Annapurna Circuit in pictures
Some trips want paragraphs. The Annapurna Circuit wanted light, wind, and the sound of my boots on stone that has been walked for generations. Finn stayed with friends in Kathmandu. This one was mine alone, and I still think about it in color.
Morning above the trees
The trail starts green and loud with birds, then climbs into pine, then into something quieter. Mist hangs in the valleys like steam from a kettle. Porters pass with loads that humiliate my daypack. You learn quickly to step aside, smile, and say namaste like you mean it.
Tea houses and thin air
Every afternoon ended the same way: dal bhat, a tin of hot tea, and a window facing a wall of rock that changed color as the sun dropped. Above 3,000 meters, everything slows. Words, steps, appetite. You notice small things: a crack in your lip, a stranger sharing spare batteries, the way prayer flags snap in cold wind.
Thorong La and the long descent
Crossing the pass was not heroic. It was cold, early, and very honest. My headlamp caught frost on stone. Behind me, darkness. Ahead, a pale line of sky. The descent into Muktinath felt like exhaling for an hour.
I came home with fewer photos than I expected and more than I needed. If you go, pack light, acclimatize without pride, and leave room on your memory card for the moments between landmarks.