The Annapurna Circuit is a popular name for a trek within the Annapurna mountain range of central Nepal. The total length of the route varies between 160–230 km (100-145 mi), depending on where the motor transportation is used and where the trek is ended. The trek rises to an altitude of 5,400m on the Thorung La pass, touching the edge of the Tibetan plateau. This trek crosses two different river valleys and encircles the Annapurna massif, crossing Thorung La (5416m), the highest pass on this trek. Practically all trekkers hike the route counter clockwise, as then the daily altitude gain is slower and crossing the high Thorong La pass is easier and safer.
The mountain scenery, seen at close quarters includes the Annapurna Massif (Annapurna I-IV), Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Manaslu, Gangapurna [7455m] and Tilicho Peak (7134m). Numerous peaks of 6000-8000m in elevation rise from the Annapurna range.
View of Annapurna massif near Manang.
The trek begins at Besisahar or Bhulbhule in the Marshyangdi river valley and concludes in the Kali Gandaki Gorge. Besisahar can be reached after a seven hour drive from Kathmandu. The trail passes along paddy fields and into subtropical forests, several waterfalls and gigantic cliffs, and various villages. Annapurna Circuit has often been voted as the best long distance trek in the world, as it combined, in its old full form, a wide variety of climate zones from tropics at 600 m asl to the arctic at 5416 m asl at the Thorong La pass and cultural variety from Hindu villages at the low foothills to the Tibetan culture of Manang Valley and lower Mustang. Continuing construction of a road has greatly shortened the trail and altered the feel of the villages, so the "best trek in the world" can not be said to hold true anymore. However, thanks to the road, mountain biking is becoming very popular, and Mustang in particular is becoming one of the world's most popular mountain biking destinations.
Standard trek duration
The trek usually takes about 15–20 days, leaving from Kathmandu with a stopover in Pokhara before returning to the capital. The trail is moderate to fairly challenging and makes numerous river crossings over steel and wooden suspension bridges. Tea houses and lodges along the circuit are available for meals and accommodations. Some groups may opt for tents but these are typically only for those destined for side trips away from lodges such as climbing a peak.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1 - From Kathmandu, travel west to Besisahar[820m] via private vehicle or public bus, taking six to seven hours.
Day 2 - Trek to Khudi [790m]
Day 3 - Trek to Bahundanda [1310m]
Day 4 - Trek to Jagat [1290m]
Day 5 - Trek to Dharapani [1920m]
Day 6 - Trek to Chame [2630m]
Day 7 - Trek to Upper/Lower Pisang [3190m]
Day 8 - Trek to Manang [3520m]
Day 9 - Rest day in Manang [3520m]
Day 10 - Trek to Letdar [4250m]
Day 11 - Trek to Thorung Phedi [4500m]
Day 12 - Trek to Muktinath [3800m], crossing the Thorung La en route
Day 13 - Trek to Marpha [2665m]
Day 14 - Trek to Lete [2470m] (now often with car or mountainbike)
Day 15 - Trek to Tatopani [1160m] (now often with car or mountainbike, day 14)
Day 16 - Trek to Ghorepani [2775m]
Day 17 - Trek to Birethanti [1050m] and travel to Pokhara
Day 18 - Return to Kathmandu [1400m]
Depending on the speed of the trekkers, number and length of side trips and rest days taken, acclimatization, weather and where the trek is finished, hiking the Annapurna Circuit can take anything from 8 to 25 days. Many trekkers short on time choose to fly out from Jomsom Airport, which shortens the trek 6 days compared to the original AC.
It is also possible to continue from Ghorepani to Tadapani, Ghandruk, Landruk and then to Phedi, which follows the old Annapurna Circuit from the time when the road was not yet extended to Beni. This more faithful variation takes three days instead the shorter 1 day exit from Ghorepani to Pokhara outlined above. A popular addition to the AC is a visit to Annapurna Base Camp, ABC, (also called Annapurna Sanctuary). This trail turns to the north from Tadapani and rejoins the old AC at either Ghandruk or Landruk. A visit to the ABC adds about 5 days to the duration of the Annapurna Circuit, slightly less than the normal trek duration to ABC, as trekkers coming from the AC are already acclimatized and "trail hardened".
It is recommended that trekkers take the high trail from Pisang via Ghyaru and Ngawal to Manang, as the views are spectacular and those two villages are the best preserved samples of Tibetan style villages still in the original state along the route. Sleeping in either of these villages helps acclimatization, as they are located already higher than Manang. Another side trip gaining popularity is the visit to Tilicho Tal (lake). There are now lodges along the trail and near the lake at so called Tilicho Base Camp, so tents are not needed anymore. If one wishes to cross to Jomsom via the Tilicho route, at least one tent camp is required and snow conditions might prevent the crossing or make it dangerous.
In October, 2014, Seth Wolpin set the fastest known time in 72 hours and 4 minutes. He started in Besisahar and finished in Naya Pull, following all New Annapurna Trekking Trails.
History and future
The Annapurna area was opened to foreign trekkers in 1977 after the disputes between CIA backed Khampa guerrillas operating from the area into Tibet, and the local populace and Nepal army were settled. The original trek started form the market town of Dhumre situated at the Kathmandu - Pokhara highway and ended in Pokhara, and took about 23 days to complete. Road construction started in early eighties both from Dhumre to the north and from Pokhara to the west and then up the Kali Gandaki valley. The road has now reached Chamje on the Marsyangdi river valley and all the way to Muktinath on the Kali Gandaki side. This means that out of the original 23 days only 5 walking days of the trek is still without a motor road. It is apparent that there will be a road around the whole Annapurna Massif before 2017. In places new trails and routes have been marked so that the road can be partly avoided. The existence of the road has nevertheless totally changed the area and the appearance and the atmosphere of the villages. One positive note: the road facilitates transport, and makes mountainbiking possible for everyone. There's a company renting out mountainbikes in Muktinath and Jomsom, since 2011. As the road sees very little traffic, and one can ride downhill (dirt road and/or single track) from Muktinath to Tatopani and descend almost 3000 meters in 2–3 days, it has created one of the world's best downhill mountainbiking areas.
New areas near Annapurna have been opened for trekkers in the past years, like Upper Mustang, Naar-Pho Valley, Manaslu and Tsum Valley. These can partly replace the lost charm the roadless Annapurna had, but at the moment trekking these areas is restricted and subject to extra permits, costs and limitations.
2014 blizzard
In October, 2014, a sudden and unexpected blizzard killed about 40 people, half of whom were Nepalese.[4][5] It was caused by the tail end of a dying cyclone which had ravaged the eastern coast of India; there were about 350 hikers caught in the blizzard.
Source: Google
The Makalu Barun National Park is the eighth national park in the Himalayas of Nepal and was established in 1992 as eastern extension of the Sagarmatha National Park. Covering an area of 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) in the districts of Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha it is the world's only protected area with an elevation gain of more than 8,000 m (26,000 ft) enclosing tropical forest as well as snow-capped peaks. The bufferzone adjacent to the park's southern and southeastern border covers an area of 830 km2 (320 sq mi).
The rugged summits of Makalu, with 8,463 m (27,766 ft) the fifth highest mountain of the world, Chamalang (7,319 m (24,012 ft)), Baruntse (7,129 m (23,389 ft)) and Mera (6,654 m (21,831 ft)) are included in the national park. The protected area extends to about 66 km (41 mi) from west to east and to about 44 km (27 mi) from north to south. From the Arun river valley in the southeast, located at altitudes of 344–377 m (1,129–1,237 ft), elevation gains about 8,025 m (26,329 ft) to the peak of Makalu. The national park shares the international border with the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the north.
The protected area is part of the Sacred Himalayan Landscape.
History
Barun Valley
In the early- and mid-1980s, personnel of The Mountain Institute (TMI) conducted surveys in the Barun Valley to study the biological richness. The results of these surveys led to interest in creating a new protected area. A respective proposal was formulated in 1985. In 1988, the Makalu-Barun Conservation Area Project (MBNPCA) was initiated as a joint endeavor of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and TMI.
The MBNPCA was officially gazetted in 1991. At the time, about 32,000 people resided in the conservation area's 12 Village Development Committees, who are primarily subsistence farmers of Sherpa, Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Magar, Newar, Brahmin and Chhetri ethnic groups. An innovative community-based conservation approach emphasized management of biodiversity together with local communities. Community Forest User Groups were created with legal rights to use designated forested areas on a sustainable basis. Ecotourism was promoted as a way of expanding off-farm employment opportunities for local people while at the same time minimizing negative environmental impact. Hunting and trapping of rare and endangered wild animals is strictly prohibited in the MBNPCA, except in extreme cases of threat to human life. There was also a provision for compensating farmers for crop and livestock depredation caused by endangered species.
In 1999, the conservation area was converted into a buffer zone. Under the Buffer Zone Management Guidelines the conservation of forests, wildlife and cultural resources received top priority, followed by conservation of other natural resources and development of alternative energy.
The inaccessible valleys of the Barun River, the glacier-fed tributary to the Arun River, treasure some of the last remaining pristine forests and alpine meadows. This area has been designated as a Strict Nature Reserve, the first in Nepal, in order to protect natural ecosystems and processes in an undisturbed state for scientific study, environmental monitoring, education and the maintenance of genetic resources.
Climate
The park is located in the eastern climatic zone of the Himalayas, where monsoon starts in June and eases off in late September. During these months about 70% of the annual precipitation of 4,000 mm (160 in) falls. The first monsoon clouds reach the area in April. Temperatures vary greatly due to the extreme difference in altitude in the entire area. Lower elevations are temperate throughout winter and hot during April and May. The tropical and subtropical zones are frost free, with average monthly mean temperatures above 18 °C (64 °F).
Vegetation
The Makalu Barun National Park exhibits a high diversity of forest types that are characteristic for the Eastern Himalayas, ranging from near-tropical dipterocarp monsoon forest on 400 m (1,300 ft) altitude to subalpine conifer stands on 4,000 m (13,000 ft) altitude. Forest aspects vary depending on seasonal moisture availability, temperature and snow cover at different elevations and slopes. Forests below 2,000 m (6,600 ft) are strongly affected by subsistence agriculture, so that only some ecologically significant stands remain there. Above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) forests are usually extensive since the cool, humid climate suppresses agricultural activity. Forests span five bioclimatic zones:
Tropical – below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) with stands of Sal;
Subtropical – from 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,300 to 6,600 ft) with stands of Schima and Castanopsis;
Lower and upper temperate – from 2,000 to 3,000 m (6,600 to 9,800 ft) with predominantly broadleaf evergreen species of oak and laurel families and broadleaf deciduous stands of maple and magnolia;
Subalpine – from 3,000 to 4,000 m (9,800 to 13,100 ft) with stands of Himalayan birch and East Himalayan fir; along a transect from outer, southern slopes to the inner valleys these stands are dominated by conifers such as juniper and fir.
On alpine pastures at altitudes above 4,000 m (13,000 ft) the religiously important dwarf rhododendron and juniper, aromatic herbs and delicate wildflowers prosper. The region above 5,000 m (16,000 ft) comprises mainly rock and ice with little vegetation.
Botanists recorded 3,128 species of flowering plants, including 25 of Nepal's 30 varieties of rhododendron, 48 primroses, 47 orchids, 19 bamboos, 15 oaks, 86 fodder trees and 67 economically valuable aromatic and medicinal plants.
Fauna
The protected area is habitat for a wide diversity of faunal species. There are 315 species of butterflies, 43 species of reptile and 16 species of amphibians. 78 species of fish inhabit the many ponds, lakes and rivers.[3] Ornithologists have recorded 440 bird species, ranging from eagles and other raptors to white-necked storks and brilliantly colored sunbirds. The 16 rare or protected bird species include the rose-ringed parakeet, Blyth's kingfisher, deep-blue kingfisher, blue-naped pitta, pale blue flycatcher, sultan tit, silver-eared mesia, spiny babbler and the white-naped yuhina.
The 88 species of mammals include snow leopard, leopard, clouded leopard, jungle cat, leopard cat, jackal, Himalayan wolf, red fox, red panda, black bear, Hanuman langur, Assam macaque, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan goral, muntjac, musk deer, barking deer, Himalayan serow, wild boar, flying squirrel, otters, spotted linsang, weasel and marmot. In May 2009, zoologists obtained the first camera trap image of an Asian golden cat at an altitude of 2,517 m (8,258 ft).
Source : Google
