Annapurna Circuit
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The Annapurna Circuit is a trek within the mountain ranges of central
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
. The total length of the route varies between 160–230 km (100-145 mi), depending on where motor transportation is used and where the trek is ended. This trek crosses two different river valleys and encircles the
Annapurna Massif Annapurna (; ne, अन्नपूर्ण) is a massif in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes one peak over , thirteen peaks over , and sixteen more over . The massif is long, and is bounded by the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the wes ...
. The path reaches its highest point at
Thorung La Thorong La or Thorung La is a mountain pass with an elevation of above sea level in the Damodar Himal, north of the Annapurna Himal, in central Nepal. Khatung Kang and Yakawa Kang are the mountains forming Thorong La. The pass is located on ...
pass (5416m/17769 ft), reaching the edge of the
Tibetan plateau The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the Ti ...
. Most trekkers hike the route anticlockwise, as this way the daily altitude gain is slower, and crossing the high Thorong La pass is easier and safer. The mountain scenery, seen at close quarters includes the Annapurna Massif (Annapurna I-IV),
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country (Nepal). It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapurna I () is ...
,
Machhapuchhre Machapuchare, Machhapuchchhre or Machhapuchhre (, Tamu: कतासुँ क्लिको), is a mountain situated in the Annapurna massif of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. Its highest peak has never been officially climbed due to th ...
,
Manaslu Manaslu ( ne, मनास्लु, also known as Kutang; muh-NAA-slu) is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. The name Mana ...
,
Gangapurna Gangapurna () is a mountain in Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is part of the Annapurna mountain range in north-central Nepal at an elevation of and with the prominence of . It was first ascended in 1965 by a German expedition via its south face and ...
, Tilicho Peak,
Pisang Peak Pisang Peak (Jong Ri) is a pyramidal trekking peak above Pisang, a village on the Annapurna Circuit, within the Manang District, northern Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republ ...
, and Paungda Danda. Numerous other peaks of 6000-8000m in elevation rise from the Annapurna range. The trek begins at Besisahar or Bhulbhule in the
Marshyangdi The Marshyangdi (or Marsyangdi) (Nepali: , marśyāṅdī) is a mountain river in Nepal. Its length is about 150 kilometres. The Marshyangdi begins at the confluence of two mountain rivers, the Khangsar Khola and Jharsang Khola, northwest of ...
river valley and concludes in the
Kali Gandaki Gorge The Kali Gandaki Gorge or Andha Galchi is the Canyon, gorge of the Kali Gandaki (or Gandaki River) in the Himalayas in Nepal. By some sources, it may be one of the deepest gorges in the world. The upper part of the gorge is also called Thak Khol ...
. Besisahar can be reached after a seven-hour drive from
Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
. The trail passes along paddy fields and into subtropical forests, several waterfalls and gigantic cliffs, and various villages. Annapurna Circuit has been voted as the best long-distance trek in the world, as it combined, in its old full form, a wide variety of climate zones from tropics at 600 m
asl American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...
to the arctic at 5416 m asl at the Thorong La pass and cultural variety from Hindu villages at the low foothills to the Tibetan culture of Manang Valley and lower Mustang. Continuing construction of a road has shortened the trail and changed the villages. The Beisahar-Manag road has been built which passes through the trekking trail much of the time. With the construction of roads, mountain biking is becoming popular, with Mustang, in particular.


Standard trek

The trek usually takes about 15–20 days, leaving from Kathmandu with a stopover in
Pokhara Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
before returning to the capital. The trail is moderate to fairly challenging and makes numerous river crossings over steel and wooden
suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
s. Tea houses and lodges along the circuit are available for meals and accommodations. Some groups may opt for tents but these are typically only used for side trips away from lodges such as climbing a peak. It is also possible to continue from Ghorepani to Tadapani,
Ghandruk Ghandruk ( ne, घान्द्रुक ) is a Village Development Committee in the Kaski District of the Gandaki Province of Nepal. Situated at a distance of 32 km north-west to Pokhara, the village is readily accessible by public buses and p ...
, Landruk, and then to Phedi, which follows the old Annapurna Circuit from the time when the road was not yet extended to Beni. The circuit can also be extended to visit Annapurna Base Camp (also called
Annapurna Sanctuary The Annapurna Sanctuary is a high glacial basin lying 40 km directly north of Pokhara. This oval-shaped plateau sits at an altitude of over 4000 metres, and is surrounded by a ring of mountains, the Annapurna range, most of which are over 70 ...
). This trail turns to the north from Tadapani and rejoins the old circuit at either Ghandruk or Landruk. File:Kali Gandaki Valley, Infinity, Nepal, Himalaya.jpg, Kali Gandaki Valley File:Kali Gandaki Valley, Gandaki River, Nepal, Himalaya.jpg, Kali Gandaki Valley near Tukuche File:Nilgiri Annapurna.jpg, Annapurna and Nilgiri massifs File:Lete, Nepal (2007)a.jpg, Lete village File:Thorong La, Muktinath Valley, Kali Gandaki Valley, Himalaya, Nepal.jpg, Muktinath Valley File:Thorong-trail.jpg , On the way to Thorong La Pass File:View from High camp.jpg , View from High Camp File:Tilicho-way.jpg , On the way to Tilicho Lake Khangsar


Weather

While trekking in the Himalayas in the wet season is generally not possible, much of the Annapurna circuit sits within a
rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
, so that it is possible to trek most parts of the circuit year-round, including the monsoon period. Trekking in the wet season is often encouraged as hikers avoid the crowds that plague the summer months. However, the days are often damp and many of the views are obscured by clouds.


October – November

This is the most popular hiking season in Nepal. Though the weather is generally warm, nighttime temperatures drop below freezing. This is the busiest period on the circuit and tea houses book up very quickly.


December – March

This is the coldest period on the circuit. Depending on the altitude, daytime temperatures will be cold and nighttime temperatures drop well below freezing. The trade-off is that the trails are much less busy. Thorung La Pass, which stands at over 5,400 meters, is often blocked with snow and may be closed for days on end. Unless the snow blocks most trails, tea houses still remain open during this period. Clouds prevail more frequently, but clear days are still common. Towards March the rhododendrons start flowering. This period is also when avalanches are most common.


April – May

Because of the warming weather, April to May is the second most popular trekking season on the circuit. Most of the snow has melted. As the monsoon period builds towards the end of May, the days become hotter and more humid.


June – September

This is the monsoon period. Whilst the south section of the Annapurna Circuit near Pokhara gets a lot of rain, the northern parts often receive less than 10% of the precipitation due to their location within a
rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
.


History

The Annapurna area was opened to foreign trekkers in 1977 after the disputes between CIA-backed
Kham Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas (), and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham ...
pa guerrillas operating from the area into Tibet, and the local populace and Nepal army were settled. The original trek started from the market town of Dhumre situated at the Kathmandu - Pokhara highway and ended in Pokhara, and took about 23 days to complete. Road construction started in the early 1980s both from Dhumre to the north and from Pokhara to the west and then up the Kali Gandaki valley. The road has now reached past Manang on the
Marsyangdi The Marshyangdi (or Marsyangdi) (Nepali: , marśyāṅdī) is a mountain river in Nepal. Its length is about 150 kilometres. The Marshyangdi begins at the confluence of two mountain rivers, the Khangsar Khola and Jharsang Khola, northwest of ...
river valley and Muktinath on the Kali Gandaki side. Of the trek's original 23 days, only 2 sections of 2-3 walking days in the length of the trek are now without a motor road, namely Thorong La pass and the section over Ghorepani/Poon Hill. In places, new trails and routes have been marked so that the road can be partly avoided. The existence of the road has nevertheless changed the area, appearance, and atmosphere of the villages. The road facilitates transport, increasing the popularity of mountain biking in the area. Since 2011, companies in Muktinath and Jomsom rent out mountain bikes to tourists. As the road sees very little traffic, and one can ride downhill (dirt road and/or single track) from Muktinath to Tatopani and descend almost 3000 meters in 2–3 days. New areas near Annapurna have been opened for trekkers in the past years, such as Upper Mustang, Nar-Pho Valley, Manaslu and
Tsum Valley The Tsum Valley is a valley situated in Gorkha district of western Nepal at an altitude of . The valley lies inside the jurisdiction of the Manaslu Conservation Area which was established in 1998. The valley has 33 villages with 529 households a ...
. Currently, trekking these areas is restricted and subject to extra permits, costs, and other limitations. In October 2014, Seth Wolpin achieved the fastest known time in 72 hours and 4 minutes. He started in Besisahar and finished in Nayapull, following all New Annapurna Trekking Trails. It is reported that time has been recently surpassed by Greek athlete and philanthropist Lefteris Paraskevas, who, in May 2017 completed the classic route of the Circuit, from Besisahar to Nayapul, in 68 hours and 22 minutes.


2014 blizzard

In October 2014, a sudden
blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...
killed over 43 people, half of whom were Nepalese. It was caused by the tail end of a dying cyclone which had ravaged the eastern coast of India; there were about 350 hikers caught in the blizzard.


Communications

Multiple locations of the trek circuit now have an Internet connection. This multi-district circuit's trekkers can use wireless internet across different districts like in Kaski, Myagdi, Lamjung and Mustang. Cellular 3G is also available at some locations.


See also

*
Everest base camps There are two base camps on Mount Everest, on opposite sides of the mountains: South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of (), while North Base Camp is in Tibet, China at (). The base camps are rudimentary campsites at the base of Mount E ...


References


External links

* {{Wikivoyage-inline, Annapurna Circuit Hiking trails in Nepal Tourist attractions in Nepal Pokhara