Trip Highlights

Walking completely around the Annapurna massif in 16 to 21 days, crossing the 5416m Thorung La.
 Waching the golden dawn light inch down the frozen fluted panorama of peaks from the Annapurna sanctuary.
 Savouring the breakfast views of Annapurna and Machhapuchhare from the tradional Gurung village of Ghandruk.
Exploring the chortens, forts and shrines of pristine Trans-Himalayan villages such as Marpha,jharkot and kagbeni in the kali Gandaki Valley, or Bragha in the Manang Valley
 Acclimatising in style on Spectacular side trips to holly Millarepa’s Cave or scenic Ice lake, just outside Manang.
Admiring the perfect views of Annanpurna ll and IV over a teahouse lunch in Ngawal Ghyaru, on the high route from pisang.
Teaming up with other trekkers for the challenging  three-day excursion to high-altitude Tilicho Tal.

Trip Information - Good to Know

When to Trek?

See p19 for an overview of the best times to trek; bear in mind that October sees twice as many trekkers in the Annapurnas than any other month.

Because there is no formidable barrier directly to the south to obstruct the spring and monsoon rain clouds, the region near Pokhara is subject to abnormally high rainfall – almost double that of Kathmandu. This accounts for the large glaciers at relatively low elevations inside the Annapurana Sanctuary. Be prepared for rain whenever you trek on the solution flanks of the Annapurnas.

The northern side of the range by contrast is much more dry and you could easily explor the areas around Manang or Jomsom in the monsoon months, though leeches and rain can make the lower valleys unpleasant at this time.

Expect snow above Manang at any time from late November through to February. Several high-altitude lodges close during December and January, though something will always be open. There is occasional snow at Ghorepani in December and January, but this rarely closes the trail.

The rhododendron blooms are particularly impressive around Ghorepani between March and mid April, though spring can be very hazy in the southern section of the Annapurna region.

Route Options

The entire Annapurna Circuit from Besi Sahar to Naya Pul can be done in 17 days, but it’s absolutely worth adding on a few extra days to explore the viewpoints around Manang . experienced trekkers can further add on spectacular side trips to Tilicho Tal (three days) and the Dhaulagiri Icefall (two days), as well as excellent day hikes from Muktinath and Kagbeni.

Three weeks is a good amount of time to budget. Increasing number of trekkers are forsaking the road down the Kali Gandaki and finishing their circuit at Jomsom, taking a jeep or flight back to Pokhara. For the ultimate Annapurna experience, continue from Ghorepani to the Annapurna sanctuary for a total of 25 or more days (30 if you include the excursions on the Annapurna Circuit trek).

There are plenty of shorter combinations: catch a jeep to Jomsom and spend a few days visiting Marpha, Kagbeni and Muktinath, before walking down the valley to Ghasa and Tatopani (seven days); combine the Annapurna Sanctuary with a visit to Ghorepani and poon hill (12 to 13 days); or do one of the short treks fromPokhara, ranging from three to six days.

THE END OF THE ROAD

Road construction is starting to have a serious effect on trekking routes in the Annapurna region. The road between Beni,Jomsom and Muktinath was completed in 2008 and will eventually connect to the Chinese-built road in Mustang. Another road is inching up the Marsyangdi Valley towards Chame, thought at a much slower pace.

Whether road is a good thing is a bit of a hot potato. Locals hope that the new roads will not only open up new markets for their prouducts but also lower the price of consumer goods and provide cheaper and easier access to hospitals and schools. The region’s abundant apple crops can now be shipped to markets in Kathmandu and even china. The roads will likely also bring pollution, landslides and crime, and will have a dramatic effect on roadshide trekking lodges.

Whether it’s all bad for tourism is also up for debate. The nature of tourism in the Kali Gandaki Valley will doubtless change as people bus in to visit sights like Muktinath. The number of cases of altitude sickness will probably rise rapidly. The trekking focus in the Kali Gandaki will shift to side trips, as hitherto little – visited gems such as Hidden Valley and Annapurna North Base Camp start to open up.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) is busily restoring new trails that avoid the road, erecting new trail signs and building lodges away from the road. Routers to Besi kharka, Konjo, Katsapterenga Gompa, Nupsang Kharka, Chimang, jhong and putak are already open and offer some exciting new destinations.

The Manang side will remain largely unaffected for years to come. You can expect some blasting as the road inches towards jagat but few locals expect the road to reach chame in the next 15 years. Eventually the government may even lift the permit restrictions in the Nar-phu and Manaslu regions, allowing those to became the ‘new’ Annapurna circuits.

Some entrepreneurial companies are already starting to offer combo trips that take advantage of the new road: combing a trek over the Through La to Jomsom with mountain biking down the valley to Tatopani and finally rafting the lower Kali Gandaki.