Trip Reports

Dhaulagiri Circuit - 18 Apr to 6 May '15

Written by Leader Rob Wymer, May 2015

Arriving in the peaceful brightness of the Summit Hotel gardens in Kathmandu, and meeting most of the rest of the team, it felt good to be back amongst the people and in the country that has provided so many wonderful memories for me over the years. Although we still needed to meet Terry, Caroline and Thongma over in Pokhara, our team was already bonding and the excitement was mounting for what promised to be an excellent trek. Fortunately the flights to Pokhara go later in the day after the mad rush to get to Lukla, so we were able to use the next morning to variously shop for new double boots, repack items of gear, relax, or in the case of me and Robert M, go to the Tourism Ministry to be briefed and collect our summit permits for Dhampus Peak. After our pleasant flight to Pokhara (no ëexcitingí landings there!) we settled into our comfortable hotel at the lakeside and then spent a few hours exploring the town and mooching by the lake. Surrounded by fabulous views of the Annapurna range, and the distant Dhaulagiri itself, Pokhara is a town full of both exhilaration for what is to come, and calm in its immediate environs.

Next day saw us travel by road on increasingly rough roads on increasingly rough buses to finally arrive at Darbang, our road head for the trek. Starting low down, in the first few days this trek slowly gains height, winding its way up alongside a river, passing through agricultural land, and sleepy villages where the children are still genuinely excited to see you. The very warm weather made us glad for the shady spots under trees found for our lunch stops. Several big descents into valleys and up the other side again certainly made us glad weíd prepared properly in terms of fitness, but the high points also gave us our first amazing views of massive snowy peaks that were coming closer every day.

A mixture of airy walking on paths hewn straight out of the rocky sides of the valley one moment, coupled with finding ourselves in the forest again down by the river the next, certainly kept the interest up as we made our way up ever higher towards our objectives. The team were working well together, showing their considerable previous experience by taking the sometime strenuous walking in their stride (!), and by functioning highly efficiently to help get our camp set up when the inevitable afternoon showers struck. Eugene and Jim were also able to display their experience and ingenuity by always finding an arrival beer at whatever camp we entered, despite being sure it would be their last opportunity...

It was during one of the sections in a forested part that we felt the earthquake. We were glad that we were on our side of the valley as there was some rockfall on the other, and a large chunk of permanent snow/ice also slid down to the valley floor too with a resounding crash. We trekked on though and it was only reaching camp that day where the campsite owners were listening to the news on the radio that we realised something was seriously wrong. Being deep in a steep valley without enough sky for the satellite phone to lock on, we decided to push on and it was really only a day and half later where we finally reached a more open section of the valley that I was able to report in, and be briefed on the full horror of events in other parts of the country. Our high point of Italian Base Camp (for Dhaulagiri) was an impressive place though, tucked under the north west face of Dhaulagiri, weíd left the forest behind and were now surrounded by snowy peaks, massive lateral moraines and glaciers.

Having no idea of what conditions were like further on after the quake, and there being no prospect of helicopter rescue for us from the Hidden Valley were we to have needed it (as the helis were already involved in rescue efforts elsewhere in the country) the only sensible and responsible option was to descend. After spending the night there we, along with the other groups there, had a last look at what was to have been our onward route down across the glacier and up through a narrowing of the valley around the corner, before setting off back down the way weíd come.

On the following days we noticed the effects of the quake on our outward route where rocks had fallen and the path had been damaged so we travelled carefully, reconnoitring ahead where necessary and taking a shorter route towards the end so as to get back to civilisation as soon as possible. One upside to this different route though was passing through some beautifully tranquil villages where few if any trekkers go and we were able to see rural life up close and personal, meeting ever-cheery inhabitants who seemed both pleased and bemused to see us passing through. After some staggering final views of the high mountains we eventually arrived back into Pokhara, which was largely unscathed compared to other parts of Nepal. Thereafter we waited in the safety of that town while our flights were rearranged to return home, making the most of sightseeing activities, the cuisine and remaining in our ëbubbleí until we briefly transited through a very different Kathmandu on the way back to our families.

As an expedition leader, we always try to manage events, minimise risk, prepare for as many eventualities as possible and then deal with the unexpected when it happens. Whilst I can do all that by myself, it is made much less difficult with the assistance and cooperation of my team. In this instance I couldnít have wished for a better bunch of people to be with. Reuben, Jim, Eugene, Rob M, Terry, Caroline and Thongma, Andy and Pauline, Chris and Christine, and Tony were all tremendously understanding, helpful, stoic and optimistic, and I thank them heartily. We were having a brilliant fun time before the disaster struck, and Iím confident we would have gone on to have a successful attempt at our goals. The Dhaulagiri Circuit looked to be an excellent and exciting adventure and I for one shall be back.

I think we were incredibly lucky to have been where we were when the earthquake struck. So many others were not so fortunate. The country and its people will be as resilient and brave as ever, but it will take time for them to recover, and they will need a lot of help. Our thoughts remain with them.

Rob Wymer
Jagged Globe Expedition Leader

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