How to Prepare for Annapurna Circuit Trek
Going on an Annapurna Circuit trek is the adventure walk in the world. Annapurna Circuit Trek takes you to the Lap of the Mt Annapurna. You will have the beautiful experience of Himalayan flora and fauna, religion and tradition, picturesque village in-rich with culture, gorges, diverse landscapes and many more.
In this trek, you will get to explore gorgeous views of Mt Himchuli, Mt Manaslu, Mt Dhaulagiri, and many more and charming villages. It is the perfect package of the beautiful walk along with villages, landscapes, flora, and fauna. One can make a beautiful vacation trip by being far from the hustle and bustling life of the city. This trek is very suitable for group trekking, solo, traveler, hikers.
Trekking the Annapurna circuit can be an incredible experience. You will get the advantage in helping you loosen up from your ordinary occupied working timetable. You will also get a chance to be present in the magnificence of nature. The Annapurna Circuit Trek is said to be one of the main ten treks in the world. You might have to be moderately fit despite the fact that it’s not a troublesome trek.
If you are wondering about how to prepare for Annapurna Circuit Trek then we got your back. Even though the Annapurna Circuit Trek is for a moderately fit person you will need to prepare a lot. There are things that you need to consider before you prepare for Annapurna Circuit Trek.
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What is the Total Duration of the Annapurna Circuit Trek?
The Annapurna Circuit Trek can be completed in 18-20 days. If you have an average fitness or if you are a new hiker, that sounds about right. You can expect to finish the trek quicker if you have done this type of trekking before.
But, if you want to hike for a shorter time that is possible. You will find jeep roads passing through many of the villages. And take the jeep instead of trekking to reach as far as the village of Manang. You can get in a jeep from Muktinath or hike to Jomson to catch a bus after Thorong La. It is still possible to do the hike in as short as a week by taking jeeps. However, you will miss a lot of good stuff and won’t be able to acclimatize well if you do so.
Where to Start your Trek?
I recommend starting the circuit trek in Bahundanda. This is a little further than Besi Sahar. You should be able to stay on the bus for a long time to reach this further village. The road out of BesiSahar is unremarkable, you might as well skip it unless you have a strong desire to walk.
It is possible to take Jeeps further along and skip even more of the circuit for those who have less time to complete their hike. However, you should pay attention to that you are increasing the risk of altitude sickness by doing so. It is risky to have an extra day to gain slow elevation and acclimatize.
If you want to get the full experience, you can hike until the village of Tatopani and relax in their hot springs. After relaxing you can catch a bus back from Tatopani to Pokhara. You can catch buses as soon as Jomson after Thorong La pass if you’re short on time.
You can just continue your hike if you’re heading to Annapurna Base Camp.
Best Time to go to Annapurna Circuit Trek?
The trek to the Annapurna Circuit is possible throughout the year. However, the lower regions of this trek can get muddy and slippery during the monsoon months of Nepal. There will also be chances of heavy to light rainfall as well as rock and mudslides, and thunderstorms.
The most favorable and safest season for this trek is the Spring and Autumn season.
The spring lasts from mid-February to mid-May. This is when you can enjoy the natural floral fragrance and see the flower blossoms on the trails.
Similarly, the autumn season in Nepal is Mid-September to November. With amazing visibility and more stable weather conditions throughout the trails, this is the best time to do this trek.
The temperatures can drop to minus zero in the higher altitudes during winter. The Thorong La Pass may also close due to extreme weather conditions.
Type of Food and Accommodation to Prepare for
The Annapurna circuit treks are teahouse treks. There are guesthouses along the way that provide basic accommodation to trekkers for a very low rate. With the intention that the trekkers will eat all of their meals at the guesthouse, the prices are not expensive.
The food in the teahouses is slightly higher prices as they get their money from food than the accommodation. Keep this in mind when haggling on rooms.
However there are people who buy and cook all of their own food, yet stayed in the teahouses. It is important to buy one’s food along the trail as it lightens the load and puts money in the hands of the local people.
How to Prepare the Physical Fitness to go Annapurna Circuit Trek?
There are several ways in which you can prepare for physical fitness to go to Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Climbing
You will need to go on a climb minimum of 8km with your climbing boots and rucksack. The rucksack should weigh similar weight that you think you will be carrying on the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Your body should get used to carrying all that weight for the 21 days. Also, before you go to keep any feet issues along the trail you have to get those climbing boots well softened up.
Strength Training
Going generally up to 17,000 feet, the Annapurna circuit trek is 266 km climbs. After that for the most part down and you go on a similar rise. This means you will clearly need to train your leg muscles. Your calves, glutes, quads, and hamstrings all should be strong. Basically, you should concentrate on deadlifts, crunches, squats, thrusts, and some back activities. You should do this three times each day.
Aerobics
With so much strolling tough and downslope, you will need to get fit too. You will need to do some type of cycling, strolling, running, rollerblading or some other type of heart stimulating exercise that uses your legs. Do this for no less than 5 times per week. You truly need to understand that you should be fit as a fiddle.
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Gears Required for Annapurna Circuit Trek
- Enough money for the whole hike.
- Trekking permits.
- A guidebook or map. You can just pick up a map in the city.
- Comfortable hiking shoes.
- Sleeping bag.
- Outfit to hike in.
- Warm outfit for the evening time.
- Down jackets or fleece.
- Rain jacket.
- Water treatment method, like drops or a filter.
- Warm hat.
- Socks and underwear.
- Microfiber towel and soap.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Baby wipes or toilet paper. It won’t be in the bathrooms.
- Tampons/ menstrual cup/ etc. You won’t find any on the trek.
- Electronics, power cords, etc.
- Personal toiletries.
- Evening entertainment, such as a book or cards.
Can we Hike without a Guide?
You can start the Annapurna Circuit without a guide or friends. The circuit is a quite busy trek, you can meet people and make a few hiking buddies. Since Annapurna is a friendly region, that solo female trekker will be fine.
There are just as many people with them as it is very common to hire a porter and a guide. You should hire a guide or a porter if you have the money because it’s good for the economy in Nepal.
The locals are incredibly friendly and helpful. It is easy to find people who speak English. You will also meet lots of international hikers during the trek. So it depends on you to hike with a guide or without a guide.
How to Prepare for Annapurna Circuit Trek- Trekking Permit?
It just takes a little time but the process is easy. You will need to visit the Nepal Tourism Board on Pradarshani Marg. Make sure you know the hours of operation and try to get there early so you can beat the lines. The office will remain closed on Saturdays.
To go for Annapurna Circuit Trek, you will need two permits. The first is the permit for entrance to the Annapurna Region. The second is your Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card. These will cost about Rs 4,000 in total. They will be checked along the trail so you do need both. You can get it easily.
When you reach there, fill out the forms, pay the money, and you are all set. Make sure you carry these permits with you at all times when you are trekking.
Note: This is detail information to make your Annapurna Circuit Trek easy. If you want to go through a hassle-free trek you can book with Exciting Nepal. We provide you with a detailed itinerary of the trek. For more details, you can contact us and visit our website.