Nepal (8) Trek, Day 3

We had expected to spend some time in the hot springs that our map listed were right next to Gorrepani, but it turned out that no such hot springs existed. So after Peter and I returned from Poon Hill, we were back on the trail heading south towards Nyapul.



Our lunch spot turned out to have a rather nice view, we took our time and let our legs rest.



After lunch, our trail took a turn downwards, and we spent the next few hours descending on a steep and rocky trail.





Finally, our knees would have a chance to recover as we reached the bottom and hit some more "level" terrain (using that word loosely).



I think that my mom is smiling because the steps are finally mostly behind her.



Although we got close, we weren't going to make it back to Nyapul by dark, so we decided to stop and spend the night.



Where Peter found one of his long lost bretheren.

Nepal (7) Trek, Day 3 - Poon Hill

Just one photo for now of Poon Hill. Although I took many, more photos would just dilute the impact.



That's the moon.

Nepal (6) Trek, Day 2

The next morning we got up early, as the hike from Gandruk to Gorrepani would be difficult. The overall elevation gain was moderate, but there was a lot of rocky up and down in between.

We covered several diverse terrain types, including some old forest,



open vistas,



clouds,



and views of the mountains.





It was a long day of hiking, and after leaving at sunrise, we were just reaching our overnight destination at sunset.

Nepal (5) Trek, Day 1

After a few days in Tansen, it was off to Pokhara for a trek in the Annapurna region. The road was twisty and mountainous, taking us through the clouds.



Our trek started off along the river (where it was mostly flat), but soon turned upwards.



As we hiked, the trail got steeper and the mountains got closer. I can't imagine what it was like to build these trails.



Finally we arrived in Gandruk, where we would spend the first night of our trek. If you want to use the toilet, you'll need to chase the chickens out first.



But the view from our room was quite nice.







It got quite cool when the sun went down, but a hot cup of tea and full meal felt great after a day of hiking.



We all slept quite well that night.

Nepal (4) Around my Parents house in Tansen

A few shots from our first few days in Tansen.

Coming back down from Schrinager Hill.


In my parents house, the sunny reading corner.



The view from our table at breakfast. You can see the "White Lake" through the window, which is the cloud that fills in the valley down below.

Nepal (3) Tansen

This is my parents house in Tansen, our "base camp" for the next few weeks:



Our first walk was up Schrinager Hill, which offers a nice view of the area, our new stomping grounds.

Nepal (2)

After Kathmandu, we were off to Tansen on one of the rockiest and hilliest bus trips I've ever been on.



A flat tire didn't stop us,



Nor buses with sheep on the roof,



And we finally entered the Palpa district:

Nepal (1)

Here are a few photos of Nepal so far...

The first day, Peter and I rented mountain bikes from Kathmandu and got up at 5 am before the sun had risen. We met up with 3 others and started heading out of the city in the pitch black dark. Riding through a foreign city at night was quite the first experience, the traffic seemed hectic and chaotic, but the drivers were very attentive and the traffic had much more flow to it. After a few minutes, I felt more comfortable with Kathmandu traffic than I do with some of the cranky commuters in Bethlehem at rush hour.



Soon we hit the edge of valley and started climbing up out of the city. We broke through the clouds as the sun was coming up.



We made one stop for "chia" before turning back down.

Awesomeness

Tomorrow we leave for Nepal, that means today I'm going to post the most awesome thing I've seen on the internet in a while:



Enjoy.

Mt. Mitchell, attempt #2

This time, the forecast looked great, and I was really gung-ho to actually get to the top of Mt. Mitchell this time. The weather started off in the high 40s, and with several layers I felt prepared for colder temperatures at the top. I didn't realize how much colder, however, and I wouldn't have minded bringing some of the layers I decided to leave in the car.

The climb up was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and visibility seemed to be unlimited. The grade was steady and gradual, perfect for setting into a rhythm.



There were a few tunnels along the way, and only a handful of cars. I did see two other bikers coming down.



When I hit the first little short descent, I came around the back side of a ridge where it was hidden from direct sun light. That was my first little blast of COLD. Snow drifts along the side of the road and large icicles hanging from the rocks.



I was glad to get climbing again. The northern side of the ridges and peaks were covered in ice.



The last 4 miles really kicked up (about 8%) which was a real kick in the gut after 30+ miles of climbing already. That was definitely the hardest part, but I knew I was near the top, so that served as extra motivation. The final summit is hidden from view, and there were plenty of false peaks on the way, but finally I emerged onto a paved ramp to a look out platform on the very top. I actually didn't spend much more then a minute up there, the wind was blowing hard, and according to a thermometer it was 20 F, (about -7 C), plenty cold. I wanted to get moving again.



With the summit at 6684, and starting around 2100, that was a total of about 4500 feet of climbing in 3 hours. One more quick look around, and I was ready to get off the top of the mountain.



The descent was when I really started to get cold, it is nothing but mile after mile of descending, with a strong, cold wind blowing. Fortunately, despite the sun starting to set, the weather was getting continually warmer as I descended. What took 3 hours to climb, barely took an hour and a half to descend.

My water bottle froze up, so with only drinking a few ounces over 5 hours, I was mildly dehydrated. It took a day to get enough fluids back in.

A hot tea was the first order of business.

Mountains

Something about seeing mountains in the distance, makes me want to go climb them.



I can't wait for Nepal....

Blue Ridge Parkway

Besides cross races, and mountain biking, Asheville has the the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby which is an ideal place for road biking. I set out with the bold attempt to climb to Mt. Mitchell, which would be about 80 miles round trip. So I packed plenty of food:



I started off with arm and knee warmers, and it felt too warm for that. The sun was out, the skies were blue, and the climbing kept me plenty warm. The grade was never very steep, but long and steady so it was easy to settle into a comfortable rhythm.



I turned one switch back and felt my stomach turn when I saw a big, black cloud over the ridge. It didn't look good...



Literally one minute I was standing in the sun, and the next I watched as the shadow came across the range and hid the sun from view. Note the shadows from the direct sun.



I kept going, but very quickly the temperature dropped suddenly, the wind picked up, and the rain started. While the climbing was still comfortable, I knew the descent was going to be cold, so I decided the prudent thing to do was head back. A dry pair of clothes and a hot cup of tea sounded very appealing.

I made it about half way, maybe next time...

There is more to biking then road and cyclocross

Say what? There is a whole world of cycling that I've never even been exposed to, until just recently.

Asheville, NC, is the perfect setting for mountain biking. Thanks to Travis for the bike and showing me some real mountain terrain. Awesome. I could really get into this.