Ascent to Ridge over Ngawal

Ngawal is also strategically positioned for making photos of sunrises". Walls of Annapurna III. and Gangapurna are a very good photogenic position from here , so it is worth to get up early for the hike.

This trip along the ridge is very simple for orientation. Just go up from local gompa along the winding path around the poles with big flags to the chorten above the town and then still up along not distinct path. During the ascend you also encounter the path rising upward into the pass Kangla. But do not be tempted by this one / unless you do not want to go there /, because it leads most of the time through the valley and it is thus not so full of views like this one leading along the ridge.

The area around still huddle in the shadows, but the whole ridge up to Tilicho peak is colored with golden brown.
 

You can also see the peak of Chulu East in the west direction – one of the permitted Nepalese „trekking " mountains.

After the sunrise the mountains change from gold to glacially silver. The views during this walk are absolutely amazing.

If you are lucky, you will see clouds in the Marsyangdi valley. If  you get above them ( in about 4 thousand meters above sea level) , you can enjoy a stunning inversion that other tourists down can only admire. The mountains are from their point of view totally under a cloud and they curse the mountain fate.

View of the peaks towering above the clouds is breathtaking…

The early morning inversion moves gradually back with time. In this photo you can also see the ascent path, which is not difficult, but be careful. There is no option to replenish water!

After about three hours of ascend you are already in around 4,500 meters above sea level. Inverse clouds are gone for good and you can admire the view of the whole valley. You can keep getting higher and higher, but you need to consider well your acclimatization. But the descend is fast (takes about an hour). You will not meet a living soul during this ascend (from chorten over Ngawal above). Only down below you can hear the horses’ caravans descending from the pass Kangla.

The first and the last view is of Ngawal from the prayer flags – you will already meet a few tourists here. It is advisable to remember the turning leading sharply down to Manang that you see from here, because a lot of tourists miss it here and they are then hanging  around the plains above Ngawal.