Around Annapurna

This "classic" journey around the massif of the Annapurna Himal starts with a drive to Besisahar and then leads up the Marsyangdi River Valley through the villages of Chamje, Bagarchap Pisang and Manang to cross the Thorung La (17700 ft / 5400 m.). The trail then switches over to the Kali Gandaki River valley and descends through the villages of Muktinath, Jomsom and terminates with the flights to  Pokhara.

This trek is difficult to match for its rugged mountain scenery, trekking challenges and the expose it provides on the variety of ethnic Nepalese cultures. Starting in the lowland paddy fields the trek steadily gains altitude passing through oak and pine forests and eventually emerging into high desert country at Manang (11798 ft / 3597 m.). The descent is equally amazing and varied.

Since this trek gains altitude slowly, you will have enough time to observe the people and their customs. Lowland, farming communities of Brahmin and Chettri people of Aryan stock give way, slowly, to the highland trading communities of Magar, Gurung and Bhotia people of Mongoloid stock.

As the people change, so does the dominant religion. Temples and shrines, used for worship by the lowland Hindus give way to Shamanism in the middle hills which, in turn, gives way to the gompas and monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism of the higher reaches. Strenuous trekking is well rewarded at both low and high altitudes, on the approach to the Thorung La as well as during the descent from it. Close up views of the Annapurna range (40 miles between the two river valleys contain at twelve 23000 ft / 7000 m. peaks and many more above the 19680 ft / 6000 m. mark). Varied ecosystems, diverse cultures and an ever changing landscape - lush, green paddy fields and oak forests, arid deserts and the deepest gorge in the world make this one of the most popular treks in the world. However, the crossing of the 17,700 feet Thorung La requires acclimatization to the altitude, excellent physical conditioning and of course, good weather.