Annapurna day 13: Muktinath – Marpha

5 May 2014:

Today we descend by jeep from Muktinath to Jomsom. The route with the jeep is quite spectacular. Obviously a bad road, but an alternation of houses, desert and semi-oasis, through and over rivers. We take a shortcut by taking the jeep for this part, which is supposedly not the best hikeable part.

Kali Gandaki Valley, Nepal. Green fields thanks to irrigation.
Green fields

Upon arrival in Jomsom, it turns out that there are no buses running. The bus drivers went on strike and no one knows for how long. It would have to do with the fact that the locals pelt the buses because they prefer to take tourists at higher rates than the poor locals.

We don’t interfere with it. We see if we can find a jeep down, but the question of supply and demand leads to absurd prices. We decide to walk. After all, we’ve been doing that for days and we’re in no rush.

What is disappointing is the wind: it is very strong and blows the dust right through everything. But gradually we come to villages with beautiful oases, waving wheat fields and flowering fruit trees. White villages and piles of firewood stand out against the brown mountain slopes.

The views in this Nepali valley are gorgeous. The desertlike rocks, with the very green valley floors are providing a large contrast
Kali Gandaki River with limited run-off
Marpha-village, a beautiful place

Just past Marpha we find a nice and extraordinarily comfortable guesthouse with a fantastic yak steak. Buses may run again tomorrow. But maybe not. We’ll see. We’re here now!

Idyllic and picturesque, I would argue, our guesthouse outside of Marpha
Our guesthouse just outside Marpha

Read more about my Annapurna Circuit trek:

Annapurna Circuit  day 1: Kathmandu – Besisahar – Bhulbule

Annapurna-Circuit day 2: Bhulbule – Ghermu

Annapurna Circuit day 3: Ghermu – Tal

Annapurna Circuit day 4: Tal – Timang

Annapurna Circuit day 5: Timang – Dhikur Pokhari

Annapurna Circuit day 6: Dhikur Pokhari – Ngawal

Annapurna Circuit day 7: Ngawal-Manang

Annapurna-Circuit day 8: Milarepa’s Cave

Annapurna Circuit day 9: Manang – Yak Kharka

Annapurna Circuit day 10: Yak Kharka -Thorung Phedi

Annapurna Circuit day 11: Thorung Phedi – High Camp

Annapurna Circuit day 12: High Camp – Muktinath

Annapurna Circuit dag 13: Muktinath – Marpha

Annapurna Circuit day 14: Marpha – Beni

Annapurna: the do’s & don’ts!