Introduction: The Whisper That Started It All
Some journeys don’t begin with a flight; they begin with a whisper that lingers deep within your chest, urging you to go. The ABC trek was not simply a matter of checking an item off my list. It was a chance to obey that whisper-a chance to seek some stillness amid modern chaos. A chance to walk into the wilderness alone and see what might come forth when everything else is taken away.
I never knew that I would be transformed. But transformation was another plan of the mountains.
Day 1: Pokhara – The Calm Before the Climb
After long flights and enormous emotions, I would finally land in Pokhara. The city soon welcomed me with its lakeside charms, soft breeze, and fluttering prayer flags. I walked along Phewa Lake as the sky turned rose-colored and felt my nerves settle. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I was here.
Tip: Get your permits (ACAP & TIMS) sorted in Pokhara and give yourself that day to collect last-minute supplies. Snickers bars = mountain gold.
Day 2-3: Stone Steps and First Strides
Life along the trail appears easy in Nayapul. Yet, almost instantly, one becomes humbled. I climbed what felt like endless stone steps to Tikhedhunga and then up to Ghorepani. My thighs cried in anguish while my spirit was soaring. There is something about the rhythm of a step, a breath, and a repeat that stills the mind.
I shared silent snacking with strangers, exchanging the rare small smile. Solo does not always mean alone.
One afternoon, I serendipitously stumbled on a hidden viewpoint with a solitary prayer wheel standing next to a rock. I spun the prayer wheel, said my wish, and moved on.
Day 4-5: Forests, Bridges, and the Wild Green
The hike from Ghorepani to Tadapani and down to Chhomrong was a bucolic and magical experience. The other wonderful experience was crossing my first suspension bridge: it felt exhilaratingly scary yet fulfilling and liberating at the same time. The woods were alive with chirping birds, rustling breezes, and whispers of nature, and every step was like stepping away into a faraway dream.
This was also the part when a leech got on me in one of those very wet stretches (little factoid: they tend to prefer warm, sweaty ankles). The leech suckered, sucked some blood and gave me an education. I now carry salt like my life depends upon it.
So here is your tip: a leech sock will become your best friend during the warm and wet months. A lightweight rain jacket is also great, even when the skies appear to be perfectly clear.
Day 6-7: Higher Ground, Heavier Thoughts
The journey continued from Bamboo and Deurali deep into the silence. The air began to grow thin. The nights got colder. I wrote in my journal every night, sometimes with lingering tears. But I was not sad, merely opening up. I left a little note underneath a trail cairn: “To the next traveler: may you find what you’re not looking for.”
Day 8: Annapurna Base Camp – Where the World Holds Its Breath
It was the final morning that I had hoped for, nothing like what I had imagined.
Machapuchare (Fishtail) rose like a myth out of the mist .As I neared ABC, I could feel the hush settle in my bones. And then, I was there. All around me were peaks such as Annapurna I, Hiunchuli, Tent Peak, as though looking at me or holding me.No jumping up or shouting out. Just stood there and let the tears flow, whispered to the wind: “I made it.”
This wasn’t about getting there. This was everything that happened on the way-the doubt, the pain, the moments of ecstatic, holy silence.
Tip: Sunrise at ABC will wreck you in the best way. Wake early. Bundle up. Be still.
Day 9-10: Downhill Doesn’t Mean Easy
Descending quickly, but my heart was there. I cherished talks with fellow trekkers, lingered in tea houses long and hard, and savored the moments like pages of a good book I didn’t want to finish.
When I finally made it back to Pokhara, I was exhausted. Lighter. Full.
Tips for ABC Trekkers
For those thinking of taking the same path, here are a few truths I carried home with me:
- Walk slow and acclimatize your body to the altitude.
- Pack light, but include an extra pair of warm layers or a rain jacket, and a headlamp.
- Purify all drinking water—tablets, a filter, or a SteriPen.
- Carry cash since ATMs are not found along the trail and tea houses only accept cash.
- Stick to vegetarian meals higher up to avoid questionable meat storage.
- Start trekking early each day to avoid afternoon rain and secure good lodging.
- Always ask locals and lodge members about conditions on that day: trail and weather.
- Bring a power bank—usage of electricity is usually not reliable and charging often costs extra.
- Do not forget to take the travel insurance that includes high-altitude trekking.
- Trust yourself and enjoy the quietness and solitude—there is empowerment in taking solo trekking.
Conclusion: The Real Summit Was Inside
I didn’t come to Nepal to conquer any trail. I came to meet myself—somewhere in between the rivers and the ridgelines, in the fog and the firelight, in the deep silence, where there was no one to impress and nothing to pretend.If you are considering walking the Annapurna Base Camp trail, do walk. Not just to see the mountains, but to look into their mirrors.The trek never gave me the answers. It gave me better questions. And for now, that will do.
“I realized it wasn’t about reaching the base camp-it was about the journey, the growth, and the silence I found along the way.”
