Day 6: Upper Pisang to Manang
Approximate Trekking Time: 5 ½ – 6 ½ hours
Distance: 15.5k / 9.6 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3540m/11,614ft.
We woke up very early to a dog barking incessantly at the top of his lungs from a rooftop nearby… what this barking was directed at, it was impossible to tell. This went on for quite some time, and we finally crawled out of our sleeping bags at 6am. Waking up to dogs barking – at any hour of the night or wee morning hours – is not uncommon. Bring earplugs.
Creeping outside in the early morning chill, we were rewarded with clear cloudless skies and amazing views of Annapurna II, IV, and III. We snapped photos on the newly completed rooftop, breakfasted, and “hit the road”, hiking the small pathways through the village and spinning the long row of prayer wheels on the way out of the village.
Heading out of Upper Pisang, we hiked along a gentle single-track trail along the north side of the valley, its easy undulating grades a good warmup for what was to come. There were amazing views of the Annapurna peaks at every turn, small villages resting in the shadows of the valley below.
Along the way we passed a number of structures, sometimes at every bend of the trail – chortens, small stupas with prayer flags radiating out in every direct, prayer wheels, and mani walls with stone tablets engraved with the “Om Mani Padme Hum” and other Tibetan scripture.
After weaving gently along the mountainside, we crossed over a bridge and began our ascent of a long series of steep switchbacks toward the village of Ghyaru. At times, I tried out some of the shortcuts between switchbacks, but these were too exhausting to really be timesavers, so I went back to the normal switchbacks, eventually meeting Shawn at a small snack stand (surprisingly labeled “hotel/restaurant”) that was not far from the end of the switchbacks. Here we enjoyed sweet fresh apples on the rooftop of the restaurant overlooking the amazing Himalayan views that had tempered the pain of the climb.
Back on the trail, at the top of the switchbacks we made a short detour to a small stupa that overlooked the route we had just climbed before continuing on through Ghyaru, each of its stone houses with a set of vertical prayer flags extending from the roof. An impressive wall of prayer wheels and a very old looking kani marked the end of the village, where I was briefly separated from Shawn as a large herd of goats came stomping around a corner and down the path, followed by their herder, “tsk..tsk..tsk”’ing them down the trail and up into the slopes.
We continued our hike along the ridge trail that hugged the mountainside, the path eventually becoming strewn in brittle broken rock shards and the brush along the trail dry and brown, clearly a region where the monsoon rains did not reach. Passing through Ngawal along the undulating dirt road, the landscape became more desolate, barren dirt ground replacing the grasses and weeds that had earlier carpeted the forest floor. The air became arid and dry.
After a checkpoint, we briefly rejoined a section of trail through the forest leading lower to the valley floor and closer to the river before eventually rejoining the road to Mungji, where we stopped at a small bakery for chocolate rolls before continuing on toward Manang.
Over the next mile or so (1-2km), the trail and road marched by wheat fields to the village of Bragha, which was spread out from the valley floor to homes, stupas, and other structures built up into the hillsides. While supposedly one of the more charming villages of the Annapurnas, we unfortunately did not take time to explore, excited to get to Manang, though have read that it’s worth poking around.
Just another 20-25 minutes down the road was Manang. Making our way (along the left) past chortens, mani walls with engraved stones, small stupas, a large stupa, wall of prayer wheels, and more chortens, we finally walked through a “Welcome to Manang” archway.
In Manang (3540m/11,614ft.) we got a room at the Yeti Hotel (mostly interested in their restaurant menu). We “splurged” (600 NRs.) on a room with an en suite bathroom. This initially was making the entire room smell like… bathroom… but after a bit of airing out this issue was solved.
In case you arrive at this point thinking to yourself, man I wish I brought a warmer jacket, Manang is the place to get that jacket. Several shops along the main street sell warm jackets, gloves, and hats, and as an added bonus, many shops have candy bars that are back to prices closer to what you might find in Kathmandu (code: stock up on Snickers here).
Also, if you’re in the mood for a movie, at least one restaurant/hotel shows a movie each afternoon at 5pm. While most of these are mountain themed (Into Thin Air, Everest, etc.), I also noticed that Blood Diamonds was on the list of potential films, which seemed strange.
Each day during trekking season, the Himalayan Rescue Association offers free daily lectures about altitude sickness, as well as the signs of HACE and HAPE. These short and organized lectures are certainly worth a listen as you head higher into the mountains, and take place in a small building behind the Hotel Nilgiri Bakery and Restaurant at 3pm each day. The foreign-staffed HRA also runs a small medical clinic and are available for consult. We found the talk well worth it and for a 100 NRs. donation, we had our oxygen level read before leaving. (Despite supposedly having a higher oxygen level in my blood, Shawn is kicking my butt when it comes to trekking speed!)
Manang is also a place where there are more food options on the menu, with yak meat options suddenly popping up everywhere. For dinner, Shawn indulged in a yak burger and fries while I tried the yak steak with mushroom rice and roasted potatoes. Happy tummies before heading off to sleep.
