Annapurna region famously called Annapurna Base Camp Trek is one of the most trailed treks in the world. This particular base camp trek provides you with the perfect viewing of Mount Annapurna along with the mystic pleasures.
The Annapurna Mountain is precisely located in the north-central part of Nepal which is surrounded by the Kali Gandaki gorge on the west, the Marsyangdi River in the north, and the east along with Pokhara city in the south.
Annapurna Mountain is one of the tallest mountains in the world with an altitude extending 8089m. Also, it is the top 10th tallest mountain in the world. Even though the mountain is above 8000m, the base camp sits at 4130m.
Interestingly the Annapurna massif mountains range includes peaks with multiple heights. There is one 8000 m peak, 13 with 7000 m ranges along with 16 peaks that are above 6000m. Annapurna circuit trek provides a mesmerizing view of some tallest peaks in one place.
There are a lot of aspects that need to be considered from the difficulty and cost to the time taken concept for the Annapurna base camp trek. In this article, we will try and cover all the aspects of the Annapurna base camp trek.
How Difficult Is Annapurna Base Camp Trek?
Distance of Annapurna Base Camp
Every trek is easier and difficult in its own way. You need to be at the best of the skills and also the physical capabilities in order to make it to the top. Considering the Annapurna base camp trek is a moderate kind of trek.
Not to every aspect of it but some distances might be tougher for some people. You need to be physically fit in order to ace it. Some of the difficulties that come along the way are the rugged roads or walking on moveable stones.
Not only that you need to be able to walk for 5-6 hours every day on the rising elevation which could sound hefty for some people. Patience, confidence, physical fitness, and a trekking mindset are the keys in order to ace the Annapurna base camp trek.
For the people who have very limited time along with lower physical fitness, you can try the Ghorepani Poonhill Trek which is less demanding and can also be completed within nine days.
Altitude Sickness
An underrated challenge when you try to ace the Annapurna base camp is the altitude. Most of the time, trekkers who come from a low altitude area might struggle to adapt to 4000 m height.
From the altitude of 1300 m in Kathmandu to getting as high as 4000 m can be very challenging if you aren’t trained properly. Headache, diarrhea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and vomiting are some of the common signs when you cross the 3000 m mark.
Such symptoms will not only make the trek difficult but highly memorable. There are some remedies to getting better with altitude. Ignoring altitude sickness can make things tough. So try and adapt well.
Frequent Weather Changes
One of the toughest aspects of trekking at a higher altitude is the weather changes. Annapurna Circuit Trek throws in the same issue most of the time. The best season to trek is around the months of September to November. Besides these months the temperature changes pretty quickly. You might see too cold weather or too hot with time. It affects the overall enjoyment of the trek. Therefore, try and choose the correct month to trek to the Annapurna base camp.
Issues in Budget Management
This might be very confusing for a lot of the readers. Annapurna base camp lies in the remote Western region. So, the accommodation or the food must be cheaper. But when you reach a certain altitude, the price of every product gets doubled up. From the food to the bottled water, noodles, etc. Price variation can affect the budget that you have prepared for the trek. Therefore, try and load your wallet with some extra cash.
How Do You Get to Annapurna Base Camp?
This can be an interesting question to ask many. It is not a difficult task to get into the Annapurna base camp trek. You need to be physically capable of walking for long days. The base camp trek starts from Pokhara.
The next day you drive from Pokhara to lower Ghandruk (2,012 m) and also trek to Chomorong. The third day brings you the trek to Chhomrong with the fourth day being the Dovan trek.
Things tend to get interesting right from the fifth day when you trek to the illustrious Machapuchhre base camp. It is a timid walk from the Machhapuchre base camp to the Annapurna base camp. The last three days include the trek to Bamboo, Jhinu, and to Syauli Bazar before returning to Pokhara.
How Long Does it Take to Trek ABC?
Whenever you plan to go on a big trek, the time duration is the key to things. The Annapurna circuit trek revolves around the physical fitness and the mentality of the trekker. Specifically, the trek tends to go from a week to 12 days. It truly depends upon the ability to walk in tough terrains. Annapurna circuits have some tough and ragged roads which need to be taken good care of.
How Much Does Annapurna Base Camp Trek Cost?
When you look into the cost of the Annapurna base camp trek it is more about the number of people involved. If you are traveling solo the cost tends to get higher. Going on a trek with a group can result in the fact that costs are divided. Looking at the tough terrain of the Annapurna circuit we suggest not trekking alone. Talking about the cost of the trek it would cost between $600 to $1100 for a person. Everything from the start to the end of the trek will be taken care of at this cost.
What’s more important to notice is the fact that the cost will increase as per the needs of the trekker. From the breakfast, lunch, dinner, permits, transport, and accommodation everything tends to be taken properly care of with this pricing.
How far is Annapurna Base Camp from Pokhara?
The time needed for the Annapurna base camp trek tends to differ from the place of the origin. If you start from Kathmandu the time is different from the time from Eastern Nepal being different.
Talking about the time from Pokhara for the Annapurna circuit trek, it is six days. You start the trek from Pokhara to Siwai to Chhomorong on the first day. The next day is for the Chhomorong-Sinuwa-Himalaya trek.
The third day has the Himalayas to Machapuchhre to Annapurna walk-through. The last two days are related to coming back from Annapurna to Sinuwa with the last day counting for the return to Siwai and to Pokhara. Six days can be enough to get the job done.
Annapurna Base Camp Elevation
The elevation in the Annapurna base camp trek is something to admire and ponder. The actual height of the Annapurna base camp is 4130m. For someone coming from an alien region, acclimatizing to the altitude can be a tough gig.
Meanwhile, there are certain roads and processes to follow just before you reach your destination. The first stop includes Ulleri. After staying for some time in Pokhara, you reach Nayapul and start walking.
There is a maximum of three hours’ walk before you reach Ulleri. It lies at the height of 2020m. Similarly, the second stop is the Ghorepani stop. It is an up-down walk in the base camp trek elevation. By the end, you will be at 2820m altitude.
After Ghorepani, you will have to follow the lead of Poonhill-Tadapani. One of the tough walks to be done in the morning, the Tadapani trek takes you to an altitude of 2820m. Now comes the Chhomorong descent where you need to go up and down.
From the higher altitude, you come down 700m. It will only ascend when you will end the day at 2140m at Chhomrung. The further elevation includes the Dovan, Machhapuchhre base camp (4000 m), Annapurna base camp, Bamboo, Jhinu, and Pokhara (822 m).
The Annapurna base camp is the epitome that is present at an altitude above 4000m. What’s important to notice is that you come down to Bamboo which is 2300m from the top. Interestingly there are six-hour walks to reach the bamboo downwards. The ascend and descend can be very tricky when you look into it. Depending upon the agility and fitness of the trekker, he/she could take from 9 to 10 days for the trek.
Conclusion:
The Annapurna base camp trek is one of the highly admired and moderate kinds of trek. You need to have basic experience of trekking to be able to reach the top. From the cost of the trek to the permits and also the time taken everything needs to be sorted out.
What’s more important to know is the toughness of the trek. There is some steep elevation and some descend along the way. We suggest all the trekkers who are reading this not go on a solo trip. With a friend or a partner, the journey can be interesting and the trekker can remain safe.