Quickly recapping, we went on a 3-day hike in the Annapurna region, and this is the 2nd day of the hike. On the 1st day, we started the walk at Kimche (1700m) and stayed overnight at Tadapani (2720m).
Waking up before dawn for beautiful views under the sunrise
Despite the sub-zero air during the night, we had a good sleep thanks to our great travel companion, a sleeping-bag buddy. But once we got out of it, the chilly air made us shiver. We waited for the sunrise in the cold. The air was very clear and the sunlight kept changing the colors and views in front of us in the silence.
As the sun rose, it brought a pinkish-orange light to the mountains and clouds. Very quiet and peaceful.
Starting the 2nd-day walk on the frosty trail
After breakfast, we left Tadapani at 8:30am. The night had brought a frost to the landscape, and we walked along the white-colored trails. The trail for the first half of the morning was relatively steep with steps. We passed by several small villages, crossed small streams, and passed people with donkeys carrying food and things to villages. The trails were well maintained and it was a very comfortable walk.
Wide and open view at Thapla
Later in the morning, we came to the open area and kept walking along the ridge lines. The was my favorite part of the entire trail, where there was a great wide view on both the right and left sides. We reached Thapla (3165m) at 1:00pm, which is the highest point of the ridge. After Thapla, the trail headed downhill, with the great view continuing in front of us.
Arriving at Ghorepani
We arrived at Ghorepani (2860m) at 1:45pm, where we spent the 2nd night. Having lunch with this great view in front of us was awesome.
The round trip to Poon Hill to catch the sunset
After a short break, we took a round trip to Poon Hill to watch the sunset. It’s actually famous for the sunrise, but many trekkers who still have the energy and are keen to maximize their precious time in Annapurna, climb up there in the evening too.
After the sunset, we went down to the lodge. The evening in the mountains passes quickly. After dinner and some chats around the heat, everybody in the lodge went to bed for the next day.
Here is the detailed route of the 3-day trekking.
While a 3-day trek from Pokhara is not common, our agency came up with a great plan, chipping away both ends of the 4-5 day route nicely, which enabled us to skim the cream of the beautiful trekking route!