[Nepal: Diary of a First Time Trekker]: Day 3, First Day Of Proper Trekking
It was here – the first day of proper trekking! I think we were all keen to put our hiking boots to good use (mine for their debut) and get stuck in. As our guide, Pasang, had briefed us the night before, today we were in for a long day. We needed to begin our ascent up the mountain, and that meant a long 8 hour hike up a steep stone staircase, through neatly terraced hillsides on our way to the top of Ulleri. As we rose early, the sun was not yet out and temperatures were cold. But as I quickly began to learn, it’s all about the layers in the Himalayas (rhyming unintentional) as after a couple of hours, the sun emerged mid morning and it warmed up extremely quickly, plus the sheer exertion of walking on a constant uphill made sure we had our sweat on. It was a constant striving to retain a good balance, but I made sure I was prepared – with about 4 to 5 layers to play …