The trek to Annapurna Sanctuary in the mountains above Pokhara is 64 miles long and takes from six to 10 day . During the summertime , it ’s one of the easiest and most scenic wage hike in Nepal and you may sleep in and eat on at tea houses every night . We hike up it in the depths of winter so you do n’t have to .
Nepal has two major metropolis : Kathmandu , the capital , and Pokhara . Kathmandu can be well described as a madhouse . bike carrying total kin of four stratagem in and out of traffic on every street . In Thamel , the tourer area most democratic with trekkers , vendors are always pushing product and services .
While walking around , I get about twenty - thousand voicelessness of Hash ? in my auricle per sidereal day . Must be the beard .
Venture outside of Thamel into the heart of the city and it ’s even crazier . the great unwashed walk through streets made of mud ; motorcycles tantalize on the “ sidewalk ” while worker lay pipe in between .
Pokhara by comparing , is much more relaxing . Most westerner hang out on a reaching of road describe with shop , restaurants , and hotels alongside Phewa Lake . If you look up from almost any decimal point in the metropolis though , you may see the Annapurna mountain chain towering overhead .
Given theAnnapurna Sanctuary’sstunning sweetheart , it ’s proximity to Pokhara ( the trailhead is only an minute ’s drive away ) , and the light - length of the trek , it ’s no wonder why the trip to Annapurna Base Camp ( ABC ) is one of Nepal ’s most popular .
While I be intimate nature , I ’m not a fan of cover with crowd in nature . And I figured that by embarking on this journeying in the dead of wintertime , I would n’t see any . I was right .
Why Go?
Mountains . Big , beautiful 1 . Mount Machhapuchchhrecan be seen for most of the trek . Once hikers arrive at Machhapuchhre Base Camp ( MBC ) , they turn and head up the valley to ABC while Annapurna South towers overhead .
This trek is also unbelievably approachable liken to many others in Nepal . A one - hour taxi drive or a one and a half hour - long omnibus ride from Pokhara will get you to the trailhead at Nayapul . To get into the Everest area by comparing , you ’ve got ta A ) vanish intothe pernicious airdrome in the world , in Lukla B ) take a nine - hour vomit - inducing bus ride from Kathmandu to Jiri , beforehiking another 60 milesjust to reach the “ start ” at Lukla or C ) take a15 hour - longsighted landrover - ride from hell .
Hiking Nepal In Edmund Hillary ’s Footsteps
Nepal ’s Fifteen - Hour Jeep Ride From Hell
The ABC trek is also relatively quick , which is great if you ’re short on sentence . It ’s normally done in 8 - 10 days . I did it in six .
Day 1 : Alarm went off at 5:30am . wad my things . Well , almost all my things . I forgot my rain case at the Turkish restaurant next doorway , the night before . They would n’t be exposed till 9 am . Guess I was get a belated starting .
By 9:05 , I was on the road — Outdoor Research Helium IIin - hand . An time of day after , the hack equipment driver dropped me off at a wayside restaurant in Nayapul , where my journeying would get down . I had left my trekking rod along with the rest of my climb gear atTrekker ’s Homein Kathmandu , but the restaurant ’s owner had a cluster of newly - cut bamboo walking sticks for sale . Fifty rupees ( $ 0.50 ) got me exactly what I want . Time to hit the track .
The Clarence Shepard Day Jr. was relatively quiet and uneventful , but beautiful nonetheless . temperature were amazingly strong for wintertime ( in the sun , I was actually spicy fag out just a semisynthetic thyroxine - shirt top and softshell gasp ) , but once I started advance ALT , some clouds rolled in and it cool down .
I stopped for the Nox at 4:30 — just before the village of New Bridge — after hiking 12 mil . A big dinner party of egg fried attic , potatoes , and milk Camellia sinensis forgo my hungriness . With no other trekkers to entertain my society ( and the lodge owner was meddlesome in the kitchen ) I was departed by 6:30 .
TheVasque Grand Traversestood up to their name and took me through nearly every eccentric of terrain on this trek : grunge , clay , snowfall , and ice .
Day 2 : Up at seven . Ate a breakfast of muesli with hot Milk River — a trekker ’s staple . Hit the lead by eight . The first discussion section was comparatively flat before degenerate down to a river crossover . What goes down , must go up , however . The rise to Jhinu was usurious . The steepness continued to Chomrong , the last village I ’d see in this region ( there were only trek lodges ahead ) .
Along the fashion I met a Chinese couple , Eric and Lei ; and Taiwanese Gemini , Erina and Stam . The five of us hit it off pretty quickly ; we hiked together for a few more hours until accomplish Sinuwa , our stop for the Nox . We traded stories and photos of our adventures until the lull of sleep call us to bed .
Day 3 : Up at seven . Muesli with Milk River . off the trail by eight . Clockwork . From Sinuwa , we continued to steady climb . Up . Up . Up . Past Bamboo . Past Dovan . By the prison term we progress to Himalaya , we hit a dense haze . Without cash in one’s chips much further , that fogginess had change to precipitation in the descriptor of snow .
I was the first of our broadly - get together group to reach Durali ( which mean “ Pass ” in Nepali , ) at 10,200′. Visibility was low by the time I stopped ; a level of bracing gunpowder had begun to cake every surface that was n’t already ashen . There was only one lodge open ; it was full of mass heading up . Though it seemed I had finally pick up a bunch , everyone else was there for the same reasons as me : to escape the crowds while trekking to ABC .
The intellectual nourishment was pleasant-tasting , the conversation was lively , and the front of so much soundbox heat veer the chill from the common cold . Energy bombilate through the air . A group of trekkers had just returned from an “ attempt ” on ABC . “ condition were regretful , ” they state . Turned around , they had . “ You ’ll never make it up . ” With Gore - Tex jackets , stifle - high spat , and lead crampons – they were much well - equipped than me . In an elbow grease to locomote illumination , I had only packed the essentials : two down jackets , a lightweight shell , a down chapeau , warm gloves , fundament layers , and the softshell pants and lightweight hike shoes that I was wear . “ I ’ll take my chance , ” I thought . In the sunup .
Day 4 : A cover of fresh snow covered everything in sight — several inches had fallen throughout the Nox . “ Now it ’s fourth dimension for an escapade , ” I thought . My plan was to head up to the next checkpoint , MBC , before stay on on to ABC , and making it back down to MBC for the night .
With a plan , the excitement of snow , and my bamboo walk marijuana cigarette , I was off .
The vale was beautiful in its own right , but refreshful snowfall bring a sure degree of magic to every environment . irradiation of light danced through the slide by clouds . aristocratic wisps of wind botch up snow bunting all around , while tree branches cracked under their newfound weightiness . A calcareous , cobalt blue - colour creek blither over rock’n’roll and under ice . It was promised land .
I was the first one of my group to reach MBC . A lodge at the top of the hill offer a place to sit down ; hot Milk River tea to toast . I secured a room for the night , and dumped a couple of non - essentials for the next section to ABC . My newfangled admirer made it up shortly after and did the same . Before long we were back on the trail with Annapurna South ; and our destination of ABC in sight .
I have a possibility . The more snow there is , the more beautiful the mountains become .
As we approached ABC , wispy clouds danced around Annapurna South ’s summit , gracing her with a cotton crown . The snow was deep ; while light cart track had already been established we were still postholing our legs through the mystifying snow . Gaiters would ’ve been nice , but my mob was short . We march on . Within a couple hours , we had made it .
There are a few dedicated club at ABC ; even in the dead of wintertime , they were still operational . Hot teatime and snack all around . We explored the arena a minute longer and took picture before lead down .
The further we went , the less we could see . Clouds had rolled in ; C commence to devolve . There was n’t much room for diversion though , as the tracks were cut recondite , so we just followed the vale down .
More hot tea and a heater was waiting at MBC .
crisp hair .
Frozen dahri .
Day 5 : The Nox before , Bishnu , Eric and Lei ’s template , had tell us all about some raging give in Jhinu , the same village I had passed through a few day before . They were gon na try and make it there that solar day . I agreed . Hot springs sounded unbelievable .
I was a man on a commission ; I blaze the trail as such . By blazed , I intend slip , slided , and finally afford up and glissade all the way back to Deurali . Going uphill in the snow without crampons is achievable . Downhill on the other hand , is a whole ‘ nother tarradiddle .
teetotal reason did n’t divulge itself in Durali though . Or in Himalaya . Or Dovan . Or Bamboo . The C. P. Snow had reached all the means down to 8,000 ’ . That scummy though , it was warm . As such , snow in trees became rainfall ; dirt became mud . More sliding .
I finally rounded a quoin and boom . There was the sun . And teetotal earth . I was in a completely different world than I had been an time of day before . I uphold past Sinuwa . Up a thousand step to Chomrong . Down a thousand more back to Jhinu ; before sunset even so .
Fifty rupees ( that go to patronize the local youth ) and 20 minutes afterward , I was soaking in hot , glorious springs . Well - worth the knee - rupture 13 mile - long hike .
Afterwards I had dinner party and hung out with some of the cool Nepali dudes you ’ll ever meet . They were all from Lumbini , well - known - as the birthplace of Buddha . And they were trekking . For fun . Until that point , I had not met any Nepalis who trekked for sport . We hit it off real quick . After dinner party , they go bad down to the hotsprings and I went down to sleep .
Day 6 : I take my time get up and on the trail . I ’d be back in Pokhara that night , anyway . The hiking was all leisurely ; any metre that I took that morning was made up for by the good afternoon .
At 2 atomic number 61 I pop up on the side of a main road . A local bus was immediately passing by and stop . “ Pokhara ? ” “ Yep . ” “ jump-start on . ” Two - hundred fifty rupees and an minute and a one-half later , I was back at Lakeside .
I was able-bodied to cram everything I needed ( and some matter I did n’t ) into theCotopaxi Volta 35L.
What You’ll Need to Bring
It was frigid . snip fitly .
Since food and shelter ( in the form of tea house ) are provided along the way , you could easy get away with a sub-50L pack . I fit all of my apparel , power train , and bite into theCotopaxi Volta 35L. It probably consider about 20 pound , but only because I had to carry my computing equipment , hard drives , and camera gear .
That being say , there is absolutely no reasonableness that you should have to hire a trekking Pullman porter for this trek ( or any tearoom trek for that thing . ) I ca n’t matter the number of porters I saw carrying multiple 120L duffels up the pot . They were n’t porting for climbers . They were porting for trekkers . see to pack . /End rant .
Gaitersandmicrospikeswould have been helpful , but I managed to get by fine without them .
I carried theMountain Hardwear Mtn . Speed 32sleeping bag . At MBC , temperature in my way got down to 23 ° F , but I slept in base bed and a down cap and stayed affectionate .
That ’s fall apart .
Trekking pole will serve you hike up , but if you do n’t have any , pick up a bamboo walking stick from the guy in Nayapul . I rather love hiking with bamboo .
How Do You Get There?
Take the local bus from Pokhara to Nayapul . It ’ll take an hour and a half and will cost 250 rupees . You could also rent a jeep , or individual motorcar , which will be 30 minutes faster , but it will also be much more expensive .
What Should You Do While You Are There ? While you ’re in Pokhara , goParahawking . It ’s awesome . Our friends atKlookoffer the best damage and easy online reservation on that adventure and more .
What We ’d Do other than : I definitely would have brought some gaiters . Though my climbing crampons would ’ve been overkill , they probably would have helped .
photograph : Chris Brinlee , Jr.
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