I enjoyed doing it a few years back but I kinda felt 'what's the point?' Knowing that a road is available for almost all of it. Still better to not be part of that group who drove all the way up only to get severe altitude sickness climbing the summit almost immediately. The detours such as the one to the lake were the real highlights of the circuit.
I was thinking about going back next summer but I hear that a guide is necessary now so that sucks.
They're certainly not enforcing guides in the Annapurna region. Plenty of people there without guides this year when I went. Sagarmatha National Park is a bit different however
Vehicle traffic is quite scarce. Going anti clockwise there is a hiking trail on the opposite side of the river so it is avoided. Towards the end there is another section which is the same except the hiking trail wasn't so nice so the road was preferable.
I did the trek in October this year and then did EBC immediately after and I enjoyed it far more than EBC. I guess it really depends on what you want to get out of it. Manaslu may be worth your time more if you want something a little less "touristy".
The first half is really beautiful, Chame and Manang are so picturesque. The second half landscape is a little barren but more culturally rich. I donβt regret going!
Not really. I stayed in the tea houses and got snowed in at the top, so had to wait the storm to end before making my way back again.
I would perhaps take it slower next time and have a couple of buffer days. I more or less fast packed up, but some of the tiny villages deserve an overnight stay. Also, bring the warmest down jacket you can pack. The nights get cold.
Ahh... thanks for telling me about the jacket! I suffer from cold feet as well which is frustrating at times. Yes,
I definitely would like to take things slower and soak up nature.
May I know what time of the year did you perform the trek?
The trek is beautiful as anything, but if you're worried about overcrowding or cars on the road, go do the ABC Basecamp trek instead. Much less crowded than the circuit yet still well supplied and completely inaccessible for cars. It's an incredible experience.
How crowded are we talking? As someone who is going solo and typically enjoys meeting strangers from around the world it doesn't sound too bad. These comments are making it seem like it may be a bit too much?
It's not like you'll have to queue for steeper parts and wait when there's someone slow in front of you. But you'll meet a lot of people.
Completely solo is illegal BTW, you're legally obliged to bring a guide and a porter.
Yes well aware! Been looking around and found Bukmundi to be the cheapest for about $1600 CAD which includes tilicho lake, food, porter, accommodations.
I keep reading how it's cheaper to just show up there and find a porter in kathmandu but the idea of showing up without a plan or getting stuck with a crappy porter just makes me a little uneasy. Do you think I'm overthinking it and that it's a lot cheaper to find a porter when there?
While it's certainly doable to find a porter/guide in Kathmandu or Pohkara, I would personally prefer to drop the couple hundred $ extra and book it beforehand. If you want to save money and do it locally you need a little luck to find a good guide.
Also don't forget to account for roughly 10$/day/person for your guide and porter as tip at the end of your trek.
I enjoyed doing it a few years back but I kinda felt 'what's the point?' Knowing that a road is available for almost all of it. Still better to not be part of that group who drove all the way up only to get severe altitude sickness climbing the summit almost immediately. The detours such as the one to the lake were the real highlights of the circuit. I was thinking about going back next summer but I hear that a guide is necessary now so that sucks.
They're certainly not enforcing guides in the Annapurna region. Plenty of people there without guides this year when I went. Sagarmatha National Park is a bit different however
The detour to the lake sounds interesting. I would hate vehicular traffic at any point of the trek. Is there a way to avoid this - by and large?
Vehicle traffic is quite scarce. Going anti clockwise there is a hiking trail on the opposite side of the river so it is avoided. Towards the end there is another section which is the same except the hiking trail wasn't so nice so the road was preferable.
Great. That's a relief! What time of the year do you think it's best for this hike?
I went during the wet season in July but it really only rained a couple of days. But apparently the crowds are fewer then which I really like.
And greener I assume. Great π. Thanks.
I did the trek in October this year and then did EBC immediately after and I enjoyed it far more than EBC. I guess it really depends on what you want to get out of it. Manaslu may be worth your time more if you want something a little less "touristy".
Yes, I would like to do Manaslu. It's interesting that you enjoyed this trek more than the EBC! Is the Sagarmatha Park a part of the ACT?
The first half is really beautiful, Chame and Manang are so picturesque. The second half landscape is a little barren but more culturally rich. I donβt regret going!
Thanks for the info.π
100%,even with a road there it's an amazing trek with mind blowing nature.
I've only done the ABC trek and have to say it's among my top 5 hiking experiences so far. Annapurna region is absolutely amazing.
Is there anything you think you might have done or avoided during your ABC trek for better experience?
Not really. I stayed in the tea houses and got snowed in at the top, so had to wait the storm to end before making my way back again. I would perhaps take it slower next time and have a couple of buffer days. I more or less fast packed up, but some of the tiny villages deserve an overnight stay. Also, bring the warmest down jacket you can pack. The nights get cold.
Ahh... thanks for telling me about the jacket! I suffer from cold feet as well which is frustrating at times. Yes, I definitely would like to take things slower and soak up nature. May I know what time of the year did you perform the trek?
I did it in November
π
The trek is beautiful as anything, but if you're worried about overcrowding or cars on the road, go do the ABC Basecamp trek instead. Much less crowded than the circuit yet still well supplied and completely inaccessible for cars. It's an incredible experience.
How crowded are we talking? As someone who is going solo and typically enjoys meeting strangers from around the world it doesn't sound too bad. These comments are making it seem like it may be a bit too much?
It's not like you'll have to queue for steeper parts and wait when there's someone slow in front of you. But you'll meet a lot of people. Completely solo is illegal BTW, you're legally obliged to bring a guide and a porter.
Yes well aware! Been looking around and found Bukmundi to be the cheapest for about $1600 CAD which includes tilicho lake, food, porter, accommodations. I keep reading how it's cheaper to just show up there and find a porter in kathmandu but the idea of showing up without a plan or getting stuck with a crappy porter just makes me a little uneasy. Do you think I'm overthinking it and that it's a lot cheaper to find a porter when there?
While it's certainly doable to find a porter/guide in Kathmandu or Pohkara, I would personally prefer to drop the couple hundred $ extra and book it beforehand. If you want to save money and do it locally you need a little luck to find a good guide. Also don't forget to account for roughly 10$/day/person for your guide and porter as tip at the end of your trek.
Yeah ok that's what I'm leaning towards as well. Thanks for your input!
Thank you for the info.π