Oct 23 Ngawal, Annapurna trek. Nepal.

We were up early to beat the wind, as we are crossing a high pass over 5000m to reenter the Annapurna circuit trek. The main features of this walk are grand open valleys with high mountain backdrops.

The yak is a great looking animal, and has no choice to be out whatever the weather. On this fine and chilly morning I appreciated it's wool that comprised my beanie and gloves.

The valley ahead goes on for a seemingly endless distance rising into the heavens. This is the highway into Nar and Phu,

It was cold up here. If you look down and see a shiny glazed surface, it in most likely ice and is guaranteed to be slippery.

Going up the pass wais hard going, requiring a few rest stops. We are over 5000m, so with the rarefied aire, the effort required is a lot more than at ground level.

At the top, my mood is one of elation as a goal has been reached, my 2nd 5000m pass.

Hard work for me and even harder for the porters carrying unwieldy loads.

The trail goes down steeply, the mountain backdrop is stunning. There is quite a bit of scree, so I would use a light jog hop if it's loose and a fair bit of care to avoid any ankle or knee damage

Much easier to ride a horse up here than bear a load on your back. I am impressed with the capabilities of these animals.

The yaks breath heavily with their bulk and load.

Up early, a long day of toil up the pass, the sun is out high in the sky, so time for a siesta.

I am glade we left early. The wind is picking up strongly as we enter the village of Ngawal.

Multi-storey accommodation, an upmarket town. I met some interesting people here. A 71 year old man with is son from Jakarta, Indonesia. The son was escorting his dad on this trip, being a lifelong dream for both of them. Another fellow a marine researcher working in East Timor, trekking spontaneously from Pokhara with a guide he found there.