#braga circuit

[horizon5adventure]

[differenthead]

Volume 239

Listen to Different Head, Vol. 239: "Nouvelles Observations" (Jan. 21, 2023) byDifferent Head on hearthis.at

Download

0:00:00 — "Dawna" by Morphine (1993)

0:00:42 — "Short Life of Barbara Monk" by The Ran Blake Quartet (1987)

0:08:06 — "Street Tattoo" (Edit) by Bohren & Der Club of Gore (2000)

0:11:10 — DJ

0:15:38 — "Street Tattoo" (Edit) by Bohren & Der Club of Gore (2000)

0:17:28 — "In a Crystal Cave" (Edit) by Annie Locke (1985)

0:23:39 — "Crystal Blossoms" by Stephen Rhodes (1992)

0:33:06 — "Good Places" by Beaver & Krause (1971)

0:36:38 — "Sunset Afternoon" by Charlie Haden (1994)

0:39:56 — DJ

0:42:42 — "Riss" by Karl Seglem (1994)

0:44:42 — "Aalloilla II" by RinneRadio (1994)

0:46:36 — "Nouvelles Observations" by Benjamin Lew & Steven Brown (1985)

0:50:38 — "The Secret Place" by Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno (1983)

0:53:41 — "The Velvet Horizon" by Paul Schutze (1992)

0:59:39 — "Ravinia/Vancouver" (Edit) by Jon Hassell (1987)

1:03:02 — DJ

1:07:14 — "Trois Matins" by Masahide Sakuma (1987)

1:11:16 — "Milltown" (Edit) by Miguel Herrero (1986)

1:12:36 — "Nocturne" by Oscilation Circuit (1984)

1:18:50 — "Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo" by Francesco Messina (1979)

1:38:04 — DJ

1:41:27 — "Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo" by Francesco Messina (1979)

1:42:07 — "Purple Rose Good-Bye" by Asami Kado (1987)

1:46:36 — "A Garden of Peace" by Lonnie Liston Smith (1983)

1:49:42 — "Procissão Em Beiriz" by Miguel Braga (1990)

[batsplat]

wait, is there a dovi/jorge feud???? i didn't know this!! also thank you so much for all you do for this community ❤️

not the only ask I've gotten about this and... look, rather than doing a proper write up that would take forever, I'm just gonna give my top ten fun... facts? bits of trivia. tidbits related to the two of them. quite long tidbits, on second glance. the highlight reel, if you will

(1) that time andrea dovizioso made 14 year old jorge lorenzo cry

the two of them already raced each other before the start of their grand prix careers, competing for the first time in 2001 in the cev when dovi was around 15 and jorge around 14. in riveras tobia's biography, here's jorge talking about their first fight:

I led the way at the start and Dovizioso and I escaped. It was our first head-to-head encounter, the first time we raced each other. My dad had heard that Dovi was a really clever rider and he warned me before the race. But just like in 1998 at Jerez, with Olive, I acted like a dummy and pushed for the whole race. I kept looking behind me to see the bastard still there! It was impossible to shake him off, he was watching me the whole race until the last lap. Three comers from the end I could hear his engine getting closer and I saw his shadow to my left, but he didn't come past. I thought to myself "This guy is going to try something in a second!" I decided I had to on a tighter line and close the door. Sure enough, Dovi went wider through that comer and then dived up the inside. I didn't close the door in time and tried to get in his slipstream, desperately hoping I could get him the next corner, but I ran wide and he won. I came back in tears, I didn't even want to go to the podium, I felt so cheated. I'd been on the limit for the whole race and I felt like I deserved the win more than he did.

so that's a nice and positive start! there's something charming about how even fifteen year old dovi was an absolute menace on last laps

also about that race:

'Jorge beat Dovi in Braga but in the previous race at Most, what a tantrum!' recalls Juanito, laughing. 'He didn't even want to go to the podium, he was crying like a baby! I can still see Dani (Antatriain) talking to him, trying to convince him. In the end he went but he didn't want to look at anybody.'

(2) the photo finish

in 2004, they were rivals in 125cc - a year in which dovi claimed the title and jorge was p4 in the standings. in the very first grand prix ever at the lusail circuit (pretty eventful weekend, you have to say), jorge and dovi crossed the line at the exact same moment

(3) dovi's top three favourite career win

dovi and jorge progressed through the categories at the exact same rate, and after their 125cc rivalry they continued fighting in 250cc. they were title rivals in both 2006 and 2007, with jorge's aprilia winning out both times against dovi's underpowered honda. (the general pattern was that dovi clawed back a bunch of points from jorge in the wet - jorge, with perhaps the exception of a few years in the premier class until around 2013, has never been much of a wet weather racers, while it's always been one of dovi's strongest traits.) for dovi's 300th career start in 2019, he was asked what his top three wins were - and one of his picks was from way back when in 2007

I'd recommend the race! which... well, I did in the race rec post - and I can only reiterate that these two kids do not acknowledge each other, not good vibes at all

(4) jorge's thoughts on young dovi from 2008

Jorge has a lot of respect for Andrea Dovizioso and feels that his two 250cc world titles have even more prestige because he had to beat the Italian to win them. 'You wouldn't label Dovizioso as fast, particularly, but he's much faster than he looks. He doesn't set many pole positions but he is always up front in a race, fighting to win. He is very intelligent and you can't trust him an inch on the last lap. He has been faithful to Honda, he has great belief in them. His negative side is that he tends to play the victim too much. He'll say that if his bike had a better engine or if it was a bit faster he would win. He's even said that if he was on the same bike as me he'd give me a hiding. I think he looks for excuses too often sometimes, but as a rider and a person I don't have a bad word to say about him.'

some dovi traits read as very familiar, from how he's a better racer than qualifier to the intelligence to the last lap prowess. as for jorge saying dovi plays victim too much? well

also this:

ER: Don't you think that Dovizioso wanted to be World Champion too in 2006 and 2007? Don't you think he gave everything to achieve it? JL: He will think he gave his maximum but he will be lying to himself because nobody does that. Nobody gets close to their maximum, not even me. He will think that he didn't win because he was riding a Honda. There are very few sportsmen who will say, I deserve what happened to me and there are no excuses. I didn't know how to do any better and I've done things wrong.' That is the only way to be the best, the only way. People who make excuses don't get to the top. I know riders who haven't made it for just that reason.

plus ça change

(5) jorge's thoughts on young dovi from 2018

when they were doing their thing as ducati teammates (bickering), here is one of the things jorge said about dovi:

dovi's been trying to undermine jorge's morale his WHOLE career... even when they were but teenagers... love it when you can really tell someone's been sitting on something for over a decade

(6) "also lorenzo is not my friend"

both of them moved up to motogp in 2008, jorge with factory yamaha and dovi with satellite honda. dovi had a very strong rookie season and finished in p5, only sixteen points behind jorge in p4 (who after a promising first few races had spent a lot of time that season crashing). after that, their fortunes diverged. dovi did not have a particularly happy time in the factory honda team and needed to do some shrewd negotiating to be retained by them for 2011 in that three-man squad, while jorge of course won the championship in 2010

here's a deep cut from 2011, a season where much of the excitement and drama was caused by marco simoncelli alone. jorge had exchanged tense words with sic in estoril, one race before simoncelli was responsible for a crash where dani broke his collarbone. the crash and sic's subsequent penalty meant that the three-way fight between jorge, dovi and valentino became one for the podium, with dovi and valentino eventually grabbing the two remaining spots behind casey. but during the race, jorge had executed a... questionable manoeuvre on dovi, one that did have some similarities to the sic/dani incident. given jorge's strong previous comments on racing standards, unsurprisingly the journalists pounced on this incident in the post-race presser and ask the podium sitters about it. here is the clip:

in this clip, dovi essentially says it was a dangerous move from jorge, but he wasn't sure what jorge's intent had been and he needs to watch the footage again. valentino (who had been the most outspokenly critical of sic of the three of them earlier in the presser) takes the opportunity presented to him to have a bit of a potshot at jorge. he says that dovi doesn't have the best relationship with sic but jorge had done something pretty similar in the race... at which point dovi goes "also lorenzo is not my friend"

which, you know. not exactly a major incident, but I find it very charming dovi felt the need to clarify that, actually, he doesn't like either of them. valentino also adds that by jorge's own standards, surely he too should have gotten a penalty. not exactly a meeting of jorge's biggest fans hm

(7) mapping eight-gate

well I can't leave it out, can I

so in 2017 jorge switches from yamaha to ducati and does not have a great time of it. a lot of weekends, he's just too slow, other times he shoots to the front of a race at the start (typically not great news for the rest of the field in his yamaha days) and then chews up his tyres before gradually dropping like a stone back through the field. at some point that year it became a bit of a running gag - especially when you saw he was the only big name to be picking a soft tyre and just went... buddy we ALL know how this is gonna end....

while this was happening, his teammate dovi was for the first time in his premier class career in championship contention. an extremely close title fight throughout the year with five protagonists until pretty late in the season, it eventually went to a title decider in valencia between dovi and marc. you know, the kind of year where every point counts. the race where marc put a bit of daylight between himself and dovi was phillip island, with marc winning a great dogfight out front while dovi had a bit of a horror show of a weekend. this meant that a lot would have to go right for dovi to have a chance of still winning the title... and sepang was already a match point race for marc

ducati had not won a championship since their 2007 title, courtesy of one casey stoner. after that year, their bike became steadily less competitive every season, reaching a nadir around the 2011-13-ish period. so by the time 2017 rolled around, they wanted this so so badly - even if they wouldn't have expected dovi to lead the charge. dovi had only narrowly beaten out iannone in the 'who's going to be fired for our shiny new lorenzo hire' contest of 2016, and really it was supposed to be jorge who was carrying ducati's dreams on his shoulders. but, never mind, they were throwing everything behind dovi now... no stone left unturned

which brings us, of course, to the subject of team orders. this discourse really took off at the penultimate race of the season at sepang, but was already brewing before that - and in phillip island, satellite ducati rider redding had been told early in the race to let dovi past

here from marc at sepang:

dovi had been in great form all weekend at sepang - and with his wet weather prowess being what it was, really there shouldn't have been any need for team orders at all. but he got a sluggish start, and the race unfolded from there... until eventually jorge was in first, dovi was in second and marc in fourth. in those positions, marc would have clinched the title there

and then, jorge got a message on his dashboard. suggested mapping: mapping 8. pit boards and dashboards and all sorts of boards will feature various codes during races, most of them completely innocuous - but of course they are a healthy source of all sorts of conspiracies. the timing of this one was certainly... notable, and speculation immediately started about how it might be a way of telling jorge that he should swap positions with dovi

jorge didn't end up letting dovi pass - it is questionable whether he really would have done so with what would have been his first ducati win on the line. in the end, he made a mistake that let dovi through so that dovi claimed the win anyway, keeping himself in mathematical contention in valencia. and jorge did say afterwards he was keeping dovi's title hopes in mind, kind of

jorge also said he hadn't gotten any message indicating team orders, and of course nobody at ducati confirmed that mapping eight did have anything to do with team orders

for what it's worth, this is what dovi said about their relationship at this stage:

lovely! let's see what the vibes are like a few months later

anyway, onto valencia. this race was pretty boring despite being a title decider, but the jorge/dovi bits were just unequivocally the weekend's most enjoyable aspect and rather nicely spiced up the whole thing. dovi's chances were always slim going in, given he'd have to win the race and marc would have to barely get any points at all... but still, you never know, right? marc could always crash (narrator: he did almost crash). jorge plays coy early in the weekend about the whole 'helping dovi out thing', and basically just started putting in place...? ... very specific conditions...? under which he'd help:

so during the actual race, dovi got stuck behind jorge in p5, with marc ahead of both of them. valencia is traditionally not a fantastic track to overtake at... so even if dovi had been faster, it's not like he'd have an easy time clearing jorge and cracking on. but they were beginning to drift further away from dani in p3 as ducati watched on, increasingly unamused by what was happening - and the tv cameras were of course kind enough to repeatedly show the ducati box looking deeply unamused. again, they went for the good old mapping eight message, which, hey, that could mean anything! they sure did keep showing it to jorge though, almost like he wasn't paying attention to it

eventually, they abandon all subtlety and go for a pit board message that does just straight-up tell jorge to swap positions. jorge kept ignoring the messages, lap after lap, and he never ended up letting dovi past. eventually they both crashed and marc claimed the title with a p3 finish, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway, but... still. the feeling was that this might things rather awkward inside of ducati

publicly, ducati was extremely keen to smooth over the whole controversy, saying they totally weren't mad at jorge blatantly ignoring team orders. jorge had, after all, explained to them (and the media, repeatedly) that he had totally been intending to help dovi by dragging him closer to dani

Giving his take on events, Lorenzo acknowledged that he ignored Ducati’s instruction because he felt Dovizioso’s chances would be boosted by having him directly ahead. “Even looking at this [dashboard] suggestion, I keep pushing until the end, because I knew it was the best thing for me, for Ducati and for Dovi,” said Lorenzo. “I helped him to improve his pace by one or two tenths, to be as close as possible to the first group. My intention was, and it was the case, that we arrive at the first group. If he had the option to win, I would have gone wide and let him pass. But unfortunately it was not like that. Maybe in some corners Dovi was close and I slow down a little bit his pace, but in general terms, having my wheel in front of him made him improve slightly his pace. I helped him stayed closer to the front group. “I knew Dovi was struggling, I knew his pace during all the weekend, and I knew he was making the best pace of the weekend just in the race. It was [because of the] help from my wheel. I’m happy because I was not wrong. If I was wrong and slowing him, I would be very sorry. But it’s not like that, my feeling was true.”

which, you know. is it really that easy to tell how much faster you are than someone who's sitting on your rear tyre? who's to say. dovi did certainly seem rather keen to get past

anyhow, of course there were plenty of fun dramatics post-race:

'our rider ignored team suggestions not team orders' is a great line, fairs. there's plenty more of this from ducati, some excellent spin doctoring - and dovi was extremely magnanimous about what had happened:

the whole thing was pretty undignified from all non-dovi parties, but it was also very funny so who's to say if it was bad or not

(8) runner-up-gate

let's check in on them in 2018, the second and ultimately last year in which they were teammates. remember that 'undermining morale' quote from above? those are from early 2018, after dovi says he wouldn't be surprised to see jorge elsewhere the following season. so, once jorge has complained that dovi had been trying to put him down his entire career, comes this:

so that's something. jorge, dovi and dani have a three-in-one crash in jerez, after which some fingers are pointed but it all remains fairly civil, and a bit later dovi says that jorge's approach doesn't work at ducati:

by the summer break, jorge's results had gotten better, but it was already too late to save the relationship with ducati and they parted ways. anyway, here's dovi and jorge having another go at it:

And while a rough patch for Dovizioso coupled with breakthrough back-to-back wins for Lorenzo in Mugello and Barcelona have now left the pair just three points apart in the standings, Dovizioso refused to back down from his claim when speaking to Spanish sports daily Marca ahead of the upcoming Brno race. “He’s won two races,” Dovizioso said. “Winning two races does not solve the problem of a year and a half. Lorenzo was not signed to win two races. Therefore I do not change my mind.” When the comments were put to Lorenzo, the three-time champion offered an ardent retort, stating that Dovizioso's rhetoric was proof of the claim he'd made back in April. “I'm a bit fed up with this situation, mainly because when I had trouble and he was winning, I was down there applauding,” Lorenzo told Spanish broadcaster Movistar. “What I said in Argentina - and the comments caused a big surprise - you can see that I was right. “He tried to undermine me, or downplay what I achieve or just attack me. As you can see, I wasn't lying. He's still doing it and now he says my method is not good, according to him.” Lorenzo intimated that Dovizioso was in no position to criticise him, as the Italian could do no better than runner-up to Marc Marquez in a 'perfect' 2017 season. He said: “I think my method has not worked too bad in my career. I've won three MotoGP titles and have 46 wins.” “In my second year in Ducati I'm usually faster than him, but maybe I should look at his method closer if in his best season, with everything going perfectly, he was second. Otherwise he's fourth or seventh usually. I'd tell him to leave me to go my way and to focus on his own and everything will be better, because when you have an angry Lorenzo it's usually worse for you.” 

fair to say that by this point the pretence at civility has mostly been dropped. I'm rather fond of the "lorenzo was not signed to win two races" line, though "when you have an angry lorenzo it's usually worse for you" is also really strong stuff. dovi tries to restore a little bit of peace:

Responding in turn to Lorenzo's tirade, Dovizioso sought to play down the conflict. “Jorge has his ideas and I think they are based on particular things. I don't think like him, but it's not a problem,” he told Movistar. “Everybody creates their own ideas based on what they see and how they live. “I don't think he has everything clear in his head about what's happened, but we continue the relationship that we started last year with respect, there's no particular problem. If he thinks this way, that's his problem."

so basically the classic 'idk what he's on about but it's not my problem' approach to attempting to defuse feuds

(9) twitter-gate

there's a few more on-track battles where it's nicely obvious how badly they want to beat each other, with jorge beating marc just ahead of dovi in austria and then dovi beating jorge in brno. jorge's season is increasingly derailed by injuries, which sets the stage for their next big spat:

The row was sparked by Dovizioso's comments to Sky Italia after qualifying at Sepang on Saturday, as he was asked what he thought of Lorenzo having to pull out of the Malaysian GP weekend with injury. "I don't know the details, I don't want to get into this, it's a bit of a strange situation," said Dovizioso."It happens often in Ducati or to certain riders, but I don't understand the details and I don't want to get into it and give my opinion." When it was put to him he was offering 'cryptic words', he added: "I leave things there, it's not my problem."

pretty vague, yeah. but anyway, I'm sure jorge had a proportionate response to this

Dovizioso's comments prompted a series of irate posts from Lorenzo on Twitter, with his first reaction being "Thank you very much @AndreaDovizioso! You are a real gentleman!". In his next post, he went on to call Dovizioso "an exemplary teammate", adding: "You applaud him under the podium when he wins and then... (That's right, he does not give his opinion, it's not his problem)." After that, Lorenzo labelled Dovizioso "envious" and described him as "a world champion... in 125cc."

the podium thing really bothered him, don't you think. their ducati in-fighting follows that general pattern where dovi says something... a little shady, a little ambiguous, where his intentions aren't entirely obvious... at which point jorge goes all in at fighting back and has a go at dovi - often not as much for what dovi is actually saying, but what jorge thinks dovi is implying. which is based on his understanding of dovi, the image of dovi he's built up in his head over the years, so that he is... predisposed to think ill of the intentions of the 'intelligent' dovi who always knows exactly what he's saying

again, dovi tried to downplay the argument, while simultaneously not exhibiting much patience for jorge's stance:

After the Malaysian GP, Dovizioso was asked about Lorenzo's responses to his comments, and the Italian accused his teammate of reading too much into headlines. He said: “Why should I talk to Lorenzo? I do not waste time on these things. He makes the usual mistake of giving too much importance to what is written, even without the context. "I have not pointed my finger at anyone and I have no problem with Jorge."

if I were ducati, I probably would've let the whole thing blow over given jorge was off soon anyway. but they decided the whole thing was so bad they had to organise a peace summit

Asked about the situation, Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti admitted to Motorsport.com that the Bologna marque has already planned to sit its two riders on Tuesday in Milan to make it clear what its priorities are. Ciabatti said: “It is clear that the interests of Ducati come before personal problems between riders. On Tuesday we will be together in Milan, for the EICMA [motorcycle show] and we have in mind to spend half an hour to sit and talk to Jorge and Andrea. "We want to avoid similar things to what happened last weekend. "I understand that these kinds of situations can happen. Sometimes riders get nervous during a Grand Prix weekend and on a rainy day, with tricky conditions, sometimes they say things they shouldn’t have said."

god knows how that turned out

(10) wow, you guys aren't gonna let this go, huh

late 2020 and jorge's career is already over, while dovi's looks like it will be... paused, at the very least. which is always a good time to check in with riders on how they feel about their rivals - if they're still being nasty you know that shit was personal. from december:

some quality petty material here. "I can't understand his somewhat peculiar mind" vs "he was envious of me since 250cc, but I wanted to give our relationship a chance". note too jorge talking again about how generous he had been in the face of dovi's 2017 successes, and how he feels like this was not reciprocated at all. jorge's complaints don't stop there:

merry christmas!

not the only rider jorge has beefed with post-retirement, but compare and contrast with how he really hasn't been doing any of that with some of his biggest career rivals. valentino, marc, dani - sure, he still talks about the controversies he's had with them pretty regularly (to put it lightly), and he's hardly free of complaints... but mostly it's a distinctly nostalgic tone he's adopting with these guys. admittedly, it helps that none of those three have gone out of their way to say anything particularly inflammatory about jorge. still, the absolute lack of any sort of rapprochement with dovi of all people is pretty funny

bonus: that time when jorge skittled all of marc's rivals

you know how in catalunya 2019, jorge took out like? all of marc's major rivals in that era including himself in one go? with half a decade of hindsight, this was kind of hilarious, and it did also feature jorge having to eat a hell of a lot of humble pie and go to the three other blokes to apologise. anyway I have a lovingly assembled set of screenshots of all three of them emoting in their boxes after the incident, all suffering some form of an existential crisis. here is dovi contemplating the bleak realities of our brief lives on this planet:

truly one of the world's least enthusiastic waves

bonus 2: another one for old time's sake

already posted this elsewhere, but this from late 2023 made me laugh

"jorge came to ducati and thought he was going to beat everything, but in the end he didn't" uh huh

[salmanthavertech]

The Annapurna Circuit in 14 Days: An Itinerary for Thrill-Seekers

Are you ready to embark on a journey that will push your limits and reward you with some of the most breathtaking views on Earth? The Annapurna Circuit is the ultimate adventure for thrill-seekers, offering a blend of natural beauty, cultural encounters, and physical challenges. In just 14 days, you can experience the essence of the annapurna circuit tour, an expedition that promises to be as rewarding as it is demanding.

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

Your adventure begins in Kathmandu, Nepal's vibrant capital. This city, teeming with history and culture, is your gateway to the Annapurna Circuit. Spend the day exploring UNESCO World Heritage sites like Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) and Pashupatinath Temple. Prepare for your trek by purchasing any last-minute gear in Thamel, a trekking hub.

Pro Tip: Visit the Garden of Dreams for a peaceful evening before the journey begins.

Day 2: Drive to Besisahar and Trek to Bhulbhule

The Annapurna Circuit tour officially starts with a drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar, a journey of around 6-7 hours. From Besisahar, you’ll begin your trek to Bhulbhule, which is a gentle introduction to the trail that will gradually lead you through lush landscapes and terraced fields.

Elevation: 840m (Besisahar) to 840m (Bhulbhule)

Distance: 8 km | Trekking Time: 2-3 hours

Day 3: Trek to Jagat

The real adventure kicks off on the third day as you trek from Bhulbhule to Jagat. The trail takes you through subtropical forests and alongside the Marsyangdi River. You'll cross suspension bridges, pass by waterfalls, and catch your first glimpses of snow-capped peaks.

Elevation: 1,300m

Distance: 14 km | Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day 4: Trek to Dharapani

Leaving Jagat behind, you'll ascend to Dharapani. The trail becomes steeper, and the landscapes more dramatic. You'll traverse rocky paths, dense forests, and picturesque villages, giving you a taste of the diverse terrain that characterizes the Annapurna Circuit.

Elevation: 1,860m

Distance: 15 km | Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day 5: Trek to Chame

The trek from Dharapani to Chame offers a mix of nature and culture. As you climb higher, you'll pass through the Tibetan-influenced village of Bagarchhap, where you can visit a Buddhist monastery. The views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal will inspire you to keep pushing forward.

Elevation: 2,670m

Distance: 14 km | Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Looking for complete guidance contact us orangedmc

Day 6: Trek to Upper Pisang

Chame to Upper Pisang is one of the most scenic parts of the Annapurna Circuit tour. The trail winds through pine forests, and you'll start to feel the altitude as you reach Upper Pisang. Here, the landscape changes dramatically, with towering peaks surrounding you.

Elevation: 3,300m

Distance: 16 km | Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day 7: Trek to Manang

Today, you’ll trek to the picturesque village of Manang, a popular acclimatization stop. The trail from Upper Pisang to Manang offers two routes: one via the high path through Ghyaru and Ngawal, which offers stunning views but is more challenging, and the other via the lower path along the Marsyangdi River.

Elevation: 3,519m

Distance: 19 km | Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day 8: Acclimatization Day in Manang

Acclimatization is crucial as you ascend higher on the Annapurna Circuit tour. Spend the day exploring Manang and its surroundings. You can hike to Gangapurna Lake or the nearby village of Braga, where you'll find a 500-year-old monastery with panoramic views of the Annapurna range.

Elevation: 3,519m

Distance: 3 km | Trekking Time: 2-3 hours (optional hike)

Day 9: Trek to Yak Kharka

After a restful day in Manang, you’ll continue your ascent to Yak Kharka. The trail is less populated but offers stunning views of the surrounding peaks. Watch for yaks grazing in the pastures as you trek through this serene landscape.

Elevation: 4,050m

Distance: 10 km | Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day 10: Trek to Thorong Phedi

As you approach one of the highest points on the Annapurna Circuit tour, the trek to Thorong Phedi is steadily climbing. The terrain becomes more rugged, and the air thinner. Thorong Phedi is the base camp for the next day's pass crossing.

Elevation: 4,450m

Distance: 7 km | Trekking Time: 4-5 hours

Day 11: Cross Thorong La Pass and Trek to Muktinath

The highlight of the Annapurna Circuit tour is the crossing of the Thorong La Pass, standing at an elevation of 5,416 meters. This day is challenging, but the rewards are immense. You'll be greeted with 360-degree views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. After crossing the pass, you'll descend to Muktinath, a sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists.

Elevation: 5,416m (Thorong La) to 3,800m (Muktinath)

Distance: 16 km | Trekking Time: 7-9 hours

Day 12: Trek to Jomsom via Kagbeni

From Muktinath, the trail descends to the Kali Gandaki Valley, passing through the ancient village of Kagbeni. This region has a unique desert-like landscape, and the trek to Jomsom is relatively easy, offering a chance to relax after the previous days' exertions.

Elevation: 2,720m

Distance: 20 km | Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day 13: Fly to Pokhara

After days of trekking, you’ll take a short flight from Jomsom to Pokhara, a beautiful lakeside city. This is your chance to unwind, shower, and enjoy a celebratory meal. Spend the day exploring Pokhara’s attractions like Phewa Lake and the World Peace Pagoda, or simply relaxing with a view of the mountains.

Elevation: 800m

Flight Time: 20-25 minutes

Day 14: Return to Kathmandu

Your Annapurna Circuit tour concludes with a return to Kathmandu. Reflect on the incredible journey you’ve just completed. Whether you explore more of Nepal or head home, the memories of the Annapurna Circuit will stay with you forever.

Drive Time: 6-7 hours

Final Thoughts

The Annapurna Circuit in 14 days is not just a trek but a life-changing experience combining adventure, culture, and natural beauty. This itinerary offers a balanced mix of challenge and enjoyment, making it perfect for thrill-seekers who want to explore one of the world's most renowned trekking routes and annapurana trek tour. Whether it's your first trek or you're a seasoned hiker, the Annapurna Circuit tour will leave you with memories that last a lifetime.

[ganeshneu30]

Book today with @thirdeyeadventure the popular Annapurna Circuit trek.

Trek from East to West across the rugged Himalayan trails of the Northern Annapurna Range, and visit many traditional and ancient villages such as Braga and Manang. See over 140 different peaks and mountains and cross the highest mountains pass in Nepal, the Thorang La at 5,416 meters (17,769 ft.)!

Highlights of this trip:

Rising the Marsyangdhi River valley

Get to know the mountain individuals in the core of the Himalayas

Intersection of the Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters

The journey town of Muktinath

Strolling through the world’s most profound crevasse and the Kaligandaki valley

Shower in regular natural aquifers at Tatopani

Get a long way from the clamoring city life into the serene and immaculate nature

Remain in teahouses of little towns

Appreciate the energetic night of Pokhara

Book today via:

+977 9851175534 (WhatsApp)

[stateofsport211]

Challenger 2023 Wrapped: On the Rise, On the Go

A Personal Reflection on the 2023 ATP Challenger Tour season

The ATP Challenger Tour's older logo in the net illustration (📸 Profilnet via Teniszive.cz)

Take on the challenge. Take on the world. Go for it. Go again, again, and again. Break serve. Break through. On Tour. On repeat. On the rise. (ATP Challenger Tour promotional campaign, On the Rise).

With 196 tournaments hosted in 46 countries, the 2023 ATP Challenger Tour season set another record-breaking season, mostly filled with different stories and milestones. Either a huge ranking jump thanks to their stellar results or someone making immense progress after some setbacks, all of these stories were united in this Tour, making it an even more legitimate deal as the year progressed.

Furthermore, the ATP Challenger Tour’s campaign this year is “On the Rise,” which embodied what the Challenger Tour is all about throughout the year: the constant grinding with hopes to break even to the main Tour and beyond, becoming an intersection of people who transitioned from the junior circuit, trying to hang on in hopes to break through, as well as hanging in there after some form slump somewhere in the year. However, while noting the previously mentioned increase in tournaments and prize money, realize that they are a culmination of the process these players went through, each having their own stories.

As a result, to close the year, I’ve taken a more personal approach: while acknowledging some records or milestones, I’ll reflect on what the Challenger Tour taught us during the past year. Using several notable moments to exemplify the lessons learned this season, these were how I saw the 2023 season.

1. 30 is the new 20

Arthur Weber with his Zhuhai Challenger title (left, 📸 ATP via Ski Nordique) and Oriol Roca Batalla with his Braga Challenger Title (right, 📸 Record Portugal)

While this might be applicable in the main Tour, considering the dominance of Novak Djokovic, as well as the resurgence of Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray as one of the notable examples, 2 maiden Challenger titles were won by people in their 30s: Arthur Weber in Zhuhai (at the age of 31, where he became the oldest maiden Challenger title winner) and Oriol Roca Batalla in Braga (at the age of 30).

Elaborating on the said examples, for A. Weber, this gave his tennis life "a go again" after deciding to restart tennis after the long pandemic hiatus, now basing himself in Ho Chi Minh City, allowing him to access the Asian circuit. He notably ground the Asian ITFs, including in Jakarta, with a remarkable rivalry against Leo Borg, winning their recent meeting 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the Aug 7 final. A. Weber went on to win his maiden Tour-level match in Shanghai M1000 (a Masters 1000 qualification), edging Sho Shimabukuro in 3 sets before being eliminated at the hands of Philip Sekulic.

On the other hand, Roca Batalla's latest Challenger final before Braga (and Augsburg later on) came in the Kenitra Challenger 2015, where he became the runner-up to Roberto Carballes Baena due to a retirement down 1-6, 1-5 in the second set. Despite his early exits to close this season, Roca Batalla secured his Australian Open qualification berth by ranking 213 (by the end of 2023), opening up a chance to rebuild his career as he also achieved his career-high ranking of 187 this year, out-performing his previous career high of 193, attained on August 3, 2015.

2. Everyone builds at their own pace

Alex Michelsen and Arthur Fils opened the practice sessions ahead of the NextGen ATP Finals 2023 (📸 ATP)

Not everyone can be Arthur Fils or Alex Michelsen with their rapid rise in their young age. A. Fils started the year right outside the Top 200, while A. Michelsen was the World No. 600 by the start of 2023, and they jumped plenty of places to be where they are now. The former, who was the 2021 Roland Garros Junior Boys' Doubles runner-up with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, commenced 2023 with a title run in the Oeiras 2 Challenger (d. Joris de Loore) and went on to win the Lyon (250) title, followed by becoming the Hamburg (500) semifinalist before ending the season by becoming the runner-up of the NextGen Finals to Hamad Medjedovic, thus fellow players voted for him to receive the Newcomer of the Year award as a cherry on top of his rise. On the other hand, A. Michelsen finished this year as the World No. 97 after becoming the runner-up to an in-form Jordan Thompson in Rome, GA (United States), where he further displayed his potential, as well as the Newport (250) (l. Adrian Mannarino) the week after he won his maiden Challenger title in Chicago. For young players like them, the only way is to embrace the process and progress, but a rollercoaster is still possible since their careers are still a long way, hopefully.

Francisco Comesana (left) and Mariano Navone (right) during the Buenos Aires 2 Challenger 2022 trophy presentation, where the former won 6-4, 6-0 (📸 El Gráfico)

Some ended up progressing together. This was the case for Francisco Comesana and Mariano Navone, who concluded their season by ranking 124 and 125, respectively. Their inseparable notion started with the deeply-rooted rivalry in the ITFs of 2021, followed by the Corrientes and Buenos Aires 2 Challenger finals in 2022, both of which were won by Comesana. It took a year and 6 meetings for Navone to depigeonize Comesana, starting the 2023 Santa Fe 1 Challenger semifinals with a 7-5, 7-5 win, followed by a comeback victory in the Santa Cruz final 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 before winning the next two meetings in the Santa Fe 2 second round and Lima 2 semifinal, with both matches ended in 3 sets. Hilariously enough (for some), Navone and Comesana also memorably finished their season with another milestone to their names: the former winning 5 Challenger titles (the most of this year) with a previous 14-match winning streak snubbed by Luciano Darderi in the Lima 2 Challenger finals, and the latter having the most wins of the season (45-21, right above Facundo Diaz Acosta, who had a remarkable streak in the clay season starting the Savannah Challenger, winning 4 titles and a gold medal in this year’s Panam Games to add to his express rise). With 5 takes out of an overall 10 in 2023, rest assured that there is a possibility to see more of Navone and Comesana's progress together, recognizing the frequency of this match that resulted in the Argentinean-Latin American community and media calling it "El Clasico" every time they met. A heads-up before we even begin the clay season: sooner or later, an elevation of this goated rivalry is possible and the world will be its witness.

Hamad Medjedovic with his NextGen ATP Finals 2023 title (📸 NextGen Finals)

Some overcame doubts raised as they rose, considering how one title or big-run wonder discourse often occurred in tennis. As an example, this happened with Hamad Medjedovic after having an underwhelming campaign in the second half of the 2022 season moments after winning his maiden Challenger title in Luedenscheid. It took the first half of the season to eventually prove the doubters wrong, by subsequently winning three Challenger titles in Szekesfehervar, Mauthausen, and Mallorca, backed them up with 2 250 semifinal runs in Kitzbuehel and Astana. To top it off, he won the 2023 NextGen Finals, defeating A. Fils in a topsy-turvy five-mini-set match. He has yet to enter the Top 100 by the end of 2023, but he has a likelihood of coming for his things in 2024. Never in doubt.

Benoit Paire won the Puerto Vallarta Challenger (top, 📸 SuperTennis Italia) and Kei Nishikori won the Palmas del Mar Challenger (bottom, 📸 The Japan Times)

Some others might have taken ages to rebuild their form, understandably. Several names came into mind, e.g. Benoit Paire, Fabio Fognini, and Kei Nishikori, as well as Max Purcell or Marcus Willis (in doubles), among others. Paire started the year ranked 179 and dropped even further to 209 as of March 6, 2023, getting the knack again after winning the Puerto Vallarta Challenger (d. Yuta Shimizu), ultimately ending his season 17 lines away from returning to the Top 100 after being the runner-up of the Maia Challenger (l. Nuno Borges). Fabio Fognini spent the other half of the season trying to find his way back in singles, considering he was out of the Top 100 for the first time since 2009 by April 17, 2023, ultimately reaching the Metz (250) semifinal and securing another comeback win for the Valencia Challenger title against first seed Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 7-6(8), 7-6(3) in an entertaining, high-profile final, but had to retire in the middle of his Maia Challenger campaign, thus ending his season by being 7 lines away from the Top 100 return. In the case of former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, he perfectly began his comeback by winning the Palmas del Mar Challenger title against Michael Zheng from initially being (completely) unranked; however, he seemed unable to catch another break after his Atlanta (250) quarterfinal loss against Taylor Fritz. Definitely, health and well-being are the priorities before rebuilding stronger.

Max Purcell with his Pune Challenger title (left, 📸 MyKhel), and Marcus Willis/Scott Duncan with their Maspalomas Challenger title (right, 📸 The Edinburgh Reporter)

To continue, Max Purcell forewent the second semester of 2022 to give singles one more chance. While a straight-set loss in the Sydney Challenger semifinals at that time was not it, his sacrifice started to pay off during the Indian Challenger swing at the beginning of this year, where he swept all three titles (Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune) to definitively set his Top 100 entrance, strengthening it even further with another Challenger runner-up showing in Gwangju (l. James Duckworth) and Busan (ret. to Aleksandar Vukic) before becoming the Cincinnati M1000 quarterfinalist (l. Carlos Alcaraz, even took the first set off him) to show his singles prowess. Another fascinating example came in the doubles department, where Marcus Willis, who notably faced Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon 2016 after upsetting the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in the qualifying rounds and Ricardas Berankis in the first round, transformed himself to be a doubles specialist and won 7 ITF M25 doubles titles with Scott Duncan, before sealing his season with the Maspalomas Challenger doubles crown (also with S. Duncan). In this case, while there seemed to be the end of the road, another opportunity opened should we give it a shot, and while sacrifices must be made, they still showed us they managed to do it in various ways possible.

3. Everyone, make some noise!

Either from where someone left off or from a place one never imagined, each milestone they achieve in the Challenger Tour could also make some noise and impact their surroundings. This also applies to some doubles pairs competing in the Challenger Tour, some of which turned out to go all the way to the finals, even winning a title. One of the reasons the Challenger Tour deserves even more hype for these “one of many” milestones.

Abdullah Shelbayh with his Charleston Challenger title (top left, 📸 The National), Alvaro Guillen Meza (left) & Blaise Bicknell (right) during the Lima 1 Challenger trophy presentation (top right, 📸 ATP Tour), Benjamin Lock became the runner-up of the Medellin Challenger (bottom left, 📸 Lock Brothers' official Twitter), and Sumit Nagal winning the Tampere Challenger (bottom right, 📸 The Hindu)

From singles alone, tons of talents are recognized for their stellar performance, including those who transitioned from juniors (and college), where they often came from the most fascinating places that one in a million ended up pursuing professional tennis. In this regard, Abdullah Shelbayh brought his maiden Challenger title back to Jordan from Charleston (and became the first Jordanian to win a Challenger-level title). He also hoped the organization of the NextGen Finals in Jeddah would inspire more people in the region to pick up tennis. In another story, usually more successful in doubles, Benjamin Lock came from Zimbabwe (of all places), becoming the runner-up in his maiden Challenger singles finals appearance in Medellin (l. Patrick Kypson). Alvaro Guillen Meza put Ecuador back on the tennis map after winning his first-ever Challenger title against Blaise Bicknell (who also put Jamaica back on the map), thus becoming the youngest Ecuadorian Challenger champion since 2003. Or, while India is popular for their doubles excellence these past few decades, Sumit Nagal built back his singles legacy by becoming one of those kings of clay, winning the Rome (Italy) and Tampere Challengers before becoming the runner-up in Tulln and (not a clay Challenger this time, but indoor hard) Helsinki, ending the year ranked 141 from 503 after all the struggles he went through. To conclude this case, talents are everywhere even though they come from different age groups, but nurturing it is often a forever struggle in this sport (albeit the possibility), with hopes that even more people, hopefully, pursue tennis along the way or achieve as big as them in their own fields.

Alexander Blockx in Antwerp (250) (top left, 📸 Gazet van Antwerpen), Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with his Leon Challenger title (top right, 📸 ATP Tour), and Kilian Feldbausch with his Maspalomas Challenger runner-up trophy (bottom, 📸 ATP Challenger Tour's official Twitter)

To illustrate this even further, right after his Antwerp (250) revelation, the 2023 Australian Open Junior Boys' Singles champion, Alexander Blockx, qualified for the main draw and reached his maiden Challenger semifinal, where he was defeated by a more experienced Brandon Nakashima in Danderyd. The Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard hype train also impressively started in the second semester of 2022, while he started making his mark by winning the Leon Challenger (d. Juan Pablo Ficovich), where the tournament's inaugural edition won this year's Challenger of the Year, followed by being one of the Salinas Challenger semifinalists and a quarterfinal appearance in Antwerp (250) as a qualifier (l. Alexander Bublik), further proving that his strong game marked by his massive serves and powerful forehands is not merely suitable for the altitude conditions, but also showing that his game is adaptable to the other situations. After quite some start earlier this year, while trying to rebuild where he left off, Kilian Feldbausch fought his way from the qualifying competition to the finals of the Maspalomas Challenger (and became the youngest Swiss Challenger finalist, only to Roger Federer) as he fell short as the runner-up to veteran Pedro Martinez, adding more examples to the "young talents are coming" category. With a myriad of talents climbing up to the top ranks of the game, some or most could benefit in their transition from the juniors/college thanks to the influential accelerator spots (possibly extended to the active NextGen players through the race ranks); thus, watch out for them and their potentials coming to the Tour.

Ryan Seggerman/Patrik Trhac winning the Sydney Challenger (top left, 📸 USTA South California's official Instagram post), James Kent Trotter/Robert Cash winning the Columbus Challenger (top right, 📸 Ohio State Buckeyes' official website), and Oliver Okonkwo/Lucas Horve competing together for their last season in the University of Illinois (bottom, 📸 University of Illinois' Athletics official website)

In doubles, three notable pairs in this example made strides toward the end of the season, highlighting the doubles' impact on college tennis and the tennis Tour in general. Despite coming from two different institutions, Ryan Seggerman (an alumnus of the University of North Carolina)/Patrik Trhac (who graduated from the University of Utah) thrived toward the end of the season by winning 2 Challenger titles in Playford and Sydney after successfully winning 8 ITF titles as a pair, even though they closed the year with a quarterfinal loss in the Calgary Challenger. Secondly, after graduating from Ohio State University, James Kent Trotter partnered with fifth-year student, Robert Cash, to win the Columbus Challenger, upsetting second seeds William Blumberg/Luis David Martinez in the quarterfinals before stunning first seeds Guido Andreozzi/Hans Hach Verdugo in the finals. Several weeks later, in Knoxville, graduate student Oliver Okonkwo paired up with senior Lucas Horve, both studying at the University of Illinois, where they received a wild card to play in the Champaign Challenger and went all the way to the finals, falling short to John-Patrick Smith/Sem Verbeek. These examples might have just been the beginning for them, creating a stepping stone before finally turning professional in the later parts of their tennis career (upon conclusion of their studies); henceforth, producing even more noise from the doubles department considering its equivalent role in the college tennis' team atmosphere.

4. Does ranking ever lie?

Illustration for 2023 ATP Rankings (📸 Setanta Sports)

When one watches and/or follows the lower-level matches, the more they watch or follow them, the more they realize how thin the margin is (or the margin gets more delicate the lower the level). When one plays lights out (or on fire), they could surprise those whose ranks were higher than them by generally overwhelming them in various ways possible. Often, they use their (return) depths to dig even deeper; hence, there would be some matches where it becomes a painful watch from a fan’s angle (especially a lot of intense marathon matches, some of which could be comeback wins). These efforts then will be worth the reward in the end.

In those moments, the question of “Does ranking ever lie?” would arise numerous times. While admitting result consistency becomes one of the differentials among players, it would not be possible without the process behind them. This is a year-round Tour, where any moment could happen at different parts of the year. There could be parts where some players played better than their ranking suggested (which also applies in junior/college transition periods or team situations, hence some countries’ “surprise” presence in Davis Cup’s World Group play-offs in 2024 despite having no players inside the Top 100  or even 300). Nonetheless, there will always be room for improvement. The materialization might have come from numerous different moments this year, judging by how people play, but the realization still stands and is applicable in both singles and doubles.

Moving Forward to Start 2024

There would only be 4 Challenger tournaments right at the start of the year before the Australian Open qualification rounds the week after (considering this year is an Olympic cycle), which are Canberra, Noumea, Nonthaburi 1, and Oeiras 1, with the first three tournaments being played in outdoor hard courts compared to Oeiras 1’s indoors. Some people will start defending their last year’s points here since they gained more last year.

More stories will be heard. More milestones will be achieved. More names are bookmarked, carried over from the end of the season, with their likely potential being unleashed next season. Who knows, more explosive breakthroughs or stories will be told as the next season goes on? Buckle up because the 2024 season will also be one of those rollercoaster rides where the grind continues this new year.

[maddalenafragnito]

ART FOR RADICAL ECOLOGIES MANIFESTO

World Congress for Climate Justice, Milan 12-15 October 2023

Institute of Radical Imagination participates in the framework of the World Congress for Climate Justice, Milan 12-15 October 2023. Conceived as a First International aimed at opening up a space of discussion between explicitly anti-capitalist climate movements, activists and intellectuals from all over the planet, with the ambition of defining a common agenda and ideological perspective in the shared transnational space of the ecosocial struggles of the present.

With 200+ delegates and 60+ movement.

📍State University of Milan, via Festa del Perdono 7, Cloister Legnaia (Aula EcoLab) 🗓 12 October 2023 🕦 H 14:30 – 16:00

ART FOR RADICAL ECOLOGIES PLATFORM

ASSEMBLY #3

impulsed by Institute of Radical Imagination aims at co-writing the 

ART FOR RADICAL ECOLOGIES MANIFESTO

Participants a.o.

Institute of Radical Imagination (Marco Baravalle, Emanuele Braga, Sara Buraya, Maddalena Fragnito, Gabriella Riccio, Federica Timeto), The Yes Men (Mike Bonanno) and Barbie Liberation Organization, Andreco Climate Art Project, Ashley Dawson, Terike Haapoja, Andrea Natella, Noura Tafeche, Serpica Naro, Dirty Art Department (Jerszy Seymour, Theo Dietz e Rosa Meulenbeld), Effimera (Giorgio Griziotti), Tiziana Terranova, and the contribution in remote by Arts for the Commons A4C (Rosa Jijón and Francesco Martone) and Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination (Isabelle Fremeaux & Jay Jordan)

The Milano World Congress for Climate Justice is the opportunity to bring together art and performing arts workers to continue a discussion that will lead to the collective writing of a manifesto on the role of art in the struggle for climate justice and in the creation of new ecologies (which take into account the intersection of environmental and social facts). If the pandemic had already dramatically underlined the consequences of extractivist anthropization, the war in Ukraine (in addition to its immediate death toll) is a manifestation of what Andreas Malm has called ‘fossil fascism’, a mix of authoritarianism and fossil fuels that weakens the already insufficient measures to combat global warming. The scarcity of Russian gas has brought coal back into vogue and, in Italy, the construction of new re-gasifiers is on the agenda. The decision to organize the workshop at the World Congress for Climate Justice 2023 reflects our belief in the importance of freeing art from the capture of institutional circuits. We want to experience, as participants in social movements, aesthetic-political concatenations that interpret creativity as a radical character of the social and not as a commodity. The participants also share the conviction that the fight for climate justice is, necessarily, a fight against and beyond extractive capitalism, even in its green version (actually an attempt to turn the crisis into new accumulation). The workshop will involve discussion and co-creation starting from the practices of the invited guests around certain central themes: the use of art as a method of inquiry and visualization in the climate crisis; the production of activist art forms that look at the performativity of direct action; art as a ground for radical imagination in designing new ecologies that reshape the relationship between human and non-human; art as an archive of movement practices, and so on.

[headlinerportugal]

gnration Open Day: 10 anos celebrados com Panda Bear, Sonic Boom e Bandua | Reportagem

Apesar de não achar o cartaz tão apelativo como em edições anteriores, eis que resolvi assistir ao gnration Open Day e à celebração dos 10 anos ocorrida no passado sábado, 29 de abril. Para mim, foi a quarta vez que marquei presença, todas consecutivas.

Fui mais uma vez, principalmente, por causa da programação musical, como tem sido tradicional. Convém frisar que este dia contempla outras vertentes como instalações artísticas, visitas orientadas ou atividades para os mais jovens.

Tal como Ricardo Rio (presidente do município de Braga) sublinhou publicamente este gnration é um “equipamento cultural de referência que cada vez mais tem uma oferta cultural distintiva e complementar a outros espaços culturais da cidade.”.

Efetivamente essa é a sua maior mais-valia, um espaço que permitiu aos bracarenses, e não só, terem tido a possibilidade de assistir nos últimos 10 anos a concertos de artistas como Weyes Blood, Circuit Des Yeux, Casper Clausen, Cass McCombs, Raincoats ou Acid Mothers Temple. Dos portugueses referir nomes como Mão Morta, The Legendary Tigerman, Homem em Catarse, Black Bombaim ou Pluto. Ao longo de 10 anos já é longa a lista de presenças, algo que a organização fez questão de projetar no ecrã vídeo situado no palco exterior.

Quando cheguei ao gnration, muito bem acompanhado pela minha namorada, passavam poucos minutos das 16:30h e já tinha findado a atuação de Inês Malheiro. Esta artista bracarense, tinha ficado com o slot das 16h, o de abertura da programação musical. Foi altura propícia para dar um giro pelas instalações presentes nas diversas salas do edifício enquanto não se iniciava o concerto seguinte. Não sendo leigo na matéria, direi apenas que vi instalações mais apelativas em anos transatos…

‘ODE ao gnration!’ durante a tarde  // © Hugo Sousa - gnration A ‘ODE ao gnration!’ apresentou-se ao vivo, a partir das 17h, com alunos do Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian sendo que este ensemble foi dirigido por Ece Canlı, artista turca radicada em Portugal.Nesta sua quinta edição a Orquestra de Dispositivos Eletrónicos apresentou uma performance um pouco arrastada inicialmente já que durou bastantes minutos, esta parte eletrónica foi até algo maçadora. Quando foi lugar para os músicos tocarem os seus mais variados instrumentos, a atuação alavancou e animou. Deu para escutar um som demarcado e inspirado no médio oriente (não é de estranhar tendo em conta o “dedo” de Ece) tendo sido coadjuvado por elementos eletrónicos. Algumas das passagens musicais foram bem agradáveis.

A tarde ia tranquila com uma adesão de público menor em comparação a edições anteriores. O tempo estava relativamente quente pese embora algo abafado. Céu encoberto sem ameaçar chuva, sendo que, a climatologia variou um pouco durante o dia e a noite.

Serge Fritz na apresentação de 'Gandulo'  // © Hugo Sousa - gnration Sérgio Freitas, músico e pianista de Braga, apresentou-se com o seu projeto Serge Fritz para o encerramento do período da tarde. Ele aproveitou esta ocasião, perante uma blackbox muito bem preenchida, para tocar temas do seu primeiro disco a solo ‘Gandulo’ editado em 2022. Ainda com o 25 de abril fresco na memória, o suporte do teclado de Serge Fritz, exibia cravos. Para mim foi mesmo uma liberdade ouvir os seus temas, não os conhecia, e fiquei com muita boa impressão sonora. Certamente irei investigar e escutar melhor esta sua obra de debute.

A parte principal da programação musical chegou a partir das 22h no palco Praça situado no exterior. O período noturno teve, mais uma vez, uma enchente. Primeiro atuaram os Bandua, dupla formada pelo covilhanense Edgar Valente e pelo luso-brasileiro Bernando d'Addario. Notou-se muita gente curiosa com bastante interesse pela sua performance.

Pela primeira vez os Bandua tocaram em Braga, já tinham estado perto em Caldelas no Vira Pop em 20222. Edgar afirmou ser “um prazer estar finalmente em Braga”. Começaram com o tema “Borboleta Branca” e do seu álbum de estreia tocam também, por exemplo, “Ceifa”. Outra canção que não faltou foi “Bandeiras”. Foi com este tema que concorreram ao Festival da Canção. Boa parte do seu set contemplou a performance de novos temas.

Bandua na Praça // © Hugo Sousa - gnration Eles recorrem à chamada a eletrónica downtempo para um ritmo mais pausado. Inspiraram-se no folk e sonoridades tradicionais do interior, nomeadamente da Beira Baixa. Este projeto é uma lufada de ar fresco no panorama nacional.

Não fiquei propriamente fã, é certo. Apesar disso reconheço a sua diferenciação e valia. Pude comprovar no passado sábado em Braga que há muita gente a apreciar este duo Bandua.

Arsenal Mikebe são um trio de africanos oriundos do Uganda. Tocaram na Blackbox e não fiquei nada impressionado. Eles apresentaram um som bastante pesado, alicerçado em três instrumentos de percussão e nas suas vozes. Ao fim de 20 minutos de atuação desisti depois de uma sequência (quase) ininterrupta e furiosa de percussão e vocalizações berrantes.

Panda Bear em palco  // © Hugo Sousa - gnration O que realmente mais me interessava era a performance de Panda Bear & Sonic Boom. A partir da meia-noite vi mais uma atuação da qual desfrutei. Eles que tiveram perante si uma praça muito bem preenchida sem estar totalmente lotada. Além do excelente desempenho vocal de Noah Lennox existiu igualmente um excelente nível no acompanhamento por parte de Peter Kember. Ambos manipularam instrumentos e cantaram. Estes dois músicos juntaram-se tendo editado em 2022 o álbum colaborativo ‘Reset’. Um incrível trabalho cuja apresentação ao vivo em Braga foi coroada de êxito. Não foram de muitas palavras, dedicaram-se de forma concentrada a tocar os seus temas. Eles que foram acompanhados por um ecrã com animações durante todo o show.

Sonic Boom em palco  // © Hugo Sousa - gnration Começaram o concerto com "Getting to the point" e seguiram-se outras de‘Reset’ como, por exemplo, "Edge of the Edge" (uma das mais divertidas de escutar), "Whirlpool", "Livin' in the After" ou "Everything's Been Leading to This". Esta última foi tocada antes do encore. Nesse encore optaram por tocar músicas dos seus próprios projetos.

Em certas zonas da Praça o concerto não captou totalmente a atenção de algumas pessoas até final da atuação, tal era o alto volume da conversa… Foi pena pois essas pessoas não desfrutaram em toda a plenitude da boa performance de Panda Bear & Sonic Boom.

Perspetiva do palco Praça  // © Hugo Sousa - gnration A noite encerrou com Candy Diaz na sala multiusos e De Shuurman na blackbox.

Resta dar os parabéns ao gnration pelos seus incríveis 10 anos de atividade e desejar que venham muitos mais com toda esta vitalidade que tem sido, efetivamente demonstrada desde que começou a dinamizar a vida cultural bracarense e minhota deste modo tão diferenciada.

Agradeço a cedência das fotos por parte do gnration em particular ao Ilídio Marques. Mais fotos podem ser visualizadas nas redes sociais do gnration.

A enchente da noite em Panda Bear & Sonic Boom   // © Hugo Sousa - gnration Texto: Edgar Silva Fotografia: © Hugo Sousa - gnration

[safereturndoubtful]

Day 25 - and again at Rio Arado..

It didn’t take me long to decide to stay put for another day. It was another pleasantly warm and dry day, though the sun was restricted to the morning. Rain is coming, but late this afternoon, and tomorrow I believe.

Roja’s looking a bit tired after yesterday which had a lot of big rock steps both up and down. My planning always was for some long days with him, some shorter days with him with me out on the bike in the afternoon. Today was such a day.

It began with a river crossing. The dog’s favourite, but not one of my strengths, despite all the training over the years, not least the New Ing lunch breaks with Scott and Eeva. It took a while, but I managed it, and without a soaking.

Then we ascended the group of rocks that form a viewpoint that dominate this immediate area. It has steps cut into it, and ascends about 90 metres, to 777 metres. The last sections, around a cliff edge, are on metal steps - not the dog’s favourite by any means. I’ve said before that he doesn’t trust anything to walk on that’s man made, and he needed to summon all of his courage to get to the top.

With eagle eyes the van can be spotted..

The city of Braga is relatively close, less than an hour by car, and Porto another hour, so the weather has brought out a few Portuguese day trippers. They are easy to identify; cell phone in one hand, plastic bottle of water in the other, and the huge jacket they started out with in 20C flung over the shoulder.

In the years of consultancy work I did after teaching I worked with the delivery of a Sport England study on users of the outdoors. The study put users into 7 categories, the smallest of which in terms of money spent in the locality was genuine sportsperson, the hiker, biker, climber, kayaker, etc. The largest of which was the brigade I had always grown up taking the piss out of, those who hung around the likes of Betwys in very piece of gear imaginable, venturing no further than the coffee, souvenir and outdoor shops.

The survey’s purpose was to provide information for working towards National Parks being for everyone.

These Portuguese I refer to, are likely not to have had the fortune to experience and learn about the outdoors in their youth. It seems inconvenient and unnecessary to carry a rucksack, proper footwear and clothing. It explains the trepidation of many to venture out even, or the opposite, to wander too far into the mountains and put themselves in danger.

This area is extremely popular once the weather settles, but right now, there are so few people around that it is interesting to chat. I also met a group of four young Hungarian lads over in Porto for a week’s vacation, and on a day out.

After lunch I headed out on the bike. I’ve been somewhat tentative so far, just doing half hours, but went for it today with a decent off-road circuit. The downhill, which was at the start, was rather steeper and washed out than I expected; thrilling it may have been, though it was more technical than I would have opted for, given a choice..

This has been a tremendous and memorable stopover place. Obviously it would be different in the season, but right now, it offers 360 mountain views, the odd goat or horse visiting, and peace other than the trickling streams.

and the ‘goat-dogs’..

There has been the odd person, the German couple the first night, the Polish the second, but most, like them, come and go when they find no cell phone signal.

[sherpasguide]

Annapurna Circuit Trek 17 Days

Highlights Of Annapurna Circuit Trek

✔Tilicho Lake- The lake is situated at the highest altitude (4,919m-16138ft) in the world.

✔Deepest gorge- Kali Gandaki.

✔Natural Hot Springs.

✔Views of the world’s highest mountains: Dhaulagiri I (7th), Manaslu (8th) and Annapurna I (10th)

✔Amazing sunrise/sunset view from Poon Hill and Thorong La Pass(5,416m-17769ft).

✔Explore Muktinath Temple-one of the most important temple for both Hindus and Buddhists.

✔Visit Pokhara- Lake city.

✔Walk through Lush forests of Rhododendrons and oaks.

✔Glimpses of Rural Nepalese lifestyle.

✔Traditional Gurung Villages.

✔Diverse Floral and Faunal Species.

✔Get a marvellous opportunity to explore the Annapurna region.

Annapurna Circuit Trek 17 Days Details Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel.

Namaste and welcome to Nepal, Northern Trekking Team will receive you at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and will transfer you to the hotel. You can stroll around the streets of Thamel if time permits. Thamel is the key touristic site in Kathmandu. We will introduce you to the guide who will get you to the Annapurna region under the Annapurna Circuit Trek package. He will assure all the requirements prior to the trek.

Day 2: Drive from Kathmandu to Bulbule (923m/ 3,031ft) 200km/124 miles 7-9 hours.                                                             We leave Kathmandu and drive to Besishar after which we take a fairly easy 2-hour trek to Bulebule near the Marsyangdi River. Tonight we are staying at Bulbule.

Day 3: Trek from Bulbule to Chamje (1410m/ 4,626ft). 5-6 hours.

Today the trail takes us over several suspension bridges, past cascades, through rice fields and across various slopes. The trek is quite short before reaching Chamje where we stay the night.

Day 4: Trek from Chamje to Bagarchhap (2160m/ 7,087ft) 15km/9 miles 5-6 hours.

Leaving Chame we pass through rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests and follow the trail through the valley before arriving at Tal and its cultivated farm plots of wheat, potatoes and other grains. After passing through Dharapani we head in a westerly direction via fir and pine forests until we reach Bagarchhap where we stay the night.

Day 5: Trek from Bagarchhap to Chame (2710m/ 8,890ft) 14km/8 miles 5-6 hours.

From Bagarchhap we continue to the village of Danaque before climbing to Tamang Village where we are offered magnificent views of Manaslu (8163m), Annapurna and other towering peaks. Our trek takes us through several Tibetan villages, such as trek Thanchowk, Kolo before reaching our destination, Chame.

Day 6: Trek from Chame to Upper Pisang (3240m/10,630ft) 13.2km/8.2 miles 5-6 hours.

After leaving Chame we pass through Telekhu and along the trail have some breathtaking views of Annapurna and Pisang (6,091m) until we have to re-cross on a suspension bridge to the south bank of the Marsyangdi River. After crossing the river we t head higher passing a pine forest as we trek through the upper reaches of the Manang valley to Pisang. Tonight we are staying at Upper Pisang.

Day 7: Trek from Pisang to Manang (3,540m/11,300ft) 17km/10.6 miles 5 - 6.

The town of Pisang is the start of our trek in the upper Manang area. Today we head to Braga, a Tibetan village with unique architecture and houses constructed one upon the other. One of its main attractions is its Gompa, the largest in the Manang region. Manang is popular with trekkers and is also a place to acclimatize before heading to higher altitudes. We stay here for the night.

Day 8: Acclimatization day at Manang

Medical professionals recommend that before heading to higher elevations trekkers spend some time acclimatizing. They also recommend staying active. Today we will climb up to Khangsar (3,756m) as a way to further help us acclimatise. Overnight stay at Manang.

Day 9: Trek from Manang to Yak Kharka (4,050m/14,275ft) 9.4km/5.8 miles 3-4 hrs.

Today we head off on a 10.4 km uphill trek to Yak Kharka passing through juniper forests and may see yak grazing in the pastures. On the route, we pass the only teahouse at Thorong Khola. Depending on the conditions we may decide to go a little further and stay the night at Letdar.

Day 10: Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorung Phedi (4,525m/14,525ft) 8.5km/5.2 miles 4-5 hrs.

Climbing higher we gradually get used to the higher altitude. We follow the east bank of the Jarang Khola along with the trail view steep bluffs before reaching Thorung Phedi (meaning foothills). If we are lucky we may see the famous blue sheep and even a snow leopard! This is also home to Lammergeyer (bearded vulture). There is also a belief the mythical griffons are in this region!

Day 11: Trek from Thorong Pedi to Muktinath (3,802m/ 12,474ft) via Thorong La Pass (5,416m/ 17,769ft) 15.6km/9.6 miles 9 hrs.

Today is most likely the toughest day of the trek, hiking for around 8-9 hours. The higher altitude contributes to the degree of difficulty and sometimes strong winds in these upper regions. Along the trail, we may pass sheep, yaks and merchants transporting their goods. Once we reach Thorong La Pass we will be rewarded with breathtaking views of Annapurna, Gangapurna and the eye-catching peak of Khatungkang (6484m). Leaving the pass we descend around 1600 metres and the brilliant Dhaulagiri (Dhavali Giri, meaning “White Mountain”) is the highest mountain that is entirely in Nepal. The trail is more undulating and relatively easy before we reach Muktinath where we stay the night.

Day 12: Trek from Muktinath to Jomsom (2750m/ 9,022ft) Via Kagbeni 23km/14 miles 6-7 hours.

From Muktinath, we pass through lush meadows, fruit trees and streams passing through Kagbeni before we reach Jomson in the Kali Gandaki valley. Kagbeni has a well-deserved reputation for its horticulture industry.

Day 13: Drive from Jomson to Tatopani 49km/30 miles 5-6 hours.

The road trip to Tatopani takes about 5-6 hours dropping into the valley of the Kali Gandaki River, the deepest valley in the world. From Marpha to Kalopani we pass via Chokhopani Village, a typical Thakali town well known for its unique cuisine. On the drive, you will be stunned by the awesome views of several famous mountains, such as Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, and Annapurna before reaching tonight’s destination, Tatopani (meaning hot water). You may wish to bathe in the hot pools and unwind.

Day 14: Trek from Tatopani to Ghorepani (2,860m/9,383ft) 17km/10.5 miles 7-8 hours.

Today we ascend 1,670 metres, quite a hard slog, and pass through more cultivated farmland with its terraced fields. We climb through a rhododendron forest, spectacular in springtime, with magnolia and of course a panoramic view of the mountains. Tonight we stay at Ghorepani with magical views of the Annapurna Ranges and Machapuchare (fishtail) one of the few unclimbed peaks in Nepal due to its religious status – home to Lord Shiva.

Day 15: Trek up to Poon Hill (3,210m/10,531ft) trek down to Nayapul and drive to Pokhara (8,50m) 12.5km/7.7 miles 6-7 hours.

Early morning starts and we trek up to Poon hill to watch the sunrise, an eye-opening experience that will leave you breathless. As dawn approaches the change in colours will be a magical experience where your camera will go into overdrive! This has to be one of the best places, on any trek, to view the Annapurnas, Dhaulagiri and its many snow-capped peaks. This is an unforgettable experience and will give you photos to boast about! We then head back to Ghorepani for breakfast and after have a 4-5 hour trek downhill to Nayapul. The first leg of the trek down to Tikhedhunga is a very steep descent after which we pass terraced fields for several hours before reaching Nayapul, and then on to Pokhara for the night.

Day 16: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu 200km/124 miles 6-7 hours.

Today we head back on a 6 to 7-hour drive to Kathmandu with many fond memories of Nepal and its unique culture and geography. These memories will last a lifetime!

Day 17: Back to your destination

Here ends your Annapurna Circuit Trek and with it, here ends your Nepal stay as well. We will drop you in TIA three hours prior to the scheduled flight. See you next season for another trip to a different destination in Nepal.

Annapurna Base Camp 17 Days Trek Cost- $1,299

Note: We offer a group discount, We offer the best services that other company does, We work

with our customers as group leaders while trekking, tours, Peak Climbing etc.

1 to 04 Person $1119

1 to 06 Person $1009

1 to 09 Person $995

1 to 15 Person $950

1 to 20 Person $900

Cost Includes:

✔️ Airport Pick up and Drops by car/van.

✔️ 2 nights Standard Hotel in Kathmandu twin sharing basis with breakfast(on the arrival day and after the Trekking.

✔️ Farewell dinner in Kathmandu.

✔️ 1-night standard hotel in Pokhara.

✔️ Daily Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) and 3 cups of tea/coffee per day during the Trekking.

✔️ Seasonal Fruits during trekking.

✔️ Annapurna Conservation Area permits & TIMS card.

✔️ All accommodations in lodges/Tea Houses During the Treks.

✔️ A first aid kit will be Available.

✔️ Sleeping bag, Down jacket, and Duffie bag. ( Refundable)

✔️ Trekking T-shirt, Trekking map, and Waterdrop.

✔️ Kathmandu to Jagat transfer by local bus.

✔️ Pokhara to Kathmandu transfer by deluxe tourist bus.

✔️ Jomsom to Pokhara transfer by local bus.

✔️ An experienced, helpful, and friendly 1 Guide 1 porter with their Salary, Food, Drinks, Accommodation, Transportation, and Insurance.

Cost Excludes:

❌Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu. and Pokhara 

❌Nepal entry visa fee.

❌International Airfare/Airport tax.

❌Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, WiFi, sweets, alcoholic, hot and cold drinks, hot water, hot showers, snacks, beverages and bar bills, and camera battery charging.

❌Health and Travel Insurance.

❌Personal trekking gear.

❌Tips for trekking staff.

❌Any others expenses which are not mentioned in the Price Includes section.

For Further Enquiry and Booking:

Website: https://www.northerntrekkingteam.com/ 

Email: info@northerntrekkingteam.com, 

Whatsapp: +9779842907439

[horizon5adventure]

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Braga Circuit & xxxy - Take You There

[claudiosuenaga]

Projetos de detetores de OVNIs em antigas revistas de eletrônica

Por Cláudio Tsuyoshi Suenaga

Em vez de gastar uma fortuna comprando algum desses aparelhos que prometem detetar OVNIs, você pode montar o seu próprio detetor sem gastar praticamente nada usando componentes retirados de aparelhos antigos quebrados ou adquiridos a baixo custo em lojas de componentes eletrônicos – como os da rua Santa Ifigênia, no distrito da República, centro da cidade de São Paulo, por exemplo. Basta ter conhecimentos básicos de eletrônica e ferramentas simples como ferro de solda, chave de fenda, alicate, etc.

Trago a vocês de meus arquivos alguns projetos bem didáticos e diagramados de detetores, os quais foram montados e testados com sucesso por muitos hobbystas e profissionais da área ao longo das últimas décadas. Alguns chegaram até mesmo a detetar OVNIs com eles, o que é preciso, convenhamos, de um bocado de sorte e paciência.

Confira abaixo o testemunho de um leitor de Brasília (DF) que montou o Receptor MBF publicado na revista mensal Divirta-se com a Eletrônica (DCE), da editora Bártollo Fitippaldi, muito vendida e badalada na primeira metade dos anos 80 por trazer em sua maioria projetos fáceis, práticos e lúdicos, sob a direção técnica do mestre Bêda Marques. As revistas, em formatinho de gibi (14 x 21 cm) e que nos números finais passaram a ter o formato de magazine (21 x 27 cm), eram muito atrativas pelos textos bem explicativos e bem humorados e ilustrações idem. Em cada edição, o leitor recebia de brinde uma placa de circuito impresso de um dos projetos publicados para fazer a montagem. Havia ainda a oferta de compra de kits completos dos projetos, ou seja, um pacote contendo todos os componentes necessários para a montagem, entregues comodamente pelos Correios, o que era uma mão na roda para muitos que residiam fora das grandes cidades e tinham dificuldades para encontrar as peças.

Divirta-se com a Eletrônica, nº 39, junho de 1984. Você pode baixar esta edição aqui.

Newton C. Braga no Instituto que leve o seu nome.

O último projeto que lhes trago foi concebido por Newton C. Braga, nascido na capital paulista em 6 de novembro de 1946, e que desde muito cedo iniciou suas atividades no ramo da eletrônica. Com apenas 11 anos, elaborou uma série inédita de projetos de eletrônica que foram posteriormente publicados numa seção da revista Eletrônica Popular, do Rio de Janeiro. Por influência dos pais, mal terminava o curso colegial e já lecionava em escolas preparatórias de vestibulares, tendo sido fundador de uma delas no município de Guarulhos (SP). Ingressou na USP, tendo cursado o Instituto de Física e a Escola Politécnica. Já nessa época de estudante, escrevia artigos técnicos de eletrônica para diversas publicações como a revista Monitor e o jornal A Eletrônica em Foco. Foi professor de eletrônica do Colégio Objetivo e realizou pesquisas no campo da Bioeletrônica na Escola Paulista de Medicina. Publicou diversos artigos no exterior, tendo colaborado com o boletim da Canadian Broadcasting Co. (CBC). Foi convidado em 1976 a participar de uma nova publicação, tornando-se autor de inúmeros projetos e diretor técnico da conceituada Revista Saber Eletrônica (Editora Saber). Nesse posto, criou nos anos 80 a revista Experiências e Brincadeiras com Eletrônica Júnior e colaborou com a revista Rádio e Eletrônica.

O motivo de Braga ter desenvolvido um projeto de detetor de OVNIs deve-se ao fato dele sempre ter sido também um aficionado por ufologia, tanto que nos anos 70 foi redator do boletim da Associação de Pesquisas Exológicas (Apex), fundado e presidido pelo médico Max Berezovsky. No ano 2000, Braga lançou pela editora norte-americana Newnes o monumental livro Electronic Projects from the Next Dimension: Paranormal Experiments for Hobbyists (Electronic Circuit Investigator), em que expõe esquemas de aparelhos capazes de proporcionar experiências no campo paranormal, na mesma linha do célebre engenheiro eletricista e físico sérvio-americano Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), que segundo a lenda teria inventado aparelhos capazes de abrir portais para outras dimensões e contatar espíritos e extraterrestres.

Para começar, dois sensacionais projetos de detetores de OVNIs, um mais específico, em uma mesma edição especial de DCE.Como os editores não tinham o costume de datar as revistas nessa época, não se sabe ao certo quando foi publicada, mas calculo que deva ter sido por volta de junho de 1982.

Você pode baixar esta edição aqui.

A seguir, vários projetos de J. Martin publicados em 1997 no especial A Eletrônica descobre os OVNI, da editora Fittipaldi. 

Você pode baixar esta edição aqui.

[salmanthavertech]

Beyond the Peaks: Cultural Encounters on the Annapurna Circuit

Embarking on the annapurna trip is more than just a journey through towering peaks and breathtaking landscapes. This iconic trek in Nepal offers a rich tapestry of cultural experiences that leave lasting impressions on travelers. As you navigate through diverse terrains, you'll encounter vibrant communities, ancient traditions, and heartwarming hospitality. Here’s a deep dive into the cultural encounters that make the Annapurna Circuit a truly transformative adventure.

Introduction to the Annapurna Circuit

The Allure of the Annapurna Circuit

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the most celebrated trekking routes globally, drawing adventurers from all corners of the earth. Its appeal lies not just in the majestic mountain views but also in the opportunity to immerse oneself in the local culture.

Preparing for the Annapurna Trip

Before setting out, it's essential to prepare adequately. This includes understanding the physical demands, gathering the right gear, and familiarizing yourself with the cultural etiquette of the regions you'll be visiting.

Cultural Highlights Along the Annapurna Circuit

The Diverse Ethnic Groups

The Gurungs

The Gurung community, known for their bravery as Gurkha soldiers, populate many villages along the trek. Their warm hospitality and unique traditions provide a glimpse into their rich cultural heritage.

The Thakalis

In the Kali Gandaki Valley, you'll encounter the Thakali people, renowned for their entrepreneurial spirit and delicious cuisine. Their influence is evident in the well-maintained tea houses and lodges.

The Manangis

High up in the Manang district, the Manangis showcase a blend of Tibetan culture and local customs. Their monasteries, festivals, and traditional lifestyles offer a unique cultural experience.

Festivals and Celebrations

Tihar – The Festival of Lights

Tihar, also known as Deepawali, is a five-day festival celebrated with great enthusiasm. If your trek coincides with Tihar, you'll witness beautifully lit villages, traditional songs, and the worship of animals like cows and dogs.

Losar – Tibetan New Year

Losar, celebrated by the Tibetan communities, marks the Tibetan New Year. The festival is characterized by vibrant dances, prayers, and feasts, providing trekkers with an unforgettable cultural spectacle.

The Monasteries and Temples

Braga Monastery

One of the oldest monasteries in the Manang district, Braga Monastery, offers stunning views and a serene environment. It’s a perfect spot for trekkers to pause, reflect, and soak in the spiritual ambiance.

Muktinath Temple

Muktinath, a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists, is a highlight of the trek. The temple complex is known for its 108 water spouts and the eternal flame, making it a significant pilgrimage site.

Traditional Architecture

Stone and Mud Houses

The traditional houses along the Annapurna Circuit are built using local materials like stone and mud. Their unique architecture is designed to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the Himalayas.

Chortens and Mani Walls

Scattered along the trek are chortens (Buddhist shrines) and mani walls inscribed with prayers. These structures are a testament to the region’s deep-rooted spirituality and cultural heritage.

Local Cuisine

Dal Bhat Power 24 Hour

Dal Bhat, a traditional Nepali meal consisting of lentil soup, rice, and vegetables, is a staple for trekkers. It’s nutritious and provides the energy needed for the strenuous trek.

Thakali Thali

The Thakali Thali is a culinary delight that offers a variety of flavors and textures. It typically includes rice, lentils, vegetables, pickles, and meat, providing a hearty meal for hungry trekkers.

Homestays and Tea Houses

Experiencing Local Hospitality

Staying in homestays and tea houses is a highlight of the Annapurna trip. These accommodations, run by local families, offer a warm and welcoming environment, allowing trekkers to experience Nepali hospitality firsthand.

Supporting Local Communities

By choosing local accommodations, trekkers contribute to the local economy and help sustain these remote communities. It's a meaningful way to give back and ensure the preservation of the culture and traditions.

Language and Communication

Learning Basic Nepali Phrases

While English is widely understood along the trek, learning a few basic Nepali phrases can enhance your interactions with the locals. Simple greetings and expressions of gratitude go a long way in building rapport.

The Role of Guides and Porters

Hiring local guides and porters not only provides employment opportunities but also enriches your trek with their knowledge and insights. They act as cultural ambassadors, bridging the gap between trekkers and the local communities.

Respecting Local Customs and Traditions

Dress Modestly

While trekking, it's important to dress modestly, especially in villages and religious sites. Respecting local customs shows cultural sensitivity and fosters positive interactions.

Be Mindful of Photography

Always ask for permission before taking photos of people, especially in remote villages. Being respectful of their privacy and traditions is crucial for responsible tourism.

The Impact of Tourism

Positive Contributions

Tourism brings economic benefits to the region, improving infrastructure and providing livelihoods for local communities. It also promotes cultural exchange and mutual understanding and annapurna tour

Challenges and Solutions

However, tourism also brings challenges such as environmental degradation and cultural erosion. Sustainable tourism practices and responsible trekking can help mitigate these issues.

Conclusion

The Annapurna Circuit offers more than just a trek through stunning landscapes; it’s a journey through rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions. By immersing yourself in the local culture, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the region and its people. As you traverse the trail, remember to respect and support the local communities, ensuring that the beauty of the Annapurna trip remains for generations to come.