Annapurna Sanctuary Lodge Trek, Nepal

The Trip

The Himalayas are the highest and youngest mountain range on earth. We will walk through rice-growing lowlands, subtropical forests, hills dotted with wildflowers, and rocky plateaus. We will then enter the Annapurna Sanctuary, a majestic amphitheater crowned with peaks more than 23,000 feet high, offering dramatic, close-up views of some of the most beautiful and famous summits in the world, including Annapurna I (at 26,545 feet, the world’s 10th-highest mountain). Trekkers enjoy an experience like that of world-class climbers, except that we stop at the foot of the peaks. Starting at an elevation of 3,700 feet accompanied by Nepalese guides and porters, we pass through villages and farms to reach Annapurna Base Camp at 13,550 feet. This is lower than many Himalayan treks, making it attainable for fit but less-experienced trekkers, yet we’ll view some of the world’s tallest mountains. In addition to reaching Annapurna Base Camp, the exit route of our trek takes us to Poon Hill, for sunrise at one of Nepal’s most spectacular viewpoints. The view from Poon Hill includes Mount Dhaulagiri (at 26,795 feet, the world’s seventh highest mountain), as well as the peaks of Annapurna. 

This trek will be attractive to both the first time and returning visitor to Nepal, a country of colorful bazaars, fragrant aromas, ancient temples, inspiring natural beauty, and industrious people. The contagious warmth of the Nepalese people draws visitors to them. "Namaste" (the customary greeting which translates as "I acknowledge the god within you") will become part of your vocabulary for life. Having endured political instability in recent decades, Nepal has transformed itself from a monarchy into a federal parliamentary republic. The Kathmandu valley, which we will explore before and after our trek, is a microcosm of the entire country. Its three major cities (Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur) are a melting pot of numerous tribal, ethnic, and religious groups that have learned to live in harmony.

The Sierra Club strives to provide every trip member with a memorably enjoyable experience, while providing conservation information about Nepal and the Himalayas. Upon their return home, many trip members have become involved in third-world conservation efforts. Many find Nepal so fascinating that they make a return trip within a few years.

Please note that prior to or during the trip, the leader may find it necessary to change various details of the itinerary presented here based on factors such as weather conditions, physical condition of participants, or general safety issues.

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (4,400 feet). All participants will be met at the Kathmandu airport and transferred to our hotel in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. Welcome dinner and orientation.

Day 2: Our full day of sightseeing in Kathmandu begins with a tour of Boudhanath, the epicenter of Kathmandu’s Tibetan community, where we’ll walk around one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas. We continue on to the sacred Hindu site of Pashupatinath and then visit Patan Durbar (palace) Square. Later we make final preparations for the start of our trek. 

Day 3: We fly to Pokhara (2,700 feet) and drive to the starting point of our trek at Phedi (3,700 feet). We trek through terraced fields to Dhampus (5,500 feet, about three hours), with great mountain views as our reward. 

Day 4: Climb to Deorali (7,000 feet) then descend to Landruk (5,300 feet), about seven to eight hours total. Along the way, weather permitting, we should have a good view of Machapuchare (“the Fish Tail”) mountain, a distinctive and sacred peak we will see repeatedly during our trek.  

Day 5: Continue north to New Bridge, descending to our crossing of the Modi Khola (4,400 feet), and climbing to Chhomrong (7,250 feet), about seven to eight hours total.

Day 6: Descend on a famous Gurung staircase to cross Chomrong Khola (6,100 feet). Then ascend through mixed forest to Sinuwa (7,677 feet) and descend to Bamboo (7,625 feet), about six to seven hours total.

Day 7: Ascend steadily through forest in Modi Khola gorge to the village of Himalaya (9,375 feet), about three or four hours. We deliberately stop at this elevation, rather than sleeping higher, to improve our acclimation to altitude. 

Day 8: Ascend a rocky trail to Hinko Cave, and then continue to Deorali (10,560 feet), about two to three hours. Again, we limit our elevation gain for the day, rather than push ourselves, to improve our enjoyment when we reach Annapurna Base Camp. 

Day 9: The trail becomes less steep now that we are above tree line. In the morning we climb to Machapuchare Base Camp (12,200 feet). Spend the afternoon enjoying views of Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gangapurna, and Machapuchare, or climbing up to the moraine of the Annapurna glacier from the base camp. 

Day 10: With a two-hour hike, we arrive into the mountain panorama at Annapurna Base Camp (13,625 feet). Depending on weather conditions and our form, we will stay overnight or return to Machapuchare Base Camp.

Day 11: We enjoy the morning light at base camp, before descending to Deorali (10,360 feet), about four hours. 

Day 12: Descend to Sinuwa (7,677 feet), about six hours. 

Day 13: Pass through Chomrong and Jhinudana as we make our way to Ghandruk (6,500 feet), about five to six hours. 

Day 14: We hike for two to three hours as we climb to Tadapani (8,600 feet).

Day 15: Climb east to a crest at about 10,500 feet and go through Deurali to reach Gorepani (9,380 feet), about four to five hours.

Day 16: We rise early to hike to Poon Hill (10,500 feet), where we will enjoy spectacular views. Then after breakfast we descend for about four hours to Ulleri (6,820 feet).

Day 17: We continue our descent for about an hour to Tikedhungga (4,850 feet). From there we drive back to Pokhara to celebrate the completion of our trek.

Day 18: Explore Pokhara, taking a boat across Fewa lake to hike at the peace stupa. Visit the International Mountain Museum and, if time allows, visit the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). 

Day 19: Morning flight to Kathmandu and then visit Bhaktapur, a medieval city in the Kathmandu valley that is the least disturbed by modern life. Farewell dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant.

Day 20: The trip ends after breakfast, but we leave Nepal with memories for a lifetime. Transportation to the airport is provided.

Getting There

You will need to make your own flight arrangements to and from Kathmandu; the trip leader will provide contact information for a recommended travel agent. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader. Don’t forget, when crossing the international date line, you will lose a day. Participants often choose to arrive in Kathmandu at least one day early to allow extra time to recover from jet lag and to allow for possible flight connection delays. Additional hotel days are the responsibility of the participant and may not always be possible to arrange at the same hotel used by the group. 

To participate on this trip you will need a passport valid for at least six months beyond the last day of the trip. You will also require a Nepal tourist visa -- information on obtaining this visa will be provided after you have been approved for this trip. If you are planning on continuing your travels or spending layover time before or after the trip in countries other than Nepal you may need additional visas.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay in comfortable hotels and trekking lodges. In Kathmandu and Pokhara we stay at hotels that are basic, not luxurious -- but they are clean and comfortable, and you will have private baths with hot (most of the time) water, heated by solar power. On trek we will be staying at trekking lodges, which provide wood-frame beds with a covered foam mattress and pillow. You must provide your own sleeping bag rated to 0-20 degrees. Some lodge rooms have individual bathrooms, some have bathrooms shared between two rooms, and some have shared bathrooms down the hall. The bedrooms are not heated and usually have an overhead light. Hot showers are intermittently available at some of the lodges at extra cost (a few dollars), but please note that this is an extra expense that is not included in the trip price.

The food is plentiful, delicious, and fairly similar at most lodges, with a surprisingly varied menu, including traditional Nepali dishes as well as more familiar Western fare. Typical breakfast choices might include oatmeal, toast, eggs or pancakes, or even french fries. Lunch and dinner might be several choices of soup, dahl (lentils) or curry and rice, chicken and/or meat dishes, pizza, or macaroni with tomato sauce and yak cheese. Tea and coffee are available at the lodges during all meals. The leader will furnish each trip member with Micropur tablets for treating water, and a UV-light Steri-Pen will also be available. 

Our daily schedule will typically begin with breakfast at 7 a.m. Before breakfast we pack our duffels with everything except those items that we’ll want to bring along in our day packs (rain gear, camera, trail snacks, personal first aid kit, flashlight, water bottle, etc.). After breakfast we typically walk for about two hours and stop for tea and cookies. We will walk for two to three hours more and stop at a lodge for a leisurely lunch. We usually arrive at our destination lodge by 4 p.m.

Trip Difficulty

Any Himalayan trek should be considered moderately strenuous, meaning mostly moderate hiking with a few strenuous days, and this trek is no exception. You should be in good physical shape for this trip and be comfortable hiking 6-8 hours a day on a trail while carrying a 10- to 12-pound day pack. Much of the trek each day is on steep rock staircases unique to this area.  In general, this is a moderate trek but with several demanding days that may feel strenuous to those not accustomed to climbing steep hills at elevations over 10,000 feet. Although the trip has been designed to gradually acclimatize you to the altitude, we will be staying several nights at 10,000-12,000 feet. On several days altitude gains and losses of up to 3,000 feet can be expected. 

Good conditioning is essential. A program of cardiovascular conditioning such as jogging, swimming, biking (or any other aerobic activity) is critical. Supplement your program with hiking on steep hills and/or up and down steps. The more you condition yourself by closely simulating the activities of trekking, the better off you will be.

Daytime temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s at the lower elevations and in the 40s and 50s at our highest elevations. Temperatures at night will be cool, ranging from the 40s to 50s except at the higher elevations where below-freezing temperatures may occur, although the temperature climbs rapidly once the sun comes up. The weather is generally sunny with the day often starting out cloudless. During the afternoon clouds can build up. This is the dry season, but in the mountains we are always prepared for rain and snow.

You are encouraged to hike at your own pace so long as you stay between the front and rear guides. Take time to interact with local people, to take photos etc. Get to know the staff while hiking and in the lodges. There will opportunities to sing and dance together, to learn Nepali words, and to teach English. You will never forget the friendly and hospitable Nepali people, their culture, your fellow trekkers' companionship, and the splendid mountain expanse.

Equipment and Clothing

Participants furnish their own personal equipment, including sleeping bag, boots, duffel bag, a basic first-aid kit, toiletries, and snacks. The Sierra Club provides water treatment devices and the leader has a group first-aid kit (no prescription medications included).

The leader will send trip members a specific and detailed equipment and clothing list that is unique to this outing. Any questions about the suitability of personal equipment should be addressed to the leader. Your personal gear will be carried by porters and should be packed in a duffel bag, not a suitcase or backpack. Because each porter will carry two duffel bags, your duffel cannot exceed 25 pounds.

References

Conservation

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) was set up to work with people who live in the area. It has provided a new concept in protected areas management. It blends traditional subsistence activities woven into a framework of sound resource management, supplemented by small-scale conservation and alternative energy practices to minimize the impact of tourists and upgrade the local standard of living.

ACAP has a grassroots philosophy and involves local people in all aspects of the conservation and development process by empowering them with appropriate skills, knowledge, and technical and financial assistance. Some of ACAP's activities include: forest conservation, alternative energy, conservation education, tourist awareness programs, community development projects, community health and sanitation, research and training. Nepal suffers from the same ecological problems common to most of the developing world: expanding population, deforestation, erosion, pollution, and lack of clean drinking water. A half-century of rapid population growth has led to the clearing of land to grow more food and to the destruction of thick tropical forests for fuel.

We will observe firsthand the positive and negative influence of Western culture on a traditional society. We will be confronted with troubling dilemmas arising from our very presence: we will provide an important source of income but disproportionately impact their resources and lifestyle. We will see how luxurious our own lifestyle is compared with that of the overwhelming majority of the world's people. Some of us will question many of our Western ways, particularly our inequitable consumption of the world's resources.

Perhaps these experiences will make us better world citizens and involve us actively in the search for a balanced and sustainable way of life for all of us on this planet. The Nepalese have much to learn from our successes and mistakes; we have much to learn from their spirit and positive attitude. Those of us perceptive and wise enough to open our hearts and minds will come away with a new awareness of the world in which we live and the way we live in it.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.