this was why I hauled my bike up here, for moments like this. I covered a mile in a hugely short amount of time comapared to my previous mile per hour average.
All good things must come to an end though and I was waiting for the sting in the tail of the day... It wasnt actually that stingy when it did come and I pushed up it slowly having first put on my down jacket as it was. now quite chilly. As I did so. a guy on a motorbike stopped and turns out he was from Newbury... small world! He was on a motorbike trip and had done 7 weeks in India before coming to Nepal. We had a quick chat and then he got going. Another group of hikers that I had met earlier now caught up... all of us converging on Chame, which was now only half a mile away. We passed through the gateway, and more prayer wheels into the village of Chame at around 1530. Now at 8841 ft.
What a day.
I was still inwardly grinning at the descent, most of the pain from the day forgotten and I trekked through Chame looking for a hotel to spend the night. I found a nice enough looking one. Turns out, I was the only guest.
I got changed into some warmer clothes and huddled under the duvet trying to keep warm until I became hungry. I wondered downstairs to the little kitchen where the hostess was making some kind of battered rings. She offered me one and I sat down next to the stove. They tasted good. She was making them for the festival to take to Dharapani tomorrow. I met her son and daughter and her husband got the fire going in the dining room. In the meantime I sat in the kichen and chatted, looking out the window at the mountain glowing brightly in the evening sky. A group of people were celebrating thebfestival, singing and dancing further down the hill and gradually it moved up towards us. It was lovely to watch, froma place of warmth. Then dinner, tried the pasta tonight (all the hotels serve exactly the same menu) and warmed myself by the fire. It was a good way to end the day.
Food and warmth and the days efforts however meant that I was really tired, so I resolved to get up early and write the blog again in the morning.
2 more days of effort until Manang and a bit of a rest before the big push over the pass.
If you are enjoying the blogs and feel you are able to sponsor me for my suffering please go to
https://www.justgiving.com/page/lydia-franklin-1694429224102 and give what you can. If you sponsor me please feel free to message me a name to put on the prayer flags to be left at the top of the pass.
LHS
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