Oct 20 Meta. Nar and Phu, Nepal.

A grand entrance: a chasm is the beginning of our walk into the restricted area of the Nar-Phu valley. I am looking forward to these next few days of visiting an area where few venture.

Through the gateway near the police station the track descends into a secretive valley. Promises are made. mystique lies ahead. Let me in !

The trail hugs the river closely, so much so that there is not enough room and it is chiselled into the cliff walls. I sensed this was something special. The build up to this walk could not be better.

I had a pleasant walk through forested valley. Water coursing everywhere. The path was smooth, with no evidence of animal train damage, however it is challenging at times, mentally and physically.

It's like some India Jones movie set with the trail tucking in behind a waterfall. I am thrilled with this introduction to my walk. Money well spent just on this part.

Along the way we stopped at a small trailside stall for chapati and honeyed tea. We passed a campsite marked as Dharamshala. de-ja-vu ? No, we are in Meta not Manaslu, there are many towns in Nepal with the same name.

The newish buildings were half destroyed by fire, probably due to an open fire inside. a lady from Nar resides there. She gains some business from us serving tea.

There are small plaques in quite a few places acknowledging the financial contribution of various charities and persons as well as the local people.

This walk was a good workout, I am certainly making good use of breakfast and morning tea. At Kota I had a hearty breakfast of muesli, eggs and corn bread, and topped it up at Dharmashala. There is not much left with climbs like these - up and down hill all the way. From Koto it was 2640m, Dharmashala is 3200m and Meta will be 3200m.

Meta is a village transitioning between old and new. The new being freshly built guest accommodation. The old buildings falling into disrepair, though some are still in use.