The Annapurna Trek
OSOC was supported by a trek Around Annapurna in the Himalayas from 20th October - 11th November 2014. The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world’s classic treks and, as the name suggests, takes you around the entire Annapurna himal. The full trek takes 15 days to complete, and climbs to a height of 5,416 metres (17,768 feet).
Before we started trekking we had the shock of the news from Thorung La on the Annapurna Circuit where 39 people, trekkers, guides and porters tragically, died. This resulted in one of the trekkers deciding not to come to Nepal and another deciding not to go over Thorung La..
Taking the guides’ advice we decided to continue and monitor conditions, taking a final decision at Manang. At Manang there was a meeting with all the trekkers, guides and porters. The decision was taken not to go; this was a difficult decision for some who had been looking forward to completing the circuit.
Despite the disappointment of not being about to go over Thorung La and complete the circuit, all eleven trekkers thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It is a hard trek and the differing abilities of members of the group could have caused problems. Four or five had no problems with the difficulty, while three or four found it hard, but still completed the journey of a lifetime.
You can read the amazing diary of Sandra and David, (two of our trekkers) here.
The Outward Journey
Day 1 - Besisahar to Bhulbhule
Day 2 - Bhulbhule to Bahundanda
Day 3 - Bahundanda to Chyamche
Day 4 - Chyamche to Danakyu
Day 5 - Danakyu to Chame
Day 6 - Chame to Lower Pisang
Day 7 - Lower Pisang to Manang
Day 8 - Manang to Chame
Day 9 - Chame to Tal to Chyamche
Day 10 Chyamche to Besisahar to Kathmandu
Everest Base Camp Expedition
The Everest Base Camp Expedition took place from 24th October - 7th November 2016. Mount Everest, or Sagarmatha as it is known in Nepal, is the highest point (8,848 metres) on Earth. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzng Norgay conquered the ‘white beast’ on May 29th, 1953.
Everest Base Camp Trek takes you to its base at 5,357 metres, which is higher than the mountains in Australia and Antarctica. It is almost as high as Mount Kilimanjaro.
Besides the breathtaking scenery of the Himalayan landscapes we also experienced the culture of the centuries old Sherpa traditions, and stayed at tea houses along the way. Of course,we were welcomed with the usual warm hospitality of the Nepalese.
The main purpose of the trek, as well as a personal challenge for each participant, was to raise funds for OSOC. Commentary on the following pages is from Dave Britten. Dave was accompanied by Alistair Mills who compiled an entertaining and informative blog recording his experiences on his website ebc-2016.com
Day 1 - Lukla to Phakding
Day 2 - Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Day 3 - Namche Bazaar
Day 4 - Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
Day 5 - Tengboche to Dingboche
Day 6 - Dingboche
Day 7 - Dingboche to Lobuche
Day 8 - Lobuche to Everest Base Camp
Day 9 - Descent to Pherice
Day 10 - Pherice to Khumjung
Day 11 Namche Bazaar
Day 12 Namche Bazaar to Phakding
Day 13 Phakding to Lukla
Day 14 Return to KathmanduTr
Quotes from the Everest Base Camp Trekkers
“The trek made quite an impression on me. I still have nice dreams that I am there again” - Alistair
“Rod is still sorting through pictures but has some fantastic ones. A stunning reminder of an amazing trip. Loved the country, the people, the scenery and the wildlife (not so keen on the altitude issues and spartan facilities in the cold but you can't have one without the other in Nepal!) Have been boring my friends with yak and mountain pictures and spreading the word about OSOC.
“Sincere thanks to you both for organising the trip......utterly amazing. Really pleased we did it. Also, thanks to Louis for his support during the trip....much appreciated. “ - Bev
Trekking in Nepal
