Annapurna circuit trek, Day 4: Dharapani to Chame

Previous posts:
Day 1: Kathmandu to Bhulbule
Day 2: Bhulbule to Syange
Day 3: Syange to Dharapani

When we woke up in the morning, it was disappointing to see rains. We finished our breakfast on time (7AM) but there was no let up in rain. We decided to delay our start to wait for the rain to subside.

A waterfall near Timang
At 8AM, weather turned slightly better and we started our journey. We should have got the first glimpse of one of the Annapurna peaks on the way. But skies did not open up to let us see the views. We hadn’t even got a sight of Manaslu which should have been seen from day 2.

Cloudy day in Timang
After about 1.5 hours of walk, we reached the village of Danaque. From here it is a steep climb of about 1500 feet to the village of Timang. Also the so called motorable road ends here due to a landslide.



After landslide, we had to cross a stream and take a foot path that climbs steeply. Subbu was of the opinion to take the wide road that skirts the hill while I preferred to climb straight up. While crossing the stream, Subbu slips to wet his shoes. I back off immediately to take an alternative route via a small bridge which requires me to go down and then climb up.

A restaurant under construction at Thanchowk
The road Subbu was planning to take was blocked and we had to climb up through the steep path. After an hour of climbing, we reach the village of Timang. My porter wants to have lunch which we reject. It was still 11AM and too early for lunch. He does not want to eat alone as it costs more. (Porters get discount only if the team members eat food!). We give him some dry fruit and energy bar to sustain for another hour.

Valley after Thanchowk
Landscape changes as we reach Timang. Thick forests are replaced by pine trees. It is also colder. We will not be seeing many waterfalls.


We reach a traditional village of Thanchowk and finish our lunch of “Dal bhaat” there. The restaurant had some nice flower plants. While the lunch was prepared, I took some time to photograph them.



The walk from Thanchowk is gentle with some nice views. We had to register ourselves at the village of Koto. This is the turn off point for the restricted area of Nar-Phu.



At Chame we settle at Moonlight hotel. For the first (and only) time in the trek, my NCELL connection works enabling me to make phone calls to my Home. (Tip: NCELL is popular mobile operator in Nepal, but in Annapurna circuit Nepal Telecom works better). There was no electricity in the village as a landslide had hit the hydro power station.


Entrance to Chame

For the first time in the trek, weather showed signs of improving. Annapurna II (26,040 feet) made a brief appearance which lifted our spirits a lot!!


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