Trekking around Annapurna. More details about the Ticket2Ride service Annapurna trek map

I know you've been waiting for this for a long time. The schedule of kayak tours to India for the spring of 2019 is ready. In the next season, I offer only two tours, as I will be busy in Finland until the beginning of April. So, in the program Kayak School at the origins of the Ganges and new tour- Himalayan blitz - all the fun in eight days. Details below

Kayak school at the head of the Ganges

Location: India, Uttarakhand Pradesh

Duration: 13 days (Delhi-Delhi)

Description: Have spent the winter in the pool and are eager to try it as soon as possible, what is real kayaking on real rivers? Then this tour is for you! The sacred Indian river Ganges and its sources are the perfect training ground to turn from a tiled kayaker into a real one. It has everything you need: a pleasant subtropical climate and warm water in the rivers, various areas for rafting of any level, large, interesting, but completely safe rapids, simple logistics, accommodation in guesthouses. The greenhouse conditions of Indian kayaking will allow you to not be afraid to make mistakes, learn quickly and really progress.

We have prepared a unique Zero to Hero training program for beginner kayakers. Each day will be filled with training and theory sessions on boat handling, safety, tactics and rafting strategy. We will try what real bigvolume is, Himalayan krieking, and expedition kayaking.

13 days of kayaking on rivers class I - III under the guidance of an experienced guide-instructor in one of the best places for rafting in the world. Forget about the spring Msta under the snow, the flood Okulovka and the cold Polomet.

Requirements for participants: ability to swim, Eskimo coup on smooth water

Price:$900

Himalayan Blitz

Place: India, Uttarakhand Pradesh

Duration: 8 days (Deradun-Deradun)

Tour description: The idea of this trip is simple: capture all the highlights of Uttarakhand Pradesh and still fit in five days of vacation. To do this, you need to fly to the airport of Dehradun (having changed in Delhi) to shorten the long boring transfer to Rishikesh. On the day of arrival, we will immediately start kayaking.

The tour implies a minimum of long journeys and attractions, but a maximum of kayaking in the Himalayas. Suitable for class 3 kayakers who want to start the season early. Warm water, beautiful sandy beaches, jungle, accommodation in comfortable hotels and resorts, excellent Indian food.

Tour program:

Day 1. Arrival in Deradun, short drive to Rishikesh, rafting down the Ganges.

Day 2. Bagirati, transfer to Shivanandi

Day 3. Lower Pinda. Himalayan kriking class 3. Two-day expedition with an overnight stay on the shore.

Day 4. Lower Pinda, finish at Karanprayag, overnight at Sivanandi

Day 5. Mandakini. Himalayan krieking class 3- - 3

Day 6. Alaknanda from Birai to Nandprayag. Medium flow river class 3 - 4

Traveler Tanya Handel from Brest, who recently spent 150 days on a budget of $ 1 per day, talks about how to organize independent trekking in one of the most picturesque and dangerous mountains - the Nepalese Annapurna massif. Buddhist temples, "apple" villages, bridges, mountain rivers and constant overcoming of oneself. The good news: you don’t need to carry a tent and food - there are villages with guesthouses along the entire route. How to spend time in Kathmandu and relax after conquering the heights - first-hand advice.

To the track. Kathmandu

Nepal is a tiny country sandwiched between China and India. People come here for Buddhist shrines, conquering peaks (for example, you can wave to Everest) and amazing nature.

The only one international Airport in the country is located in the capital - Kathmandu. This city is worth spending at least three days in it - and it is advisable to do this before trekking around Annapurna. After a hike in the mountains, this city will seem too vain and dusty to you - a real embodiment of chaos. It is better to enjoy it before the track, while your soul has not yet gone deep into the wilds of nirvana. Kathmandu is a whole world, but you can start your acquaintance like this.

Stupa Boudhanath. Stupa, built in the 5th century, is a mecca for Buddhists from all over the world. It is customary to go around the stupa clockwise and turn special drums with the right hand, which are inscribed with prayers in Sanskrit. It is believed that when the drum is spinning, prayers are sent straight to heaven.

You go around the stupa for the first time - you pray for all those living on Earth, the second - for all animals, and only the third - for yourself. One lap is about 800 meters. A good way to beg the local gods for a successful hike and at the same time practice walking. Brisk sellers will put all sorts of knick-knacks into your hands. Around the next corner you can buy the same, but half the price.

Pashupatinath Complex. This is the center of Nepalese Hinduism, founded in the 13th century. In fact, walking around this place will not be joyful and the faint of heart is not recommended at all. But if you still decide - your world will not be the same. People are burned here. Right before your eyes. You stand across a small watery river and watch how a person is first covered with firewood, then watered with something and set on fire. After a while, the ashes and what is left are thrown into the river and the next one is placed. Below, the cows are trying to find something edible, and a dashing Nepalese is wiping dirty dishes with ashes. Relatives and friends of the burned look at everything calmly, apparently, this is how it should be.

You stand across a small watery river and watch how a person is first covered with firewood, then watered with something and set on fire.

Pashupatinath has about a dozen temples dedicated to Shiva. In the middle of each mini-temple stands a lingam - a short cylindrical column with a rounded top, which symbolizes the phallus - the personification of physical strength, creation, renewal. In addition to shrines, Pashupatinath has a special house where the elderly come to die, a hospital for typhoid patients, houses for sadhus and a hotel for pilgrims. In a word, the place is colorful.

Swayambhunadh- temple center of Buddhists on the outskirts of the capital. Also known as the Temple of the Monkeys. Keep in mind that these cute but cunning animals are best avoided. They trade in theft, and although the banana in your hand is much nicer to them than the iphone, tailed ones can steal it too. In the center of the complex there is a large stupa, to which 365 steps lead - this is also a good training before the future ascent.

Finally, the sights of Kathmandu have been examined, a portion of Buddhism has been received, you can go to the mountains.

How to get to the track?

Any independent hike in the mountains of Nepal begins in a small place Nepal Tourist Board (Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu) , where you need to make yourself a permit - permission, without which they will not be allowed into the mountains. This document will have to be shown at special checkpoints in the mountains, so that if you suddenly disappear, the rescuers know when and where you checked in for the last time.

To get to the start of the trek from Kathmandu, take a bus to Besisahar for $4-6. Before the start of the track, the village of Barbule, there will be ten kilometers. Walking does not make sense, cars will rush past and dust right at you. Cunning guys will offer to bring for a ridiculous amount of $ 23 (2,500 Nepalese rupees). Seeing the surprise on your face, they will immediately, brotherly, throw off up to $ 9. And they will be offended, having left with nothing, because the local bus will bring you in for only $ 0.4 (50 rupees). In Barbula, you can stay overnight in inexpensive and clean rooms.

If you go to the track in the low season (winter and summer), then housing can be obtained free of charge. The hosts themselves offer to stay in their guesthouse "for food": you will pay only for what you eat in their restaurant at a tourist cost. The price is the same, as if renting a house and eating from the locals. But in guesthouses there is one very important, especially at first, plus - their food does not make you feel that all the insides are burning with hellish flames. Please note that in the menu there can always be a 5th size postscript that 10% of the total amount is a tax that is added to the bill.

In the high season, the competition between tourists is higher, and good places accommodation is more difficult to find. But you can always find a lodging for the night at the end of the village. Usually no one gets there, and they will want to get you at any cost. Bargain!

Light, hot water and a working outlet are great blessings. They are not always, not everywhere, and at the end of your journey they will seem like mythical echoes of the past.

Start of the track

It is customary to go out onto the trail early in the morning, the locals will bow and say “namaste” affably, you can answer the same. Here it is generally customary to greet everyone and smile. Soon nature will take its toll, and you will do it not only because it is customary, but because you yourself want to smile and greet everyone on the way.

Lush vegetation, banana palms and a sea of monkeys gradually give way to harsher views, and snowy peaks can be seen in the distance. Here you will begin to understand that everything that bothered you before is a trifle. The path winds steeper and steeper upward, it becomes harder to breathe, the air becomes thinner and colder. On the way, there are more and more prayer wheels that you spin without missing a single one.

Milarepa cave and Manang village

Near the village of Braka is located Sage Milarepa's Cave. He loved to walk the Himalayas almost 2000 years ago and live in the most unfavorable conditions. Of course, as a yogi, he didn't care. But we, mere mortals, are interested in following his life and visiting the place where he worked miracles. In addition to the cultural part, a trip to the cave of Milarepa is good for acclimatization, you need to give your body time to get used to it. high altitude and loads.

One of the important transit points big village Manang at an altitude of 3500 m. In the village there is a bakery with delicious cakes and a telephone, and even a weak Internet. The truth is, you don't need it anymore.

In Manang, it usually becomes clear who will be able to take the Thorong-La pass at an altitude of 5416 meters, and who better to rest and quietly walk back. But the devil is not as scary as he is painted, so we will move on.

Closer to the pass

By the tenth day, the landscapes become truly northern: ice cliffs, cold stones, green moss and dwarf trees. The hosts and guests of the guesthouses warm up together on long and cold evenings at the bourgeois houses, which are heated with yak cakes. Food is cooked on them, there are not enough trees here.

Time to take the pass. People get serious after a sleepless night waiting for the most important moment on the route. Everyone gathers courage and goes out after dark in the hope of descending from the other side of the mountain. Having opened the door, everyone freezes for a few minutes - the sky that you see there will haunt you in your dreams for a long time to come.

One step, one more step, and take a breath. Extra things in the backpack just begin to nail to the ground, each step is calculated and for this you need to make an effort. Drink a cup of tea - food does not climb into the throat. Here, many turn back, but if you endure, go slowly, with breaks, then in 3-4 hours you will be at the goal.

Extra things in the backpack just start to nail to the ground, each step is calculated and for this you need to make an effort

Joyful cries, hundreds of flags and happy faces. General fun, hugs of complete strangers, a photo for memory and a feeling of incredible pride. For yourself, for the people, for being here.

road down

But it's not over yet - you have to go down. Thorong-La is treacherous: it lets a gullible hiker in, but doesn't really want to let it go down. The weather here can change in minutes, it is strictly forbidden to go into a snow storm and a snowstorm. Although in general the process of conquering the pass is not so difficult, but bad weather can complicate this matter at times.

The descent down is long and monotonous, you need to be patient. But below, in Muktinada, all the difficulties will pay off three times! There is hot water, warm and cozy rooms. And on the outskirts of the village you can eat real borscht from a hospitable host from Ukraine.

Everything below Muktinada was already on the way up. You look at the villages and the surrounding nature with a friendly look. Particular attention should be paid to the unusual apple village of Marfa. Here apples live their six lives: apple juice, dried apples, apple pie, apple cider and brandy, and apples themselves. All of these are delicious and inexpensive. The village itself is painted white, the streets are unusually empty and clean.

Already downstairs, after so many hardships, you can feel like a special royal blood, swimming in the hot springs of Tatopani. You should not pass this place side by side, succumbing to the desire to return to civilization as soon as possible. Next bus to Pokhara.

6 facts about trekking around Annapurna

Track difficulty - 3/5

Average walking distance - 165 km

Maximum height - Thorong-La pass 5416 m

The number of days - an average of 13 (can be reduced to 10 and increased to infinity)

I'll try to keep the post practical so that it can be useful to potential players who want to play this track.
Nepalese prices are used in places in the post. For a simple account, one hundred rupees = 1 dollar.

Preparation.

We started preparing months in advance. I lost weight and walked around the city for miles with a heavy backpack. On my best day, I walked 20 km with a 20 kg backpack.
Likewise, my girlfriend and I can run a couple of three kilometers without stopping.
If you can't walk 20 km with a 15-20 kg backpack, you will most likely not master the track.

Equipment

Glasses should be with mountain protection. Personally, glasses are the most expensive piece of equipment for us. We paid $112 each. But we bought in a company store already in Kathmandu. In the North Face (https://goo.gl/maps/HhAKDQv5hs22)
The cheapest were for $70.
But you can take a chance and take on the street for 20-50.

Shoes. We went in good winter boots and then on the pass itself we had to put on three socks, because our feet really started to freeze. Shoes should be broken in at home and brought with you. You still have a couple of hundred kilometers to go in it.
Light shoes. In general, I walked the track (and a couple of days in Thailand in 35 degree heat until I bought sandals) in my winter boots and trekking socks. It did not cause any particular inconvenience.
I had sneakers in my backpack, but I was too lazy to mess around with them, and besides, they were less comfortable than boots. But in general it is recommended to have light shoes, at least to walk around the hotel in them (they are called loggias here)
Socks. Well, let's deal with socks right away. Trekking socks can be bought on site. There are thinner socks (most of them), but sometimes there are thicker trekking socks. I passed in thick ones, and the pass was crossed in some ordinary, some thick trekking and some knitted shoes. In short, it is better to take warmer socks and several pairs.

thermal underwear. Never wore it before the track. But on the track it is necessary. At first I bought a cheap one, it did not completely cover my back. But then I bought a better one for 3000 (Nepalese rupees). And I don't regret it.

fleece. I also met this word on the track. This is the second layer, its purpose is to keep warm. You need pants and a jacket.

Windstopper. Third layer. Although instead of windstopper jackets we had winter jackets from Russia. Here are the pants we bought. Why did I take insulated ones (but I didn’t take fleece ones)

Scarf. We brought scarves. We bought local analogues of "buffs". I didn't even use mine.

Cap. It is hot during the day at the bottom of the route. We even bought special panamas, which are “cap in all directions”. Comfortable.

Well, on the body we also had T-shirts and shirts.

Everything about clothes. Now for the rest

Sticks. Sticks are good. Someone says that they are not needed, someone says that they interfere. We were very ok with sticks. The main thing is to use them correctly.

Gloves. There are two layers here. Just rag - this is the bottom layer. And the analogue of the windstopper is the upper one. (to prevent snow from sticking)
On the pass, my hands were freezing. I don't know how to deal with it. It is possible to use a double rag layer. I just warmed my hands (gloved) in my pockets. One hand holds sticks, the other in his pocket, then vice versa.

Camping towel. This is such a special fabric, takes up little space, wipes well and dries quickly.

Cats. We bought and used. But in reality, they were at least somehow needed in one place already on the descent, but in general I slipped and fell only once. And this time I was just in cats. They were covered with snow and icy. Next time we go we won't take it. But it really depends on the weather.

Headlamps. Must have. There were solar panels in the upper villages and there was no light at night. Plus, the exit to the pass itself takes place at night in the dark.

Sunscreen. Even if you have never used it, this is the case when it is needed. Around twenty-thirty degree frost, but the ultraviolet does not care about the temperature. He will burn you. My forehead and the tip of my nose burned a little, and a few days after the track, the skin on my right cheek peeled off.
This is despite the fact that I used the cream (although after a height of 3500 only, it is better to use it after 2500). And I constantly hid my skin from the sun. So, I repeat, even if you have never used it, the track is the place where it is better to use it.
Well, of course, do not bask by exposing your face to the sun.

knee pads. I haven't used it (now after two weeks I feel weak and uncomfortable in my knees). My girlfriend used and says that without them she would not have passed. I’ll also add an ankle bandage here, but this is not at all necessary. Just a girl used, so I'm writing.

Sleeping bag. I will now say something unexpected. We didn't use sleeping bags. We carried them with us, but never used them.
No, of course it's cold there. It's very cold, but to fight the cold it's enough to ask for a couple of extra blankets where you're staying.
Some trackers, who also make do with local blankets, recommend taking the lightest sleeping bag, simply for hygienic reasons.

Backpack. It's better to take a big one. For everything to fit into it. The backpack must be with a belt. It is not a problem to buy a backpack on the spot.
I had 45. But he has enough interesting design, which allowed, in fact, to increase the usable volume by another 20 liters. (So a total of 65)
Plus, we fastened sleeping bags outside.

Medications. We only used patches to prevent calluses (really helps) and topical paracetamol for colds and headaches while crossing the pass. Plus hygienic lipstick to protect the lips. But a much larger first aid kit is usually recommended. I think it would be better to google this question elsewhere.

Map. I had a paper one (I bought it in Kathmandu, they asked for 500, I said that I would give only 300. Of course they agreed) and a computer one.
Computer here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand (You need to download a world map and a separate map of Nepal inside the application)
I also didn’t use it (because I didn’t think it would be needed, and I didn’t have the opportunity to buy it in Nepal), but I think it won’t hurt
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.srtmPlugin.paid

Tablets for water disinfection. They are cheap, you can bargain. Sold in many places. On the track, somewhere in the guest house, you give a bottle and ask for free drinking water and throw a pill away from sin. You can drink after half an hour. Otherwise, water is too expensive, plus if you take it in bottles, then there will be garbage generation.

Time.

I'll tell you straight. I don't understand at all why people rush to the track during the peak months. Yes, yes, I read this explanation that they say "the weather is better."
But… all serious disasters so far have happened in the “seasonal” months! Even the earthquake happened during the peak month of spring.

The main problem of peak seasonal months is that someone does not have enough space for an overnight stay. Do you need it? I'm not talking about the impossibility of getting extra blankets.
In short, of course it is better to go in spring / autumn. but not at the peak. We got on the trail on February 22. We crossed the pass on March 5th. And it was the right decision on our part.

Porter

He's also a porter. Definitely do not take.
An exception can only be a situation in which you initially do not believe in yourself and are going to cross the pass on a horse (yes, there is such an opportunity). In this case, yes, let the porter carry the whole load, and when it gets hard, the horse already carries you. But if you are going to cross the pass on your own feet, then in no case take a porter at the beginning of the route.

The pass itself is so much harder than the rest of the route that you can immediately say that if you are not able to carry your backpack to the base camp, then you will not have enough strength for the pass.

If you still need a porter, then you will take it at the pass itself. (Unless, of course, you go during the peak season, and everyone is not snatched up)

Guide

Not needed. It is worth taking only if you want to chat on the road and have extra money. In order to navigate the route, the above maps and these marks are enough

There is also a blue and white label. I will mention her again.

We are trading.

I don't know where to put this paragraph, so I'll put it somewhere. In Nepal, the norm is to bargain for everything.
On the track itself, always ask for free accommodation. But for this you will have to eat in your hotel. In general, the menu is the same everywhere (and unexpectedly extensive, so you should only carry a few light packs of cookies with you for a snack), so it doesn’t matter where you eat.
When settling in major cities bargain.
When buying equipment, try to take more things in one place and discount from 10% to 30%. If you are embarrassed to bargain or do not know English, then at least just say "discount". The seller himself will throw something off.
There will be shops along the track. There you can bargain for food and things. I constantly bargained for water, because it grew in price too quickly as it climbed. Sometimes they gave in, sometimes they were stubborn.
It was very hard to bargain for food in hotels. But I bargained for a discount all on the same water.
You can also bargain a little for transport. (From Pokhara to Besisahar we traveled for 350, they didn’t concede to us anymore. We started from 400).

Arrival to Kathmandu.

So, you have arrived. You need to fill out a few papers, fill in something in some terminal, and pay for a visa.
The visa is paid in dollars, euros or any other internationally recognized currency. You can't get a visa for rubles or local rupees.

There is a visa for 15 days (it is not suitable for the track)
There is a visa for 30. If you are limited in time and money, then it is for you.
There are 90 days. We took her, but in the end we spent a little less than 30 days in the country, we really wanted to go to Tai, to Chiang Mai.

The visa is placed at the airport.

From the airport take a taxi for 400-600 to the Thamel area (tourist area)
And there you already choose where to settle. I don't think it matters where. Kathmandu - terrible place(you yourself will understand this when you leave the airport), it’s bad everywhere.

Some manage to leave the same day for Pokhara. If we are in Nepal again, we will try to do the same. However, if you are in Nepal for the first time, then still stay in Kathmandu. In fact, it is interesting to walk along the streets, if you do not pay attention to the noise, dirt and other authenticity.

Before the track, in addition to buying equipment, you also need to get permission and a TIMS card. Can be done in Kathmandu. Can be done in Pokhara. Worth 2000 or so. We need photos and a passport (with us, a lot of tourists received a photocopy of their passport)
We did in Pokhara. Made in the same building here. https://goo.gl/maps/VG58HUhd1GL2

Pokhara

Pokhara is optional before the trek. (Although at the end of the track you will arrive in this city). If you manage to buy equipment and get permits in Kathmandu, then you can go to the track from there.
But we went from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
Pokhara, of course, is not so authentic. But much more enjoyable. For tourists they gave probably the most the best place in the city. Coast of the local lake. That area is called Lake side
The price of housing is from a thousand to two. We paid a thousand.

A good store that I am ready to recommend directly is located opposite Godfather’s Pizzeria https://goo.gl/maps/CRGibnKvuwT2 (I also recommend it)

In Pokhara we did two test trips to see if we were capable of such trekking at all. First time just climbed a hill on our side of the lake

Then we went to the hill on the other side of the lake. To the local attraction: "Stupa of Peace".
Bypassed the lake on the left, climbed.

(Somewhere behind the haze in the distance, snow peaks are hiding)

Then on the way back we climbed to the local dam

In general, for me this trip to the stupa of the world was useful. He helped to test before the actual track.

Track

When all matters are settled, we go to Besisakhar. We arrive in the afternoon. We mark at the first checkpoint (it is in the same place where the bus arrives, if you ask), and go. I immediately went the wrong way and the card on the phone helped me out at the very beginning.

Some spend the night in Besisahara. Some even go further ahead, shortening the road for a few days. But the right track starts with Besisahara.

And on the first day of the journey you will meet suspension bridges.

On the first day, you can walk to Bulbule place or a little further Nadi Bazaar.
If you didn’t see snowy peaks in Pokhara, then the next morning you will most likely finally see them.

Let's go let's go. We spent the night like this. Nadi, Chamche, Timang (There is a long and steep climb before Timang. It's just that the height was incorrectly indicated on our paper map and we thought that the road would be easier. But we reached it in the light.). In fact, there is no need to break into Timang, and those who have a map with normal heights stop in the previous Danague.
Because the next halt is still the village of Chame (By no means Bratang), no matter where you come from.
Somewhere after Chame we met snow on the road at last.
And also on the way from Chame there is such a mountain.

The impression is fantastic. Like some kind of giant crater. The mountain has a name Svargadvari, in translation it sounds like "Gate to Paradise"

Then the upper Pisang (But you can also lower, these are two villages, one on a slope, the other in a lowland)

We went forward, climbed a little (We tried not to stay in the “first” hotels, because they are spoiled by tourists and prices can be inflated there, this was the case in Chamcha for example)

And the next day from Pisang a dash to Manang. There is an upper road (through the villages of Gayaru and Naval), it is difficult, but we walked along it. And there is a lower road, it is easy.
But then I thought that if we pass along the upper one, then we will master the pass.

Manang

It's already 3500.
Here you should stop for a few days. 2-3. We spent 4.

Will explain. The main risk of the pass is not the weather, not your endurance or wandering yaks, but mountain sickness. To prevent mountain sickness, you need to carefully monitor your condition, sleep well, drink plenty of water (2-3 liters per person), climb gradually and make acclimatization sorties.

We climbed up the hill to the left of Gangapurna Lake (Actually, it has a different name, but everyone calls it that). This lake is right next to the village, opening the map, you will understand everything.

(the view is already from the hill, but we climbed even higher)

The other day we went to Ice lake. And here we can talk about it in more detail.

ice lake

4800m. It's all been said already. You will have to climb from altitude 3500 to altitude 4800.

The ascent starts through the village of Braga. (she is on the track a couple of kilometers before Manang). The trail is perfectly visible in the application, to which I gave a link. I just want to note that the fork to the lake is marked with a blue and white mark (and not red and white).

In a closer view (left) Braga. In the background (right) is Manang. In the center is the hill I wrote about above. As you can see, they have already risen above him.

Occasionally there will be pointers.

Up, up, up. Passed 60 percent of the height. Lake Gangapurna is in the center

And with difficulty, we finally get to the lake. First you will meet this puddle. Somehow smelly.
We'll have to go a little further.

We rest before the descent. And then the clouds move in.

We still have time to look at Manang from above

And that's all. We spent the entire descent in the clouds.

In snow clouds.

Long

long descent

In fact, for me, this ascent, in terms of impressions, competes with the pass itself. Plus, it was the final endurance test before the pass itself. Highly recommend.

Watching the weather

While we are in Manang, where there is electricity and Internet, we need to look at the weather at the pass for the next few days. You need a more or less sunny day with a minimum of precipitation.
Two more nights between Manang and the pass. Yak Kharka and Thorong Pedi, aka base camp. So book these overnight stays to cross the pass on a good day.

We met a couple who were unable to cross the pass because of the snow, although they were physically stronger and more resilient than us. In addition, when we arrived at the base camp, there were a lot of people who were not there when we walked along the trail. This pile I can only explain by the fact that people were waiting for a good day. But it is much more pleasant to wait for a good day in Manang at 3500 than in the base camp at 4500.

Moving on

From Manang there is already a purely hiking and horse trail. (Before that, it is possible to get there by bike or jeep)

We go to Yak Kharka.
Some go to Ledar (a little further up the road and up), some even to Thorong Pedi.
You don't have to do that. By doing this, you do not increase the likelihood of a transition, but reduce it, as you disrupt the dynamics of climb.

There are already problems with electricity and the Internet in Yak Kharka.
Try to charge your phone and, just in case, take care of the charge so that you have a map and a camera on the pass itself. We charged for free from the batteries of the guest house in which we lived, but we went in late February - early March, during the season I think not that there will be no free charging, the battery charge itself is simply not enough.

There is a small hill near Yak Kharka. We did not climb, but for acclimatization it is better to go.

Thorong Pedy

It's the base camp. Last night before the pass. Some spend the night even higher, but in the first place it is harmful to sleep higher. Second, it's colder.

In the base camp, we paid for housing (because there were a lot of people, but there was no choice for housing)

When you arrive at the camp, do not rush to relax. Drop your backpacks and walk up to the upper camp. First, you will scout the road (the next day you will have to walk it in the dark) and better acclimatize before the hardest day of the track.

Up there. The rock in the center of the frame you will bypass on the left. There, the left and right rocks will converge higher. And then they break up again. You need to keep to the right cliff. (On the map in the phone, all trails will be visible)

It was the coldest night. Lying under the covers, we waited at least half an hour for our feet to warm up (the body itself usually warms up in a couple of minutes). We had five blankets for two of us. Plus thermal underwear, plus fleece, who had what. But we never got our sleeping bags. There was no need to sleep in jackets either. But they wore hats.

Before the pass it is better to eat as lightly as possible. But drink, as always, should be plentiful.

Pass.

Rise at 4-5 am. If it's easy for you, then you can, probably even 5:30
It is better not to go first, so as not to trample the road, although at least you will definitely get to the upper camp. And while you are drinking tea, someone will definitely go first.

The main landmarks on the way are those posts over there (near the path, on the right side of the frame)

On the way to the pass, you will come across two more seasonal houses. When I passed, they were empty, but they also served as landmarks.

The transition was difficult. They constantly stopped to catch their breath. We walked at a speed of 1-1.5 km per hour. But there was no need for a porter. (What's the use of a porter if it's already grown together with a backpack, and what's without it, that you can barely walk with it alone)
Sometimes tourists on horseback rode past us.
In general, we walked the whole track very slowly, everyone overtook us. And if we overtook someone, we usually overtook those to whom the porter carried things ...

There were different thoughts, I wanted to quit everything and turn around, I wanted to quit and lie down in the snow to rest. But we survived it on two more test transitions (From upper Pisang to Manang along the upper path. And when climbing ice lake) so we knew that we just had to stubbornly step forward step by step. An hour, two, three or, as in our case, the transition took thirteen hours (from the place of overnight stay to the next village)

And finally, the pass itself. With frozen hands we take a few pictures and descend from the other side. During the day, rise from 4500 to 5416 and descend to 3800.

We reached the town of Mukhtinakh. We slept and decided to finish the track. Because the challenge has been completed, and I really wanted to enter civilization. Well, on the pass we caught a very bad cold.

In general, although the track was difficult for us, we are glad that we went to it. It was not so much a physical ordeal as a psychological one. During the track, I was once again convinced that a certain amount of perseverance is a very useful trait. Perseverance helps to finish the games when you don’t want to look at them anymore, and to cross the pass when there is no strength left.

I must have missed something. (For example, I didn’t write a word about the fact that at a height there is much less air and therefore it’s hard to breathe and sometimes you feel that you are suffocating). So if you have any questions please ask.

Rating: 10.0/ 10 (7 votes cast)

Nepal. Trek around Annapurna., 10.0 out of 10 based on 7 ratings

The Annapurna trek is one of the most popular hiking trails in the world and definitely the number one track in Nepal. Every year, hundreds of travelers set out on this amazing route for incredible views, in search of inspiration, to challenge themselves, or simply to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Himalayas.
Regardless of the reason why people set off on the majestic Annapurna Circle, at the end of the journey, all travelers agree on one thing - this is a time spent in the heart of the mountains, they will never forget.
The high season for the Annapurna trek is four months of the year, two in spring (March and April) and two in autumn (October and November). Of course, there are also desperate travelers who decide to trek around Annapurna at other times, but as a rule, such an undertaking can spoil your experience, since with a high degree of probability you will be accompanied by such unpleasant things as heavy rain and low visibility in the trek. summer months, and bone-chilling cold in the winter.
The high season months, on the contrary, are optimal both in terms of weather conditions and the number of mountains in your field of vision. By the way, the high season in the Annapurna region and in other places in Nepal (for example, in the Everest Base Camp or in the Manaslu region) is different if you are going to another mountainous region of Nepal, weather there you need to study individually, based on observations in the area of interest to you.
One way or another, the weather in the mountains is not always predictable, and we do not recommend completely trusting the forecast. Despite the rainy season, sunny and pleasant weather can set in, and, conversely, a few rainy days can easily happen in the high season. That is why you should pay special attention to the selection of equipment that you take with you on a trek in Nepal and take into account any possible conditions in order to feel confident in the Annapurna reserve all the way. For example, your trekking boots must be waterproof. If it's your first time on a track and you're buying yourself a new pair of boots, don't forget to break them in before you hit the track. Be sure to have a raincoat, sun cream with a high degree of protection, high-quality sunglasses. A complete list of everything you will need during a hike in the mountains along this route is given on our website. You can check with our specialists for more complete information, who will help you choose the right equipment for the mountains and answer all questions about the quality and functional component of the things you need. Much of what is on our list is best purchased right before the track, upon arrival in Nepal. The exception is trekking boots and a sleeping bag, which we recommend purchasing in advance. Special attention should be paid to the quality of these two items of equipment.
If you are reading this text, then you are probably thinking with might and main about going to the famous Himalayan mountains. The key to ensuring that such a trip leaves you only the most pleasant impressions is the right preparation and good planning. Out of Town agency specialists will give you detailed travel recommendations and explain all the most important points related to being in the mountains at high altitude. We have extensive experience in mountain hiking and we know all the nuances and problems that a person unprepared for a hike may encounter.

A selection of the most useful maps of Annapurna. Useful for preparing for and independently. As well as advice on convenient navigation on the track and a separate map of the Tilicho Lake area.

If you decide to go trekking in Nepal on your own and at the same time you have no experience with GPS, then I can advise you an Android application - Osmand (Maps and Navigation). A very handy thing and a lot of features in the free version and a huge plus - works Offline without internet connection. In principle, if you install Osmand and download a map of Nepal (downloaded in the application interface), then you can do without a map, all trails and points are already marked. I use Osmand + of course I take a paper map with me, firstly, something can always happen with the phone, and secondly, this application has one small drawback - not all peaks are marked, then a regular map helps out. It also helps a lot when orienting in Kathmandu.

You can buy cards in Kathmandu in Thamel. And also in Pokhara, Lukla, Namche Bazaar. The choice is large, the cost of cards is 200 - 400 rupees (this is $ 2-4)