Short Annapurna Base Camp Trek

A one and half hour trek will take you to Nayapul where our trek officially starts. We walk beside the Modi khola. Walking through woodlands and many small ridges, we get to view the locals at their activity gathering wood and farming their fields. We see numerous amazing waterfalls that add to the scenic beauty of the Annapurna Region. We grab lunch on the way to Ghandruk Village.We then begin  climbing stone stairs all the way we reach Ghandruk, a historic Gurung hamlet with houses built in a traditional fashion and the home of valiant Gurkha troops. From Ghandruk we see amazing views of Fishtail, Gangapurna, Himchuli, Lamjung and Annapurna South. You can now move ahead to explore the village of Ghandruk and interact with the locals. There are numerous fascinating locations to visit, such as the Gurung Museum where you will get to see tools and materials used by the Gurung. A Buddhist Monastery is also nearby. Certain nights, the women of the village can be seen performing their traditional dance as well. 

Waking up early and grabbing our breakfast, we walk through the village of Ghandruk for much of the early section of the trek where we reach a bridge. From the bridge, we ascend thin trails walking through farming fields and forests of Rhododendron to Chitre where we can refresh ourselves. Along the way, we see many domestic animals, buffalos, cows, and mules. We might even glimpse wild animals like monkeys, black bears, and various species of birds. Two types of monkeys the Langur with their long tail and the common monkey can be seen on the trip. We will reach Chhomrong around lunchtime and explore the village till night time. Chhomrong is a moderately large village built in Gurung style where you will experience the hospitality of the Gurung people. Annapurna South and Himchuli can be seen to be incredibly close to the village of Chhomrong. And move ahead to rest at sinuwa. 

We leave Chhomrong early in the morning after grabbing breakfast and descend more than 2200 stone steps. Crossing the suspension bridge we start our ascent that lasts for around 2 hours when we reach Sinuwa. After Sinuwa you need to get ready to spend the life of a vegetarian for several days as animal slaughter is forbidden in the region due to religious values. Walking beside ridges and small trails, we see the river below from the ridge. We reach Doman where we grab lunch for the day. From Doman we move towards Bamboo. We see a lot of bamboo on the route from where the location derives its name. Here, there is a high chance of seeing bears and if we are extremely lucky we might be blessed by getting to view the Red Panda. Numerous waterfalls can be seen on the route as well. Then we start ascending through forests where we may get to see black bears and monkeys and the elusive Thar.  We traverse a bamboo forest where we see monkeys jumping and playing around the area. Along the way, we see some shrines and temples. There is a large waterfall a small distance away which will be mesmerizing.  After ascending, we reach a small temple from where we continue walking all the way to the Himalaya Hotel where we grab lunch after a short break. After freshening up and having our fill, we ascend again to Deurali. En route to the top, we can visit a cave known as Hinku Cave. Between the cave and our destination at Deurali, is an avalanche-prone hill. 

Getting up early, after filling our bellies, we move towards our destination, ABC which we reach via Macchapuchre base camp. After some time walking through forests and woodlands, we begin walking through the ridges of the Himchuli. At the bottom route snaking the base of the Fishtail mountain, we can see a stone in the likeness of the Buddha. After a few minute's walk from here, vegetation starts becoming scarce. This area is slightly risky in terms of its geography. We get excellent views of the surrounding mountains during the trek. We also cross a fast-flowing glacial river which normally freezes during the winter.  After some time reach Macchapuchre base camp. We spend some time and grab lunch in the Macchapucchre.  Moving from the Macchapuchre base camp we cross a river and walk through forests. Before reaching the Annapurna Base Camp we see a large banner welcoming us to the ABC. There is a lodge at the Annapurna Base camp where we drop off our belongings and explore the surrounding areas in base camp. Small avalanches are often seen from the base camp near the surrounding mountains making for an exciting phenomenon.

We wake up very early before sunrise, and walk 5 minutes to a small sunrise viewpoint where we get to experience a wondeful sunrise in the western Himalaya. Nearby the viewpoint we see many chortens and memorials made to commemorate those who lost their lives trying to climb the mountain. We also see a 360 degree panoramic view of the many mountains from a viewpoint. We grab breakfast at a nearby lodge and start our descent to Dovan, where in front of us will lie the Majestic Fishtail mountain. We cross Deurali and  start to see vegetation again, reach Himalaya hotel again where we grab food and rest for some time before we start moving to Dovan and, crossing the village, reach our destination of Bamboo. 

We wake up early in Bamboo, grab breakfast and go through a slight ascent for an hour, walking through woodlands to reach Sinowa. We descend from the village of Sinowa to then climb the 2200 stone steps we had dropped earlier on our way to ABC.  Rhododendron and what in Nepali is known as the “itchy” tree. We can grab lunch either at Sinowa or Jhino danda. After lunch, we go to a natural hot spring where we rest our weary bodies. Besides the hot spring, a cold water river runs from the glacial regions. After our bath, we return back to our lodge for the night. Here we can enjoy ourselves and party after completing the trip.