Annapurna Circuit (Part 3 - Altitude)

A major reason that I chose to hike the Annapurna Circuit is the diversity of the scenery. As we approached 2000m the rice paddies gave way to temperate pine forest and towering cliffs flanked the river on both sides.

Occupational health and safety wasn't a priority for these construction workers. Although our guide claimed that only two people have died building the road so far, i'm not sure that I believe him.

By 3000m snow capped mountains were regularly visible and the weather was much cooler, particularly in the evenings. The trees grew smaller and my bathing sessions grew shorter, sometimes disappearing completely.

The human body has a fairly heavy air dependence and at 3000m there is about 30% less of it. Some of the first symptoms of altitude sickness that I suffered were restless sleep, vivid dreams, a slight but constant feeling of light-headedness and a urination schedule that would put most women to shame. The hiking pace slowed to a crawl and at some points it seemed like we were almost moving in slow motion. If the locals were effected, they hid it well. I briefly joined their volleyball game at 3000m and somehow the chef managed to make our food taste even more delicious. Pizza at 4000m was a real treat.

As we got higher, the trails got steeper and the days became shorter. Although towns still popped up regularly, they were reliant on tourism and lacking in culture.

Usually we hiked for only three or four in the morning and set up camp at lunchtime. In the afternoons we would climb up a few hundred meters before coming back down to camp. These hikes weren't just for the scenery, although it was often spectacular, they also helped to speed up the acclimatization process.

We passed the tree-line at 4000m and although the views remained spectacular, camping that high was not fun. After several days without proper sleep I would arrive at camp each day with a mild headache, feeling lethargic and dizzy. The nights were long and freezing cold. We finished dinner by 7pm and headed straight to the warmth of our sleeping bags to spend the next 12 hours attempting to sleep. Although living above the clouds was certainly an experience, I was ready to come down.