navyatra\Annapurna Base Camp
TREK TO DOBAN
We headed off in the direction of Chromrong Khola past fields of barleys. After crossing the river, we climbed again past small settlements and farming communities. After an hour and a half we reached Sinuwa, a collection of 3 lodges. From here on up, there are no more villages. The valley is simply too steep for farming. Back on the trail, the path then climbs up the valley side as we walked past Doban and a couple of hours later we arrived at Himalaya (2,925m).
TO MACHAPHUCHRE BASE CAMP
The path is fairly gradual the entire way, except for a couple of short steep Climbs. We took the day slowly as we acclimatized to the altitude. We noticed the change in vegetation, as the dense forest gave away to the scrub and bushes of alpine pastureland. The valley walls tower to staggering heights above us, with sheer rock falls stretching into the clouds – this section of the trek really is stunning. From here the trail steepens and we climbed to the natural bowl on the moraine of the Annapurna Glacier that is home to Machapuchare Base Camp (3,700m). We camped there for the night, admiring the huge west face of Machapuchare looming down on us as it turned from white to pink and then purple as the sun sank on the horizon.
Day 4 TREK TO ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP
We were on the edge of the Annapurna Sanctuary and surrounded by immense peaks. It is a few hours walk from here to the Annapurna Base Camp at 4,120m.The panoramic views of the peaks as they tower over 2 miles above us is unforgettable. We spent the afternoon admiring the Sanctuary and taking photographs. There are a number of short excursions in the vicinity of the Sanctuary, and so long as the snow conditions allow, it is well worth exploring. We advise you not to explore alone, and always ask that you notify the trek crew where you are going. It can be very cold at night here and there is always a possibility of heavy snowfall.
TREK TO HIMALAYA
Rise early to catch the sunrise on the soaring snow capped peaks that surround you. Bring plenty of film for this moment. The peaks seem so close, as close to mountaineering you can get without roping up and using crampons. The descent felt much easier now that we had a few days in the altitude and after 5-6 hours trekking we arrive at our mountain lodge at Himalaya.
DESCEND TO CHOMRONG
We retraced our steps and descend through beautiful forest. In the return, one can take the time to admire the surroundings more fully and after 6 hours steady walking we arrived at Chromrong. Looking north at Hiunchuli (6,441m) the barrier between us and where we were 3 days previously brings a sense of the scale of these mountains.
TREK TO BANTHANTI
The trek to Banthanti is really a charming walk along wide easy paths past terraced fields and through patches of dense forest. At Tatopani we joined the main trading highway between Tibet and India and encountered numerous colorful mule trains. We actually heard them long before seeing them, as each mule has a large bell slung around their necks creating a symphony of ringing.
TREK TO GHOREPANI
This is an easy day of trekking to the low pass at ‘Deurali’ (2,990m) (yes - another Deurali!) through the rhododendron forest and then onto the settlement at Ghorepani with stunning views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manasulu.
SUNRISE AT POONHILL – TREK TO TIRKHEDHUNGA
We recommend that you climb from Ghorepani to the viewpoint at Poon Hill (3,190m) for one of the classic views of the Himalayas. The opportunity to view three 8,000m peaks and their surrounding massifs is not to be missed. Finally, we descended along the trans-Himalayan trade route over 3000 steps to Tirkhedhunga.
Day 8 TO POKHARA
A couple of hours descent will bring you to Nayapul. You can then catch a transport to Pokhara