Annapurna & Dhaulagiri Trekking

At Kathmandu International Airport, you will be met by a Trek Nepal representative and transferred to your hotel. There will be a full tour briefing in the evening.

We drive out of the Kathmandu valley following the Prithvi highway, which descends to the scenic and tranquil town of Pokhara. En route we will have outstanding views of the Ganesh, Manaslu and Annapurna ranges of the Himalayas, along with river valleys, terraced fields and local villages. Pokhara is set on the banks of Phewa Tal (lake) beneath the Annapurna range, which creates a spectacular backdrop for this serene town. On arriving you are free to explore the town, take a boat out on to the lake, walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, or simply relax and soak up the atmosphere by the lake.

Following breakfast, we depart for our trek’s starting point Nayapul, a drive of approx. 45 minutes; and then walk up to Syauli Bazaar. The trail then heads steeply up to the attractive Gurung village of Ghandruk taking us along ridges with spectacular views, which allow us to acclimatize. At our first teahouse, we have views of Annapurna South (7,219m), Machhapuchhre (6,997m) and the Mardi Himal south ridge; and looking across the Modi Valley we see the villages of Landruk and Tolka.

We begin the day early at High Camp to witness the spectacular sunrise over the Himalayas. From there, we ascend along a narrow ridge to reach Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4500 meters. The panoramic views from the base camp are awe-inspiring, with Annapurna South and Fishtail Mountain dominating the horizon.

On the final day of our trek, we bid farewell to Low Camp and commence our descent towards Siding Village. The trail winds through lush forests, offering glimpses of local life and scenery along the way.

First, the trail ascends through the spread-out village of Ghandruk and later climbs through the forest following a watercourse ravine up to Tadapani, which translates to ‘distance waters’. The trail is home to
outstanding flora such as small ferns and exotic orchids. We lunch on the way at Bhaisi Kharka. All around us are magnificent views of the Annapurna Himalayan range.

The trail takes us gently uphill through the rhododendron and magnolia forest, with daphne bushes and orchids. After two hours we reach storm-torn trees broken by the winter snows and wind, and after a further two hours, we picnic in the little meadow with its tumbling stream. Following lunch, the trail goes gently upward through clumps of bamboo before reaching Dobato

For the first hour, the trail follows the 3,100m contour then breaks out of the forest onto the grass moorlands. To the west are breathtaking views of the lovely Kali Gandakhi Valley, whilst the great massif of Dhaulagiri (8,167m) is above and beyond. The route then leads on upwards to Bhaise Kharka at 3,330m. The trail from here takes us gently downhill to an ideal lunch spot with plenty of shade beside one of the clear streams, which courses its way down to join the holy Kali Gandaki. For us too, after lunch, it is downwards to Chhistibang.

It is just four hours walking today. The trail again breaks through the tree line as we climb uphill to the Kobra Ridge. Today it is necessary to prepare a packed lunch for there is very little water en route for food preparation. Kobra Ridge is incredibly beautiful, for some it is a Shangri-La as it offers the most awe-inspiring mountain views with Annapurna South (7,219m) and Bharha Shikhar – also known as Annapurna Fang (7,647m) in the foreground and the peaks of the Nilgiri and majestic Dhaulagiri (8,167m) to the westward.

At dawn the sunrise has set Dhaulagiri aflame. Complete with packed lunch we head north climbing upwards across high pastures, a stunning wilderness that is home to wild yaks – sometimes grazing in herds, other times lone rogue males, towards the mountains. Initially, the trail ascends gradually then steepens. As we approach High Camp, we pass Kalibaraha Lake that is the higher and smaller of two lakes formed by the glaciers and icefalls of Annapurna South that towers above us. Continuing along the trail ahead of us are breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South and Bharha Shikhar and if you look behind there are tremendous views of the lower lying villages. As we advance crossing streams, traversing spurs and passing chautaras and shepherd huts, the trail opens up to a large wilderness plain where High Camp is located lying at the base of Annapurna South (7,219m) and Bharha Shikhar (7,467m), which are close enough to touch. In the summertime, herders bring their livestock to graze here. There is an optional trek to the sacred Khaire Lake, a place of pilgrimage with its lone stone-piled temple to lord Shiva, which is usually mist-shrouded. Here the wall and summit of Annapurna South is so close it strains the neck muscles as you take in all that is in front of you, and for completeness Bharha Shikhar, Annapurna I’s great southern spur, fills the space beyond. This is a 3 hour round trip. Whatever the decision we return to Kobra Ridge in the same direction we came.

Retracing our steps, we reach Chhistibang and then head due south following the steep trail to the Teuche Khola (1,800m) before climbing to the old Tibet-Nepal trade route which is now the busy trekking trail that passes through Chitre. This is a marked contrast to the last several days of trekking we have enjoyed.

Back now among the ‘guide-book’ trekkers, we climb to Ghorepani the village that sits astride the saddle that takes the trail over and down to the Pokhara Valley. The walk to Ghorepani continues to offer excellent views of the Dhaulagiri. As we commence our return to Pokhara, we head down via Ulleri, bracing up the high pummeling steps that lead to our final teahouse at Tikhedhungga.

On this last day of the trek, you will make a short descending hike to Nayapul then drive to Pokhara in about 2 hrs. Stay overnight in Pokhara.