Doban to Deurali

From the itinerary: Doban – Deurali (3300m / 10825 ft) – 4 ½ -5 hours hike 

The day starts with a gentle gradual ascent following the trail above 

the river through thick bamboo, oak and rhododendron forests up the 

side of the canyon. We pass by Himalaya Hotel and cross two streams 

over small bridges. The trail passes through solitary places. We get a 

sense of peace from the beauty of Mother Nature that surrounds us.  

There is also the possibility of seeing a variety of wildlife species such 

as wild pigs, deer, and maybe even snow leopards. We climb again to 

Hinko Cave, an overhanging rock. Our further climb paves the way to Deurali.

Our distance today was 4.46 miles with an elevation gain of 2,347. We finally had some good weather, but the temperatures were dropping....

The day was filled with beauty - paths lined with primula, blooming rhododendron trees, and waterfalls.

In general the conditions under foot worsened with more snow and ice, so we had to be careful walking as it became more treacherous.

The morning was beautifully clear. The mountain below is Fishtail and is a holy mountain, so can not be climbed. I got some good pictures of this mountain, but almost none of Annapurna.

Crossing this bridge was a challenge. The bridge itself was wood and I didn't notice until I was halfway out that it was iced over and everyone else was taking a different path...

We continued our journey...along paths lined with primula and blossoming rhododendon... we also saw small sparrows called greenish alpine accentor. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wildlife - we were hoping for some monkeys or mountain goats....

We came upon a memorial to the local people.

and continued up to Himalaya ...

where we had a break and some tea - bunny found some hot peppers...

The conditions gradually worsened underfoot in the afternoon and altitude increased as we finally made it to Hinko Cave with more steps

We met a group coming the other way - they had to spend 2 nights at the top due to the weather. What I later found out was their guide said this was the hardest ascent he'd had in 20+ years of guiding this trip. It made me feel a bit better. Finally at the cave we put on the micro-spikes which made walking much easier

We saw a medevac helecopter along the way - you can tell by the altitude - the med-evacs fly lower in the valley

We continued up and over a glacier

and we came to an area of waterfalls

We made good time to Deurali- about 4 hours, 4.5 with stops

Where we had lunch. The toasted cheese sandwich was steamed and I couldn't eat it, so back to pasta with an apple for desert. The apple was wonderful.

Here's my room

The weather deteriorated about the time we arrived and the rain and hail started....

and then the snow

A few words about health concerns....I had some terrible dreams last night and my hands have been so very cold, my fingers had a blue tint. Leg cramps also kept me awake. I also started to feel dizzy and at every stop today I had to take some time to let the dizziness pass. By the end of the day, we decided that it wasn't altitude, but was dehydration. I had 2 liters of water over 3 days and after throwing up the first night. As soon as I started drinking more water, the symptoms went away. The dry cough and sinus infection continued. My lips are so chapped I feel like "Ubangi Woman"...

I rested all afternoon- Dev came by to see if I was still alive:). I did make it for dinner where I had some noodle soup which felt pretty good.

Today was Election Day in Nepal. It looks like the Communist Party will have the majority again.