Annapurna Sanctuary Trekking
| country: | Nepal |
| location: | Annapurna, Annapurna Sanctuary |
| trip type: | High altitude, strenuous / very challenging trekking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 7 Sep, 21 Sep, 5 Oct, 19 Oct, 2 Nov, 16 Nov, 30 Nov, 7 Dec |
| price: | From €457 (16 days) excluding flights |
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The combination of easy walking and majestic scenery makes the trek to Annapurna Base Camp (4200m), commonly known as Annapurna Sanctuary, one of the most popular treks in Nepal.
Enjoy mountain views, thick bamboo and rhododendron forests and a mix of cultures unparalleled by other treks as you venture deep into the Annapurna Himalaya.
| Day 1-2: | Flying into Kathmandu is an unforgettable experience with the Himalaya spread out before you. You will be met at the airport on arrival and transferred to your hotel. In the morning of day 2 a half-day city tour will introduce you to some of the highlights of Kathmandu. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Pokhara, or you may choose to fly (approx. US $67 one-way - 35mins). |
| Day 4-5: | Begin walking after the 2-hour drive to Birethanti. A wide trail leads through bamboo forests and pasture at Tikedungha. The next morning drop down to cross the Bhurungdi Khola before climbing the step stone staircase to the Magar village of Ulleri – reputedly there are 3767 steps, the toughest section of the trek. As you climb the peaks of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli emerge from behind the foothills. Pasture and cultivated fields soon give way to deep forests of oak and rhododendron. |
| Day 6-7: | An early hour-long climb up to Poon Hill provides a fine, unobstructed view of the high Himalaya. The trail initially climbs through thick forest before emerging to further resplendent views on the route to Tadapani and on to the Gurung villages of Ghandruk and, further up the Modi Khola, Chhomrong – the highest permanent settlement in the valley. |
| Day 8-10: | A long flight of stone steps descend to the swaying suspension bridge across the Chhomrong Khola before re-ascending through forests of rhododendron, bamboo and oak, interspersed with small streams. The final stretch to Annapurna Base Camp (4200m) follows the ablation valley, the corridor-like hollow between the glacier and the mountain flank. The dynamic 360-degree view includes Annapurna I (8091) & III (7555), Machhapuchhare, Varhha Shikar (7647), Khansar Kang (7485) and numerous other peaks standing like a screen of snow and ice and whilst here you may see tahr, Himalayan weasles or pika (mouse-hare), though there are few birds. |
| Day 11-14: | Retrace your route down the Modi Khola as far as Chhomrong before following a different route along the east side of the valley via Landrung, Dhampas and the Tibetan Refugee camp at Hyangja. |
| Day 15: | Return to Kathmandu. |
| Day 16: | Depart |
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On this trip, we use a Nepalese trek guide familiar with and knowledgeable about local culture. Our staff are Nepalase (porters, cooks, camp staff etc), and we stay in small, privately owned tea houses/lodges and purchase food locally. |
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