ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT TREK 13 DAYS

We have a fairly long drive to where our trek begins. This is a good time to sit back and take in the sights of the changing countryside; rivers, terraced farmlands and views of the stunning Himalayan Mountains. Tonight we will stay at a guesthouse.

Today we start out by crossing the river and then head up to a ridge where we follow the trail to Tal, the first village in the Manang region. Just before Tal we pass a waterfall. We will stay overnight at Tal.

Today we trek along a broad flat valley and then climb a stone stairway to 1860 meters. The trail is then undulating until we reach Dharapani at 1890 meters. We then arrive at the Tibetan village of Danakyu with its characteristic flat stone roofed houses.

This morning we follow a rough and rocky trail and climb to Timang at 2750 meters and through a forest close to the river before coming to the village of Kopar at 2590 meters. Next we come to Chame, the headquarters of the Manang district from where we can see Annapurna II and two hot springs close to the village.

We walk through a steep and narrow valley from where we have our first views of Paungda Danda, a massive curved rock face soaring 1500 meters vertically up from the river bed. From here we can look up to the gigantic Annapurna II and Pisang Peak. We then head down to Manang Valley. Tonight we will stay at a guest house in Pisang.

Today we enter the upper Manang region that begins at Pisang. Today we head to Braga; a Tibetan village with its characteristic architecture and houses built one upon the other. One of the main features here is its Gompa (Tibetan Buddhist temple), the largest in the entire Manang region. Manang is also a popular place for trekkers and is a good place to acclimatize before heading to higher altitudes. We will stay here overnight.

Health care professionals recommend that before heading to higher altitudes trekkers acclimatize. They also strongly recommend that you stay active during this period. Today we will climb up to Mt. Khangsar (3756m) as a means of acclimatizing. We will stay the night at Manang.

Today we have a 10.4 km ascent to Yak Kharka on a trail that passes through juniper forests. On the trail it is possible we will come across yak grazing in these high alpine pastures. We will also pass the only teahouse at Thorong Khola. Depending on the weather conditions and how energetic we feel we may decide to trek a little further and stay overnight at Letdar.

The trail initially descends and crosses the river at 4310 meters and then we have to climb up to Phedi at 4450 meters. At High Camp (4700m) there are several good guest houses where we can stay.

Today is one of the toughest days on the trek as we hike for up to 8 hours. The higher altitude also makes it more hard going with less oxygen and the possibility of very strong winds in these alpine regions. On the trail we may pass sheep, yaks and merchants transporting their goods on mules or on their backs. At Thorong La Pass we will have incredible views of Annapurna, Gangapurna and the distinct peak of Khatungkang (6484m). We then descend for around 1600 metres and along the trail can expect to have views of Dhaulagiri (Dhavali giri, meaning “White Mountain”), the highest mountain that is wholly within the borders of Nepal. The trail is less challenging as we head to Muktinath where we stay overnight.

This morning we head downhill to the Kaligandaki River and then follow a road taking a jeep or bus to a bus to Tatopani where we will stay the night.

This morning we head to Pokhara in a private vehicle with a break for lunch along the way.

On the last day of our journey, we head back to Kathmandu through the mountain passes and across rivers until we arrive at Kathmandu.