April 2023 Khopra Ridge Trek, Nepal

    For the first time since we began our trek, we were unable to follow our planned schedule. Due to excessive snowfall at higher elevations, the trek scheduled for the day was cancelled. Porters and trekkers whom we encountered mentioned the heavy snowfall at the Khayer Lake area, which prohibited trekking to that location. Five out of the eleven trekkers in the group, however, opted for an early morning trek to a sunrise point located at a slightly higher elevation. I was happy to stay back in the room and enjoy my sleep. Breakfast was served at 7:30 AM. For a change, I chose pancakes with honey. Since no trekking was possible, most of us stayed in the dining area, which was being kept warm by a central fireplace. After five days together, the break from trekking provided an excellent opportunity for everyone to interact with each other. Lunch was served at 2:00 PM, and I saw fried rice on the menu, so I opted for that. Someone took out a pack of cards and started a ga...

Altitude Gain: 6,561 ft to 8,705 ft Trek Distance: 6.4 km | Trek Duration: 4.5 / 5 hours Last night, I had a good sleep, except for a bio break. If we were staying overnight in a tent in an open space, I would have woken up my buddy, but since we were in proper in-house accommodation, I didn't bother him. The routine we have set for ourselves now will, in a manner of speaking, stay with us for the next week (+/- half an hour). We will wake up by 6:00/6:15 AM, with or without an alarm. We will have tea by 6:30 AM, breakfast by 7:30 AM, pack up, and start trekking by 8:30 AM. The snow-capped mountains wished us a beautiful good morning. We had limited breakfast options, which were bread butter jam, porridge muesli, or omelet. When group members started filling their water bags, Shure, the local guide, warned us that drinking water would be charged from the next halt onwards. The open area outside the tea house provided ample opportunities for photography with the snow-capped mountain...

Altitude Gain: 2,760 ft to 5,440 ft (by bus) Trek Distance: 3.7 km | Trek Duration: 2 hours | Altitude Gain: 5,440 ft to 6,561 ft Yesterday (i.e. on Saturday) evening during the Team Meet & Greet session, the trek lead Vivek had given the following clear instructions to the members. The left luggage & offloading trek bags duly packed to reach the reception by 8 AM. Breakfast would be served by 8 AM. Bus would leave by 930 AM. Accordingly we set alarm & got up by 6 AM. Visited a local shop for morning tea. Had a nice bath (not sure when we would get our next shower!) & reached in time for breakfast. At the breakfast area we met another group of trekkers from TTH who were covering a different trek, ABC - Annapurna Base Camp. As the trekkers were having their breakfast, Vivek announced that rains were predicted later in the day & the earlier we leave & start the trek, lesser our chances of getting caught in the rain. By 9 AM - breakfast completed, the ...