Grade
This trek is graded Moderate. The walking is generally moderate in character though not without its strenuous moments! 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.
Included
All ground transport as specified in the
itinerary,
flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu, bed and breakfast accommodation in Kathmandu, Nepali ‘welcome dinner’ on the first evening. Half day excursion of Kathmandu, all camp food, on trek, services of leader, English-speaking Sherpa guide, trek crew and porters, tents, cooking equipment, Kathmandu airport transfers. Also included is the use of a ‘Trek pack’ which includes such items as a duvet jacket, sleeping mats, sleeping bag and rain poncho. This saves you bringing out a lot of gear with you, but we would still advise you to bring your own waterproofs and a sleeping bag liner.
Not Included
Return Flights, Passport, visa, insurance, immunization fees, meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu (budget £20 per meal without drinks). Airport taxes. Tipping.
Flights
Flights are not included in the tour price. 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 Doha 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 am. 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 am. or so. This midday break usually lasts about an hour. After walking for about three hours in the afternoon, we will aim to pitch camp around 4 pm. You will have an hour or so to relax and reflect before the day is rounded off with a hot three course meal. However, for contact with local people, there may be the opportunity of visiting a nearby village.
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 £25 + £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:
Spring 2010 – Camping Trek
: 15 nights / 16 days.
q Day
1: Arrive Kathmandu (1330m) and transfer to
our 5 star hotel. Rest of day at leisure. Evening welcome dinner in a fine
Kathmandu restaurant.
q 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.
q 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 an hotel in Pokhara.
q Day
4: After breakfast we drive to Pedhi and
commence trekking to Pothana, where we camp. 5 hours.
On
the way spectacular views of the Annapurnas and Machapuchare (the peak
with the famous "Fishtail" profile) start to open up.
q Day
5: We
then descend to the pretty Gurung village of Landrung 2,010m, a hillside
settlement of stone-built houses with thatch and slate roofs. After lunch
we cross Modi Khola River, and start a steady 595m ascent up the famous
and well-constructed "stone staircase" to Ghandrung (1,951m),
the largest Gurung village, which offers fine views of Annapurna South and
Machapuchare. 6 hours.
This
is a short but quite strenuous day leaving you time to visit the ACAP
(Annapurna Conservation Area Project) Headquarters where the Project’s
aims and achievements are on display, and see a short film on ACAP’s
efforts to control the environmental damage caused by careless trekkers.
q Day
6: To Tadapani Leaving Ghandrung, we
walk through sparse woodland before ascending through more dense
rhododendron and magnolia forest to camp near the village of Tadapani. 5
hours, 2700m.
q Day
7: To Dobaato. The tiny settlement of
Tadapani is the last permanent habitation we shall see for a week. We
immediately enter dense rhododendron, oak and magnolia forest, following a
well-defined trail which is enclosed like a tunnel in some places - keep
any eye on the trek leader and Sherpa guides. Look out also for the
monkeys that live in the forest. Ascending steadily with tremendous views
to the north, we reach bamboo forest. Vegetation gradually thins out as we
approach the tree line. We pass several water buffalo-grazing pastures
before reaching the saddle of Kuromai Deurali, from where we descend to a
small sheltered basin for lunch.
Next,
we ascend grass-covered slopes to a high ridge from where a 360 panorama
of the entire Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif can be seen. There is a
short descent to our campsite at Dobaato.4-5 hours 3420m.
q Day
8: On to Chistibung. Contouring west through
sparse rhododendron forest, our goal is the Kopra ridge to the north. Due
to the steep and insecure nature of this trail, used only by hunters, we
descend to the low trail to Kopra, which passes through beautiful forest.
Lunch is by a small stream after a long but pleasant morning’s walk.
This afternoon, we ascend to the buffalo-grazing pastures of Chistibung. 6
hrs, 3000m.
q Day
9: Walk on and camp on Kopra ridge; a
stunning site with airy views of Annapurna South, Fang, the Nilgiris to
the northeast, Dhaulagiri to the northwest and Poon Hill to the southwest.
5 hours, 3810m.
q Day
10: To Baraha lake. We gain height steadily
up the Kopra ridge, walking above the tree line. Here we may glimpse the
Himalayan Thar and Impeyan pheasant, known locally as “Damphe." As
there is no water on the ridge, we carry a packed lunch. In the afternoon
we continue our slow ascent to our highest campsite. 6 hours, 4200m.
q Day
11: Return to the Kopra Ridge via Lake Kaire
Tal: traversing along the base of a dramatic rock wall we begin our ascent
of a stone approach stairway on an ancient moraine. A steady climb brings
us to the holy Kaire Tal Lake, 4,725m (15500ft). A Hindu pilgrimage
destination dedicated to the god Shiva.
For a stunning view of the peaks of Annapurna South and Fang high
above we need to climb a small ridge just near the lake. We return to the
Kopra ridge camp. 5 hours, 3810m.
q Day
12: To Chitre. Before starting the long
descent off the ridge there is a chance to spend time exploring the
western side of the ridge with tremendous views below of the Kali Gandaki
River. Our route now descends into forest and through isolated kharkas
(high meadows). A very steep track leads down to a small village before we
cross a river and make a short climb to Sauda. This is a Magar village
with a school. Descending through terraced fields initially we then cross
a river and climb to join the main Jomsom trail at the village of Chitre.
6 hours, 2391m.
q Day
13: To Thikhedhunga. From Chitre it is a
steady climb through forest to the pass at Ghorepani. The route is busy
with traders from the trans-Himalayan areas of Mustang. There are mule
trains supplying rice and grain to the villages of the upper Kali Gandaki.
We may even see a Hindu Saddhu making his way to the sacred shrines at
Muktinath. There may be time for a hike from Ghorepani to the nearby
summit of Poon Hill 3232m, one of the finest viewpoints in the region. The
remainder of today’s walk is all downhill on wide trails through
beautiful forests. There is ample opportunity to stop off at the many
teahouses, often run by Thakali women. Until the closure of the borders
with Tibet in the early fifties, it was the Thakali people who controlled
the salt-for-grain trade in this part of Nepal. Lunch at Ulleri. Another
Gurung staircase brings us to Tirkhedunga. 6 hours, 1577m.
q Day
14: Trek to Nayapul and bus to Pokhara: In
the morning there may be time for a leisurely stroll down to a natural
pool where swimming is possible. We then walk (4hrs) down the Bhurungdi
Khala valley, cross the Modi Khola River and walk through rhododendron
forest to Nayapul (1,030m) from where we drive to Pokhara (915m) and
overnight at our 3 star hotel there.
q Day
15: Fly
back to Kathmandu. 30 mn. Overnight at
Hotel.
q Day
16: Departure day. According to flight times
you will be transferred to the International Airport.
From
Autumn 2010 – Lodge Trek : 14 nights / 15 days.
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.
Day4
: 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 displaya 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
Ghandruk (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 Ghandruk. 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 camp. Lammergeyers, Himalayan Griffons, vultures, eagles and other
large raptors often circle camp here. 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
again, up the ridge. 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. We overnight again on the
ridge, awaiting the sunset. 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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