SarangKot

Sarangkot, Pokhara 33700, Nepal

We rolled out of bed in the dead of night, hopped onto our mechanical bull - a 600cc whirling dervish of unsteady power - and rode off into the mountains. We arrived at SangKot, a favored sunrise destination for many people whom visit Pokhara, and began our climb to the peak. When the sun began to rise we realized there was a problem; cloud cover was severe, and there would be no view of the most dramatic peaks on this day. Dejected, many of the other visitors descended back towards Pokhara, while we decided to take our chances against the coming storm so that we might catch a glimpse of the sun. I’m glad we did. I set up my gear about halfway down the trail and caught the sun just as it broke through the clouds to illuminate Pokhara proper. None of the world’s most famous peaks make an appearance in this frame, but that’s fine by me. The experience of hiking out to SarangKot in the dark and waiting out the crowds with my travel partner made it seem like we were the only two people on earth enjoying this view. A sublime experience, and one I highly recommend.

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SarangKot Sunrise Shopping Center, Kaski District, Nepal.

There’s something about shopping at altitude that fills my head with whimsy. Alright, maybe not, but my girlfriend thought it was fun. Before the sun decided to cooperate on our early morning expedition to SarangKot, we rubbed shoulders with crafty locals selling their wares to the Sunrise Crew. A bright idea, if you ask me; the hawkers have a captive audience up on that mountain, and when the clouds decide to spoil the party (and the views of the Himalayas) you know someone is bound to buy something. Thankfully, we made it through the ad hoc shop without being accosted on an aggressive level. Otherwise I may have wound up spending five paychecks on Nepali blankets (I just can’t say no to yak wool).

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