I visited Pyuthan recently. Where is that? See here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyuthan_District. Five hours drive north of Butwal on dusty roads brings you to a very beautiful valley. It is spring now so the wide valley floors are completely green and visually very appealing.
This woman is a Magar. I liked her nose-ring.
I am posting this on this blog as this race is upcoming and has no website as of today. Please feel free to forward, and post any questions you have below. For more information about previous races, see here: http://www.annapurna100.com/ – next year promises to have again a 100km race, and on trail as opposed to road as for previous years. Good luck all participants!
A great challenge to all Runners in Nepal: 4TH ANNAPURNA ULTRA TRAIL RACE 27 MARCH 2010
Starting – Barahi Hotel
Run along lakeside on road for about 2 km, then uphill on trail to Sarangkot
Sarangkot Checkpoint 1 -
Nau Dada – Check Point 2
From Nau Dada to Kande Old Mule track will be used then road until Lumle
Lumle – Check Point 3
Chandrakot – Guide Point Only
Birenthati – Check Point 4 and Finishing Point (35km and 71km)
Sudme – Check Point 5 and 19
Tikhedhunga – Check Point 6 and 18
Ulleri Mid - Check Point 7 and 17
Ulleri Top – Check Point 8 and 16
Ban Thati – Check Point 9 and 15
Nange Thait – Check Point 10 and 14
Ghorepani – Check Point 11 And 13
Poon Hill – Check Point 12
Downhill and Finishing Point at Birethati.
90-95% of the route is trail
24/25 March – All Foreign Participants Report Summit Hotel (Main sponsor)
Participants go Kathmandu-Pokhara by domestic flight or bus according to their personal preference and budget
26 March – 3pm Registration and 4pm - Final Race Briefing at Barahi Hotel Pokhara
27 March – 0630 Race Start
28 March – 1030 Prizes Distribution/Photos and 1130 Lunch Party 1230 – Programme Ends
Participants remain in PKR or return to Kathmandu by domestic flight or micro bus according to their personal preference and budget
Entry Fee (GBP 100 for the 71km and GBP 50 for the 35km) to be paid to Chief Organizer (Ramesh Battachan) on 26 March at Registration Programme 3pm.
This includes:
a. Race Participation
b. Official T Shirt
c. Certificate of Participation
d. Medal of Participation
e. Souvenir for Foreign Runners
f. Cash Prizes 1st-5th position (71km only)
g. Trophies for 1st-5th position (71km only)
Entry Fees for Nepalese runners is FREE. Entry Fees raised from foreign runners are used to sponsor the fooding and lodging of non-Pokhara based Nepalese runners.
I’ve just imported some espresso coffee making things from China. I still don’t really know what to call them. I say “Coffee pot” but they also go by macchinetta, caffettiera or moka pot. I heard that every home in Italy has one of these in its kitchen, though some of these will now be packed away now that electric espresso machines have become so affordable. Still, such a coffee pot is probably the cheapest, simplest way to make good coffee at home. If more people can make good coffee at home, won’t the home market grow just a little bit more benefiting farmers in rural Nepal? So this is the attempt to add a little caffeine boost to the wider public in Kathmandu and beyond.
This mission started in Langtang after 10 days of Nescafé in a country with some pretty good coffee being produced. In these trekking areas all lodges have to have fixed menus and fixed prices set by the local tourism committee. While it stifles culinary-creativity somewhat, it stops price wars and thus tries to focus the lodge owners minds on keeping the lodge looking tidy and its bedrooms clean.
Still, with competition rampant, it was hard for lodges or tea-shops to differentiate themselves from the next one along the path, or rather, the one big fancy one that all the guides assumed their clients would want to go to. Perhaps a bit of real, freshly prepared coffee would be enough to attract people to a smaller, less conspicuous (and less successful) lodge?
This has not been proven yet as it took around 8 months from placing the order to getting them to Kathmandu. In the coming months, some good Nepali coffee should make its way up to Langtang. Let’s see how the tourists like it.
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