Around Annapurna (Circuit) Trekking: 18 Days
This trail saw the light of day in 1977 and is an archetypal Himalayan trek. This itinerary is geared to give you the most of this unique trip; it completes the Circuit with a few new variations that will enhance this magnificent trek with more fulfillment & a sense of purpose. We ascend the Marsyangdi Valley before heading to the high country, windswept 5416m Thorong La (pass) and around the Annapurna massif. This trek offers baffling contrasts throughout the course of your venture. The trails start and gets wrapped up in the lush green foothills of the Annapurna range that are dotted with colorful Hindu villages & cows roaming around with vermilion on their foreheads…
This Round Annapurna venture will take you around the Annapurna circuit as we hike along beautiful Gurung & Magar villages bubbling with life of the trekking trail. The Annapurna round is the kind of trek is rewarding in a sense where despite the fluctuating elevations & toughness of the trails, we don’t have to camp out in the cold, even though some areas are pretty remote; we enjoy the dining-room stoves and famed hospitality of the local people of the Annapurna region, whose warmth also keeps us warm in the winter. All our gear is carried by sturdy porters, and we have local guides to explain the various cultures, mountains and sights to us along the way…the going is tough, & if these are the rewards, the landscapes & the apple pies could warm your heart for 100 years.
The ‘Circuit’ also provides unequaled opportunities to explore the backdrops of both the northern and southern Himalaya where the amazing views just leave you gasping for breath. From thick fir and rhododendron forests to the harsh, thin atmosphere of the Tibetan plateau; the ethnic groups we come across along the way, lowland Hindus and highland Buddhists, are as varied as the mind blowing landscapes. From the staggering heights of the Thorung Pass at (5416m) with line upon lines of snow ridges just flow before you whilst below lies the sub-tropical Kali Gandaki Gorge, a busy pilgrimage and trade route controlled by the Thakalis who inhabit the lowlands of Mustang.
As we trek north of the Great Himalayan Divide there is a dramatic change as we enter the bleak landscape of the Tibetan Plateau where the culture is overwhelmingly Buddhist. We then head back down the great Kali Gandaki Valley, said to be one of the deepest gorges on earth with Annapurna and Dhaulagiri standing naked & towering some 7,000 metres above before we haul up to rest from this elating trek. Our route embraces the ancient trading link beside the Kaligandaki River. The location of the Kali Gandaki gorge between Tibet and India has made this area one of the most important passage ways through the Himalaya for thousands of years. It’s a never ending gorge that flows to oblivion from its origin, & as a tiny spring in Mustang, the river flows south to India carving its way between the two towering massifs of Dhaulagiri at (8172 m) and Annapurna (8091m). These two colossal peaks are only 35 km apart, turning the plunge to the Kali Gandaki at Tatopani from their summits into a brain storming 6660m gorge – the deepest on Earth.
The trek finally concludes at the Kali Gandaki river valley. En route, you trot along paddy fields and subtropical forests, view the beautiful mountain scenery, several waterfalls and gargantuan cliffs with your camera on overdrive, and you can also stop over & experience interesting village life by striking up a conversation with the local folks as you come across some amazing cultural factors that can go into your notebooks. The entire trip is virtually enlivening & will keep you spellbound day after day.
This is a ‘must do’ venture that gives true value for money & may, perhaps, change your life for the better…for a long, long time to come.
