Annapurna Circuit Trek has long been praised by travellers as the holy grail of trekking since it was first opened to foreigners in 1977. This 200km plus trail that circles the heavenly Annapurna range has often been voted as the best long distance trek in the world because it combines a wide variety of climate zones from the tropics at 600m to the arctic zones located at 5000m above.
Annapurna Circuit Trail
This trail also takes you through a wide cultural variety from villages, at Terai region to the higher altitude Tibetan culture of Manang and through the formidable Thorong Phedi.
The trail passes through subtropical forests, terraced paddy fields, several waterfalls cascading down stone cliffs.
It is hard not to see the reason why travellers are often confused between Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp trek. Both trail gives you awe-inspiring views of Annapurna range, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre, and hikers will come across Gurung villages. But that is where the similarities end.
As the name suggests, the goal of the Annapurna Circuit is to complete a loop. The trail starts and ends in Taal and is a relatively more strenuous trek than that of the base camp.
The AC’s landscape changes drastically in a comparatively short span of time- from the green cultivated land in the south side of the Himalaya to the arid rocky desert of Mustang that falls on the Annapurna’s rain shadow region. The trail also leads you towards Muktinath, a revered pilgrimage site of Hindus and Buddhists.
Crossing Thorong La Pass – Difficulty of Annapurna Circuit Trek
This expedition takes you across two river valleys and then to the formidable Thorong La Pass. Touching the edge of the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of about 5,400m/17,760ft, Thorong La Pass is the highest point in your expedition and is one of the greatest challenges you will ever encounter.
Most travellers take the anti-clockwise route as this way the altitude gain is gradual and crossing the pass is safer. Most trekkers feel the effects of this taxing endeavor and so it is very important to acclimatize at Manang to prepare you for your journey.
Taking on this expedition during the winters might prove difficult as the mountain passes are often blocked by snow.
Trekking on Off-Season
Trekking in the rainy season from July to September is encouraged if you want to avoid the crowds in the summer months. However, your views are mostly obscured by low clouds. There is no need to worry about rain so much as the arid landscape of Mustang and Manang fall under the rain-shadow region of the surrounding Annapurna range.
Why to trek Annapurna Circuit?
Nepal tour guide team recommend that you take the trail from Pisang via Ghyaru to Manang, as the small villages along the route are some of the best examples of well preserved Tibetan culture. These villages also assist you in acclimatization.
The Annapurna Circuit takes you to a height of over 5,460m (17,800ft) and makes you challenge yourself at every step. It dares you. Every glimpse of Gangapurna, Tilicho peak and Pisang peak makes you want to take that extra step. And as you reach the heights, where your senses are focused into clarity, you feel in your deepest of beings that every effort was worth it. This is the holy grail.
