Full circle, the long way

Hearing a tourist complain that the solar powered water heater hasn’t worked (overnight during a thunderstorm) and that the wifi is patchy reminded me that many of us live in very privileged bubbles. It’s nice to step outside of that world, to share a meal and a smile with someone you’ve never met before and to remember what really matters. 

Conditions on the Annapurna Circuit are quite variable at this time of year (late March to April). It could be really warm and sunny up there, it might be -10 or it may even snowing. First indications are that it’s cold so we have been waiting for snow to melt. 

Our parcel of specialist kit arrived safely from the UK and we found some high quality outdoor clothing in Pokhara so we are hopeful that we are prepared for most eventualities.


The Annapurna Circuit starts in Besisarhar and ends at Beni.  We were staying in Pokhara, we love a challenge and a circuit should really be a circuit, right?! Of course it should, so we will start and finish in the same place. 

This strategic decision, made four full riding days ago, has had us (amongst other things) chatting to a human bush who offered us lunch, staying in a rescue dog training centre and carrying our bikes and luggage 600m straight up as a landslide had destroyed the most direct “road” we had hoped to take. This was just part of the 1300m climb & descent required that day.

Most people hire a jeep to get Besisarhar, the rest of them have someone to book their accommodation on the circuit and carry their gear on ahead. Some even fly to Jomsom to skip the really tricky bit. 

Us? We are doing this the hard way so please dig deep.  

Thank you to those that have donated so far – at the time of writing we have raised £130 of our £1,000 target!

If you’d like to help support Comminity Action Nepal, you can donate on our JustGiving page

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ac4nepal

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