Day 3: Ghermu to Tal
Approximate Trek Time: 5 – 6 ½ hrs.
Distance: 13.3k / 8.3 miles
Overnight Elevation: 1700m/5577ft
Only the second day on the trail and still getting used to trekking with my pack, with lots of climbs – some shorter and some longer, I found this to be one of my toughest days on the circuit as I slogged behind Shawn all day. Our map included descriptive labels such as “marijuana fields” and “long hot climb” along the trail toward Tal, so it was sure to be an exciting day.
After a steep descent to a rickety suspension bridge across the Marsyangdi River, we hiked through the village of Syange and up the long, hot steep switchbacks to Jagat. Past Jagat, you can stay along the road or follow the Annapurna Circuit trail markers that continue uphill along a trail section that bypasses a portion of the road, which is what we did. This section of the trail climbed up through rocks and trees, with small streams trickling down the trail in some areas and ramshackle log bridges over the larger streams that gushed from waterfalls. It wound its way through sun and shade around the mountainside before descending through a small village en route back to the road at Chamje. Well worth the road detour.
Descending past Chamje, we crossed a suspension bridge to the east side of the Marsyangdi, where a group of Nepalese farmers cut marijuana plants along the banks. While our Australian friends were offered hash here, it wasn’t until later in the afternoon as we neared Tal that an enterprising teenager would inquire about our interest in the ganga.
Along the east bank, the trail climbed up, up, up, just as the map had promised. Over rocky steps – or sometimes just rocks – and past countless small grayish-black lizards with blue-hued feet, all scurrying away from our footsteps. After what seemed like what MUST have been the most punishing climb of the day, we arrived in Sattale, where we decided to take a lunch break and scarf down some egg-fried noodles. Our friends from Israel also made their lunch stop here, so we commiserated about the climbs of the day together.
We plowed through our lunch before the other group had even decided what to order and hit the trail, anxious to get to Tal. With only an hour to go, we figured it couldn’t be that bad! Nearly this entire hour was a seemingly unending, punishing rocky gravel uphill. Finally, after finishing the “long hot climb”, as so aptly noted on the map, we looked down into the flat valley where Tal was situated along the east bank of a very calm section of the Marsyangdi. It was the greatest site! We hiked with a skip in our step down into the valley and along the flat wide trail into town.
Entering Tal (1700m/5577ft.), it was only the second guesthouse on the left before the friendly owner sucked us in to take a look. The Father and Son Guesthouse was painted bright pink and teal green and looked like a giant dollhouse. The affable owner had a bright smile and infectious laugh, offered us a room with a double bed and en suite bathroom with hot shower free of charge, and couldn’t wait to tell us the Wi-Fi password. Also boasting proper walls and ceilings, it was a pretty easy sell.
Tal is the first of the villages along the circuit to house a safe drinking water station. These stations, developed by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) with assistance from the government of New Zealand, provide refills of safe drinking water in attempts to decrease the number of plastic bottles sold along the trail each year. The stations are available in several of the villages beyond Tal, with costs ranging from 40-80 Rs per liter, far below the cost for bottled water.
