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DAY: 01
We arrive in Kathmandu in the afternoon and are met by our
guide who welcomes us with garlands of Marigolds. We transfer
by private coach to one of the excellent hotels situated in
the very centre of the Thamel tourist district of the city.
We are within close walking distance of the many restaurants,
bars and shops, which this part of the city is famous for.
After checking into our rooms, we can relax in the hotel’s
pleasant garden before an early evening meal. Flying to Kathmandu
produces considerable jet lag on this first night and most
of us will be asleep by 10pm.
DAY: 02
A free day to explore this lively and exotic city. Guidebooks
will suggest many popular excursions including the Buddhist
stupa at Bodnath and the Monkey Temple at Swayambunath. These
are best visited using a taxi or by bicycles which are available
for rental at every street corner. In truth there are so many
places to see in the Kathmandu valley that you will not have
time for all of them. Many people enjoy just wandering about
the narrow alleyways of Asan market place, or down by the
temples and pagodas of Durbar Square, near to the old hippy
area of Freak Street. Others will need to scour the plethora
of walking and climbing shops for that last essential piece
of trekking equipment. And for those who just have to stay
in touch with the outside world you can check your email in
one of the many internet cafes which have sprung up around
Thamel Chowk and the Kathmandu guest house. In the evening
we will visit a traditional Newari restaurant for an authentic
Nepali meal and live entertainment.
DAY: 03
After breakfast, we board a private coach and drive out of
the Kathmandu valley, following the Chinese-built road towards
Pokhara along the course of the mighty Trisuli River. We stop
for lunch at Mugling Bazaar before continuing to Dumre where
we turn off the main highway. The road deteriorates from here
and we may need to ride in the back of a truck to complete
the final section up to the trailhead at Besisahar. We stay
here in a small village lodge.
DAY: 04
From Besisahar we descend to the Marsyangdi River and climb
back up to the pleasant Gurung village of Khudi. It is from
this region that the British Army recruits many young men
into the Gurkha regiment, and we occasionally meet soldiers
who are home from Britain on vacation. From Khudi we continue
north along the river and get our first views of Himalchuli
(7893m) and Peak 29 (7836m). We cross the Marsyangdi on a
wide suspension bridge, which brings us to the village of
Bhulebule, and from there we trek up the east bank of the
river to the lush green paddies fields around Ngati. We again
cross the river on a high suspension bridge and make the final
steep climb to the village of Bahundanda (1311m). Prayer flags
and chortens can now be seen, indicating the Tibetan influences
in the region.
DAY: 05
After breakfast, we descend back to the river and cross via
yet another suspension bridge at the village of Syange (1136m).
Views of Lamjung Himal (6966m) and Manaslu (8163m) dominate
the horizon from here. The trail then climbs high above the
river passing through rhododendron and pine forest, following
a narrow path beneath numerous rocky overhangs. We trek through
Jagat and stay overnight in the village of Tal (1700m) at
the foot of a spectacular waterfall.
DAY: 06
The valley narrows and we climb up to the village of Dharapani
(1943m). We trek high above the river although we can still
hear its distant rumble. Our destination for the night is
the village of Bagarchap (2164m), the first typically Tibetan
style place we have stayed at. We are now in the Manang district
and the local people are generally Buddhist.
DAY: 07
The trail now heads west where Manaslu forms a splendid backdrop
and Annapurna II is occasionally visible to the south. We
continue on a pleasant path through forests of fir and Himalayan
blue pine through the delightful hamlets at Charku and Thonje.
As we progress northwards, views of the Annapurna range improve
all the time until we reach the large village of Chame, the
administrative capital of the region.
DAY: 08
The trek undergoes a dramatic change of scenery as we leave
behind the dense forests and fertile agricultural land of
the lowlands and enter a high and arid Himalayan region. Sparse
stands of oak, birch and pine dot the landscape and in the
fields there are potatoes, wheat and corn, which are the staples
of the region. The people are Tibetan in appearance and rows
of elaborately carved mani stones line the trail. To respect
the local beliefs these stones, as well as prayer wheels and
other Buddhist icons on the trail, should always be passed
in a clockwise direction keeping them to your right. As we
progress the valley adopts a distinctive glaciated ‘U’-shaped
appearance and in front of us rise a series of tremendous
rock slabs.
We climb up to the village of Pisang (3185m) with its prayer
flags and flat-roofed Tibetan buildings.
DAY: 09
Heading towards Manang we enter an arid area in the rain shadow
of the Himalaya. The landscape is desert like with bare eroded
hillsides, testimony to the sparse rainfall this region receives.
We pass through Ongre where there is a small rough STOL (short
take-off and landing) airstrip although there are no scheduled
flights here. We continue through the little village of Braga
with its fascinating Gompa before eventually reaching the
village of Manang. For centuries this has been an important
trading centre providing a conduit for goods travelling between
Tibet with India. Today this particular trade has largely
ceased but the Manangbhots now have their sights set higher
and many have travelled to Bangkok or further afield to advance
their business interests. The village has good views of Gangapurna
(7455m) and Annapurna III (7555m), whilst to the north we
can see the Chulu peaks.
DAY: 10
We have a day for rest and acclimatization in Manang. Behind
the village is a small hill, which makes a worthwhile training
exercise and provides magnificent views of the whole Annapurna
range. The icefall which descends from Gangapurna is in a
constant state of change and we will probably witness huge
blocks of ice calve off and come crashing down. We have a
succession of hard days ahead of us so for the sake of our
legs it is best to gain as much rest today as possible.
DAY: 11
Leaving Manang we begin our long climb to the Thorong La.
Climbing out of the Marsyangdi valley, we follow the Jarsang
Khola across high Himalayan scrub with occasional clusters
of juniper. Although not a long day, we do not want to gain
altitude too rapidly so we stop at the teahouses around Churi
Letdar (4250m). Evening and nighttime temperatures for the
next few days can be very cold, but the spectacular scenery
more than compensates for this.
DAY: 12
We climb up to the isolated teashop at Thorong Phedi (4400m)
which is set in a bleak spot at the foot of the pass. Some
people have compared this area to the surface of the moon
and it certainly feels as cold when the sun dips behind the
mountains at about 3pm. From then on, the temperature plummets
and we retire to our sleeping bags whilst our Sherpa crew
prepares a hot stew for dinner. We go to sleep early with
rucksacks already prepared for an early start the next morning.
DAY: 13
We leave Thorong Phedi before first light and begin making
our way up the frozen shattered screen path. Initially the
path ascends quite steeply but as dawn breaks, the sun rises
over the cobalt-blue horizon the angle eases, and the trail
becomes enjoyable. As we climb higher, the views become more
impressive and we can look back towards the Chulu peaks and
across to Manaslu. The trail undulates over many false summits
before finally reaching the colorful collection of prayer
flags which adorn the top of the pass at 5416m. Here we are
treated to a fantastic view down towards Muktinath in the
Kali Gandaki valley – an arid and desolate Tibetan landscape.
Above us rises the fluted peak of Thorong Phedi and beyond
lies the entire Annapurna range. If the weather is good we
can linger on the pass taking numerous photographs and greeting
other trekkers making this arduous crossing. Eventually it’s
time to leave and we descend steeply down a long series of
switch backs and screen. Ski poles will be found useful on
this section to protect our knees from the pounding they’ll
be getting as we drop 1600 metres to Muktinath. The village
is situated in a pleasant grove of poplar trees and has a
selection of comfortable lodges where beer and soft drinks
are available. There is also a fascinating Gompa and Hindu
temple where naturally occurring gas venting out of the ground
burns as a small perpetual flame, making this a pilgrimage
site of great importance.
DAY: 14
A welcome rest day after the exertions on the Thorong La.
This will be time to catch up with our journals, do some washing
or simply sunbathe by our camp. For those who feel the need
to stretch their legs, the nearby village of Kagbeni makes
a pleasant day trip.
DAY: 15
We trek through the austere and arid landscape of the upper
Kali Gandaki valley, passing long caravans of donkeys laden
with provisions for Muktinath. Dhaulagiri rises above us but
is somewhat hidden from view here. The route follows the wide
expanses of the braided river valley to the important town
of Jomsom. There is an airstrip here and fine views of Nilgiri
(7061m) and Tilicho Peak (7132m). But the town is somewhat
bleak and windswept so we continue to the delightful Thakali
village of Marpha (2667m) an hour or two further down the
valley. The cobbled streets and beautifully maintained white-washed
houses of the village are set amongst prolific apple orchards,
the legacy of a pioneering agricultural project in the early
1980’s. The result is that Marpha is now famous for
its fiery apple brandy, cider and superb apple pie!
DAY: 16
We continue to follow the increasingly narrow Kali Gandaki
gorge to the delightful village of Tukuche with its large
Gompa. Beyond this, we trek on a narrow path through verdant
forests to Kalaopani where we have fine views of Annapurna
I (8091m) and Fang (7647m). A short distance further on is
the village of Lete, our stop for the night.
DAY: 17
We descend steeply down through dense forest to Ghasa and
enter the narrowest and deepest part of the gorge. The Kali
Gandaki is one of the deepest river valleys in the world and
although we are aware of the presence of high mountains around
us, we are unable to see any at this point in the trek. We
emerge into a wider part of the valley and reach the large
and prosperous village of Tatopani (1160m) with its hot springs
and bathing pools. Tatopani is, by international repute, one
of the most developed villages on the Annapurna trail. The
various comfortable lodges have been serving excellent pizza
and chocolate cake here for the past twenty years, and its
shrewd lodge keepers have seen their bank balances expand
in direct proportion to their waists.
DAY: 18
We cross the river via a suspension bridge and leave the Kali
Gandaki behind. We then have a very long and continuous climb
up towards the Deorlai La (2834m), a gain in altitude of nearly
1700 meters. With clear weather, we are constantly rewarded
with superb views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna
I, Nilgiri and Hiunchuli. We break this long ascent for lunch
on the trail and from the crest of the pass has a further
10 minutes walking down to the village of Ghorepani (2775m).
DAY: 19
Above Ghorepani is the famous Poon Hill, one of the finest
mountain viewpoints in the whole of Nepal. Normal practice
is to make a dawn ascent, and whilst this is by no means obligatory
the views are certainly at their best first thing in the morning.
Dhaulagiri is most conspicuous, its huge eastern flank rising
in a tremendous sweep above the Kali Gandaki, whilst in the
other direction we look across the Annapurna range. After
taking numerous photographs, we return to Ghorepani for a
mid-morning breakfast before continuing our trek down through
magnificent forests of oak and rhododendron to Birethanti
(1050m). A few minutes below this village, our private vehicles
will be waiting for us here and we drive to Pokhara and our
hotel besides Phewa Tal lake.
DAY: 20
A free morning in Pokhara. Many itineraries for the Annapurna
Circuit don’t spend any time in Pokhara but the lakeside
area of the town is very pleasant with a variety of good restaurants
and cafes set amongst banana groves and bougainvillea. A relaxing
day can be spent boating on the lake or you may wish to hire
a taxi and drive for the classic and much photographed panorama
of the entire Annapurna range. In the afternoon, we transfer
to the airport for the short flight back to Kathmandu. For
those lucky enough to be sitting on the left hand side of
the aircraft, there is a great view of the western end of
the Nepal Himalaya.
DAY: 21
The morning will be free in Kathmandu. In the afternoon, we
transfer to the airport for our homeward flight.
Note: Further information and the
net Cost in USD per Person will be provided on request
Thank You
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