Tiger Balm Tales vol. 14 Motorized Travel It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from our brains. For the first time since we started hiking the Annapurna circuit – I was free of worry and it was a beautiful feeling. It’s amazing how much anxiety the Thorung La pass can cause internally […]
The Longest Day – Annapurna Circuit
Tiger Balm Tales vol. 13 The Longest Day KLOMP, KLOMP, KLOMPThe sounds of hiking boots on the wooden floor echoed outside my door. I poked my nose out of my warm sleeping bag cocoon, breathed in the cold air, and let it out only to see my hot breath evaporate into the darkness. I’m aware […]
Beware of Falling Rocks
Tiger Balm Tales vol. 12 Beware of Falling Rocks All I heard was Bishnu yell “Runnnnn!” My heart raced and I felt as if I were moving in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n. I sort of knew why I was running, but the gravity of the situation was fuzzy to me; it felt as if my mind were […]
A Mouse in My House
Tiger Balm Tales vol. 11 Day 10 – A Mouse in My House After 10 days of decreasing temperatures and increasing wind, my body is rebelling. My lips have become as dry as the Gobi Desert, my nasal passages feel like hard booger craters have invaded them, and my hands are so dry they look […]
No Room at the Inns – Annapurna Circuit
Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 10 Day 9 – No Room at the Inns… By some miracle, I woke up on Day 9 with a small trace of a headache, aches, and pains of the day before. Apparently, 24 hours of sleep and antibiotics were just what the doctor ordered. I woke up feeling about 80% well; […]
Paralyzed on the Annapurna Circuit
Tiger Balm Tales vol. 9 Paralyzed What started as a slight headache the night before had manifested into my complete paralysis the next morning. My head was throbbing, but worse than that, my body felt like it had gone through a medieval bone crusher in the middle of the night. Every movement I made ached […]
On the 7th day, we rested – Annapurna Circuit
Tiger Balm Tales – Vol. 8 And on the 7th day, we rested. I woke up in Manang; I didn’t have to roll up my sleeping bag, repack my backpack, tend to my blisters, or put on my dingy hiking clothes. No, this morning we rested. I lay in my bed listening to the heavy […]
Changing Rhythms on the Annapurna Circuit
Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 7 Day 4-5-6 A routine is formed. Get up at 6:30 AM. Pack up everything by 7:00 AM. Eat breakfast. Begin to hike from 7:30 AM to 4 or 5 PM. Unpack and change out of sweaty clothes. Choose dinner from the same menu as the night before (even though it’s […]
Porters of the Annapurna Circuit
Porters in Nepal don’t use any fancy equipment to carry their large loads. You see them wearing hand-me-down clothing and shoes from trekkers past. Flipflops and shoes that don’t fit; but it doesn’t matter because everything is appreciated here. I bet Converse never designed their canvas sneakers to trek to 17,000 ft. in the Himalayas, […]
Road Work Ahead
Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 6 Day 2 & 3 Bahundanda to Dharapani What is it about growing older that changes us? Not only do our feet get bigger, but we tend to also develop more irrational fears. I’ve been aware of it for some time now; my growing fear of heights. As each year goes […]
