Annapurna, Jomsom and Other Treks

This is the most popular area to trek at in Nepal. Around 60% of all trekking permits are issued for the Annapurna region. There are some spectacular views along the way. You have great views of Annapurna Himalayas, which has nine peaks over 7000m and is 40km wide. Annapurna I is 8091m. A guide is not necessary and the food and lodging are at a relatively high standard. There are three long treks in the area and all of them go along the same route for a while. The Jomsom and Annapurna trek are different than most other treks in Nepal, in that go through some high-altitude deserts like those found in Tibet.

This area is administered by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), which does a good job in trying to preserve the environment and culture of the area. While trekking in this area you got through the Annapurna Park, which means you have to pay an extra Rs 1000 over the trekking fee. Three main routes are taken in this area.
These treks are usually begun in Pokhara, either departing by walking or by bus to the trailhead. One of the reason for the popularity of the treks in this area is convenience of getting to the beginning and the fact that there lodges all along the way. You extra gear can be stored at a guest house in Pokhara and you can also rent equipment there.
There are several options to take one to four days treks in the Pokhara area.

The most popular time to do treks in this area is Sept to Nov and March to May. Even during the winter and summer people do this trek. The ACAP Annapurna Map is a good map of the area.

If you are looking for a remote secluded place, this is not a good area to trek at. There have been reports or theft and violence in this region, so it is a good idea not to trek alone in remote areas.

Jomsom Trek
This is considered to be one of the classic treks in the world, combining fantastic scenery and a cultural experience.

The trek goes along the Kali Gandaki valley going between the high peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. It then reaches the high-altitude desert area like Tibet and then ends at the important Hindu holy place of Muktinath, which is a day walk from Jomsom.

The round trip from Pokhara to Muktinath takes two weeks (7 days each way), but there are shorter and longer variations of this trek. . It usually takes 11 to 14 days. There some of the most spectacular mountain views. The Jomsom Trek is the same as the final seven days of the Annapurna Circuit.

There are good facilities for lodging and food along the route. Most lodges have electricity and hot water. Many of the places have good Western food. There is no need for a guide. Many rest houses along the way change money.

The trek goes to Jomsom and then you return on the same route. You could also walk up to Jomsom and from there get a flight to Pokhara ($60) or Kathmandu, which reduces the trek to five or seven days. You could also fly to Jomsom and then trek to Pokhara. There are five scheduled flights a day between Pokhara and Jomsom. Flights are often cancelled and can be booked well in advance.

Chandrakot is the usually starting point, but it can also be begun in Phedi, Pokhara, Baglung or Suikhet.

One of the highlights of the trek is going to Poon Hill (3193m) and from there watching the sunrise. If it is cloudy you might consider staying for an extra day and the site of the sun rising is spectacular.

You then descend to the Kali Gandaki valley and on either side are the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. The route stays below 3000m, until the last day when you make the climb to Muktinath (3800m), which is the highest point of the trek. Along the way, Tattopani has a Hot Springs. You then pass the village of Marpha and get to Jomsom. Better than staying in Jomsom is to head up to the interesting town of Kagbeni (2800m), a couples hours walk north towards Muktinath.
If you do not have time to do the entire Jomsom treks you can make a circuit of four to seven days. The beginning of the route goes through Gurung villages and goes over steep hills. The trails are well-maintained, but can be steep in places.

Beginning Point
As the road is built further into the mountains this trek has gotten shorter than in the past. Eventually there may be a road built all the way to Jomsom. Naya Pul is one of the places that this trek begins. The road goes up to Baglung. Buses to Buglung depart from Pokhara from the bus station in Bag Bazaar at the north end of town. You take the bus toward Buglung and then get down as Naya Pul (“New Bridge”), where the trek begins. You can also get to Naya Pul by taxi, which is safer and more comfortable.

To return to Pokhara can be done by flying back from Jomsom or by walking back on the same route that was taken up.

There are several different trails you can take to begin this trek.

Day 1: Naya Pul Tikedungha
From Naya Pul you follow the Modi Khola River up to the big village of Briethanti at 1065m. Birethanti has a bank, a bakery, good restaurants and many hotels. You could stay here or continue on so as to make the next day’s walk shorter. You then walk along the north side of the Bhurungdi Khola River to Hille and then to nearby Tikedungha at 1525m. Both places have a place to stay at.

You can walk to Naudanda by going via Sarangkot from where there are good views of the mountains. See the Pokhara section for details about Sarangkot. From Sarangkot you go along the ridge to Kaski, where there are ruins of a small palace, and then from there to Naudanda. From Naudanda there are views of the entire Annapurna Range and views to Pokhara and Phewa Tal. There is a trekking permit checkpoint here, so if you do not have a trekking permit this is as far as you can go. There are a number of hotels here.
From Naudanda you walk along the road for a while and then leave the road and go to Lumle, then Chandrakot and then descent to Birethanti. On the first day you could have walked all the way to Birethanti if you were in a hurry.

You can also not make the hard climb over the Ghorapani hill by taking the bus all the way to Baglung. From there it takes two days to walk up the Kali Gandaki valley to Tatopani. You also take a bus or taxi on the rough, unpaved road to Beni to avoid a half-day walk.

Day 2: Tikedungha to Ghorapani
From Tikedungha the trail goes up very steeply to Ulleri, a good-size Magar village at 2070m. It keeps going us at a more gentle angle pass nice oak and rhododendron forests to Banthanti at 2250m and then to Nangathanti at 2460m. It then takes another hour to reach Ghorapani at 2775m.
A short distance from Ghorapani is Deorali pass, from where there are great views. Deorali means “pass.” From there it is an hour climb to Poon (or Pun) Hill, which is one of the best viewpoints in Nepal. Watching the sunrise from Poon Hill is one of the highlights of the trek and is very popular. If the view is blocked by clouds, you may want to stay an extra day to catch the fantastic views. After Poon Hill the trail becomes easier.

At Ghorapani and Deorali there are hotels. Ghora means “horse” and pani means “water,” and long caravans of horse go along the Jomsom trek drinking water along the way.

There is a trail that goes from Ghorapnai or Deorali to the pleasant Gurung town of Ghandruk. During the monsoon there are many leeches in this area. During the winter there may be snow on the trail. At Ghandruk there is the headquarters of the ACAP, where there is a visitor center and museum. From Ghandruk there is a trail that goes to the Annapurna Sanctuary.

Day 3: Ghorapani to Tatopani
From Ghorapani the trail descends sharply to Chitre at 2390m, where there are hotels to stay at. The trail then descends to Sikha, a good sized village at 1980m. It has some hotels and shops. It then goes down to Ghara at 1705m, where the trail goes across a suspension bridge and then goes up above the Kali Gandaki.

You then come to Tatopani at 1180m. Tato means “hot” and pani means “water” and the town has this name because of the hot springs near the river. Tatopani is a popular place to come from Pokhara on a short trek. It was flooded when a lake was formed behind where there was a landslide in 1998, so there is much rebuilding in town. There are some good restaurants here.

Day 4: Tatopani to Kalopani
The trail goes along the Kali Gandaki valley until to Jomsom. The river goes between peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. The two 8000m mountains are just 38km apart and the river flows between at an elevation below 2200m. You follow the world deepest gorge.

The Thakalis people live in the Kali Gandaki valley and the run most of the hotels and lodges in the valley. They also run many of the hotels in Pokhara and other places.

From Tatopani the trails go ups gently to Dana at 1400m. The trails branches off to Maurice Herzog’s base camp, which was used to climb Annapurna in 1950.

The trail keeps climbing to Rupse Chhahara at 1550m and goes through a very steep and narrow area. A suspension bridge goes across the river at 1935m. The trail then goes to Ghasa, the first Thakali village.

You then climb steeply through forest to the Lete Khola, then to the village of Lete at 2470m and then you come to Kalopani at 2560m. There are some great mountain views here and some good lodges.

Day 5: Kalopani to Marpha:
From Kalopani the trail go across the Kali Gandaki and then go back across the river at Larjung at 2560. This is an interesting village with tunnels between the houses, which it has because of the strong wind that blows down the Kali Gandaki valley. The trail then goes to Khobang and the mountain views are outstanding on the way to this village.

Next you come to the interesting Thakali village of Tukuche at 2590m. After this the terrain changes after entering the drier and desert area north of the Himalayan watershed. It becomes much windier. In the morning there are gentle breezes which become really strong winds by the afternoon, so it can be unpleasant to trek after noon.
You then come to Marpha at 2665m. It is surrounded by apple and apricot orchards. It has some good hotels and is a good place to stay at instead of Jomsom. A project located between Tukuche and Marpha sponsored by the government grows the fruit and vegetables for the entire region.

Day 6 Marpha to Kagbeni
Marpha to Jomson: The trail goes along a valley side and climb gradually until getting to Jomsom.

Jomsom
Jomsom at 2713m is the main village in the region and is not particularly interesting. This is the last Thakali village and the ones further north are Tibetan. Many people will want to stay in the much more interesting town of Kagbeni.
There is a hospital here. If you are doing the Annapurna Circuit you have to get your permit stamped here because it will be checked further south.

Travel by Air
There are regular flights from here to Pokhara ($50). If you plan to fly back from Jomson, it is good idea to reserve this flight in advance, as during the high-season flights can be well booked.

Jomsom to Kagbeni You follow the trail along the river to get to Kagbeni

Kagbeni
Kagbeni is a pleasant medieval-type village at 2810m. It is a must much pleasant town to stay in than Jomsom. This is as close as you can get to capital of the ancient kingdom of Mustang, Lo Monthang, unless you pay the $700 permit fee for the Mustang area.

Where to Stay
There are several good places to stay in Kagbeni.

Day 7 Kagbeni (Jomsom) to Muktinath
From Kagbeni the trail becomes steep and then hits the main trail before Khangar at 3200m. The trails pass a desert area and goes pass some streams and meadows. It then comes to the pleasant village of Jharkot at 3500m. You then continue to Ranipauwa, where the places to stay for Muktinath are located.

From Muktinath most people return to Jomsom. You can then catch a flight back to Pokhara or walk back following basically the same path that was taken up.

It is also possible to go pass Muktinath and go over the Thorung La pass and then follow the Annapurna Circuit. From Muktinath to the pass is a long hard climb of 1600m, and this walk is best done from the other directions. Most people will not want to take this route.

Muktinath
Muktinath mean the Lord of Liberation, which is another name of Lord Vishnu. There is a Vishnu temple here called Jiwala Mayi, which has a tiered roof. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples and is considered to be a very important temple. Within the main temple are sacred natural gas flames that were mentioned in the Mahabharata. These flames burn on rock and water, and this earth-water combination is consisted important. If you give a small donation to the priest, he will show the flames, which are behind a curtain. There are 108 waterspouts here, from which sacred water flows. Muktinath is at an elevation of 3,749 m (12,000 ft). It can be very cold here, so it is best to visit in the summer time.

Shalagram Shilas
Shalagram shila rocks are self-manifested Deities of the Lord Vishnu, appearing as small stones which are considered non-different from Lord Vishnu and His incarnations. These forms of Lord Vishnu require no installation ceremony. They are considered always non-different from Lord Vishnu Himself.

In the Bhavisya Purana, Lord Krishna says to His devotee, Tulasi: “In the form of small stones, I live always on the banks of the Gandaki River. The millions of worms who live in that place adorn those stones with the sign of my chakra, by carving them with their small teeth.” Sri Chaitanya told Gopal Bhatta Goswami to go to the Gandaki River from Vrindavan to find Sri Hari in the form of a shalagram shila.

Damodara Kund (Forbidden Lake) is supposed to be the source of the river Gandaki and a major source of shalagram shilas. It is a nine or ten day journey from Muktinath and can only be reached in the late summer.

Where to Stay
There are several guest houses in Ranipauwa, just below Muktinath.
Himalaya Hotel and Hotel Muktinath are about the best. On the way from Jomsom to Muktinath you pass the town of Jharkot, which has places to stay.
Hotel Jarkot and Himali Hotel, which has solar heating, are passable places.
In Jomsom, the Alka Guest House is one of the better places.

Travel
To get to Muktinath you first have to go to Jomsom which is about 250 km northwest of Kathmandu. Muktinath is a few minutes past the small village of Ranipowa, a day walk from Jomsom. Muktinath and the Gandaki River are visited by people doing the famous Annapurna circuit trek.

Air You can also fly direct from Kathmandu to Jomsom ($120) or from Pokhara to Jomsom ($50, 3 flights daily, weather permitting).

Trek Many people walk to Muktinath via Jomsom from Pokhara. If you can not make the walk from Jomsom to Muktinath you can ride up on a pony (Rs 1200 up and back). A couple hours from Jomsom is the interesting medieval fortress town of Kagbeni. It takes about 3 hours to walk down from Muktinath to Jomsom.

Annapurna Circuit
This fantastic trek goes completely around the Annapurna Range, and crosses the 5415m Thorung La pass. This is the most popular trek done in Nepal and is considered to be an outstanding trek. This is a fairly strenuous 19 to 21-day trek that has some great views. There are some fantastic mountains views, it passes through some culturally interesting villages, and passes through some high-altitude deserts Tibetan plateau type area in the north.

It has the greatest net vertical gain of any of the more popular trekking routes in Nepal. The trek begins in a subtropical area at around 500m and goes up to the 5415m high Thorung La Pass. You need boots, warm clothing, gloves and a good warm sleeping bag for crossing the pass. It takes a minimum of 16 days to do this trek, but you need to set aside some days for rest and acclimatization.

There are lodges along the route, usually every hour. The last seven days of the trek is the Jomson Trek done in reverse.

Almost everyone does the circuit anti-clockwise, mainly because it is a higher climb from Muktinath to cross the Thorung pass and than to do it from the other direction. Many people cannot make the climb from Muktinath. This trek is usually closed from mid-December to mid-March (often longer) when the Thorung La pass is closed because of snow. Severe weather can come at only time on the Thorung La pass. While going over the pass, you should be prepared to turn back if bad weather or altitude sickness is encountered.
From the starting point you walk northwest along the Marsyangdi Valley to the Thorung La pass. The first two days passes through farmland and some villages, and there are not many good views. After two days you start a steady climb up passing through different climatic zones: temperature forests, alpine meadows and the drier Tibetan type plateau rain shadows. Between Chame (2920m) and Matang the views of the Annapurnas are fantastic.

There are interesting gompas in Manang (3530) and Bragya (3470m), which are worth visiting. Many people spend a day in Manang to acclimatise. The village before the pass is Phedi (4420m), where it is best to stay one day to acclimatise. You then make the hard 8 to 10 hour walk over the Thorung La pass to Muktinath. If you feel the effects of AMS it is best to return to Phedi and then try to go over the pass the next day, which should give you time to acclimatise. After crossing the pass, from there you follow the same route as the Jomsom trek in reverse.
The best time to do this trek is from mid-October to mid-December. From late-December till March can be risky because the Thorung La pass can be closed because of snow, but sometimes it is open. From late April to June it is be really hot and uncomfortable.

Beginning Point
The trek usually begins in Besisahar at 820m, a four-hour bus ride east of Pokhara. Many people begin the trek at Dumre at 440m, which is on the Kathmandu to Pokhara road (Prithvi Highway). There is an early morning bus from Pokhara to Besisahar via Dumre or you can get a more comfortable tourist bus to Dumre and from there get another bus or four-wheel drive vehicle to Besisahar. You can also get a morning bus to Dumre from Kathmandu, and then another vehicle to Besisahar. Dumre is 136km from Kathmandu and 70km from Pokhara.

From Pokhara you can also take a bus to Begnal Tal and begin the trek from there. You then walk two day west to just above Besisahar.

Day 1: Besisahar to Bahundanda
The trail first descends and then goes up to Khudi at 790m. This is the first Gurung village you come to. As the trail climbs there are good views of Himalchuli and Ngadi Chuli. You then come to Bhulbhule at 830m. At this place you enter the Annapurna Conservation Area and must sign in at the ACAP checkpoint.

The trail then goes to Ngadi, then Lampata at 1135m and then to Bahundanda at 1310m, where there are several hotels, some shops and a telephone office.

Day 2: Bahundanda to Chamje
The trail descends steeply to Syange at 1190m. You then cross the Marsyangdi Khola River on a suspension bridge and go along the river to Jagat. The trail then climbs through forest to Chamje at 1430m.

Day 3: Chamje to Bagarchhap
The trails go along the Marsyangdi climbing to Tal at 1675m, which is the first village in the Manang area. The trail goes through a long flat valley and then goes up a stairway to 1860m and then descends. The trail then goes over the Marsyangdi. The trail that goes up and down and they comes to Dharapani at 1890m. When entering the village you pass a stone entrance chorten which is normal for Tibetan villages.
Bagarchhap at 2160m has flat-roofed house typical of Tibetan village in the high dry lands. A landslide came into the middle of the village in 1995 and destroyed most of the village.

Day 4: Bagarchhap to Chame
The trail often gets rough as it climbs to Lattemarang at 2360m. It goes through forest and then comes to Kotho at 2590m. As you approach Chame at 2630m there re great views of Annapurna II. It is the Manang district headquarters. There is a bank here and many hotels. There are two small hot springs near town.

Day 5: Chame to Pisang
The trail goes through a narrow valley and forest. It then goes across a bridge at 2840m and then another one at 3040m. Along the way you see the Paungda Danda. The trail then climbs to Pisang which extends from 3190m to 3300m. There are many lodges here.

Day 6: Pisang to Manang
You now come to the drier area of the Manang district, which does not see much of the monsoon being blocked by the Annapurna Range.
The people here grow crops and hear yaks. They also make money because they have special trading rights that they attained in 1784. This enables them to go to Hong Kong and Bangkok and buy electronic goods and resell them in Nepal. They are good businessmen.

From Pisang there are two trails, one going on the north side of the Marsyangdi River and the other on the south side. They meet up again at Mungji. The southern route entails less climbing than the north route via Ghyaru, but the northern route has better views. The southern route passes Hongde at 3325, which has an airstrip.

From Mungji the trail passes the nice village of Bryaga at 3475m (partially hidden) and then to Manang at 3500m. At Manang there is the Himalayan Rescue Association (where they give a daily class on AMS), an airstrip, and a number of lodges.

Day 7: Acclimatization in Manang
It is an excellent idea to stay a day in Tibetan-style Manang before going to the Thorung La pass. There are some good walks in the area. To get the full effect of acclimatization it is a good idea to do a good climb and then return to Manang for the night. There are some great views in the area.

Day 8: Manang to Letdar
From Manang there is a climb of almost 2000m up to Thorung La pass done in the next two days. The trail climbs going pass Tengi and then leaves the Marsyangdi Valley. It goes along the Jarsang Khola valley, with the vegetation become much less. You then come to Letdar at 4250m.

Day 9: Letdar to Thorung Phedi
The trail then descends and then cross the river at 4310m. It then goes up to Thorung Phedi at 4420m. There are two hotels here. During the high season it can be very crowded here. During the high season as many as 200 people a day may cross the Thorung La pass. Phedi means “foot of the hill,” and it is at the foot of the 5416m Thorung La pass.

Some people experience altitude sickness in Phedi. If you have this problem you have to immediately descend. Even going to Letdar can help. Often trekkers leave Phedi at 3 am, because they have been told they have to cross the pass by 9 am. This is not true.

Day 10: Phedi to Muktinath
From Phedi the trail climb steeply to the Thorung La pass at 5416m. The path is easy to see and there are chortens and prayer flags along the way. The altitude can be a problem. If there is snow on the pass, it may be impossible to cross. It takes about four to six hours to get to the top of the pass. From the top the views are outstanding. From the pass it is a hard 1600m descent to Muktinath.

It is best to start around 5 am. Many people start to cross the pass at 3 am, which is not needed and can also be harmful because of the chance of getting frostbite because of the cold.

Day 11 to 17: Muktinath to Pokhara
The last six or seven days it the same as the Pokhara to Jomson and Muktinath trek. To finish this trek in 16 days leaves only one rest and acclimatization day at Manang. You can easily have a few more rest days and can also walk slower.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides