The Hours - My Memoir

Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 5: Shyala to Samagaun

noreply@blogger.com (AJEYA RAO) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:58:13 +0530

I Continue From Here: Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 4: Namrung to Shyala

Day 5: Shyala (3575m /11,730ft ) to Pungyen Gompa (4040m/13250ft) and to Samagaun (3.530m/11,581ft) - 15km (12 +3)/ 6H(5+1)

11 May 2026

I woke up at 5 AM and headed to the terrace to watch the sunrise. The view was spectacular. During the golden hour, the first rays of sunlight slowly illuminated the summit of Mt. Manaslu.

To sit quietly before a mountain as the rising sun bathes it in a golden glow is an incomparable experience. Yet what matters even more in that moment is silence. For a while, we should stop speaking—not just aloud, but within our minds as well—and simply observe nature as it is, fully present in the moment.

By 6 AM, we were at the breakfast table, and by 7 AM, we were on the trail to Pungyen Gompa (4,040 m / 13,250 ft). After walking nearly 72 kilometres over four days, it was a welcome relief to hike without a heavy backpack. My body truly deserved the chance to recover.

Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 4: Namrung to Shyala

noreply@blogger.com (AJEYA RAO) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:58:11 +0530

I Continue From Here: Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 3: Deng to Namrung

Day 4: Namrung (2,630 m / 8,628 ft) to Shyala (3575m /11,730ft ) - 13km/8.5H

10-May-2026

I woke up at around 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise. Ward was there too, camera in hand. Unfortunately, the morning was cloudy, and Mt. Saula was soon hidden behind the clouds. We did, however, spot a few mountain goats on the cliffs opposite the guest house.

Later that morning, we saw a bear on the same cliff. Thanks to Ward's DSLR and zoom lens, we were able to observe its movements up close for quite some time.

While we were at the breakfast table, a loud argument broke out between one of the Israeli boys and their guide. The guide was shouting at him over a breakfast order that had a different price than what had been communicated. It seemed like a very minor issue. We wondered whether the guide's reaction stemmed from frustration with the group's overall attitude. Regardless, I felt it was inappropriate for him to scream at the boy.

As a teacher, I could not bring myself to dislike them in the way some other trekkers seemed to. Whatever our political views may be, we are all shaped by our histories, conditioning, and circumstances. As someone older and, hopefully, a little wiser, I saw no reason to judge them harshly. Most of them were only twenty-one or twenty-two years old—still very young. And hate, in any case, has never been an effective way to change people.

Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 3: Deng to Namrung

noreply@blogger.com (AJEYA RAO) — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 19:11:43 +0530

I Continued From here: Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day2: Jagat to Deng

Day 3:Trek from Deng (1804m / 5918ft) to Namrung (2630m/8628ft) - 19km/9H

9-May-2026

The next morning, I freshened up and stepped outside to capture a few time-lapse videos. The view from the guesthouse was spectacular.

Our group was almost always the last to leave the guesthouse. Most trekkers would be on the trail before 7:30 a.m., while we typically started about half an hour later. That suited us well, as the trail was usually much quieter by then.

As I set off ahead of the group, I met Bimal along the way. He seemed to be struggling with his heavy backpack. After a brief chat, I moved on. That was the last I saw him on the trail. I also walked with the three Israeli boys for a while. There was another group of young Israeli men and women on the trek as well. Nepal is a popular destination for Israelis travelling after completing their mandatory military service.