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More images from Annapurna Base Camp.
4,130 metres (13,549 feet). Bang on target. 8:24 in the morning.
Frozen grass sculptured by the wind.
This is a memorial cairn for mountaineers who have lost their lives on the Annapurna Range.
The memorial plaque for Ian Clough who lost his life on Annapurna 1 during the Chris Bonington expedition in 1970.
The memorial plaque for Anatoli Boukreev who died climbing Annapurna 1 on Christmas Day 1997.
Graffiti at Annapurna!
An hour later the clouds began to lift and we saw the complete Annapurna Range.
Annapurna Base Camp in sunshine
Glacier and Annapurna I.
Annapurna I
Mountains at ABC.
Click on the little photo for the full effect!
We woke up early, excited about seeing the sunrise but it was cloudy. During the night the temperature inside our room had been minus 6 degrees.
Julian decided to undertake a serious scientific experiment on climate change.
Golden Annapurna III
The result of Julian’s scientific experiment!
Julian played with some Japanese men we met. The video then looks down into the glacier before panning round to where Annapurna I should be!!
Looking down into the South Annapurna Glacier.
Looking across the glacier at the valley wall opposite.
The morning started fine for the two hour walk from Machhapuchhre Base Camp to Annapurna Base Camp.
Annapurna III
Julian and Narayan having a rest.
More trekkers continued to come down after seeing the sunrise.
Julian found an icicle…
and some ice.
The morning turns cloudy.
By noon we had made it to Annapurna Base Camp. But the bad weather was chasing us as we found our lodge.
Prayer flags and cairns at ABC with the four lodges in the background.
The weather became worse in the afternoon.
By evening it was snowing.
These photos were taken on 14th November as we walked from Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
Our lodge at MBC. The clouds of the previous day had lifted.
Looking back towards MBC. Yes, that’s it!
Julian with the Annapurna range behind him.
Peter from Austria, who was a day ahead of us, walks down from seeing a fantastic sunrise at Annapurna Base Camp.
Did you see the Moon?
Do you still think these things just happen by accident?
Sunrise over Machhapuchhre.
These photos were taken on the trail to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) 3,700m, the last lodges before Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
Snow from a recent avalanche which started high above on Hiunchuli.
The Modi Khola river, which we have been following for 9 days., is little more than a stream at this altitude and the valley is quite narrow.
The first sign that we had arrived at MBC were these tents; no doubt occupied by crazy people!
and then our lodge…somewhere….
This video shows the rock layers laid down when the Himalaya was under an ocean.
These photos were taken between Chhomrong (2,170m) to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700m).
It’s not as easy as it looks!
A good job Kayo wasn’t here at this point.
An Ent!
Anyone know what kind of plant this is?! Answers in a comment, please.
Gridlock in the Himalaya!
All these photos were taken in or near the last major village on the trek. After Chhomrong the only settlements were just groups of lodges usually no more than 3 or 4.
A typical lodge in Chhomrong.
Chhomrong School
Cherry Blossom
Strange curtains
One of the many bridges we crossed on our trek. This one was more substantial than most!
A last look at Chhomrong Village.
and into the clouds.
Julian carrying our solar panel. On sunny days this worked well and was able to charge the internal battery in 7 hours. This battery could then charge both the iPhone and camera batteries during the night.
Annapurna South
The path from Komrong to Taulung. On this day the path descended to the river and then rose steeply upwards. It was not a good day…
Our ever cheerful porter, Narayan, waits in a tree for is to catch him up.
More steps; Julian’s bane.
Some of the steady stream of porters carrying loads to the higher villages.
The path is in the centre lower foreground and continues up the valley behind.
These photos were taken in or near Ghandruck at the start of our treck.
Annapurna III is on the left. Hiunchuli is in the middle and Machhapuchhre (the Fishtail Mountain) is on the right. Our path for the next ten days lay up the valley on the right hand side winding up to the snow line. Annapurna Base Camp is behind Hiunchuli.
Machhapuchhre. As we climbed higher we could see the ‘M’ shape better.
Julian, Narayan and Machhapuchhre.
A typical bedroom on the trek.
Solar panels at Ghandruck.
Yeti Fan 2011 