Full Circle in Nepal

by Artha Holmes (Australia)

I didn't expect to find Nepal

Full Circle in Nepal In 1969 I arrived in Nepal in time to celebrate my 20th birthday in Kathmandu, having travelled overland from Europe, through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. In those days the population of the entire Kathmandu valley was approximately 400,000 people. Fifty years and many journeys later I am back in Nepal to celebrate my 70th birthday. The population of Kathmandu is now six million. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer chaos and sprawl, which has spread its tentacles in every direction, choking rivers and encroaching on the sacred temples and ghats. It takes two hours to leave Kathmandu, travelling west by bus to the enchanting Newari town of Bandipur and then on to Pokhara, Nepal’s second biggest city. I celebrate my birthday in a lovely restaurant above Lake Phewa overlooking Pokhara. Two days later my partner and I are trekking in the Annapurna Conservation Area. We arrive in Ghorepani. The following morning we ascend to the summit of Poon Hill. The track and the hillside are swarming with people wanting to see the sun rise. By the time the sun is up the number of people melt away like snow before the sun and suddenly we are by ourselves. By great chance and good fortune we learn about a new trek which has been recently opened up to the Kopra Danda region by Gurung, an enterprising Nepali sherpa from Dobato. The prospect of leaving the well-trodden path is appealing. Starting from the small hamlet of Deurali, we take the trail north towards Mulde Point. The rhododendron forests are ablaze with red, crimson and pink. It is a tough walk, ascending a steep path for almost the entire day. In contrast to Poon Hill we only pass four other hikers. Late afternoon we reach Mulde point at 3750 meters nearly 1000 metres above our starting point in Deurali.The view is astonishing, to the west in an unbroken line the massive snow covered peaks of the Dhaulagiri range, to the north, emerging through the clouds, and stretching east as far as the eye can see the magnificent Annapurna range. We are spellbound. Descending to Dobato the early symptoms of altitude sickness appear. Apart from a headache, my mind is not functioning and I am unable to move. I lie on my bed disorientated. I do not know how severe the altitude effects can be and I am completely spent. Outside my window, the peaks of Annapurna South and Machapuchare seem within touching distance. I think: “If I die here, what a sacred and still place to depart from!”. I recover after a few hours rest and by the evening I enjoy the company of our Nepalese hosts and three young European trekkers, the only other guests at Dobato teahouse. We share travel stories with our young friends and learn about the area from Gurung’s family. In the early morning, we hike back up to Mulde point. The air is still and crisp and clear. We share the vista with a herd of yaks, surrounded by Himalayan peaks with a perfect morning halo enveloping the sacred peak of Machapuchare. We stand in silence marvelling at the majesty and stillness and sheer beauty around us. I turn to my partner and she has tears in her eyes, overcome with the stillness that we are so fortunate to experience. This is the high point of our trek in all regards. Every step that follows brings us back, back to people, back under the clouds, back to the hustle and bustle of daily life. I did not expect to find so many contrasts, in time passing, in heights conquered. There is deep gratitude to have experienced this magical world in the height of my youth, ignorant and wild and at this rich and earthed age of 70. I can only marvel at the opportunity to look through my 70 year old eyes while I can still feel the freshness of my youth. The changes in 50 years are overwhelming, yet in these mountains, time stands still. The journey continues and I am content.