Rhododendrons, Sweat & 3,200 Steps

Day 5 marked the beginning of our much-anticipated trekking adventure — not the Everest-y, oxygen-deprived kind, but where you still feel your thighs burning and your soul glowing.

We left Pokhara with lighter packs and heavier anticipation. Our larger bags were handed off to the porters — superhumans in flip-flops who carry 40 kilos as if they were lunchboxes. Our radiant guide, Nani, made sure we stopped just enough along the winding road to admire the misty silhouettes of Annapurna and Machapuchare, the sacred “Fish Tail” mountain that no one is allowed to climb — out of reverence, or maybe fear.

The Annapurna Circuit: More Than Just a Trek

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the most iconic trekking routes in the world — a legendary trail that loops for over 160 to 230 kilometres, depending on where you start and finish. First opened to foreign trekkers in the late 1970s, it passes through a remarkable diversity of landscapes: from subtropical jungles to alpine peaks, Tibetan-style villages to windswept valleys echoing with yak bells and prayer flags.

This region is home to a patchwork of ethnic groups — the Gurung, Magar, and Thakali, each with their language, dress, architecture, and deeply rooted traditions. You won’t just pass through scenery here; you pass through worlds. Despite increasing development and road construction, the Annapurna Circuit remains a deeply cultural experience, with every guesthouse serving up not just dal bhat but also stories.

From Nayapul to Ulleri: A March Upward

Skipping the dull asphalt stretch from Nayapul to Birethanti (thank the gods for pre-trip planning), we began walking in earnest. The trail started gently, winding through stone-lined paths and terraced rice fields, giving us enough time to wonder: “How bad could it be?”

The answer arrived after lunch.

Following a hot meal and a short rest in Tikhedhunga, we were introduced to the day’s headliner: 3,200 stone steps. Not switchbacks. Not trails. Steps — uneven, slippery, vertical declarations of pain. It’s a climb that makes you question your life choices somewhere around step 700, and then again at step 1,900, and again somewhere in the 2,600s when your legs begin to twitch involuntarily.

By the time we reached Ulleri — a charming village perched at 2,020 meters (which in Nepalese logic still counts as “hill” territory) — we had earned not just a view, but a badge of humility. Every village in Nepal, it seems, is uphill from somewhere, like a Himalayan version of MC Escher’s staircase.

Village Life & Cultural Encounters

Our home for the night, Holiday Guest House, was simple and clean. No frills, just warm beds, hot showers (when the stars align), and a view of the valley that quietly rewires your idea of peace.

We walked through the village before sunset, passing homes made of stone and slate, children with bright eyes, and volleyball players training furiously on a dusty school court for a local tournament. It felt like walking through someone’s memory—a place where time bends to the pace of goats and tea breaks.

After tea and cookies (a daily ritual that would become sacred), we had dinner. We capped off the evening playing a very adult evolution of the Italian card game “Merda,” appropriately renamed “Porco”. Laughter echoed through the dining room until our legs reminded us that they were done for the day.

The True Nature of the Trek

This trek isn’t the dramatic Himalayan adventure most imagine. The altitude is low (by Nepali standards), and the landscape isn’t raw or untouched — it’s lived-in, walked on, and built around. You pass through villages, not wilderness. People smile at you. Chickens cross your path. Monkeys swing from electrical wires. It’s not a National Geographic fantasy — it’s more human than that.

The flora and fauna won’t blow your mind (except for the blooming rhododendrons, Nepal’s national flower, which deserves every place it holds on the flag). Still, the cultural immersion is what truly matters. This is a trek through people’s lives — and that, perhaps, is the most beautiful summit of all.