Page 6 - QARANC Vol 15 No 2 2017

4 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Ex TIGER ANNAPURNA SERPENT
The Annapurna circuit can be described as a classic, magnificent and challenging 12 day trek across the Himalayan mountain range of Central Nepal. Offering dramatic cultural and geographical diversity, the circuit is both mentally and physically demanding as trekkers strive to reach the highest point, Thorong La pass, at 5416m above sea level.
Twelve members of Defence Medical Group South and two Royal Marine Summer Mountain Leaders successfully completed the Annapurna circuit trek in February 2017. Expedition Leader Lt Renée Raba QARANC led a highly professional and successful adventure training trip which after a long flight began at the British Ghurkha camp, Kathmandu. Here we had training on what essential kit to pack for the trek and how to use the emergency equipment should an incident or dangerous weather conditions occur on the mountains. The next day we embarked on the long journey via off-road Jeeps to our first tea house accommodation in a town called Syanje at 1100m. This would be the start point for the next 12 days of travel to be carried out on foot.
As a group we hiked the undulating terrain, at the start passing through the foothills and catching glimpses of the Annapurna range high above us. We soon learnt that the term ‘Nepali flat’ from our local guides could mean anything. Each day we ascended higher and higher passing through Chamje (1430m), Dharapani (1860m), Chame (2600m), Lower Pisang (3200m), Manang (3540m), Yak Kharka (4018m), Letdar (4200m) and Thorong La High Camp (4800m) in an attempt to reach and go over the pass of Thorong La.
Throughout the trek we were accommodated each night in tea houses. These were very basic wooden structures providing us with beds, outdoor toilets, no heating and sometimes no power or warm washing facilities. We became very accustomed to the ‘bucket shower’ or for some of the trekkers no shower at all. With temperatures reaching as low as -10 degrees at the higher altitudes it was essential to have quality warm clothing on and a 4 season sleeping bag. We were fortunate to have Nepalese porters carrying our main bags, walking the same distances as us throughout the day and carrying over 40kg in weight each. They were very impressive individuals who we were extremely grateful to. In some of the towns there were temples we could visit en route; with Buddhism being one of the main religions in Nepal, it was important to understand and embrace this part of Nepalese culture. We were also very lucky that the weather remained
DMGS Team
pleasant the whole time allowing us to have blue skies during the day and continuous views of the mountains which were beautiful.
Prior to leaving the UK, all trek members received a safety brief on how to identify and treat Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Symptoms normally start to appear from 2500m and can range from a headache (which is normal) to life- threatening effects. It was incredibly important to ascend slowly and take time to acclimatise to the new altitudes we were experiencing each day. We worked fantastically well as a team to ensure we looked after one another and kept a record of any symptoms with the team medic. Fortunately all members of the group remained reasonably well and managed to complete the entire circuit which is unusual for a group of this size not to have at least one person needing to withdraw. As every team member made it up to and over Thorong La pass, we were rewarded with amazing views and a sense of achievement to be proud of.
The descent was welcomed, stopping one night in Muktinath (3800m) and finishing our trekking journey the next day at Jomosom (2710m). We had the fantastic opportunity to take a small aircraft flight out of the mountains from Jomosom to the main city of Pokhara where we enjoyed some well- deserved rest and recuperation. We also enjoyed some cultural touring time on our return to Kathmandu where we visited more temples and witnessed the rebuilding projects taking place following the earthquake disaster of 2015. We were hosted with a traditional Nepalese dinner by one of the team members, Pte Sherpa, whose family live in Kathmandu. It was lovely for everyone to come together and reflect on the hard work they had put in during the trekking phase.
This adventure training was a fantastic opportunity for all who took part and allowed everyone to work within a team in testing and challenging conditions. We were pushed out of our comfort zones and had to use military values and standards to overcome fears and demanding environments. There was a regular display of selfless commitment from all members to not only keep on going when physical effort and symptoms of AMS became tiring but to show support and compassion to fellow teammates who were struggling. Having trekked over 100 miles in total, at altitude and in arduous conditions, Lt Raba and her team can be very proud of this achievement.
Cpl Emily Johnson and Pte Helen Merrett
(From left to right): Lt Renée Raba, Cpl Emily Johnson, Pte Amber Fitch, Pte Helen Merrett, Cpl Alex Patten, Pte Sachin Sherpa.