Annapurna 7 passes trek

Once you reach KTM airport and finish with the immigration and custom formalities be prepared to confront the confusion outside the airport which is common in most of the south Asian countries. As you walk out of the Exit door into the passenger pick up area you will see hundreds of people with different sign boards in their hands, taxi drivers looking for fares, hotel touts looking for customers and porters trying to help with the luggage for tips. Please remain calm and do not walk out of the restricted area into the crowd straight away. Remain there and try to find the Hi On Life Adventures sign board. Once you spot it, walk straight to the signboard and identify yourself. From here we will take care of you.
When you arrive to your hotel you will be briefed about your activities and “do’s and don’ts” while your stay in Kathmandu.
In the evening we will go for a traditional Nepali dinner at Kathmandu’s finest Nepali restaurant to end the day.

After breakfast you will be taken for a half day city tour where you will be visiting some historical temples and monuments. You will end your sightseeing with a lunch.
After your lunch you will be return to your hotel and your Group leader will give you your trek briefing and issue you your ‘trek pack’ consisting of a duffle bag, down jacket, sleeping bag, inner liner for your sleeping bag and rain poncho.
Your afternoon is free for you to do your packing and purchasing your last minute items for your trek.

Drive: Approx 205 kms, 8/9 hours
Elevation of Shiri Chaur: 1100m

Early morning drive towards west from Kathmandu, following the winding road over the valley alongside the Trishuli River brings us to a small bustling highway junction called Muglin. Here we cross a suspension bridge and leave the East West Highway and continue on the Prithvi Highway that connects Kathmandu and Pokhara. After the suspension bridge over the confluence of Trishuli and Marshyangdi, we drive alongside the Marshyandi River towards Pokhara until we reach a town called Dumre which is 148 Kms from Kathmandu. On a clear day, the mighty ranges of Annapurna, Ganesh and of Manaslu are intermittently in view. Here we leave the Prithvi Highway and turn North and drive 36 kms on a narrow road to Besisahar. It will take us approx. 5 to 6 hours from Kathmandu to reach Besisahar.
Besisahar is a fairly large bustling town with plenty of tourist lodges and restaurants. This used to be the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit trek before the construction of the road. From Besisahar we need to change our vehicle to a 4 wheel drive jeep and drive alongside the Marshyangdi River on a dirt road for 32 kms to reach Shiri Chaur. It will be a tiring day with a long drive specially the rough road from Besisahar to Shiri Khola, so we take an early dinner and call it a day early.

Trek: 8 kms
Time: 5 to 6 hours
Elevation of Tal: 1700m

The trail follows the jeep road crossing the village of Jagat. Jagat used to be the tax collecting office during the Trans Himalayn Trade. It is an easy walk with not much climbs and after a 3 hour walk we reach Chyamje for lunch. After Chyamje we leave the jeep road and cross to the other side on a suspension bridge and start climbing stone stairways through a forest for about 2 hours with the river tumbling through a maze of large boulders. After reaching the top of the zig-zag climb, the valley suddenly widens out to reveal the village of Tal, which nestles amongst the fields of barley, wheat and potatoes. We have now entered the district of Manang. We stop here for the night. There is a beautiful waterfall where you can go for a bath.

Trek: 5 km
Time: 4 hours
Elevation of Nache: 2260m

The trail passes through the village and soon we cross the Marshyangdi to the other side to meet the jeep road. We continue on jeep road for an hour to reach Khotro. We will take a tea break here. After Khotro the trail climbs steeply on stone staircase for about 2 hours. To the left, you will see several waterfalls cascading down the steep, green cliffs. We will reach Nache by lunch.
Nache is a beautiful village perched on a small levelled land in between to pointed hills

Trek: 5 kms
Time: 6 hours
Elevation of Kromtong: 2975 m

The trail climbs steeply through forest to a levelled pasture, which is used for cattle. There are also potato (Alu) fields, hence the name Alubari. Today is a short walk, we will camp at Alubari. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the area. From the camp, there are fantastic views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal.
Overnight Camp

Trek: 9 km
Time: 6 hours
Elevation of Kromtong: 3665 meters

From Kromtong the trail descends through a forest to Dona Khola. The river runs between two steep cliffs. Many different types of birds, Himalayan Langur, Ghoral, Himalayan Tahr and deer may be seen along the trail. There has been a few spotting of the Red Panda in this forest, but it is very rare. We follow the river along an exposed trail running high above the river to Odar. It is a cave that is used by cattle herders. We stop here for lunch. After lunch the trail becomes less exposed and runs close to the river to a Yak grazing pasture, called Dharamshala. In spring, the valley is painted red with rhododendron blooms, and yaks, cows, sheep and goats are kept here for pasture. Indeed, this is a good location to study the livelihoods of Himalayan herders. There are also a number of large caves here.
Overnight camp

Trek: 4 kms
Time: 4 hours
Elevation of Dona Lake: 4250m

There are fantastic views of Manaslu towards the East, and Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal towards the west. The meadow ahead of Dharamshala is a beautiful rhododendron and birch forest. In spring, the valley is painted red with rhododendron blooms, and yaks, cows, sheep and goats are kept here for pasture. It is a two and a half hour walk to Dona Lake. We will carry packed lunch today and at Dona Lake we will stop for lunch. After lunch we will trek back to our camp at Dharamshala.
Overnight camp

Trek: 6 km
Time: 4 hours
Elevation of Bijay Phedi: 3915m

Today’s walk is again very beautiful. The trail passes through rhododendrons forest with stunning views of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu. After a couple of hours walk through the forest, we will pass Kapribai Cave. From Kapribai Cave, it is one hours to Kyudanda, where there is another large cave. We will stop here for lunch. After lunch we walk through a pasture surrounded by mountains, and continue towards a stream at Bijay phedi.
Overnight camp

Trek: 6km
Time: 8 hours
Elevation of Tripple Pass: 4480m
Elevation of Gho: 2510m

Today we begin our trek early at around 6 in the morning. Right away we begin our climb following switch backs on a fairly steep trail. After two and a half hour climb, we reach the top of the Tripple pass where we are greeted by breathtaking panorama of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal and Kangaru Himal, with Dona Lake in the valley below. Towards the far west we can see the peaks of Anapurna III and also Tilicho peak. After spending some time at the pass, a 5 hour steep descent begins through a forest, all the way until we reach the village of Gho. The trail is not well defined and at places it is very steep making it potentially treacherous. We have to walk closely with the group during this descend. We will stop for lunch at Gho Phedi.
Overnight camp

Trek: 9 Km
Time: 5 hours
Elevation of Tachai: 2340m

Gho is a tiny stop on the Manaslu Circuit trail with some lodges. There are great views of the west face of Manaslu from Gho. A couple of hours trek following the Dudh Khola will bring us to Tilche, a Gurung and Ghale habitation, where we will stop for lunch. After lunch it is three-hour walk to Tachai. Tachai is a very picturesque agricultural village with terraced farmlands and beautiful traditional houses.
Overnight camp

Trek: 4 kms
Time: 5 hours
Elevation of Shonglai: 3360 meters

In the morning we trek towards the western end of the village passing by a water mill. We walk past some terraced farms where we can often come across Langurs. After the teraaced farms the trail climbs steeply up the tall grassy slopes and bushes. A few places demands to climb on all fours. After a couple of hours climb we will reach a ridge from where there are breath taking views of Annapurna, Lamjung and Manaslu. We will stop here for our packed lunch. The trail descends for a short distance and starts to climb through old forest with plenty of dead trees. Our camp will be in the middle of a forest.
Ovenight camping.

Trek: 8 Kms
Time: 7 hours
Elevation of Khuchumro Phedi: 4900m

The trail continues through the forest for about an hour, and soon we are in the open on an exposed steep side of the mountain. Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal soars up towards the eastern sky. From here we will climb a steep trail in between 2 giant rocks acting as a gateway. A couple of hours climb through this narrow section will bring us to the top of a ridge, where we take a lunch break. After lunch, the trek is fairly easy on gentle climb up a valley which widens up as we move closer.
Overnight camp.

Trek: 7 Kms
Time: 6 hours
Elevation of Kuchumro Pass: 4900m
Elevation of Yarcha Pass: 4860m
Elevation of Namakyu: 4445 meter

The trek begins with a gentle climb and soon we cross short steep sections until we reach the base of Kuchumro pass. From here it is a steep climb for about an hour and a half to the top of Kuchumro Pass. The views of the Annapurna range from the top of this pass are outstanding. After the pass we descend on an easy and gentle downhill and again climb on gentle gradient to cross another pass, Yarcha pass

During the monsoon season, herds of sheep, goats and yaks are brought here for grazing. There are small shelters here for the herders. This valley is also thronged by locals who come to harvest most expensive herb in the world, “Yarcha Gumba”, The Himalayan Viagra! A kilogram of this herb fetches up to 50,000 USD in the international market. Recent studies have shown that this herb helps cure dysfunctions of the lungs and kidneys. This is actually a caterpillar which is attacked by spores and kills the host and grows as a mushroom from the dead caterpillar.
Our camp at Namakyu is located at a striking location at the base of Kang Guru Himal.
Overnight camping

Trek: 12 Kms
Time: 6 hours
Elevation of Meta: 3560

The trail follows the contour along the side of the mountain which is basically the lower part of Kang Guru. It is an exceptionally scenic trek today. After about a couple of hours we reach Deurali. The trail descends a steep rough path and soon we reach a small stream. We will take lunch break here. After lunch the trail continues to descend steeply on stone staircase. Just before we reach back to treeline, we come across a dramatic section. Here the locals built a trail on an almost impossible steep side of the cliff. They have literally hammered tree logs into the wall of the mountain side and over it rocks are laid to make a path. Even though the trail looks not so promising, it is actually pretty strong as loaded yak trains walk across this trail during the Yarcha Gumba picking season. Soon we enter a beautiful forest before descending to the village of Meta.
Overnight camp

Trek: 7 Kms
Time: 4 hours
Elevation of Chyaku: 3700m

Today is an easy day which is a pleasant welcome after a few days of tiring strenuous treks that we did while crossing the high passes. From Meta , the trail meanders along the ridge passing some of the unique, colorful Tibetan Buddhist chortens that Nar and Phu are famous for. The trail is easy following the contour and is marked by spectacular shapes of very old juniper trees and colorful bushes along the sides. This day in particular is very beautiful with huge snowy peaks to the East and dramatic arid landscape to the west and north. We stop at a small Khampa settlement called Chyaku. Chyaku is a large agricultural pasture where they grow barley and potato and keep goats and sheep.
Overnight camp

Trek: 11 Kms
Time: 4 hours
Elevation of Phu: 4080m

An hour walk from Chyaku brings us to another beautiful Khampa settlement called Kyang. Beautiful views of the Annapurna II, dramatic rock cliffs and charming Khampa settlement of the sheep herders make this place amazingly picturesque. After Kyang the trail enters a narrow gorge and is cut through near vertical rock massif. After about 2 hours trek through this scenic canyons and gorges, the trail climbs steeply through dramatic rock formations to the entrance of Phu. From here, we can see the villages of Phu, the old “dzong” (Tibetan-style fortress) and the remains of two ruined forts, impressively situated atop the flatlands before the village.
Overnight camp

Phu is one of the remotest villages of the Himalayas. The history is dated back 900 years and numerous conflicts between the Tibetans and the people of Phu has been recorded. A 3 day trek from this village takes you to the Tibetan border. From here you can also enter the Kingdom of Mustang via Saribung pass.
Today we spend an acclimatization day in Phu. We will explore the tiny alleyways of the town where the villagers are seen spinning their yak and sheep wool, women weaving carpets from yak wool, pounding mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or go about their other daily chores. We will climb up to the top of the village for breath-taking views of Mt. Kang Guru and Himlung Himal. In the afternoon we will visit the Tashi Lakhang Monastery.

Overnight camp

Trek: 8 kms
Time: 7 Hours
Lunch: Pul pari
Elevation of Phu pass: 5050m
Elevation of Loang: 4680m

Once again we venture into the wilderness. The trails leads into a territory that is familiar only to the local yak herders who spend a few months here during the summer for Yak herding. The trail climbs steadily from Phu all the way to the top of the pass. It takes roughly 4 hours to reach the top of the pass. From the pass we descend to a small river where we can stop for lunch. After lunch we climb on a gentle gradient to a Yak pasture where we will camp for the night.
Overnight camp.

Trek 14 Kms
Time: 9 hours
Elevation of Nar Pass: 5400m
Elevation of Nar: 4110m

The trail is gentle in the beginning and soon we start to climb steadily on loose gravel making the climb tougher. A steady 4 hours climb will bring us to the top of the pass. The views are rewarding with a 360-degree panorama of Lamjung, Annapurna II, III and IV and as far as Tilicho Peak to the south, and Himlung, Nemjung and Kang Guru Himal to the east. After a pass we descend steeply again on loose gravel trail for a couple of hours until we reach Labse Khola, over which there is a long metal bridge. From here a gentle uphill for about an hour and a half will bring us to Nar.
Overnight camp.

Trek: 4 Kms
Time: 2 hours
Elevation of Kangla Phedi: 4630m

Nar is a beautiful village with all the houses are interconnected, just as in Phu. As we walk past the village and look back, the village of Nar looks beautiful settled on a levelled terraced farm with Kang Guru as a backdrop. The walk is easy and on gentle gradient. A couple of hour walk will bring us to Kang La Phedi, wher there are two tea shops.
Overnight camp.

Trek: 15 Kms
Time: 9 hours
Elevation of Kang La pass: 5320m
Elevation of Ngawal: 3675m

Today is a long day, so get up before sunrise and head towards the Kang La pass. The trail climbs gradually and not too steep in the beginning towards the pass. Before reaching the pass we climb steeply on switchback trail until we reach the top of the pass. From the pass there are fantastic views over Annapurna II, Gangapurna,and Tilicho Peak all above 7000m. The trail down starts off steep on a loose scree for about an hour. Then it gradually becomes less steep and we reach a beautiful meadow with views of the Chulu range. Here we stop for a picnic lunch and give rest to our tired legs after the steep downhill. There are beautiful rock formations along the trail and pass by Milerepa caves before we reach Ngawal, on the upper Pisang route of the Annapurna Circuit. Milerepas are Bhuddist are yogis and poets who renounce the world and live in caves for meditating and writing poems that inflicts the deeper meanings of life. We arrive Ngawal in the late afternoon and stay at a relatively modern and beautiful lodge with wifi, hot showers and comfortable beds and delicious food. It is a nice lodge to relax after a hard days walk.
Overnight camp.

Trek to Dhikur Pokhari: 8 Kms
Time: 4 hours
Drive: 48 kms, 3 ½ hours

Today is a very scenic walk along the side of the valley towards Upper Pisang. Breath taking views of the Annapurna II and III dominates the skyline towards the south. Upper Pisang is a beautiful traditional village with a beehive cluster type houses, closely related to Tibetan architecture. After a 3 hour walk sometimes through forest and sometimes in the open, we reach Upper Pisang where we stop here for lunch. After lunch we continue our walk to Dhikur Pokhari.
After lunch we will drive to Shiri Chaur in a jeep passing by the villages of Kota, Bagarchhap and Tal that we had walked through before entering the Nar Phu valley. At Shiri Chaur, you can celebrate your last night party of the trek because the next day you drive directly to Kathmandu and there won’t be a chance to say farewell to your staff.

Overnight camp

A tiny lake near Dhikkur Pokhari

Drive: 205 Kms
Time: 8 hours

From Shirichaur, we will take the same jeep to Besisahar, which take us about 2 hours. On reaching Besisahar, we will change from our jeep to our van and continue our drive to Kathmandu.
We arrive out hotel in the late afternoon. The evening is spent either with a farewell dinner of just take an early night after a tiring drive, and get ready for the final departure the next day.

Your Group leader will meet you at the hotel 3 hours prior to your flight time and drive you to Tribhuvan International airport for your departure.