Ups and downs of the Annapurna challenge (part two)
KATHMANDU: Since my return from the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) expedition, not a day has passed without me wishing I had spent more time at the base camp proper.
The spectacular views of the imposing Himalayan peaks that surround the base camp, located some 4,130 metres above sea level, keep lingering in my mind.
Yes, I definitely want to go back there but I will make sure that I am fitter and better prepared to take on the challenge the second time around.
Nepal’s Annapurna mountain range comprises an array of peaks, of which Annapurna I is the highest. At 8,091 metres, it is the 10th highest mountain in the world.
Annapurna in Sanskrit means Goddess of the Harvests. This region has three renowned trekking routes – the ABC trek, which is also known as Annapurna Sanctuary; Annapurna Circuit; and Jomsom Muktinath.
The ABC trek has been regarded by trekkers worldwide as one of the most beautiful treks in the world, thanks to the majestic mountain vistas that weary adventurers find so soothing and inspiring.
Our ABC expedition, from April 24 to May 5, was organised by the Pahang Media Club, with the main sponsor being the Prime Minister’s Department.
Our group consisted of 31 journalists from media organisations like Berita Harian, New Straits Times, Harian Metro, Utusan Malaysia, Kosmo, Astro Awani and TV Al-Hijrah, as well as three of my Bernama colleagues, Noor Shamsiah Mohamed, Linda Khoo and Mohd Hafiz Abas.
The rest of our expedition comprised officials and staff of the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia and Health Ministry, as well as members of the Kuantan Youth Club and the Terengganu- based Jerangau Barat Exploration Club.
Hailstone showers
Our local tour guide Ganesh Neupane informed us that our four- day ABC trek would start from Siwai, about three hours from Pokhara by bus, and we would be stopping at three checkpoints at Jhinu Danda, Bamboo and Deurali before arriving at our prized destination, Annapurna Base Camp.
The minute we embarked on our trail, the challenges started emerging, and so did stunning views of pastures and village dwellings clinging onto the mountain slopes. and snow
One of the first physical challenges we encountered was walking up hundreds of rocky stairs that were, at some places, so steep that it looked like we were walking upright.
Climbing all those stairs was torturous, to say the least. However, the several pit stops we made to take a breather and continuous motivation from our fellow trekkers saw us through to the first checkpoint at Jhinu Danda. Here, our ever- dependable guide Ganesh warned us that the weather could be unpredictable for the rest of our expedition. He said we should be prepared for any eventuality and reminded us to make sure we carried our personal essentials in our backpack.
Sure enough, the weather was unpredictable. And, before setting foot in the base camp, we experienced continuous rain and hailstone and snow showers. In fact, when our team arrived at the ABC, we were practically ‘ battered’ by hailstones and heavy snowfall. Snowy hazards And speaking of snow, for many of us, including me, the expedition gave us the opportunity to see snow for the first time in our lives.
My first snowfall was an exhilarating affair for me, but the worry of getting an asthma attack niggled in my mind due to the freezing temperatures.
The slippery snow- covered tracks kept me worried too as I was afraid I might end up taking a tumble or two. One of the expedition members, Nor Wahidah Mohd Rodzi, 36, from Paya Besar, Pahang, also shared my concerns. She found herself ‘ kissing the snow’ a few times when she slipped whilst trekking from the Macchapuchere Base Camp ( MBC) to ABC.
“The first time I slipped and fell, I was so worried I might fall into a hole as I had been told that there was a river flowing below all that snow. Fortunately, I was okay.
“Of all the mountains I had climbed so far, this ABC trek is for sure my most unforgettable experience,” she said. Emergency in Annapurna While our trek to ABC was generally accident- free, we had to cope with an emergency on our way down. One of our group members, a woman aged 49, broke her left leg after she slipped and fell whilst descending from the base camp to the checkpoint at MBC. She was attended to immediately by Dr Eshamsol Kamar Omar, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Hospital Kuala Krai, Kelantan, who headed our expedition’s medical team.
Eshamsol said he was about 300 metres ahead of the woman when he suddenly heard someone calling out his name.
“At first I thought I was hallucinating ( due to altitude mountain sickness). Then, I knew it was for real. It was snowing heavily when I made my way to the injured woman,” he said.
When he found she had fractured her leg, he and his team immediately set out to make a splint by breaking a hiking pole into three parts.
“We attached the ‘splint’ to the injured leg to keep it in a stable position and to prevent further aggravation,” he said, adding that the woman was also given a painkiller before she was flown to a hospital in Kathmandu in a helicopter.
“In my 30 years of service as a doctor, this was the first time I had attended to a patient in such adverse weather conditions where we had to make do with whatever equipment we had at hand.” Local porters During our trek to the base camp, we got to know our Nepalese porters better and realised how hard their lives were.
Being home to some of the highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a sought- after destination for trekking and mountaineering. Most trekkers and mountain climbers hire the porters, aged between 15 and 50, to carry their luggage and supplies.
Some porters carry food supplies, daily essentials and even livestock to be sold to shops located along the trail.
One of our porters, identified only as Jeevan, 24, said they were paid about RM50 a day for their services. It is heartbreaking to see the young men sacrificing their youth by engaging in such hard labour and risking their lives each time they go out to earn a living.
Still, they are a cheerful lot and one can see the joy and relief on their face each time they reach a checkpoint successfully. And, they would all whistle the tune of a popular Nepalese folk song titled ‘ Resham Firiri’. It was so infectious that soon after we found ourselves whistling the tune, even in the aircraft on our flight back home. — Bernama
Bernama journalist Nur Firdaus Abdul Rahim was among 62 Malaysians who participated in an expedition from April 24 to May 5 to the Annapurna Base Camp in the Himalayan mountain range of Nepal. In this second of a two- part article, she recounts the high and low points of her adventurous trek.