Stairway to Annapurna Base Camp - Day 6

Today is the day we finally reach Annapurna Base Camp!! I emerged from the teahouse to head to the squatty, but quickly went back in the room to grab my camera... the view was amazing. The moon was kissing the mountain right outside my room. The mountains amazed and stupefied every day! 

We left the teahouse at 7:20am, give or take a minute, to begin our trek to Annapurna Base Camp. The teahouse sat just over 10,000 feet above sea level and we would climb to just over 13,500 feet. Compared to the previous days, the ascent felt more gradual.

Our first destination was Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail) Base Camp, around 12,130 feet. We stopped mid-morning for a tea break before continuing to our ultimate destination. As we drank our tea, we discussed our plans for the day. Having made such great time from Deurali to MBC, we decided to leave our bags there and hike to Annapurna Base Camp and return to spend the night at MBC. The next day was going to be a long hiking day, so shaving off some time would make the day less challenging. Besides, the view from MBC was amazing. 

So for the first time in 6 days, we dropped the packs off our backs and journeyed to Annapurna Base Camp light as feathers. The trail climbed at a steady incline for a mile or so and then leveled off as we came into base camp. Knowing that altitude change can make an easy hike into a challenge of great proportions, we were careful to take the hike at slow pace. Thankfully the altitude did not effect us, besides my hands slightly swelling (but that happens every time I'm up high).

As we caught our first views of Annapurna, I was overcome with emotion. The sight was overwhelming as the sun gleamed off of the snow covered mountain. I was also sad, because I wished my brother could have been with me, it's been a dream of his to hike among these mountains. At least I could bring him pictures and stories from the mountains.

Banners greeted us and served as the commemorative picture spot before heading into the teahouse village. We arrived at 11:45am just as the clouds were also starting to gather around the mountains. Hunger called us into the teahouse for sustenance, we'd let the exploring wait. 

Following lunch, my cousin borrowed the teahouse worker's snowboard and climbed up part of Annapurna for two runs down the mountain. After watching and videoing the runs, I explored the rest of the base camp. There are memorials to climbers, prayer flags, and boulders to climb. Careful where you trod though, I fell through the snow at one point and the cloud cover got so thick that the ridge was almost hidden. A nice drop off into a crater would be an unwelcomed sight to anyone that took one step too many. We could hear the rock slides as they crashed into the crater. 

After a few hours, we returned to MBC, amazed by our surroundings and overcome with sensory overload. It's moments like these that you want to burn into your memory and relive. Pictures are great, but they lack the dimension of physically standing in the great outdoors.