ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT TREK 12 DAYS

Upon arrival at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be met by a Sherpa Expedition & Trekking representative and taken by private vehicle to your hotel. After checking in at the hotel, you will be briefed on what to expect on your trek and given an itinerary. With time to spare you can wander around the tourist hub of Thamel or take in the sights of Kathmandu Valley.

Today’s road trip crosses several rivers, the Trishuli River – where you may see people rafting and the Marsyangdi River close to Chame. Our first destination is Besisahar and then finally to Chame. This is a good opportunity to take in the local scenery and get a feel for what lies ahead of your trek.

Leaving Chame we pass through the village of Telekhu and on the trail have some wonderful views of the Annapurna Ranges and Mt. Pisang (6091m) until we have to re-cross a suspension bridge to the south side of the Marsyangdi River. After crossing the river we ascend and pass a pine-forest following the trail through the upper reaches of the Manang Valley before arriving at Pisang.

Pisang is the start of our trek in the upper Manang area. Today we trek to Braga; a Tibetan village with its distinctive architecture and houses constructed one upon the other. One of Manang’s main attractions is its Gompa, being the largest in the Manang region. Manang is also popular with trekkers who stay here in order to acclimatize before heading to higher altitudes.

Health and climbing professionals recommend that before heading to higher elevations that trekkers should spend some time acclimatizing. They also strongly recommend staying active. From Manang you will have some great views of Annapurna II; Annapurna III (7555m); Gangapurna (7454 m); and to the south to Tilicho (7132 m); and the Grand Barrier (a 7000m ridge) to the west; Chulu West (6583m) and Chulu East (6059m) to the north. In order to better acclimatize to these higher altitudes, we will trek up to Mt. Khangsar (3756m) and then return to Manang.

Today we have a 10.4 km uphill trek to Yak Kharka passing through juniper forests and along the trail will see yak grazing in these alpine pastures. On the route, we also pass the only teahouse at Thorong Khola (river). Depending on the weather and trail conditions we may decide to go a little further and stay the night at Ledar.

As we slowly ascend higher our body progressively gets used to the higher altitude. We follow along the east bank of the Jarang Khola (river) and view steep bluffs before reaching Thorong Phedi (meaning foot-hills). We may also decide to follow the trail for one more hour to High Camp (4800m). If we are fortunate we will see the famous blue sheep and possibly a snow leopard! This is also home to Lammergeyer (bearded vulture). There is also a belief legendary griffons are in this region!

Today is probably going to be one of the most physically demanding days of the trek, hiking for between 8 and 9 hours. The higher altitude certainly makes it more difficult, and sometimes the strong winds in these upper regions make it harder too. Along the trail, we might pass sheep, yaks, and merchants transporting their goods by Yak or donkey. Once we reach Thorong La Pass we will have some truly amazing views of Annapurna, Gangapurna, and the eye-catching peak of Khatungkang (6484m). Crossing the pass we then descend about 1600 meters. Dhaulagiri (Dhavali Giri, meaning “White Mountain”) and the highest mountain that is entirely in Nepal is also visible. The trail is more undulating and quite easy before coming to Muktinath.

After leaving Muktinath we follow the trail through lush meadows, past orchards and streams. We also pass the village of Kagbeni before reaching Jomson located in the Kali Gandaki Valley. Kagbeni has a reputation for its intense horticulture industry.

Today we drive to Pokhara by local bus on a 7-8 hour journey, firstly arriving at Tatopani via Beni Bazaar and then on to Pokhara. Pokhara is famous for its lake – Phew Tal, and is popular with travelers. It has all the facilities of a small city. Your hotel will be by “Lakeside”. You may wish to watch the sunset over the lake and the mountains. It is a great way to end the day and relax.

Today we head back on a 6 to 7-hour drive to Kathmandu with many warm memories of Nepal and its unique culture, village people and geography. These memories will be with you for a long time - and as you look back on them they will put a smile on your face.

Today is your last day in Nepal and Sherpa Expedition and Trekking will take you to the airport at least three hours prior to your scheduled departure time. On your flight home, you can start planning your next adventure in Nepal.