Annapurna Circuit

A shared jeep takes over where the tarmac ends, grinding up the rough road along the Marsyangdi through Bhulbhule, Ngadi and Syange. It is a spectacular, bumpy ride on a shelf road cut into the gorge wall, with waterfalls dropping past the windows and suspension bridges strung high above the river. From Chyamje you start walking, crossing the river and climbing past the Tal waterfall where the valley suddenly opens into a flat sandy bed that was once a lake. A couple of hours on stone steps through the gorge brings you to Dharapani and its entrance chorten, where the Manaslu trail joins from the east.

Rather than walking the dusty valley road, the day is covered by jeep, climbing steadily through pine and fir forest with Annapurna II filling the skyline to the south. The track passes Bagarchhap, Danaque and the long switchbacks up to Timang, where the views open out properly for the first time, then runs on through Koto to Chame. It is slow going on a rough road, so allow most of the day. Chame is the district headquarters of Manang, with a bank, shops, an ACAP checkpost and small hot springs by the river. At 2,670m the air is noticeably cooler and the lodges have their stoves lit.

Walking resumes today on one of the most scenic stretches of the circuit. The trail follows the river through steep pine forest to Bhratang, then crosses to the north bank beneath Paungda Danda, a smooth granite wall rising more than 1,500 metres straight from the riverbed. After a long steady climb you reach Dhukur Pokhari, where the valley opens into dry alpine country and the landscape turns Tibetan. Pisang sits beneath Pisang Peak with Annapurna II across the valley; the upper village, a cluster of flat-roofed stone houses around a hillside monastery, is worth the short climb for the views.

A long and rewarding day into the heart of the Manang valley. The high route climbs steeply to Ghyaru and Ngawal, fortified-looking Tibetan-style villages from where the whole Annapurna range lines up across the valley: Annapurna II, III and IV, Gangapurna and the fluted ice of Tilicho Peak. The trail then contours high above the river before dropping to the valley floor at Mungji and passing Braga, whose 500-year-old gompa is stacked against a cliff of eroded pillars. A level half-hour brings you into Manang, a substantial village of stone houses, bakeries and gear shops below the Gangapurna glacier.

A rest day here is essential before the pass, and the way to use it is to climb high and sleep low. The hike up to Ice Lake, a hard ascent of more than a thousand metres, is the classic acclimatisation outing and gives an extraordinary panorama over the valley to Annapurna III and Gangapurna. Gentler options are the Gangapurna glacier lake or the viewpoint above Praken Gompa. In the afternoon the Himalayan Rescue Association post in Manang runs a free talk on altitude sickness that is worth an hour of anyone’s time, and the bakeries make the rest of the day easy.

The trail leaves the valley floor and starts the sustained climb towards the pass, crossing dry, open country where the last juniper and scrub give way to grass and rock. You pass a mani wall and the small settlements of Gunsang and Yak Kharka, with blue sheep often visible on the slopes above and yak herds grazing the high pastures that give the place its name. It is a short day by design, gaining around 500 metres to help acclimatisation. From the lodges the views stretch back down the valley towards Annapurna III and Chulu West, and the evening turns cold quickly once the sun drops.

Another deliberately short stage, with plenty of rest before the pass. The trail climbs gradually to Ledar, then traverses a narrow, landslide-prone section high above the Jarsang Khola before crossing the river and climbing to Thorong Phedi, the last lodges below the pass. Those feeling strong can carry on another hour up the steep switchbacks to High Camp, which shortens tomorrow’s climb considerably but makes for a colder night; your guide will decide based on how the group is going. Either way the afternoon is for eating, drinking and sleeping early.

The biggest day of the circuit starts in the dark, usually between four and five in the morning, to cross the pass before the wind picks up. The climb is relentless rather than technical, a series of false summits on frozen switchbacks, and the cold and thin air make it hard work. Thorong La at 5,416m is marked by a cairn of prayer flags and a small tea hut, with Dhaulagiri and the Kali Gandaki valley spread out to the west. The descent to Muktinath is long and steep, dropping more than 1,600 metres to the sacred temple complex with its 108 water spouts and eternal flame.

A short and easy day after the pass. The morning is free to visit the Muktinath temple, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike, where pilgrims bathe under the 108 spouts and a natural gas flame burns beside a spring inside the shrine. From there a jeep takes you down through the wind-scoured villages of Jharkot and Khingar into the Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge on earth measured between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. Jomsom is the district headquarters of Mustang, strung along the riverbed with an airstrip, shops and a good afternoon’s rest before the long drive south.

A long descent down the Kali Gandaki by road, with the walls of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri towering on either side. The route passes Marpha, a Thakali village of whitewashed houses and apple orchards famous for its brandy, then Tukuche, once a major stop on the salt trade route to Tibet. As you lose height the landscape turns green again: pine forest returns, then terraced fields and banana palms, and the air grows warm and humid. Tatopani, meaning ‘hot water’, is named for the natural hot springs on the riverbank, and a long soak there is the traditional reward for the pass crossing.

The last day of the journey, leaving the Annapurna ranges behind. The road follows the Kali Gandaki south through Beni and Baglung, a scenic run along the gorge with suspension bridges and roadside villages, before joining the highway into Pokhara. You arrive at the lakeside by afternoon, with the Annapurnas you have just walked among standing on the skyline across Phewa Lake. The rest of the day is free for a hot shower, a proper meal and a walk along the shore, or an onward drive or flight to Kathmandu if your schedule takes you straight on.