Grade
‘Moderate
- Challenging’. This tour covers a range of walking conditions. A
reasonable level of walking fitness is required to cope with the
steep ascents and descents e.g. the Chommrong
staircase!! There are some muddy sections through forests
and over tree roots. At a height of 4050m, altitude might pose a
problem for some people, although our well graded program normally
manages to avoid this!
Climate
Weather
in the world’s highest mountain range is never totally predictable
but we would expect clear and settled conditions. In the early
stages the days will be warm, around 70 F/20 C. As altitude is
gained, though the days will still be pleasantly warm, it will be
chilly early morning and night time temperatures down to freezing
point can be expected. In the Sanctuary you can expect snow at any
time of year and certainly overnight it will normally be below
freezing.
Included
All
ground transport as specified in the itinerary, bed and breakfast
accommodation in Kathmandu, 1 evening meal in Kathmandu, half day excursion of Kathmandu, all food and accommodation on trek, services of Nepali leader,
English-speaking Sherpa guide, trek crew and porters, tents, cooking
equipment, and trek permits. Kathmandu airport transfers, free use
of trek pack which includes duvet jacket, sleeping mat, sleeping bag,
thermal bag liner, air pillow, long rain poncho, duffel bag and
t-shirt.
Not Included
International
flights (unless you have requested them). Passport, visa, insurance, immunization fees,
meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu (budget £20 per meal
without drinks). Airport taxes, tipping.
Flights
We
will on request source International flights from London Heathrow
to Kathmandu via Doha with Qatar Airlines. Note that these fly out
of London on the day before
the first advertised day of the tour (Day 1 of itinerary).
Flight routing example:
Outbound
Depart LHR 21.25 - arrive DOH 07.05
Depart
DOH 10.25 – arrive KTM 17.30
Inbound
Depart KTM
09.00 –arrive DOH 11.50
Depart DOH
17.10 – arrive LHR 22.00 (same day)
The Trekking Day
A
typical day begins just after 6 a.m. with an early morning mug of
tea served through the tent flap. After a hot breakfast, during
which the camp will be struck and the porters loaded, we begin our
walking in the pleasant cool of the morning. Lunch is around 11 a.m.. This midday break usually lasts about an hour or so. After
walking for three hours or so in the afternoon, we will aim to pitch
camp around 4 p.m. You will have an hour or so to relax and reflect
before the day is rounded off with a hot three-course meal. However,
there may be the opportunity of visiting a nearby village to have
contact with the local people.
Health Matters
Vaccinations for Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Diptheria and Meningitis
are also suggested. Some Drs. might recommend the Rabies Vaccine as this
may be carried by monkeys and dogs. If you are visiting The Chitwan
National Park or the ‘Terai’
you should take anti malarials but you won’t need these if you
are just going
to the Annapurnas.
A
medical kit will accompany the trek. We do, however, recommend that
each person carry a small personal first aid kit. A suggested list
of contents will be sent to all members, as well as more general
information on health matters.
Documents
A
visa is required for Nepal and you must have a valid passport. Visas
for Nepal when applying directly with the Nepal Embassy will cost
£35 for a single entry. Alternatively you could use the postal visa
service of www.travcour.com
but there is an additional fee of £24 + £7 postage and packing.
Trekking documents are required, but these are organised by us in
Kathmandu. You can purchase visas on arrival into
Kathmandu but we would not recommend this option as the queues are
long and the situation on this can change at any time.
Books & Maps
For
information on the sights of the Kathmandu valley, its history and
culture, we suggest ‘Rough Guides’
& ’ Lonely Planet travel guides’.
A good general guidebook (although without so many hints) is
the Insight Guides series Nepal.
There are many books on Trekking
in Nepal. Perhaps the most well known are those by Stephen
Bezruchka, or Stan Armitage. A
usefully realistic account of what happens on trek is found in Mike
Harding's Footloose in the Himalayas.
There
are accounts of the most important great expeditions such as John
Hunt The Ascent of Everest. Reinhold Messner The Crystal Horizon.
Note: That a good company for
sourcing outdoor / trekking books is ‘Cordee’: www.cordee.co.uk
Another
company: ‘Cicerone Press,’ www.cicerone.co.uk
publish their own trekking guides to areas of the
Himalaya, recommended is:
Annapurna: A Trekker's Guide by Kev Reynolds
ISBN 1852843977 Price: £15.00
A
trekking map is normally issued to you at your trek briefing in
Kathmandu, if not these are readily available in town, although they
are somewhat lacking in detail!
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Outline Itinerary
The
following itinerary is intended as a working guide only and is subject to
variation as a result of local conditions, weather, government
restrictions or other reasons beyond the control of Sherpa Expeditions.
We
reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) any trek at any time if
this is necessary.
1000m
= 3281ft. 1km = .62 miles.
Day
1: Arrive Kathmandu and
transfer to the 4* hotel. Evening Pre-Trek Briefing.
Day
2: Half-day excursion visiting Kathmandu with its many temples and
pagodas, afternoon free.
Day
3: By road to Pokhara
915m, 7 hours. Overnight hotel.
Day
4: Drive to Damphus 1695m, 2
hours. Trek to Pothana, 1799m 6 hours.
Days
5: Descend to the Modi Khola (river). Cross the river at Nayapul and
climb up to a welcome lunch stop at the hot springs. head north on a steep
track up to Chommrung. 1952m, 5 hours. Overnight lodge.
Day
6: From Chommrong we descend to cross the Chomro Khola and enter the
narrow gorge of this river. Walk in the heart of the Annapurnas. thick
stands of bamboo amid rhododendron, oak and hemlock line the track to
Doban 2286m, 6 hours. Overnight lodge.
Day
7: We ascend through
forest to a clearing where a teahouse, the Himalaya Lodge is
sited. Continue upwards, sometimes quite steeply and eventually reach a
rock overhang known as Hinko Cave from where we reach Deurali, (3080m), 5
hours. Overnight lodge..
Day
8: We are now above the treeline and follow the rock-strewn trail
along the west wall of the valley, which has now widened considerably. A
large lateral moraine lying roughly east west divides the valley with the
river in a deep ravine to the right and the trail to the Sanctuary on the
left. The trail continues to ascend to reach the site of the 1957 British
Machapuchare BaseCcamp (11,673ft). 3720m, 4 hours. Overnight lodge.
Day
9: We ascend along the moraine ridge with good views of the Sanctuary
to make camp at Annapurna Base Camp. The route of Bonnington’s famous
ascent is clearly visible on the enormous wall of rock and ice. There will
be plenty of time to explore. 4 hours, 4095m. Overnight lodge.
Day
10/13: Trek back out from the Annapurna Sanctuary via Chommrung,
Ghandrung, Nayapul and bus to Pokhara.
En
route option visit of the Annapurna Area Conservation Project and descend
the Modi Khola valley past Syaule Bazaar and the lively bazaar of
Birethanti.
On
day 13 overnight in Pokhara and a comfortable 3* hotel by Phewa Lake,
915m.
Day
14: Flight back to Kathmandu 1330m, 30 mins. Overnight at the 4*
hotel.
Day
15: You will be
transferred to the International airport for your flight home.
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