Ultimate Guide to Annapurna Circuit Trek
The love of mountains is undying for a lot of people. For great trekkers, the Annapurna circuit could be a dream come true with ease. The toughness of the trek, along with the mesmerizing mountains to accompany you, is the way to go.
Everybody would be looking for the ultimate guide to the Annapurna circuit trek, which isn't the wrong thing to do. With the trekking season coming along with flying colors, the Annapurna circuit will be filled with people, fun, craze, also the trek.
Some of the finest mountains come through into your vision when you are trekking the Annapurna circuit.
Everything you need to know about the Annapurna circuit trek
It is one of the most challenging treks you could imagine. Life can be beautiful, from the cold times to the beautiful peeking mountains. The Annapurna circuit trek spans the height of 5,416 meters which is magnificent.
When you talk about the trek's difficulty, it is medium to challenging. You need to have some experience of trekking right before you hit the circuit. If you are going in for the first time, you must have the TIMS card and the ACAP permit.
Furthermore, when you look into the time taken for the trek, it spans from 10 to 20 days which is quite understandable. It truly depends upon the stamina and also the mindset of the trekker. Similarly, you might think the best season to trek well, the spring season and the Autumn wins the bet.
What people don't talk much about is the direction of the trek. The clockwise along with the antilock wise directions affect the trek overall. When you go clockwise, the starting point is Besisahar.
However, the traditional way to do the job is in the anti-clockwise direction. The anti-clockwise direction is even more, easier for the Annapurna circuit trek. The height of the trek slowly goes up, along with the scenic beauties on the way.
What's more important is the fact that the traditional way is more secure. There is no abrupt ascend in the trek, which keeps you safe and sound for the overall trek. Along with the trek comes the stunning floras on the way.
Furthermore, looking into the accommodation in the Annapurna circuit trek, some brilliant tea houses come through. With tea houses and lodges, people tend to stay there.
There is a presence of quality lodges and tea houses along the way, so you don't need to worry about the food or the place to study. Your soul focus and ultimate guide in the lodges and tea house will take care of it.
In the case of the ultimate guide to the Annapurna circuit trek, you need to be sure about the issues that can arrive. The biggest issue in the Annapurna circuit trek is the altitude sickness issue. It is typically called Altitude Mountain sickness, which people underestimate.
The worst side of altitude sickness is that you never know how it will affect you. The effect of altitude can be different for different people. Some examples are headache, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, nose bleeding, and shortness of breath.
The list of things to take care of while going for the Annapurna circuit trek gets quite long. It would be best if you were well prepared for every situation. It will be a three-week trekking route, so you must have a lot of packing to do.
Here we will not talk about the basic things like the water bottle, caps, and good quality bags that can hold the goods. Other than that, the items required are a pretty long list.
• Perfect boots for hiking
• Heavy jacket to beat cold at the top
• Proper sleeping bags
• Good quality travel camera
• Proper sunglasses for sun protection
• Sunscreen and other moisturizers for skin care
• Trekking poles to get a proper grip during the trek
When everything falls in the right place, the last question that comes into mind is whether to trek independently or with a tourist guide. Well, this can be tricky and different for everyone. Most of the time, trekkers hike alone.
If you are worried about carrying your stuff, porters can be found who can help you with ease. A useful tourist guide is tough to see in the Annapurna circuit. The porter whom you carry is someone who will show you the way.
He can also act as a tourist guide but not the perfect one you can trust. Similarly, with the trails being adequately marked, it is not necessary to have a guide. The trails can help you get to the finish point and enjoy the journey.
Underrated Places in Annapurna Circuit Trek
When you are trekking around the Annapurna circuit trek, everything you see is the highlight of the trek. However, the Annapurna circuit trek has some of the premier highlights above all it.
Thorong La High Pass
The overall Annapurna circuit trek might be the focal point of the trek but the heart is won by Thorong La High Pass. It is one of the toughest terrains on the trek. With an altitude of 5,416 m, it can easily take your breath away.
The Thorong La high pass connects Manang in the east and the Muktinath temple and Mustang on the left. With the presence of Thorong La pass, it is not easy for the new trekkers to go past this place.
Mountains like Damodar, Yakawa Kang side hill are the focal point in the Thorong La High pass (5,416 m.). You need to go past this place in March- April along with October and November. Trying to get past the high pass in other months results in frostbite, avalanche, and also life endangerment.
Muktinath Temple
Muktinath is one of the holiest temples in the nation. When you stand at the peak of Thorong La Pass you can have an altruistic view of Muktinath temple. Coming down from the high pass is an opportunity to be close to Muktinath temple.
It is present at the foot of the Thorong la High pass. It is one of the highest altitude temples with 3800m being the height. The particular temple is sacred to both the Hindus and Buddhists. The closest village to Muktinath is Ranipauwa.
Jomsom
The last but highly talked-off highlight for the Annapurna circuit trek is the Lower Mustang (Jomsom village). With the cool breeze blowing off the Annapurna mountain, you can view some of the best mountains.
Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Nilgiri (7,061 m) peeking into you with the Kaligandaki river flowing beside your feet is the highlight of Jomsom. We can say Jomsom is the underrated aspect of the Annapurna circuit trek. The stones found in the Kali Gandaki river are called Shaligram which is holy for the Hindus.
Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary
The primary thing that tends to come into the itinerary is how you will plan the trek along the way. It will also have the days taken and the missions to accomplish. What needs to be understood is that there are plenty of unforeseen circumstances.
Not every trek goes according to the plan, and there needs to be a secondary plan to the original one. What affects the big itinerary times is the season you have been traveling on. However, the basic itinerary includes:
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu and Hotel/Hostel transfer
Day 02: Sightseeing and trek preparation
Day 03: Kathmandu – Besisahar – Khudi (1100m/3,609m) 5 hours, 2 hours
Day 04: Khudi - Sirung (1,854m/4,692ft) 6- 7 hours
Day 05: Sirung - Chamje
Day 06: Chamje – Dharapani(1,860m/6,102ft) 5 - 6 hrs
Day 07: Dharapani – Chame(2,670m/8,760ft) 5 - 6 hrs
Day 08: Chame – Pisang (3,200m/10,500ft) 5 - 6 hrs
Day 09: Pisang – Manang (3,540m/11,614ft) 6 - 7 hrs
Day 10: Rest Day
Day 11: Manang – Yak Kharka (4,018m/13,182ft) 3 - 4 hours
Day 12: Yak Kharka – Thorung High Camp (4,450m/14,600ft) 4 – 5 hours
Day 13: Thorung Phedi – Thorung La – Muktinath (4:00 am and out by 5:00 am) (3760 m/12,336ft) 5 -6 hours
Day 14: Muktinath – Marpha(2,670m/8,727ft) 7 – 8 hours
Day 15: Marpha – Kalopani(2,530m/8,300ft) 5 – 6 hours
Day 16: Tatopani(1,190m/3,904ft) 5 - 6 hours
Day 17: Tatopani - Beni - Pokhara (6-7 hours)
Day 18: Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 20: Fly back to your destination.
Conclusion
If you have come this far, you would be interested to know whether the Annapurna circuit trek is worth your time or not. To keep it simple, it is worth every penny you spend on the tour.
One can take the beauty to the next level with the charismatic mountain views all around the trek. Although the trek can be challenging for some trekkers, you will get the best views and also photogenic locations for your trek. Anyone with the trekking nerve and adrenalin needs to visit the Annapurna circuit trek at least once.