People and Paper on the Path : Finishing the Poon Hill Trek, Nepal

Female worker holding paper frames, Annapurna Lokta Paper, Siddharthachowk, Pokhara

Worker in the Paper Frames
Making paper by hand is labour intensive – but the Gurung people here in the Annapurna mountains of Nepal are still happy to take time out to smile at tired trekkers.

It was a bittersweet feeling: this was our last day of trekking in the magnificent Annapurna mountains of Nepal.

Every step of this “Easy” Poon Hill Trek had reminded me that I’m not as young as I once was. But, the accommodation was vastly improved compared with my first visit to this region many years before, when I had stayed in drafty rooms without the benefits of heat, electricity, or running water.

And, this last day was mostly downhill!

I love those mountains – and their welcoming (and hardy!) people. When photographer Gavin Gough suggested a post-Kathmandu Valley photographic-workshop walk to Poon Hill, I jumped at the chance. Much of that hike was revisiting the paths I had walked on the when doing an Annapurna Sanctuary trek some 16 years prior (see: Heaven and Hard Work).

I always find that I get into my rhythm just as a walk is nearing the end!

We set out that spring morning from Ghandruk, with mists all around blocking out any hopes of of a last sighting of the magnificent Annapurnas. Stopping to check out local cottage crafts, and to chat with locals, we worked our way down the mountainside at a comfortable pace towards our end point in Nayapul.

Small ponies on the path out of Ghandruk, Nepal

Ponies on the Cobbles
As we leave the mountain town of Ghandruk, we share the stone path with trains of dainty pack animals. Mists drift out all around us.

Looking down over the paper frames, Annapurna Lokta Paper and Handicraft Factory, Kaski Nepal

“Annapurna Lokta Paper and Handicraft Factory”
Frames of newly-made paper are stretched out below us on the mountainside.

Paper on a Frame
We invite ourselves into the workshop, …

Stretching Paper
… and learn how hand made paper is made.

Bark Drying
Daphne bholua, the Nepalese paper plant, is a high-altitude flowering shrub with strong, durable fibres in the bark. This bark produces beautiful paper – and can also be twisted into rope.

Straining Paper
When the shredded bark is well soaked, it is strained on large frames.

Woman in Red

Women at Work
A surprising number of people are busy at work – and they all seem cheerful and happy to be there.

Ponies on a Hill
Decorated pack-ponies stand patiently on the hillside, waiting for their next job.

School Pupils
As I pass a group of youngsters heading uphill to school, I marvel at how tidy they look in these rustic surrounds.

Terraced Hills
As we descend in altitude, the fields look more productive.

“Real Hand Made Paper Shop”
A little further down the hill, tables are laden with paper products for sale.

Paper Products
I picked up several fabric-covered notebooks for stocking-stuffers.

Lone Tree on the Terraces
The mists hang on the surrounding hills – but at least the rain holds off, and we have a beautiful, sunny day for our last walk.

Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis) on the Terraces
Half of Nepal’s milk and over one-third of the country’s meat comes from Asian water buffalos.

Angry Bird T-Shirt
Popular culture knows no boundaries!

The Lads
Such gorgeous chubby cheeks!

Women in the Hills
Even passersby take time out to smile for me and the camera.

Foggy Terraces
Mist still clings to the terraces running down to the winding Modi Khola in the river valley below.

Peace!
A young girl welcomes us to a balcony restaurant.

Girl in Pink

Woman on the Balcony
Mum is nearby – managing the kitchen.

“Nice Wind Place”
A rough, drafty shack on the hill reminds me a bit of how trekker huts were in the last time I was here!

Chickens on the Steps
As we drop down the hillside, our surrounds become more ‘rural’ …

Girl in a Grocery Store
… and there are more conveniences and people around.

Grocer’s Daughter

Gray Haired Woman
Traditional jewellery often includes ornate golden nose rings and earrings.

Collecting Greens
All around us, people are hard at work in the fields, or collecting animal food from the side of the track.

Smiling Woman with a Bindi
Red represents love, honour, and prosperity, and is a therefore popular choice for clothing. It is also the colour of the bindis worn by many married woman.

Man in a Dhaka Topi
These popular woven hats are part of the Nepalese national dress.

And the Rivers Keep Running!
The Modi Khola, a snow-fed river starting high in the Annapurna Mountains, is racing flat alongside us: a sign that we have reached the valley floor.