The Annapurnas are one of the most well known ranges in the Himalaya. With several peaks over 8000m and moderate grade walking tracks through Tibetan villages this area is popular with trekking and outdoor enthusiasts of all walks of life. One can attempt the full Annapurna circuit which crosses the world’s highest pass (Thorung La) at 5400m for a three week trek, or take the milder Jomsom trek, which with side trips will be less than two weeks. Either way the scenery, wildlife, villages and villagers make for an experience of a lifetime.

It’s best to base yourself in the sleepy lakeside town of Pokhara which is only a short drive from the trailhead. Here you can stock up on trekking supplies including boots, backpacks, clothing and other paraphernalia that you will need for your journey into the mountains. You will also need to work out a budget for your trip as once you leave the roads and start your trek you will not have access to any cash. A budget of no less than 1000 Nepali Rupees per day is advised.

Work out what you need to take and what you want to leave behind. Your hotel will have a storage room for you to leave any excess travel luxuries as you will not want to carry one more ounce of weight than absolutely necessary. With your trekking permits (which can also be arranged in Pokhara) and your bag packed, a short taxi ride will get you to the mountains, which on a good day are clearly visible from any guesthouse rooftop.

If taking the Jomsom trek, you will spend a couple of days walking in the foothills up to Poon Hill at an elevation of approx 3000m. Get up early for the sunrise and you will be greeted with wide view of the Annapurnas including Annapurna I and II and the famous Machapuchre, or “Fish Tail” mountain because of it’s sharp, fish tail shaped peak. Continuing on you will drop steeply to a river bed and the village of Tatopani. This is a common name for villages throughout rural Nepal and literally means “hot water”. As you probably guessed, Tatopani has a bubbling hot spring that the locals have converted into a huge, swimming pool sized bath. Nothing beats a bubbling hot-spring bath at the end of a long days’ trekking. Tatopani is a good place to spend a rest day before heading further up the trek in the direction of the Tibetan border.

Once rested, you will continue along the trail slowly gaining elevation as you go. As you go higher and higher over the next three or four days the trees slowly give way to more alpine scenery. However you will still be in one of the world’s deepest valleys, flanked by the Annapurna Range on your right and the Dhaulagiri Range on your left, both with mountains in excess of 8000m. Villages perched on mountain sides with cascading waterfalls are everywhere and their occupants are often Tibetan refugees who have fled by foot over the Himalaya since the Chinese occupation in the 50s.

Jomsom has an airport and an army post and is not recommended for more that a night’s stay. Continue on to the town of Kagbeni and you won’t be disappointed. Kagbeni looks like something straight out of Tibet from centuries ago and is the setting for the acclaimed Nepali movie of the same name. Monasteries are carved into the cliff face and prayer wheels over look the entrance to the Mustang region, where you feel like you’re standing on the edge of the earth. If you have the time and the money, a trip into Mustang is well worthwhile. A fee of $70 USD a day for the permit to enter keeps most of the budget backpackers out and you will not encounter many other foreigners on your daily travels.

Back on the Annapurna trekking path, you can spend another night in Kagbeni or head off up to the village of Muktinath at 3800m. Muktinath is the home of a very sacred Hindu temple which attracts pilgrims all the way from south India. It’s not uncommon to find barefoot Sadhu (Hindu holy men) who have walked all the way from Kolkata to visit this holy temple. Mukinath is an alpine desert surrounded by light brown, snow dusted peaks of up to 6000m that bare resemblance to the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan. It’s well worth spending an extra day here and taking a light stroll in the surrounding hills where you will see yaks grazing and shepherds herding their goats. While yaks are generally not interested in you, don’t get too close. Unlike cows they can be aggressive when startled or confronted. While in Muktinath you can also purchase yak wool products made by the local villagers such as scarves, ponchos and even balls of spun yak wool if you wish to make your own.

It’s not advisable to attempt the Thorung La pass from this direction so most people head back down the river valley the way they came, or take a short flight back to Pokhara from Jomsom. If taking the flight back, spend a day in the village of Marpa, famous for its apples and apple products including pie and cider. The flight back leaves early in the morning and will be possibly the scariest 20 minutes of your life. As the day warms up the winds gather momentum and roar up the sides of craggy, snow covered peaks. As you fly by, these winds often catch the small plane and toss it around. But don’t worry, the pilots are very skilful and do this every day. They barely raise an eyebrow while the passengers sit pale-faced and white knuckled in the rear of the plane.

Once back in Pokhara you can return to your hotel to collect your things. It is of course polite to spend a night there as thanks for the free baggage storage service. Pokhara is also a good place to recover from your trek with massage services, yoga schools and plenty of good restaurants by the tranquil lakeside.

All in all, the Annapurna region combines incredible scenery with some not-too-strenuous hiking trails that makes for a pleasant option for those who wish to see the Himalaya up close without wrecking their bodies.

By Tabatha Smith