What do you seek while trekking? Is it the fun-filled lifetime experience, is it the close connection with nature and culture, or the picturesque views? Perhaps it is all, but Trekking in Nepal is challenging, and never mind the time and money to be spent. If these fears keep you from having an adventure of your life, you have come to the right place.
Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Trek is just what you are seeking for your next holiday. The trek starting from Pokhara can be customized with multiple detours and extensions. The trek will take you through diverse terrain, quaint villages, and picturesque landscape. Below are the main top 10 reasons to trek Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
1. Annapurna Massif: The ABC Trek gets you close to Annapurna Massif, consisting of 30 peaks, including the 10th highest mountain globally, Annapurna I (8091 m). The rest of the peaks include 13 peaks over 7000 m and 16, moreover 6000 m. The massif is 55 km long and is bounded by the Marsayangdi River on the north and east, Pokhara Valley on the south, and Kali Gandaki Gorge on the west. At the western end, the massif encloses a high basin called the Annapurna Sanctuary. Climbing the Annapurna Massif, especially Annapurna I, is rated the world’s most challenging and the most dangerous but admiring this gigantic massif does not have to be dangerous. The ABC Trek takes you up close to admire the Annapurna range.
Throughout the trek, you will catch glimpses of several of these peaks. From Pokhara, prominent mountain peaks like the Machhapuchhre (6993m) and other Annapurna Himal massifs are visible. Poonhill 3210m, a detour of the ABC Trek, is one of the region’s famous vantage points, allowing you to see snow peaks, especially during sunrise. In the base camp itself, you will enjoy a 360 degree perspective on the astonishing Annapurna Massif, including the Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna III (7555M), Gangapurna (7454m), Annapurna South (7219m), Machhapuchhre (6993m), Singu Chuli (6501m) and Hiunchuli (6441m).
2. Picturesque Landscape: ABC route passes through spectacular and tranquil landscapes. The best time to experience this is during spring when the rhododendrons are in full bloom. The trails get covered with a sea of red and pink flowers and against the backdrop of the snow-covered peaks.
Likewise, green terraced fields, quaint mud houses, and rows of pink and red trees lining the trails make a feast for the eyes. The trail will take you through the bamboo understory. Likewise, there are pristine waterfalls and springs all along the way, and you will get to cross numerous brooks and rivers through wooden bridges.
People residing around Sinwa, Dovan, and the Himalayan use bamboo as a shelter for their animals, roofs, and for making handicrafts. You can also buy handicrafts here. Though the best times for the ABC trek are autumn (September – November) and spring (March-May), there is something to be achieved in other seasons. For instance, during summer or monsoon (Jun – Aug), the trails are livid with wild orchids, a boon for a keen botanist. You can also witness 500 raptors, mostly eagles migrating westward each day from late October to November.
3. Enjoy a Teahouse Experience: The ABC trekking trail is facilitated by traditional teahouses, which offer food and shelter to trekkers for a fee. Hence, there is no need to arrange tents and carry loads of food. In earlier times, these homes provided tea and food to expedition groups before becoming commercial establishments. Hence, the name teahouse was given and has stuck ever since.
The teahouses provide a warm bed and food, even host local bakeries serving an assortment of pies, pastries, and brownies. The teahouses usually have rooms with twin beds; some offer attached toilets while some communal toilets are offered. You can enjoy local inhabitants’ warm hospitality here, interact with the local owners, and see how food is prepared in rural areas. Likewise, there are also large communal areas where you can interact with fellow trekkers from all over the globe.
4. Plenty of options to customize trek time or take detours and extensions: ABC trek allows you to customize your trek time, make it shorter or longer according to your timing. The shortest ABC trek takes five days to complete with a drive from Pokhara to Siwai and then trek to Chhomrong – Himalaya – ABC and back to Pokhara, while the longest trips depend upon the detours and extensions that you make.
If you have a flexible itinerary, you can enjoy detours and side trips. The inclusion of Ghorepani-Poon Hill or Ghandruk is worthy of detours. Likewise, some extensions to the ABC treks include the Annapurna Circuit Trek, Mardi Himal, or Khopra Danda trek, or feeling especially adventurous than an Upper Mustang trip.
From Poon Hill, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Hinchuli, Annapurna III, Dhampus, and Dhaulagiri II can be enjoyed, whereas Ghandruk is a touristic Gurung village. These are destination treks on their own. All these trails coincide at Chhomrong and further lead to the base camp.
The Annapurna Circuit Trek takes around 17 days to complete individually. The ABC Trek and Annapurna Circuit Trek also coincide at Chhomrong. The Mardi Himal and Khopra Danda Trek are lesser-known routes than the ABC trek, but the off-beaten trails offer a typical Nepal trekking experience. Individually the Mardi trek takes five days to complete, and the Khopra Danda Trek takes about seven days. The Mardi Himal Trek coincides with ABC Trek at Landruk, whereas Khopra Danda trek with ABC Trek at Tadapani. The Upper Mustang Trek, however, takes you to the mysterious world of the old Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo, and passes through one of the driest regions of Nepal and takes around 15 days to complete individually. It coincides with ABC Trek on Ghorepani.
5. Trek through the Annapurna Conservation Area Project: Spread over 7629 sq. km; the conservation area is home to several endangered species of flora and fauna. It is home to 1,352 species of plants, 128 species of wild mammals, 518 species of birds, 40 species of reptiles, 23 species of amphibians, and 348 species of butterflies.
The region is home to globally Critically Endangered species such as the Chinese Pangolin, Endangered Himalayan Musk Deer, Tibetan Antelope, and Red Panda and Vulnerable species such as the Himalayan Black Bear, Clouded Leopard, amongst others. The Conservation Area was established in 1986, and it was only in 1996 that ACAP was extended further north to include ABC.
The Conservation Area also protects the indigenous villages of Gurung and Magar. These serve as living museums of their culture and tradition. The Conservation Area follows a participatory Integrated Conservation and Development Programme, which is a prime example of community-based conservation in Nepal and the world. Here tourism and environmental management are regulated by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project undertaken by National Trust for Nature Conservation, previously known as King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation.
6. Visit Annapurna Sanctuary: The ABC Trek also allows an excursion to Annapurna Sanctuary, a sacred glacial basin. The oval-shaped plateau sits at an altitude of over 4000 m and is surrounded by Annapurna South, Annapurna I, and other peaks. Because of being surrounded by high mountains on all sides, the Sanctuary receives only 7 hours of sunlight a day at the height of summer. The north-facing slopes of the Sanctuary have a drier, colder climate similar to that of the nearby Tibetan Plateau. In contrast, the Sanctuary’s south-facing slopes are covered in dense tropical jungles of rhododendron and bamboo.
Sunrises and sunsets especially look magical from the Sanctuary. The Milky Way and other constellations can also be viewed with much clarity from here. The Sanctuary is believed to be the home of several deities, from Hinduism and Buddhism and older animistic gods. The locals believe that gods reside below the mountains, and killing any living creatures around this area is prohibited. They also believed it was the repository of gold and various treasures left by the Nagas, the serpent-gods.
7. Cultural experience: Along the ABC Trek trails, you will encounter a mix of ethnic groups, so different ethnic groups will host you as you ascent. The Gurung, Magar, Thakali, Manangi, Brahmin, Chhetri, and Newar inhabit the region. The lower elevations consist of Brahmans and Chhetri, and the higher elevations consist of Mongoloid Himalayan people. These are mostly Gurung and Magar, who also serve the Gorkha Battalions. Stops at these villages will offer plenty of time to interact with them and get acquainted with their culture.
You can also get insights into their living style, food, and dresses. In the past up until the early 80s, many people migrated to the lowlands for resettlement because of declining trade and deteriorating agricultural productivity. With the rise in tourism, however, many families have returned to invest in related businesses.
Ghandruk is one such village along the trail. The slate-roofed houses beside the paddy field give a quaint appearance to the whole village. Here you can also dress in Gurung traditional dress. It’s a perfect place to rest and rejuvenate for the trek ahead. Likewise, at Chhomrong, the whole area is run by Mother’s Group, who mobilizes to keep the village clean and collect money to maintain the trail. They also organize cultural programs for the trekkers.
8. Easy Accessibility and Reasonable cost to the world’s highest peak: ABC trek is easily accessible from Pokhara. To reach Pokhara, you can either take a 6-hour bus or a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu. Typically, from Pokhara, you can either take a 1.5-hour drive to Nayapul and trek to Ulleri and continue your trek the next day. Or you can take a 2-hour drive from Pokhara to Ghandruk and start trekking the next day. There are local vehicles to get to Nayapul or Ghandruk, so you can save a bit of money too.
Likewise, trekkers with a moderate degree of hiking experience can do this trek with ease. The trail is well maintained and well-marked. Children as young as ten years have completed this trek. So, you can also plan a nice family trek.
The Base Camp stands at 4130m, and Pokhara, the trekking gateway to the Annapurna region, lies at 1400 m. So altitude sickness cannot be ruled out, but emergency helicopter evacuation is also available. Trekking through Ghorepani allows your body to acclimatize to high altitudes. So, while planning the trip, it is good to understand your body’s need to adapt to the new environment if a hasty trekking experience is what you were planning.
Despite the fantastic experience the trip has to offer, the cost is relatively less than any other trek to the mountains around the world. Numerous travel sites are also available to help you plan and make arrangements. The cost depends on the number of days dedicated to the trek and the season for trekking. Normally, October to November or March – April are trekking seasons and are busier and more expensive. Taking hot showers, charging your electronic devices, and using the wifi will incur an extra cost. The cost factor also includes ACAP try permit (approximately $30) and the TIMS permit (approximately $10). In Kathmandu, permits and TIMS cards can be purchased in the Nepal Tourism Board Office on Pradarshani Marg. In Pokhara, permits can be purchased at the Nepal Tourism Board Service Center in Damside, and TIMS cards can be purchased from the TAAN Lakeside office in Santi Patan.
9. Bonus Features: Rarely are two base camps covered with a single trek but the ABC Trek offers coverage of two base camps – Annapurna and Machhapuchhre. From these base camps, you get close-up views of the summit of these peaks and glaciers. It is a rare experience to view these two mountains up close within such a short trekking time.
Machhapuchhre is located in the southern position in the range, and due to particularly low terrain, it commands tremendous vertical relief in a short horizontal distance. It is especially distinguishable because of twin peaks, a feature due to which it is also known as Fish Tail Mountain.
Machhapuchhre is revered by the locals as particularly sacred to Lord Shiva and is off-limits to climb, but it can be admired throughout this trek. The only confirmed attempt was made by a British team led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Roberts in 1957. The climb fell short of 150 m of the summit adhering to the word of honor given to King Mahendra. The climbers Wilfrid Noyce and A. D. M. Cox had climbed the summit through the north ridge. No climbing permits to the mountain have ever been issued after.
Also, nearing the end of the trek (or at the beginning of the trek, depending on the route you take), you will be treated with a natural hot spring at the bank of Modi Khola just below Jhinu Danda. After checking into your teahouse, hike steeply down for 30 minutes passing through the lush forest until you reach the hot springs. It is believed to have healing power and to take away the aches and pains of the body. Dipping one’s body into the natural spring is guaranteed to fade away the tiredness and pain from trekking.
However, the place is closed during the monsoon from June to July, and skinny dipping isn’t allowed. Depending on the time of the year and water level, it is also possible to dip in the river’s icy water. Scrambling back to the hot pool, you will feel the exhilarating rush of heat. But the safety precaution needs to be followed. The guide will let you know if the river current is too strong or if the water level too high. After soaking at the hot springs for a good hour followed by a quick shower, head back for dinner, and a night’s sleep at the teahouse. You will be so relaxed at the end that you will not mind the 45-minute steep climb back to the teahouse.
10. Pokhara: Pokhara is the base of ABC Trek, and it is listed as a reason because Pokhara is simply a fantastic hill town. Pokhara has plenty of facilities to keep you entertained. Simply enjoying the landscape around Pokhara is a great experience. Pokhara is called the city of lakes, and none is more famous than Phewa Lake, where you can paddle around and enjoy the reflection of Mt. Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. You can also plan short hikes while at Pokhara. You can take a good day hike to Sarangkot, and while at it, you can also enjoy paragliding or parahawking. Due to the spectacular mountain and lake views and stable current, Pokhara is known as one of the best paragliding destinations in the world. You can also visit Davis fall, Gupteswor Gupha, International Mountain Museum, Peace Stupa, among others.
Pokhara also has a great selection of food and fun nightlife. In addition to Nepalese cuisine, various other cuisines such as Vietnamese, Italian, Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean can be enjoyed here. The city also boasts high-quality spas, yoga and meditation studios, and swimming pools. Exploring Pokhara after your trek might be the perfect way to end your perfect holiday.
Conclusion
Annapurna Base Camp trek is unlike any other trekking experience. It has often been listed as the top ten best hikes in the world now and again. The sheer beauty, culture, and mountains will make it an experience of a lifetime. The serene walk into nature with rhododendron blooming along the trail and looming views of Annapurna Massif is too good an opportunity to miss.
