Trekking Nepal: The Annapurna Circuit

The allure of Nepal, the Himalayan mountains and the chance to embark upon another long distance trekking adventure has directed us to preparing for our much anticipated and exciting upcoming adventure of hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. I must add, that after looking at photographs taken by Atomic, my Pacific Crest Trail hiking mentor, I was thoroughly sold on the idea.

One of the inspirational photos taken by my hiker friend Atomic

The Annapurna Massif and surrounding Himalayan peaks were created by the collision of two slabs of the earths crust and subsequent buckling up of the earth to form these majestic rock and ice mountains. There are many versions of this hike but we plan to be purists and complete the entire Circuit on foot and in addition we plan a few side hikes including a journey to Tilicho Tal (a spectacular alpine lake at 16,138 ft/ 4,919m) and if we have time, Annapurna Base Camp (13,650ft/ 4,200m). To do this you backpack an orbit around the Annapurna Massif in an anti clockwise direction starting at an elevation of 2,490 ft/ 760 m in the humid, subtropical climate of Besisahar, climbing in altitude as you go to the highest point, which should be covered in snow at this time of year accompanied by freezing cold temperatures at Thorong La pass ( 17,769ft/ 5,416m).
Considering that this is a “ tea house trek” we have decided to stay most nights at the tea houses along the way and eat our meals at these places too. Evidently, as you hike, you walk through a small mountain village every 1-3 hours. The locals make a living by providing hikers with accommodation and meals. Fortunately for me, I love eating dal bhat (lentils and rice) and drinking cha... so I should be quite fine in that department.

Planning: Getting there:

We live in Hawaii and there are many variations of the route we could take to get to Kathmandu in Nepal. The first thought that came to my mind was having the opportunity to go via Hong Kong to visit my brother Neil, his wife Valeria and their beautiful children. In addition, since we were going to be in that part of the world, I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to have a chance to visit my friends Amit and Neepa in India too, so hence our route was determined. Honolulu-Hong Kong- Kathmandu-Mumbai- Hong Kong-Honolulu. Whew!

What’s in our backpacks?

The contents of my backpack

We both have similar items in our backpacks.
Two Feathers has her trusty ULA 75L backpack already tried and tested on the Kalalau Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and El Camino Del Norte long distance hikes.
ULA ultralight down sleeping bag (20 degree F bag)
Thermal sleep sack (adds 10 degrees F warmth)
Silk sack (adds another 5 degrees F warmth)
Merino wool long johns and merino wool socks to sleep in.
Waterproof stuff sack for sleeping bag and sleep wear. (This ensures that I’ll never be wet and hypothermic at night)
Space blanket
Golite trekking umbrella
Frogg Toggs rain poncho
Trekking poles
Ultralight trowel for digging “ cat holes”
Toilet paper
Clothes stuff sack
Small trekking towel
Sawyer water filter and iodine tablets
Smart water bottles (empty)
Clothes include (5 pairs underwear, 2 sports bras, 2 pairs long pants, one lightweight trekking pair and one thermal lined pair for colder elevations with and extra merino wool long underwear pair of pants. 1 short sleeve T-shirt, 2 long sleeve T shirts, 1 fleece top, 1 down jacket, 1 beanie, 1 thick neck buff, 1 thin neck buff, 1 bandanna, soft gaiters, salomon hiking boots, 4 pairs of merino wool socks, one pair compression socks, 1shin brace, 1 beanie, flip flops ( to wear when we are not hiking).
Lightweight day bag.
Spy belt for our cash money
iPhone and charger
Gopro camera
1 battery recharger
First aide kit: diamox, z-pack antibiotics, Imodium, anti inflammatory medication, Tylenol, antihistamines. A few band aides, iodine solution, on Guard doterra capsules. Needle and thread for blisters, tweezers, small pair of scissors.
Toiletries: shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, sunblock, chapstick, hairbrush, hair ties, facial moisturizer, hand sanitizer.
UV protection wraparound sunglasses
Sunhat (Outdoor Research) which is also waterproof.
Trekking pillow
Headlamp & extra batteries
Pack cover
Notebook & Pen
Cash money
S-binders (to hang items off your pack)
Snacks: mixed nuts and Lara Bars
Big Agnes Flycreek UL 3 Tent for an emergency shelter (dividing it between two of us is 1 extra pound of weight each)

Dreadknot & Two Feathers in our Big Agnes Flycreek UL3

Dreadknot’s extra items:
Altitude watch
Pocketknife
Universal adapter

Preparedness reading:

Nepal (Insight Guides) with free ebook and app.
We’ve watched many YouTube videos and read up random information online.



Studied information regarding altitude sickness and how to prevent it and recognize signs and symptoms.

Travel insurance:

You have to show proof of travel insurance to be able to obtain hiking permits in Nepal. We studied the different options available and made sure we got insurance that included airlifting us off the mountain.

Going it alone:

We’ve decided to go it alone and not hire guides or porters. For personal feelings of accomplishment we would like to navigate the trail with a map and only take supplies that we can carry ourselves.

Map of the Annapurna Circuit Hike

Documents required:

Passport
Visa: you can obtain a tourism visa at the airport on arrival in Kathmandu.
Hiking permits: TIMS ( Trekkers Information Management System). A permit you have to carry on you at all times. A Green Card for independent trekkers costs $20. Two passport photos required for this permit.
ACAP ( Annapurna Circuit Conservation Area Permit) is required to hike specifically on the Annapurna Circuit and costs $21.74, a passport photo is also required for this permit.
To obtain these permits health insurance and basic route information has to be provided. These permits can be obtained in Kathmandu at any trekking agency.
Map: showing the trekking trails, side trails, villages and altitude is a must-have. We will purchase one on arrival. ( Costs between $2-$7).