... The reviews I had read seemed to indicate the Annapurna circuit was the best overall, so I chose that one.
I booked my trip through the Adventure Company in the UK. There is no section in ciao for reviewing this company, but I can say they exceeded my expectations in every way and come ... Read review
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Advantages: Incredible scenery, incredible people, incredible overall Disadvantages: Some hard days
...a little child, reading about the exploits of Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and others who overcame the greatest challenges that nature could throw at them and emerged triumphant. A country I have wanted to visit for a long time and one that I can now say I have been to. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes it did and then some more on top of that.
Initially I wanted to do the Everest Base camp trek because that was the one that ... ...prestige of seeing the world’s highest mountain. After some research however the general consensus seemed to be that the Everest region was becoming spoilt by mass commercialisation. The reviews I had read seemed to indicate the Annapurna circuit was the best overall, so I chose that one.
I booked my trip through the Adventure Company in the UK. There is no section in ciao for reviewing this company, but I can say they exceeded my ... more
Nepal. A country that has fascinated me since I was a little child, reading about the exploits of Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and others who overcame the greatest challenges that nature could throw at them and emerged triumphant. A country I have wanted to visit for a long time and one that I can now say I have been to. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes it did and then some more on top of that.
Initially I wanted to do the Everest Base camp trek because that was the one that seemed to be most popular and you also had the prestige of seeing the world’s highest mountain. After some research however the general consensus seemed to be that the Everest region was becoming spoilt by mass commercialisation. The reviews I had read seemed to indicate the Annapurna circuit was the best overall, so I chose that one.
I booked my trip through the Adventure Company in the UK. There is no section in ciao for reviewing this company, but I can say they exceeded my expectations in every way and come highly recommended. Compared to their direct competition, such as Exodus they are a lot cheaper as well, but this is not at the expense of good service.
Getting to the start ============== All trips to any part of the Himalayas start in Kathmandu. I will write a separate review on Kathmandu, but suffice to say I would try and not spend more than a couple of days there.
As I went with an organised trip, all of the transport was pre-arranged. It is possible to do the trip independently though and various buses run from Kathmandu to Dumre on the Pokhora highway. From there a local bus can be caught or a ride hitched to Besisahar, which is the traditional starting point for the circuit.
A word should be said here about the roads. Once you leave Kathmandu then the road turns into a very narrow highway with one lane on each side. The road climbs and drops considerably throughout the route. At various stages your transport will meet lumbering Tibetan trucks, which slow you down. In these circumstances the agreed course of action is to beep your horn before overtaking – it doesn’t matter where it is, cliff edge, blind bend – you just overtake regardless. It makes for some very scary moments indeed!
Starting the trek ============ A trekking visa is required for anyone wanting to do the circuit. If you are with an arranged group then this will already be sorted for you. If you are doing it independently then a permit will have to be obtained from the ACAP (Annapurna Area Conservation Project) offices. If a permit is not obtained then you can be fined quite heavily at one of the check posts along the way, so it is best to get one here.
Because every trip will be slightly different in itinerary I have broken the trek down into sections rather than detailing each day individually. Hopefully this will give an idea of the nature of the trek without boring everyone too much.
Besisahar to the Manang valley ======================= The trek initially follows the Marsyangdi river and is for the first part a wide valley with excellent views over to the Manaslu Himal. After a day or so though the valley narrows considerably and becomes exceedingly steep. The trail meanders through this valley with considerable climbs and descents. There are also many suspension bridges to cross and one of the most soul destroying things of the first few days is to see a bridge 250m below you and know you have to climb down, cross it and then have to climb back up the other side. The first few days can also be exceedingly hot as well and until the Manang valley is reached the mountain scenery is hidden from view by the valley.
Manang valley to Manang =================== The entrance to the Manang valley marks a defined difference in the scenery. Gone are the enclosed valleys and replacing them is wide open, almost desert like terrain with massive mountains on either side of you. It is around this stage that you should have some acclimatisation days. Ours had the following:
Lower Pisang: 3200m. We had 2 nights here and did acclimatisation climb to the hills above Upper Pisang from where there were awe inspiring views of the North Face of Annapurna II.
Manang: 3540m. Another 2 nights here and a climb towards the Gangapurna glacier to over 4000m.
The scenery here is absoloutely awesome. You get amazing views of Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna and Tilicio peak. Even though you are 10,000ft above sea level these mountains tower over you.
Manang to Thorung Pedi and the Thorung La ================================= The Thorung La is a pass which connects the Manang valley to the Mustang valley and marks the highest point of the trek at 5416m high (17769ft). The base camp for most attempts is at Thorung Pedi, which at 4600m is probably the highest point most people will sleep in their lives.
The route from Manang to Thorung Pedi continues to follow the river, but the scenery is much different. Gone are the green pastures and in their place are bleak hillsides with patches of snow still present. Yaks are predominate here and you will often see them grazing the hillsides. Landslides are a constant threat here as well; you only have to look around for the debris from previous landslides. Once section is explicitly marked as a landslide area and we had to move in single file, 6ft apart for the whole of that section.
Thorung Pedi is a grim place to spend time, but luckily you only spend one night there. My recommendation is to have dinner then go to bed because you will be up at 4 a.m or earlier to start the ascent of the pass.
On pass day you start the ascent in the dark. The first 1-2 hrs are very steep and at the altitude it can seem almost impossible. Keep trying though and you will get there! After that then it eases up a bit, but there are tricky snow fields to traverse and the path is very narrow at times. There is a plaque at the top and most people do not spend much time there before starting back down. When you reach the pass you are more than 1000ft above the summit height of Mont Blanc!
Thorung La to Jomson ================ Once you have descended the other side of the pass then you will invariably end up in a town called Muktinath, which is an important site of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Buddhists. For the remainder of the trail you will see pilgrims making their way up to the site – a journey which can take many weeks in some cases.
The scenery has changed once again – the Mustang valley is in the rain shadow of the Annapurnas and next to nothing grows here. The route follows the course of the Kali Ghandaki river, which is a holy river and is also exceedingly windy. Jomson is the main town here and is reached 2 or 3 days after the pass. The predominate views are of Dhaulagiri (8167m and the 7th highest mountain in the world) and the Ngliri range, which are less than 8000m, but incredibly spectacular.
Jomson to Pokhora ============== A lot of people think the trek is nearly over here and whilst it is there are still hard days to come, especially Tatopani to Ghorepani, which is a 1700m climb in one day that is exceedingly hard. Poon hill can be reached easily from Ghorepani and this offers unrivalled views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Macchupachare amongst others.
The final trek to Pokhora involves trekking to the road head and then getting a bus the last 45k or so.
Accommodation and food ==================== I was pleasantly surprised with the standard of accommodation and food throughout the trek. The accommodation is not 5* and the food is not a la carte, but they are all more than acceptable based on where you are and what you are doing. The food is nutritious and provides a lot of carbohydrate, which you need for trekking. As you get higher everything becomes more expensive and the camp at Thorung Pedi is the most expensive of all. It is all relative though because even at it’s most expensive a main course was only about £4.
A lot has been made about the litter problem in Nepal and whilst it is bad, it is nowhere near as bad as I expected. Safe water stations are available along the route and they provide clean water for a fraction of the cost of bottled water. In addition they do not use plastic bottles, which are a big problem on the circuit.
Overall ====== Any fit person can do this trek. The pass is nowhere near as bad as I envisaged and the scenery more than makes up for any hardships. If you fancy something completely different then I would recommend this.
Sorry for the length of this review, but I have had to edit it quite considerably as there are so many other things I would like to say. If you want any more information then please contact me.
Advantages: Fantastic views, food and people Disadvantages: The Hawkers in Kathmandu
Nepal is famed as the home of Mt Everest, the undisputed roof of the world and for me a life long ambition. This year I thought I was going to at least get a glimpse of the mountain when I joined a trip to Everest Base Camp with the intention of climbing Island Peak in the surrounding foot hills. Well I say foot hills, but at over 6000 meters Island Peak is higher than any mountain in Europe, Africa or North America. Sadly Island Peak wasn’t ... ...to a large crevasse near the summit. We weren’t going to take our chances and opted to travel several hundred kilometres west to the Annapurna range. So I’m still to see the worlds tallest mountain.
The starting point for any trip to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) is Pokhara, a 25 minute flight from Kathmandu. Internal flights in Nepal nearly always need to be paid in US$ and are subject to a 160 rupee tax (£1.50ish), ...
holland 09.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Annapurna Region (Nepal)
The Jonsom-Muktinah Trek
This trek is the most popular and most developed trek in Nepal. At first the trail leads through some small villages until reaches the view point "Poon Hill" at Gorepani, where you can see the Himalayan range of the Annapurna and the Daulaghiri. From Tatopani the trek follows an ancient trading route between Nepal and Tibet and also pilgrim path for both Hindus and Buddhists to Muktinah (3.800m) along the "Kali Gandaki" ... ...subtropical to desert. The trek is suitable for beginners and takes one week to ten days with a return flight from Jonsom to Pokhara. If you have no more spare time than a week, you should consider taking a plane from Pokhara to Jonsom. But it is more natural and more beautiful to ascend the several vegetation zones and you might get problems with the altitude sickness. Accommodation, Food, Temperature There are many guesthouses on the way, which ...
kambodscha-joe 02.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Annapurna Region (Nepal)
Advantages: Value for money, Unfortgetable Disadvantages: Jetlag
...which was to Nepal, and the Annapurna region. I spent 3 weeks of sheer heaven. I went with a company called "Explorer" they are a small comany that does adventure holidays. My borther and I went to Nepal in November. The perfect time because it was the end of the tourist season which meant most of the campsites where empty. We spent the first 3 days in Kathmandu, sightseeing with guide who took us around the city, and took us to places that were ... ...star hotel not far from the city itself. Our room had a beautiful view of the mountains. After we finished our 3 day tour, we ventured of what was to be the highlight of the trip, a nine day trek through the Annapurna region. Our tour leader told us what to pack. We had to take with us a day sack which had to include waterbottles, waterproof clothes, first aid kit and sunblock. We also had to pack our main bag, we had to pack almost everything, fresh ...
suki2001 25.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Annapurna Region (Nepal)
Advantages: Breathtaking scenery, Disadvantages: Some hassle for money, pens and chocolate!
...are into mountains Nepal is the place to go.
For starters: Plane trip to Everest
I know it's expensive, but taking a plane trip to Everest was definitely worthwhile. Climbing up from the densely populated Kathmandu valley, through steep-sided hills alternating rapidly between terraced fields and thick jungle up into the mountain region in the space of a few minutes is almost too much to take in. As you head into the raw and aggressive mountain ... ...nonce shoves their head in the way of your perfectly lined up shot.
That quickly dispelled the sense of wonderment, but nevertheless it is pretty amazing and when are you going to get round to visiting Nepal again.
Trekking in the Annapurna:
After a bearable journey in a indestructible looking public bus (or so we thought, it actually turned out that everyone on the bus were coming with us - they were our porter crew) we arrived in dusty Pokhara. ...
tomcadogan 01.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Annapurna Region (Nepal)
Advantages: Spectacular scenery, 8000 metre peaks and awesome moonscapes Disadvantages: tough going on the heals and some pretty nasty grinding walks up steep trails.
...Maurice Herzog's classic account of the Annapurna region, climbers and backpackers have put the "Annapurna Circuit" firmly on the map as perhaps 'the' classic of all Himalayan treks. Whether you decide to take the 21 day "circuit" around the Annapurna massif or take the 10 day shortened trek and go the other way round and fly out of Jomson, the scenery that you will encounter is breathtaking. Poon Hill, offers magnificent views of the Annapurna and ... ...your base at Ghorepani, ascend the famous ridge just before 4am to catch the dawn over the Himalaya just after 6.... a sight that will etch itself in you forever. Don't be suprised to find a crowd of over a hundred at the top, not to mention a welcome makeshift tea stall to warm your mits around in the early morning cold....If cloud and mist cloak the Annapurna's, just be patient, and it will lift to give one of the most awe inspiring views there ...
cyrano 07.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Annapurna Region (Nepal)
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Advantages: cheap, friendly and interesting Disadvantages: fare away, expensive ticket
very clear, but in upper regions there is snow and it is very, very cold during the night. Good trekking conditions are form March to May, the best time to climb the Mt. Everest.
How much time you need?
Two weeks (without time to go and leave) are enough to do the Jonsom Trek, the Chitwan National Park and the Kathmandu Valley in a fast way. You have more time to relax and enjoy the sights, if you have one or two more weeks. Add one more week, if you think to do the Annapurna Circuit. If you have more than a month you can try the Mt. Everest trek, without fear to miss your plane in Kathmandu. The time depends on your luck to get a flight to and from Lukla.
Budget:
The air ticket from Frankfort to Kathmandu via Bahrain was 650 Dollar. The Nepal government charge another app. 100 Dollar for Visa, trekking permit, departure tax ...
kambodscha-joe 11.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Nepal
