Grade
This trek is graded Moderate
- Challenging. The walking is generally moderate in character though
not without its strenuous moments on a few longer and more
challenging days! It has proved to be well within the capabilities of those who are fit and enjoy hill walking. Maximum height reached is around 4,725m (15500ft). As we will be trekking at a sensible pace, gaining height gradually, the likelihood of altitude problems is greatly minimized.
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 can be
chilly early morning and night time temperatures can be below freezing.
Accommodation
In
Kathmandu we stay in a 4* hotel and in Pokhara a good 2* hotel. On
trek accommodation is in lodges
Included
All
ground transport as specified in the itinerary, flight from Pokhara
to Kathmandu, bed and breakfast accommodation in Kathmandu and
Pokhara, 1 evening meal in Kathmandu. Half day excursion of
Kathmandu, all food and accommodation on trek, guide, trek crew and
porters, trek permits, Kathmandu airport transfers. Also included is
the use of a ‘Trek pack’, which includes such items as a duvet
jacket, sleeping bag, thermal bag liner, duffel bag, t-shirt and
rain poncho.
Not Included
International
flights (unless you have requested them), Passport, visa, insurance,
immunization fees, meals other than those listed above (for meals
not included budget £20 per meal without drinks), airport taxes and
tipping.
Flights
Flights
are not included in the tour price. We will on request source
International flights from London Heathrow to Kathmandu via Delhi
with Jet Airways, or 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 20.50
arrive DEL 10.40
Depart DEL 12.40
arrive KTM 14.40
Inbound
Depart KTM 09.00
arrive DEL 10.35
Depart DEL 13.40
arrive LHR 17.40 (same day)
The Trekking Day
A
typical day begins just after 7 am.
After breakfast we begin our walking in the pleasant cool of
the morning. Lunch is around 11 am. or so. This midday break usually
lasts about an hour. After walking for about three hours in the
afternoon, we will aim to arrive at the teahouse around 4 pm. You
will have an hour or so to relax and reflect before the day is
rounded off with an evening meal.
General Information
Special
Dietary Requirements: It is important
for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you
book your holiday so that we can inform everyone in Nepal.
Insurance:
All
clients must have appropriate cover for the activities included for
the duration of our trip.
Health Matters
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.
For Vaccinations, check most recent recommendations with your doctor. Normally you are advised to have Hepatitus, Tetanus, Meningitis and Typhoid Jabs. Some medical centers may encourage you to have a Rabies jab as well. You are recommended to inquire about Malarial prophylactics if you are travelling to Chitwan or the tropical lowlands before or after the trek.
Documents
A visa is required for Nepal and you must have a valid passport. Visas for Nepal if 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
£35 + £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
regarding
availability can change at any time.
Books & Maps
For this trek particularly Chris Bonington's Annapurna South Face. (1971) is interesting. Then there is the famous first ever ascent of a 8000 m peak in 1951: ‘Annapurna’ by Maurice Herzog, a mountaineering classic.
An up to date travelogue is Andrew Stevenson's 1997 Annapurna Circuit: A Himalyan Journey.
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 the 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 and group progress.
We
reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) any trek at any time if
necessary.
1000m = 3281ft. 1km = 0.62 miles.
Note
that the tour dates start in Kathmandu:
Day 1:
Arrive
Kathmandu (1330m) and transfer to our 4 star hotel. Rest of day at
leisure. Evening welcome dinner in a fine Kathmandu restaurant.
Day
2: Half-day
excursion touring Kathmandu with its many temples and pagodas. Then there
will be a ‘Trek briefing’ talking about the tour in general and what
to expect. The rest of the day free for you to explore.
Day
3: Drive by road to Pokhara (915m) that is 200km west of Kathmandu.
7hrs. On a clear day there are spectacular views of the high mountains to
the north and the skillfully engineered hillside terraces of the lower
hills. Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
Day
4: To
Landrung. Today’s trek is a fine introduction
to trekking, with time to acclimatise to the sights and smells of the
Nepalese foothills. We climb steeply up to Dhampus village, where the
amazing fishtail peak of Machapuchare is on full display, a truly
inspiring sight. There follows a pleasant walk gently up into the wispy
forest and along the ridge up to Deurali. With luck there will be a
fabulous view of the entire Annapurna range. The trail drops from Deurali
through Tolka to the Gurung village
of Landrung. 5-6 hours.
Day
5: To Ghandrung. After breakfast we
begin the long descent to the Modi Khola River, mostly on stone steps. We
cross the river on a steel bridge to reach Kyumi (1350m), a trail
junction. The stony paved steps continue as we climb up steep slopes to
Ghandrung (1940m). It is by far the largest village on the trekking trails
of the Annapurnas, with a population of almost 8000, most of whom are
Gurungs. Ghandrung is the headquarters of ACAP, Annapurna Conservation
Area Project, one of the most successful programmes in South Asia. The
mountain vista from Ghandrung is dominated by Annapurna South and
Hiunchuli, but Machapuchare, along with distant Annapurna I and Gangapurna,
is visible too. 5-6 hours.
Day 6: After a beautiful sunrise
(God willing!), we trek up into dense rhododendron forest. Normally lunch
is at a herder’s outpost named Bhaisi Kharka (2470m), meaning ‘buffalo
pasture’, roughly 3hrs walk from Ghandrung. We continue ascending through
the dense rhododendron forest into even thicker, almost primordial
rainforest. There is an eerie, ghost-like atmosphere, with wispy foliage
and mysterious vines entwining the trees like a lost world. Occasionally
Annapurna South looms out of the mist as we hike on to Tadapani
(2700m).Set
in dense jungle, the sounds of Tadapani during the night are enchanting
and mysterious. 5 hours.
Day 7: To Dobaato.
Today we leave the main trail and head northwards on a rough and
little-used herders’ path. The dense forest offers few views, but we are
in a dreamy world of exotic plants, trees and bird life. At lunch we
emerge from the forest to warm in the midday sun. Then again we scramble
on through bamboo and thickets of rhododendron to the isolated kharka of
Dobaato. As the afternoon mists clear, hopefully we will have a view of
Annapurna South. 6 hours.
Day
8: To Chistibung. Again we are following
rarely-visited wilderness trails in the lower reaches of Annapurna South.
Here and there are isolated bhatis, where rugged people cut wood, herd
goats and forage in the jungle for a hardy existence. Along the way we are
again mainly in forest, but a few settlements offer more open views. With
so few people here, the wildlife is apt to be a little more adventurous,
giving us the chance to see the shy creatures of the forest. Chistibung,
our planned night’s stop, is little more than a few terraces and a
couple of houses. 5-6 hours.
Day 9: To Kopra Ridge.
Emerging from the dense forest, we begin a long and tortuous descent and
formidable climb. To the north are rugged, almost impossible rock faces
that we need to summit. Far below, the deep ravines and damp canyons sit
silently, disturbed only by the echoes and sounds of screeching birds.
After lunch it’s a long and seemingly never-ending climb to the Kopra
Ridge. Lammergeyers, Himalayan Griffons, vultures, eagles and other
large raptors often circle. 6-7 hours.
Day
10: To Baraha lake. At dawn the sweeping
panorama of Himalayan giants includes Dhaulagiri, the Kali Gandaki valley
far below, the Nilgiris, Annapurna I, Fang, and close by, Annapurna South. To the south the views are equally dramatic, with
countless blue ridges stretching to the Indian border. Tearing ourselves
away from the vistas, we begin a long and arduous climb up the ridge. In
snow this is a daunting task. Given a clear path, we expect to be able to
reach the isolated, pilgrimage lake of Baraha. Holy to Hindus, this
beautiful pool surrounded by cliffs is a remarkable place of serenity. We
retrace our steps carefully, descending the ridge. Views along this airy
belvedere are spectacular in all directions. 5-6 hours.
Day
11: To Ghorepani. Today we drop quickly off
the ridge. The terraced farms of Chitre are far below. The trail is steep
and relentless, but stop a moment to admire the tantalising views below as
you descend. Far below we can clearly see the old mule trade route to
Tibet snaking down to the Kali Gandaki valley. We cross those once
seemingly tiny fields from above to join the main trail at Chitre. Then
ascending through cool forest, we arrive in Ghorepani (2750m). The name
Ghorepani means ‘horse water’, recapturing the old days of mule
trading between India and Tibet through Nepal. 6 hours.
Day
12: To Tirkhedunga. Today is our side trip,
‘the Poon Hill expedition’ as the Sherpas and guides like to call it.
Starting just before dawn, there is one-hour hike to Poon Hill. The Poon
Hill panorama is best appreciated when the sun is stronger and lights up
all the peaks. On display from west to east are Jirbang and Manapathi, the
snowy colossus of the Dhaulagiri peaks, then Tukuche peak and Dhampus peak
to the far north. The Nilgiri peaks are also far to the north, with
Annapurna I, Fang and Annapurna South just clear of a distant Machapuchare
to the east. After breakfast at Ghorepani, we follow the trail as it winds
its way down to the Modi Khola valley through rhododendron forests. Very
soon the forest gives way to cultivated fields and pasture, and several
small, sleepy settlements. From the village of Ulleri (2070m), the trail
is on stone steps, seemingly forever down to Tirkhedunga. 6-7 hours.
Day 13: Trek to Nayapul, then drive to Pokhara. In the morning we pass a
beautiful waterfall and tempting pool before arriving in Birethanti, the
largest settlement before we reach the roadhead at Nayapul. From here we
take the bus to Pokhara. En route we drive through the rice terraces of
the middle hills, passing through Lumle and
Naudanda, once villages on the old trekking trails before the roads were
built. We arrive in Pokhara before lunch. We can spend the rest of the day
relaxing by the beautiful lake, or taking a boat trip to the island
temple, or hiking up to the Buddhist stupa on the ridge top for more
wonderful Himalayan views… or simply shopping. 2-3 hours trek, then 1-2
hours drive.
Day
14 : We fly to Kathmandu (30 mn) and,
weather permitting, along the way there are views of the Annapurna ranges,
Himalchuli, Ganesh Himal, another knot of varied peaks, and Langtang, to
the north of Kathmandu. In the afternoon there is a great variety of
sights to explore in the valley. Close by is Patan Durbar Square. Further
away are Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Bhaktapura mediaeval small town
to the east.
Day
15: Departure day.
According to flight times you will be transferred to the International
Airport.
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