In autumn 2002 the Nar and Phu valleys, spectacular regions of
ethnically Tibetan inhabitants, were opened for trekking. This
region was first explored by Tilman in the 1950s. Climbing
expeditions have been visiting the region since the 1950s to attempt
the nearly 7,000 m Mt Kanguru, whose imposing western flanks
dominate the approaches to the two valleys, but very few trekkers
have explored these virtually untouched villages.
Nar Phu valleys are reached by following the Annapurna
Circuit as far as Koto and then heading north through a narrow gorge,
alongside a thundering river and into the high, arid valleys that Bhotia
people have inhabited for many centuries. On your way to Phu you pass
through the semi-permanent winter settlements of Meta, Chako and
Kyang.
From Nar (Naar) you may cross back into Manang valley across Kang La, or retrace your steps to Koto.
(The map on the right: My trip in 2002)
The heavy snowfall in the eastern
Annapurnas at the end of October 2005 meant that I had to
cancel my trip to Phu. (See Phu photos 2002 here). After Kyang the trail was too icy,
snowbound and dangerous. I returned from Kyang to Meta the same day
and continued to Nar the following day. Kang La was also impassable,
so again I had to return from Nar to Koto.
Gome Gurung was my porter/guide on the Nar-Phu trip.
The trip to Nar Phu was a continuation of my trek around the
Annapurnas: Khudi
- Koto
På stien fra Koto til Meta passerer man et sted bag om et
frossent vandfald /
A frozen waterfall between Koto and Meta
Ved Koto kan
man se den smalle slugt der fører op til Nar Phu
/
The narrow gorge from Koto
towards Nar Phu valleys
The narrow gorge
towards Nar Phu valleys
Til venstre: Så smal er slugten på vejen til Meta
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photo to enlarge
Meta
The Mt Kang Guru avalanche, October 20
2005
The Nar Phu valleys made headlines on 20 October 2005
when eighteen people, seven French climbers and 11 Nepali guides and
porters, were buried in an avalanche on Mt Kanguru.
Only 4 Sherpas survived, standing outside their tents when the avalanche
triggered by the storm and recent heavy snow fall struck the camp.
A French/Nepalese
rescue team with French sniffer dogs was dispatched to the settlement of Meta below
Kanguru to search for the lost bodies in the gully where the avalanche
swept the camp. They arrived on the same day I came to Meta.
Having retrieved one body, the rescue team gave up further search
after a week.
The expedition reached Kang Guru
base camp on 19 October. The weather had been fantastically
clear until then and the next day the party made it to the
advanced base camp at 5,700m. This was when the weather and
their luck changed. It began snowing heavily and the team
decided to return to the lower base camp at 4,200m.
The French team was led by 56-year-old Daniel Stolzenberg, an
experienced mountaineer and a recently retired teacher at the
l’Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme in Chamonix, France. The
head of the Nepali team, Iman Singh Gurung, had many years of
experience running the Chure Himal Treks and as president of the
National Guide Association.
The base camp however was in a poor location, surrounded by
35-40-degree mountain walls right in the middle of an avalanche
zone. One hundred metres below the camp is a narrow gorge 400m
long. Deep enough to need ladders and special equipment to climb
into. Reportedly, one of the porters had suggested the camp be
moved to a safer location downhill but the idea was dismissed.
The party arrived at the camp around 4PM, had tea and were just
entering their tents when the avalanche struck, sweeping the
camp away and burying 18 trekkers. Four Nepali porters managed
to escape the tide of snow. After the initial shock, they made
their way slowly along the snow-covered trail to the village of
Meta, which they reached at 8.30 PM and then relayed the news of
the catastrophe. - Do not take
the mountains lightly-
dead link?Nepalitimes, Nov. 3 2005
Note: All the bodies from
the avalanche have now been found and carried out of the valley
(October 06)
Til venstre og til
højre: Den nederste del af Kanguru set fra Meta /
Meta and the foot of Mount Kanguru
Heroppe i slugten med sne
omkom d. 20. oktober 2005 7 franske bjergbestigere og 11 nepalesiske
bærere og guider på vej til Kanguru i en lavine efter mange dages
kraftigt snevejr. De mistede livet i lavinen kl. 16 om eftermiddagen i
Base Camp i deres telte på vej op ad bjerget. Base Camp ligger blot 700
m over Meta. Her havde de søgt tilflugt pga.
snevejret.
Arrival of a rescue helicopter from Kathmandu
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photo to enlarge
En fransk/nepalesisk eftersøgningsekspedition blev sendt ud for at prøve
at finde de omkomne. Ekspedition og udstyr ankom med helikopter til Meta
samme dag som jeg kom til Meta.
Den primitive hytte i Meta er overfyldt
med nepalesiske redningsarbejdere, men de tilbød mig i stedet et af
deres telte til overnatning.
The French / Nepalese rescue team
Her ses den fransk/nepalesiske redningsekspeditions lejr i Meta. Med sig
havde franskmændene to hunde der var optrænet til at lede efter omkomne
i sneen. Efter en lille uges hårdt arbejde vendte ekspeditionen tilbage.
Man havde da fundet én omkommen. En anden omkommen var blevet fundet
kort efter ulykken skete. Fire nepalesiske bærere overlevede ulykken.
The guesthouse in Meta / Værtinden i hytten i Meta er i gang
med at lave chapatis
Til højre:
Da vi sidder i hytten
i Meta om aftenen, dukker der pludselig syv-otte piger op ud af mørket som er
kommet vandrende med varer fra Koto på vej til Nar. Selv om det sner let, sover de
udendørs under et halvtag tæt sammen under nogle tæpper
These women carrying groceries from Koto to Nar sleep in
the open in the frost
Kyang
Chako between Meta and Kyang seen from the north. Pisang Peak in the
back
Landskabet omkring Kyang - med yakokse og bedemur.
Mange yakker gik i øvrigt også tabt under og efter snevejret
I dag skulle vi til
Phu, men det gik op for mig at vi var de første der forsøgte at nå Phu
efter de mange dage med sne i slutningen af oktober. På vejen til Kyang
passerer man flere smukt beliggende, forladte tibetanske landsbyer.
This is how far I got on my trip towards Phu. Around the corner
the trail is too icy, snowbound and
dangerous
Gradvis går vi gennem dybere og dybere sne – undertiden knædybt. Efter
Kyang er stien hugget ud af klippesiden som falder ca. 100 m lodret ned
til floden. Stien er fuld af et tykt lag sne og is, og da Gome, min
bærer, siger at det her er farligt (og da mit eget hjerte banker
heftigt), er jeg ikke i tvivl om at vi skal vende tilbage til Meta.
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photo to enlarge
Kyang er forladt og
øde på denne årstid
Returning towards Meta / Gome, min bærer, og jeg på vej tilbage samme dag til Meta
Efter en lang, hård dag er vi tilbage i Meta omkring tusmørket. På vejen
ser jeg blue sheep. I Meta deler jeg telt
med en nepalesisk redningsarbejder og sover dårligt pga. kulden som
trænger op gennem et tyndt liggeunderlag. Min teltkammerat sover også
dårligt fordi han drømmer om det lig de har fundet begravet i sneen i
løbet af dagen.
October 31,
Koto, 2640 m - Meta, 3560 m November 1, Meta – Kyang, 3840 m - Meta
(trek to Phu aborted due to snow)
November 2, Meta -
Nar,
4150 m November 3,
Nar,
4150 m November 4,
Nar
- Meta - Koto, 2640 m
Guest
houses: There are lodges in Nar and Phu, and a primitive hut in
Meta.
There are camp sites in Dharmasala (between Koto and Meta) and
in Kyang.
To go to Nar Phu
you need to buy a trekking permit (US $ 120 per week) in
Kathmandu or Pokhara.
