The Quinn Family Excellent Adventure: Nayapul Jhinudanda Trek Days 1 and 2 - Pokhara-Nayapul Taxi

Quick timeline review

Dec 30 - Pokhara to Nayapul by Taxi. Nayapul 1070M to Ulleri 1960M Trek

Dec 31 - Ulleri 1960M to Ghorepani 2860M Trek Sunset view from Poolhill 3210M

Sarala met us at our hotel just after breakfast. The taxi she came with was kinda small. It was a tight fit with 3 of us in the back. The bumpy dusty road ended only a few brief times with smooth road. The mountain passes and switch backs are very scary. A small car has no issues but frequently large vehicles must stop to allow one to pass by. It's well coordinated chaos that works. After 2 hours we were ready to step out and start our trek. Trek permission passes are checked a few times along the trails. The first few hours of Trekking was on the driving road but soon cars were no more. The dust settled revealing beautifully kept trails including well made stone steps. We came across many local people (porters or Sherpas) carrying large amounts of stuff often only with a band on their forehead. It's common for them to be carrying 35 to 50 Kilograms for many days at a time. Some items are supplies for the villages not accessible by roads. Others are items the tourists cannot carry during their Trek. I'm told they make good money for this. $17 US per day. We were glad to not have needed a porter, carrying our own stuff. It felt like slavery to me but to them it's a job. I can't judge I guess but if I had a need for a porter, I'd pay them way more.

These Nepal Treks are setup perfectly for travelers. There are frequent places to stop and rest. Mountain water flows in many places. Snacks, water, refreshment stands are quite common. Restaurants including accommodation are quite frequent. Many of the hikes have a 5-6 hour end point where larger villages exist to provide many location for food and accommodations. The food menu is interestingly almost the same in all locations. The accommodations are simple and clean. After a full day of trekking all you need is a bed and a thick blanket. There is no heat so a -5 night can be chilly. I find it interesting that it's very common to not use heat in this country. You just suck it up and wear more layers. It never gets to -25 like Canada so it kinda works.

We found the Treks were hard. There are lots of steps up. You get winded pretty quick and you have to power through for sometimes 30 minutes without a flat spot. I found my poles really helped. It got easier as days went on but man it's hard without proper training. Lunch breaks really help with the process.

When we arrived in Ghorepani, we discovered the typical low season was no longer. As it was New Years Eve, the place was packed. There was a 100 person team from China with 7 guides as well. It took a few hotels to find a place, whew. We had 30 minutes to chill before heading up to Poonhill to see the sunset. OMG the Poonhill climb is 40 minutes of up. Yikes. It was epic. Michelle and KT said no way to doing it again for sunrise. I think I will.

Some Movie Links

Crazy Taxi Drive there
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W5rJIEVtWOiG5o2jWyCLtIdVTyATXuwC

Donkey Crossing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mJHlFXGdbq-axD3Dvti0kzLjcwiTUxSv

Buff Crossing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IvTNWq3UVyB808Otykyj_5QfFBYOrYDo

A room with a View
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AI59170ByYTZaE2YCDHEb9u-v23Vahzq

Crazy Bus Downhill
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UQCOYdxSU0t4M2IlAlWDO6BuchBIEnEI

Crazy Bus Return
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d8a9yau--3BsaezGJutCf3YHSX1ZyDHs

Awaiting Sarala and our Taxi