It was late in the afternoon when we reached Ghandruk, one of the largest Gurung villages of Nepal. It is also where ACAP’s headquarters was located until the Maoists attacked it a few years ago. The sky was becoming overcast and it was windy and chilly. We settled at the Sakura Lodge right across from the police station. Although the peaks of Machchapuchhre, Annapurna South, and Hiuchuli were behind the clouds, we did enjoy the view of the compact village, surrounding hills, and the roar of the now-invisible Modi and its tributary Kimrong. It was dark soon, and we hit the bed after having a hearty meal of daal bhaat tarkari. Thakai le garda hola, majja le nidaiecha. When we woke up the next morning, it was cloudy again, and to our disappointment, the peaks were invisible. After breakfast, we started our march towards our destination of the day, Ghorepani. Passing through the narrow alleys of Ghandruk, we were soon in a dense forest. Thuprai sana kholsa haru tardai ani chara haru ko chirbir sundai bistarai oralo lagiyo. We soon approached a narrow valley of a stream where I had encountered a fresh landslide in 1997. After crossing the wooden bridge, it was a steep climb. Bistarai paani parna thalyo. We stopped for lunch at Bhainsi Kharka, a small clearing in the middle of the forest with only a few lodges. Kramasha