In the morning, we got up early to watch the sunrise cast its light on Annapurna I and the other mountains of the Annapurna Sanctuary. I took picture after picture as the light changed, marveling at the complete circle of remarkable snow mountains.

We finally tore ourselves away around 10am and began the long descent through Macchapuchhare Base Camp down 1200 meters (4000 feet) to the Himalayan Hotel, where we had slept the night before last. The trail was almost completely downhill, but generally gradual and not so hard on our legs. Even so, we both could feel it in our muscles during the evening.

Since there is only one route up and down the deep valley that drains the Annapurna Sanctuary, today and tomorrow are the only times where we have retraced our steps in our entire two months in Nepal. Even so, it hardly seemed like repetition in the different weather and different perspectives.