Page 29 - 2012 AMA Summer

ing through the cities is a fantastic assault on the senses, especially coming from the relative calm of the West Country! The bus pulled into British Gurkhas Nepal HQ and we met Major Bill Kelsall, the commanding officer in Nepal. The rest of the day was spent in briefings or on general admin. The next day the group set off in Gurkha transport on the 8 hour journey by treacherous mountain road to Pokhara. The views throughout the drive are impressive but unfortunately you spend most of the time on the road in Nepal fear- ing the other drivers or sizing up the drop below you whilst dodging the visible land slide damage.
The rucksacks were slung on and the trek begins! This is where the Officer Cadets really stood out from most expeditions to Nepal as it had been decided that porters would not be used. This was an important element of the experience as the expedition leader had decided that the Officer Cadets would gain a greater sense of achievement if they carried their own kit. This would ensure that Officer Cadets would develop their physical fitness as well as their teamwork, as they may need to assist each other along the way. Each group member carried roughly the same amount of personal kit regardless of their size without a word of complaint throughout the whole expedition and for most of us it was entertaining to see the three smaller girls turn into walking rucksacks! Another main decision that defined the expedition was the choice to trek in early September knowing that the monsoon was not yet finished. This turned out to work in our advantage as it meant that the trail was completely empty of tourists. We were told that a week later the trail would have turned into a steady caravan of trekkers all tussling for space in the tea house accommodation. As a result we only had to deal with two hours of rain a day they fell at midday, which really didn’t matter as we were under cover having lunch anyway.
Each day of trekking in the Annapurna region offered something very different. The first few days were a steady climb in the highly fertile
foothills past swollen rivers and giant waterfalls. As we ascended to Ghorephani and the 3000m mark the mountain range opened up and we saw the vast scale of the rock and ice surrounding us. We started the second day with an early morning excursion to Poon Hill at 4am to catch the sunrise cast light on Machapuchare or the ‘fishtail’. The two pronged summit of this sacred mountain, which is regarded by the Nepalese as the ‘Queen of Nepal’, has never been climbed out of respect for the culture. As we ascended past 3000m the climb began to steepen each day through tropical forests or along narrow paths with 1000m drops alongside. We mainly used stone staircases but as the trail continued these became less com- mon and we started to navigate round land slides or over swollen monsoon rivers.
Each day the group stopped at tea houses along the route, which provided basic accommodation and a delicious variety of local food. Rooms and toilets were basic but after a hard days trek uphill in humid conditions it felt like a five start hotel. On the 7th day we ascended to our goal of Annapurna Base Camp (4130m). Again, we started at 4am while it was still dark with head torches on and walked in silent anticipation. When we were a kilometre short of the base camp the sun rose on the far side of the valley illuminating the tops of Annapurna and the surrounding peaks in a spectacular display of light. All 13 Officer Cadets from the EUOTC achieved the goal of reaching Annapurna Base Camp and not only were there no injuries but they can all be proud that they carried their own weight. Excitement grew in the group as we walked through the small clus- ter of huts, stood between prayer flags on the ridge and looked up. At that point you just have to pause and take in the feeling you get when you realise that you’re standing between some of the highest and most impressive mountains in the world and let them put you back in your place.
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 27