Sunrise at Poon Hill. Can you see Venus rising just above the horizon (just to the right of center)?
Made it to the top just in time.
Slept poorly. As usual, we’d pushed the 2 almost-twin beds together, but these were constructed with a thick wood frame, so the gap was wide and hard. Also, I was anxious about our dawn hike. We weren’t sure where to go, or even what time (some Dutch girls said leaving at 5 would give us plenty of time, but it seemed early to us), or whether the sky would be clear enough to merit a 1,000-foot climb in the cold, dark morning.
By the time the alarm went off, we could hear people walking outside, and see flickers of their headlamps through our window. The sky was clear and Rick could see where people wer generally headed, so we agreed to go for it. I was slow and a bit cranky to rise, since it was so early and so cold! Brrrr!! Rick harassed me until I got up, reluctantly. We assembled the camera, a water bottle, and I grabbed our two remainin Snickers, and then set out with our headlamps on.
We’d heard that the dawn Poon Hill hike was a very popular 3-5 day trip from Pokhara, but we wer still shocked to see so many people–100 or more–when we’d never seen more than 20 or so at once for the past 2 1/2 weeks!
For religious reasons, Machapuchare (center) has never been climbed.
The view was spectacular, as promised, but the spectacle has far more to do with the viewpoint than the sunrise, and we would advise any full Circuit-goers that you’d be fine to go to Poon Hill in the afternoon or evening (in fact, a sunset seems like it could be equally magnificent). We were quite satisfied to survey the major mountain chains, the Dhaulaghiri and the Annapuran, that had towered over us for two weeks. From our 10,000-foot peak, we could see clouds below and the giants above us. We also had the perk of judging our physical conditioning against the day-trippers, many of whom we passed as they wheezed their way up (sorry, had to gloat just a little). Mountain conditioning only lasts while you’re in the mountains, htough, so we’re probably back where we started already.
Once again, we underestimated the day ahead of us. Poon Hill’s descent is just a preview of hte 6-7 hours of downhill hiking left in the final Annapurna Circuit day. All in all, we descended nearly 7,000 feet, almost all of it cobbled stone steps. That’s like walking down all the flights of Sears Tower stairs 6 times! With packs on your back! This, after the Poon Hill jaunt, was knee-weakening, to put it mildly. For only the third time of the hike, we stopped for a proper lunch, as much to rest our knees as to eat!
We had hoped to hit Naya Pul at around noon, but it was 2:30 when we reached the bus that took us to Pokhara in the promised 2 hours. On the ride, I realized we hadn’t even learned if the bus was actually going to Pokhara. I mentioned this to Rick, and I knew he had become seasoned to developing-world travel when he just shrugged and said, “Whatever. Wherever we go, we’ll be fine.”
17 days, 130 miles, 17,700 feet elevation gain and loss: we did it!
Dhaulagiri through the prayer flags. Clouds below.
Annapurna I
Panorama gone wrong. But it did get Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. It's kinda cool.
The long walk down.
Well over 5,000 stone steps down...
...and a wall of water buffalo blocking the way...
...we finally reached the creek bed, flat ground, and our exit point.
After a steady diet of crackers and Ciproflaxin antibiotic, we’re both in fair enough shape for our 8-hour bus ride back to Kathmandu craziness. 
