In less than six months, Dee and I will embark on our Annapurna Adventure (!!!). While much is known about this popular tea-house trek, here are some of the basic facts about the Annapurna Circuit.
The trek typically takes about 17 to 22 days, with the possibility to add on side treks. The distance covered seems to be a bit of a contentious issue, ranging in estimates from 200 to 300km. We'll put it at an intentionally vague and flexible approximate 250km plus or minus.
The starting point of the trek is usually Besisahar. From there, trekkers work counter-clockwise, traveling through four different regions - Lamjung, Myagdi, Manang, and Mustang. Lamjung and Myagdi sit at lower elevations and are predominantly Hindu, while Manang and Mustang are at higher elevations and are largely Tibetan Buddhist. One also passes a number of 8000m peaks in the area - Manaslu (8156m), Annapurna I (8091m), and Dhaulagiri (8167m) - as well as many lower, but equally impressive mountains. The ending point of the trek is pretty open, but trekkers tend to call it a day (well, 3-weeks) in or around Nayapul. Googling 'Annapurna Circuit map' can be rather frustrating, but it definitely shows just how flexible this trek can be.
As mentioned above, the Annapurna Circuit is a so-called tea-house trek, meaning that one treks from village to village, tea-house to tea-house. These lodges provide food and accommodations, and one is typically expected to eat and sleep at the same establishment. Depending on location, altitude, and life-style, one can expect to spend anywhere from $4 to $10 a day on food and accommodations. Lodges always serve traditional Nepali fare, like Dal Baht (rice and lentil soup), and include a variety of items such as noodles, rice, veggies, potatoes, and soup. Rooms at the lodges can be private or shared - and I don't just mean with the bed bugs and lice in the bedding. Most of the accommodations have running water, though not always heated, and toilets range from modern "Western" style to the outdoor squatter variety. It almost sounds like a return to freshman dorm life.
The next few updates will likely include more practical information - visas and permits, packing lists, training plans - and will hopefully follow more timely than this one did. In the meantime, here's an idea of what we're dreaming about nightly, and what we'll be seeing in less than six months!!
The trek typically takes about 17 to 22 days, with the possibility to add on side treks. The distance covered seems to be a bit of a contentious issue, ranging in estimates from 200 to 300km. We'll put it at an intentionally vague and flexible approximate 250km plus or minus.
The low elevation is 1050m and works up to a high elevation of 5416m at Thorung La Pass. To give you some perspective on what kind of altitude we're talking here, the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan, sits at 5959m, just 500m above where we'll be standing. Not convinced? We'll be 1000m above Mount Whitney at 4421m, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States. And for our European readers, we'll be above the highest mountain in the Alps/Western Europe/EU, Mount Blanc at 4810m. This is serious. (Dee is also asking me to note that the elevation we'll reach is nearly two and a half times the elevation of the highest mountain in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko at 2228m.)
Thorung La Pass at 5416m
The starting point of the trek is usually Besisahar. From there, trekkers work counter-clockwise, traveling through four different regions - Lamjung, Myagdi, Manang, and Mustang. Lamjung and Myagdi sit at lower elevations and are predominantly Hindu, while Manang and Mustang are at higher elevations and are largely Tibetan Buddhist. One also passes a number of 8000m peaks in the area - Manaslu (8156m), Annapurna I (8091m), and Dhaulagiri (8167m) - as well as many lower, but equally impressive mountains. The ending point of the trek is pretty open, but trekkers tend to call it a day (well, 3-weeks) in or around Nayapul. Googling 'Annapurna Circuit map' can be rather frustrating, but it definitely shows just how flexible this trek can be.
A map of the Circuit
As mentioned above, the Annapurna Circuit is a so-called tea-house trek, meaning that one treks from village to village, tea-house to tea-house. These lodges provide food and accommodations, and one is typically expected to eat and sleep at the same establishment. Depending on location, altitude, and life-style, one can expect to spend anywhere from $4 to $10 a day on food and accommodations. Lodges always serve traditional Nepali fare, like Dal Baht (rice and lentil soup), and include a variety of items such as noodles, rice, veggies, potatoes, and soup. Rooms at the lodges can be private or shared - and I don't just mean with the bed bugs and lice in the bedding. Most of the accommodations have running water, though not always heated, and toilets range from modern "Western" style to the outdoor squatter variety. It almost sounds like a return to freshman dorm life.
The next few updates will likely include more practical information - visas and permits, packing lists, training plans - and will hopefully follow more timely than this one did. In the meantime, here's an idea of what we're dreaming about nightly, and what we'll be seeing in less than six months!!
From left to right: Annapurna II, IV, III, Gangapurna and Annapurna I
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