Day 8 - Annapurna Base Camp, we made it!!!

 Minus 9C overnight, but I was warm in my sleeping bag with Nalgene hot water bottle in a sock. Along with 3 layers of icebreaker on top, one on bottom, two pairs of socks and a beanie!!

Started walking in a very clear but cold ( minus 4C) morning wearing thermals under hiking pants, liner plus wool socks, icebreaker singlet, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, and 320 wt zip neck icebreaker, all cover by wind/rain jacket. Ice breaker beanie with buff over the top on my head, and liner gloves inside waterproof ones. Whew, no wonder it’s hard to walk! As usual my swedish doctor kept pace with me, we had become great walking buddies.

I’m still unwell, 3 toilet trips overnight, and more Imodium than is recommended! Plus the altitude medicine makes your fingers tingle like a bastard!

Moosie however has no altitude or tummy problems

It was a two hour crawl, lovely to know that we had made it and there was no rush. So magic, clarity of light, clear air, and the sound of the stream rushing down, perfect

Everyone was quiet, almost in a religious way; you can see why they call this Annapurna Sanctuary.

 MBC is 3780 m and went stealthlike to Annapurna Base Camp at 4130 m. Slowly, slowly up a deep valley, Fishtail at our backs, and Annapurna in our faces, snow dusted peaks on each side. As the sun came out the layers came off, and we stopped many times for photos and to exclaim at the view!

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Arrived at ABC at 10 30 and just sat and looked back down the valley in silence.

Not sure what an internal trekker is, maybe that's what I've got in my tummy?

 I’m so proud of my body for making it. Everyone has been so kind and supportive, both the other trekkers and guides.

And I’m exhausted. Our room is tiny with thick stone walls and a stone floor. It is bitter cold. Prayer flags flutter, this is the gate way to the Annapurna Sanctuary, a great space surrounded by the Annapurna peaks, you can walk the circuit if you have another 15 days. It feels sacred. By 11 30 the clouds rolled in, I rested in my sleeping bag after lunch, long slow deep breaths.  

We went up another 200m after lunch to helps acclimatise and to hopefully avoid the need for a night time walk back down to MBC!

Passed hundreds of Inukshuks, and some memorials to lost mountaineers. And many, many prayer flags.

I’ve had no phone, computer, kindle, Ipod or anything which is probably the longest I have ever gone without technology. Kinda nice!

I cannot comprehend that this is the starting place for climbers, there is a higher ABC and then of course they go up to summit at over 8000m. We are only half way up!