Nepal - Annapurna Circuit

Muir's Tours - Trek Annapurna

Nepal – Trekking the Annapurna Circuit

One of the most popular treks in Nepal. We will try and persuade you to trek remote Nepal, but if you want the Annapurna circuit we will provide.

Trek Type: Tea House Grade: Hard / Extreme Travel Advice

This trek circumnavigates the Annapurna massif; starting in the east the trail follows the Marsyangdi Khola for the first half of the circuit; you are then hiking in Tibetan type terrain in the northern areas near the Himalaya and the western side provides dramatic views as you descend the Kali Gandaki Gorge. Much of the trekking is through lowland country (a relative term), but there is one high pass, Thorung La. The pass is not technically difficult, but there can be weather hazards. This is a long trek at high elevation and is to be regarded as strenuous, graded Hard on our scale (Easy / Moderate / Hard / Very Hard / Extreme) with possible Extreme conditions on the la. Most people who have conditioned to multi day mountain walking will be able to complete this hike, after acclimatisation to the lack of oxygen.

Muir’s Tours takes more care than most operators to avoid the problems of altitude sickness, by giving longer to acclimatise. You should however, be aware that you might have to return to lower altitudes if it is impossible or dangerous to cross Thorung La because of snow or altitude sickness. The weather is not so stable these days, so predicting the snowfall is impossible, but during October Thorung La should be passable. Thorung La is usually snowbound (and therefore closed to those not experienced in winter techniques) from mid-December to mid-April.

The contrasting altitudes of the area create dramatic changes in climate, wildlife and plants within a short linear distance / time frame - fascinating stuff.

Sub-Tropical (400 - 2,500m). Forests of chir pine, alder and Schima-Castanopsis; terraced farmland. Wildlife includes clouded leopard, jungle cat, Himalayan black bear and Indian muntjac.

Temperate (2,500 - 3,500m) Forests of rhododendron, oak, laurel, maple, magnolia, and alder. Terraced farmland. Wildlife includes musk deer, red panda, wolf and Himalayan tahr.

Sub-Alpine (3,500 - 4,500m) Forests of birch, silver fir and rhododendron mingled with sub-alpine grassland. Wildlife includes Himalayan weasel, and marmot.

Alpine (4,500 - 6,000m) Alpine grassland and juniper/ rhododendron scrub at lower regions. Mostly rock and ice with little vegetation and wildlife above 5,000 meters. Snow leopard and red fox roam this zone. The high point on this trek is the Thorung La at 5416m / 17,769ft.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive from the UK / USA to Kathmandu, where we are met and transferred to the Excelsior hotel or similar.

Day 2 A day in Kathmandu. Morning sightseeing by private bus to Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city at will. A little time to check bags, ready for the start of the trek, the following morning. You can leave items you will not need on the trek at the hotel.

Day 3 Kathmandu to Dumre / Besisahar (820m / 2690ft). We drive by public bus the 7-8 hours from Kathmandu to Dumre and then northwards to Besisahar. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 4 Besisahar to Bahundanda (1310m / 4297ft). We get some great views with terraces and fields in the foreground as we continue hiking along the riverside to Bahundanda. 6 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 5 Bahundanda to Chamje (1430m / 4693ft). We hike over tough, steep ground, partly on tracks carved into old landslides, then descend to Jagat (1300m / 4265ft). Some of the time we will be in thick forest. 6+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 6 Chamje to Bagarchap (1700m / 5578ft). A lot of ascent today with steep grades - narrow gorge, with great views of the river. Stop near Tal for lunch with its wonderful waterfall (Tal is Nepali for 'lake'). We can visit the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) information centre for details of the area.

We cross the river to avoid the tougher section and then back again then climbed to Bagarchap. The people here are of Tibetan stock, and the town has a 4 foot diameter prayer wheel in a gompa with beautiful paintings on the walls (always walk to the left of all Nepali temples, gompas, prayer wheels and mani walls, spinning wheels with your right hand. Never use your left hand). 6 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 7 Bagarchhap to Chame (2670m / 8760ft). After Bagarchap, we climb steeper and into much drier terrain. The river gets significantly smaller you start getting some very impressive views of major peaks. Chame is a major town, with a bank, electricity, and most importantly, a hot spring that is very welcome at the end of a tough day. 6 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 8 Chame to Pisang (3300m / 10820ft). This next section is very spectacular - a 2000' cliff and as we hike you will get a glimpse of Pisang Peak. We will arrive early so there is time to explore upper Pisang. Upper Pisang has a gompa at the very top of the town. Upper Pisang is very old, with narrow winding streets and houses one atop the other. 5+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 9 Pisang. A second day here to help the acclimatisation process AND to savour the magnificent views of Annapurna 2 / Pisang Peak. Again, climb high during the day on one of the many trails in the area and return to sleep low. Overnight at the same lodge / tea house.

Day 10 Pisang to Manang (3540m / 11614ft). Although there is an easier route, the hard slog up to Ghyaru (3670m / 12041ft) is well worth while for it has the most impressive vantage point for viewing the Annapurna Massif. This is another mediaeval village with many interesting areas, as is the next village along – Ngawal. The trail now drops down again to the river at Mugji and on into Manang. 6+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 11 Manang. Another rest day and you should attend the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) talk on Acute Mountain Sickness. Take time to relax and to trek with a day pack only. You may like to trek part way up the side of Gangapurna until you reach a point where you get a great view northwards. There are vantage points for some views towards Thorung La, the high point of the circuit. Alternatively hike over to the glacier. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 12 Manang to Yak Kharka (4018m / 13182ft). This is a short day to aid the acclimatisation process. 3+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 13 Yak Kharka to Letdar (4200m / 13780ft). There are some beautiful views back to the Annapurna massif from this small village. A 4 hour trek including a side trip to higher altitude and then lower for acclimatisation purposes. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 14 Letdar to Thorung Phedi (4450m / 14600ft). We continue to ascend on the high route that is generally safer than the west bank route. We then ascend further to get up to the highest level of Thorung Phedi. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 15 The Thorung La and on to Muktinath (3800m / 12467ft). An early wake-up at 4 AM and a light breakfast before we start off towards the pass at 5. The early start is helpful as the tricky part is on the other side and it is best to get there before the sun melts the top layer of ice. The trail up is not steep or hard work and you will be able to cope well. There is some scree to cope with, but it is not very steep. The main problem for most on this section of the trek is the altitude gain, which will not be a problem for you due to our prolonged acclimatisation process over the previous days. A 5 hour climb.

The first few miles down the west side is quite pleasant, but it then gets a little steep and is sometimes slippery and we need to take care. Crampons may be needed. Depending on the conditions we may continue to Chabarbu (3+ hours downhill) or on into Muktinath (5 hours). Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 16 Muktinath to Kagbeni (2800m / 9186ft). Muktinath is a sacred place to Buddhist and Hindu alike and is very interesting as a result. You should visit the Gompa and with luck you may hear some horns and the chanting monks.

The descent down to Kagbeni is easy and we make this a short day, to catch up if we stopped short of Muktinath the night before. Kagbeni is a fascinating mediaeval place surrounding a gompa on the village green.

The locals have been involved in the salt trade for thousands of years. The area suffers with strong winds flowing up the valley and in the afternoon, the winds pick up and you may need to shelter. The hotels have glased sun rooms so you can sit in, out of the wind. 3 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 17 Kagbeni to Marpha (2670m / 8760ft). We set out for Jomsom but do not spend much time in this modern town. It has some picturesque streets and some very nice restaurants but not much else to offer than the airport. After lunch, we dress to protect from the wind and continue down river, reaching Marpha, arguably the nicest town on the whole circuit. 5+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 18 Marpha to Ghasa (2010m / 6594ft). This is the cultural and geographical threshold with people who originated in Tibet living here. The type of housing and the people will change from here on. 6+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 19 Ghasa to Tatopani (1190m / 3904ft). The Kali Gandaki cuts deeper as the trail heads south and in one section the valley broadens a bit, and you will pass a beautiful waterfall. Tatopani, the goal for the day, has wonderful hot springs next to the river. It is a great way to end the day by sipping a cool drink in the warm waters. Some people run and cool down in the chiso (cold) pani (water) of the river, but you need time to build up the courage and it also interferes with the relaxation, so our boss (Mo) does not do this, you may wish to follow his example. 5+ hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 20 Tatopani to Ghorepani (2750m / 9022ft) After yesterday’s relaxation this is a tough day, up hill all the way, so 'take 5' every now and again and look backwards to some great views down towards the Kali Gandaki Valley. 8 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 21 Ghorepani to Birethanti (Nayapul) (1050m / 3449ft). Leaving Ghorepani behind we head south to the end of the trail. Our Transport will be waiting to take us the short drive to Tarshi Palkhiel Refugee Camp for a Tibetan experience. The highlight of which is the 6.00 AM puja (prayers) in the monastery and the lovely Tibetan food served in the guest house within the camp. 8 hours trekking. Overnight at the best available lodge / tea house.

Day 22 Tarshi Palkheil to Kathmandu. Tourist class bus to Kathmandu and stay overnight in the Excelsior hotel as before.

Day 23 Kathmandu to the UK / USA. Transfer to the airport. OR on to your next Muir’s Tour.

Price Indication Per Person: GBP6 00 / USD1200 Email for current price

There is a maximum of 4 trekkers on this basis.

What is included
Fully trained English speaking mountain guide. A porter to carry your main baggage. All transport as stated. Kathmandu hotels with breakfast only and sightseeing tour.

What is not included
The price allows for joining in Kathmandu and includes everything stated, except; international airfare, lunch and evening meals while in Kathmandu, personal insurance, visa fees, vaccination costs, personal clothing and equipment, all items of a personal nature and all alcoholic / soft drinks.

Airfare (from the UK)
As a guide, the international airfare should be about GBP550 - GBP650 (high season) for economy class.

Visas
A visa is required for Nepal and this will cost about GBP30 or GBP55 if you need double entry. We will send the form to you on receipt of your booking.

Travel Insurance
Comprehensive personal insurance, including search and rescue is required on this trip. (UK clients only) We recommend the policies of the British Mountaineering Council, for their expertise in evacuation from remote areas worldwide. Details at www.thebmc.co.uk We are unable to advise anyone who lives outside of the UK about insurance matters.