Morocco, and especially seeing M'Goun from Jbel Sarhro, had reawakened a desire to be in high mountains again. Right there and then I'd decided I would go to Nepal the year after. So in 2000 off I went to Nepal to "do" the Annapurna Circuit.

The trip was very memorable for a number of reasons. Annapurna is a magnificent mountain and Torung La with its crossing at 5415m is a weird experience for someone that has lived below sea level all his life. Then, coming down from Torung La, one rounds a corner and there is Dhaulagiri. It is immediately obvious that it's big. Just howbig only sinks in when one takes a map and sees that it's not even onit.