The Unpublished Story III

...If you're planning to catch sunrise at ABC (why wouldn't you?) wake up at around 4AM; this should be easy if you dosed off early the previous evening. Leave everything except your walking stick and camera in MBC and slowly ascend toward ABC, don't hurry, there is a high chance you'll fall sick if you do. Then bit by bit, it'll start to brighten up. Look ahead and you'll see Annapurna South, it's a jaw dropping sight; the mountain will appear so big that you'll literally be able to make out the glaciers and the crevasses. At the bottom lie the hotels of ABC, enclosed by the Himalayas. A few steps and you should be there just in time to indulge on nature's show, something that can't be expressed in either words or film.

On the right is Annapurna I, behind Machhapuchhare, on the left is Himchuli and gloriously in front rests Annapurna South. Just a few minutes, and a dazzling scene will unfold… the sun starts to rise from behind Machhapuchhare, the first rays of the sun steeps the mountains, and slowly the peaks start to change colors.
Savor each moment like you're never going to come here again (fat chance!), bask upon God's glorious creations and even order the food to be sent outside. You'll soon realize that the camera isn't enough to capture the moment, not only because the mountains don't fit into your humble digital camera, but also because the brilliance cannot be captured; there are a million and one details that cannot be included in a print. Trust me, you just can't get enough of ABC but 10AM should be a good time to say adieu. If it seems like someone in your team will have to be dragged – tell them, but if you stay, who will brag about the trip to your folks?

After you get past that, descending is easy. You may feel a little ABC sick, but you've seen so much mountain and snow that you'll dream about it for another week. Skip, hop or run to MBC, clear the hotel bill and set for Bamboo or Sinuwa or even Chomrong if you're really ambitious. A good trip back can be a night in Bamboo then the next day to Jhinu via Chomrong. Jhinu or the Hot Springs is just an hour from Chomrong and en-route to Syauli Bazaar through the recently opened trekking route. There is nothing that beats a hot spring swim after a tiring walk. By six in the evening, you should be back in Pokhara, fresh from the springs. It's also a great idea to end the trip on top of a bus from Naya Pul to Pokhara, with the goats. If you manage not to fall off, it has the potential to wrap the entire expedition fabulously."

So that ends my journey to the valley within mountains. I hope you enjoyed it. Now, while you think about your trek to ABC, I'll be eyeing EBC - Everest Base Camp.