📸 — Day 9 & 10: Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Manang was great, we spent two days adjusting to the altitude (as most people do at this level) and enjoying somethings we haven’t had in over a week. Our teahouse had a real espresso machine so we enjoyed a flat white and latte. We also had a Yak burger and fries which was VERY exotic compared to the most standard meal of Dhal Bhat and rice we were having. We also had a super hot shower which was perfect because as we arrived.. the weather turned cold and it started snowing tiny pieces of hail that would dry up as soon as they hit the ground.

While in Canada, Olivier did a bunch of research that recommended we take Diamox on the trail. It is a medication that helps your body acclimatize faster but when we purchased it at our family doctor… no one was quite sure how to use it and gave very precautions advice…. “our medical notes says… etc”. They essentially were Googling. But while in Manang, there is a training you can take that helps you identify symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) as well as educates you on the impacts if not treated. As the American doctor that gave the training said “Diamox is really safe and is perfect for what you’re doing. We hand it out like candy here”.

The training was really helpful and gave us confidence in what we were preparing to do. We took the Diamox to help us adjust faster to the altitude and did one more day hike to get our bodies ready to hike higher.

Day Ten Summary:

Start time: 8:30am
Total distance: 14.1 km
Menag → Ladder

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The trail to Manang was dusty, so it was nice to have a good shower after.

First western food in a week after Dhal Bhat for lunch and dinner most nights. Pizza and Yak burgers were a treat for the taste buds.

Basic rooms. We couldn’t get a seated toilet in our room, but the main bathroom had one.

Snow started falling and our clothes needed to dry for the following day so we did some hand hold drying by the fire.

AMS training with a doctor volunteering from the USA.

A lot of the information was terrifying…

Acute Mountain Sickness: It is common when you hike this high in altitude that you experience AMS.Headaches, nausea, or on the extreme spectrum if not treated…. brain swelling and fluid filling your lungs.

It was good to understand the symptoms and be prepared with the right medication, but man… it certainly made things more scary.

Our day hike was up the side of Gangapurna, a peak right beside Manang.

Who dabs better?

From up higher, we saw the village of Manang, it is so tiny and truly in the middle of now where.

Manang seen from above. It looks small, but it’s by far the largest village the trek goes through.

Dream team!

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