Annapurna Circuit Trek

Traveler Reviews

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  Andrew

  November 12th, 2013
  We had previously done little trekking and had never visited Nepal. For us, therefore, trekking the Annapurna Circuit...
  We had previously done little trekking and had never visited Nepal. For us, therefore, trekking the Annapurna Circuit was much more than a photography-fest. It was an overwhelming experience, as intense as it was humbling; an experience that taught us much we didn't know about ourselves and about the Nepalese mountain folk who cared for us. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? An early-morning walk down to the Marsyangdi river below Manang, to watch the the first rays of sunshine light up the summits of Gangapurna, with its great icefall, and Annapurna II. I wasn't alone, however. The locals were already working their tiny patches of land, uprooting buckwheat with their bare hands and transporting the harvest on their backs. What did you think of your group leader? We were all struck by the awesome responsibility of the job and the range of leadership qualities and other skills it demands.  We were a motley bunch of trekkers, aged 29-69, in a remote, unfamiliar and harsh environment. The leader doesn't know who he's going to have to deal with. He just knows that he's got to get them, whoever they are, round this most challenging of treks. Gum KC, our leader, was superb. I also want to pay credit to our guides, Ganesh and Saroj, who not only escorted us cheerfully and informatively, but also waited on us at lodges and restaurants, brought us our morning tea and if necessary carried messages ahead, organised our laundry and even relieved us (if in extremis) of our back-packs.........also to our porters. They were the happiest bunch of guys I ever met.This review must read like an Exodus plant, but I really mean everything I've written. To be so served by these Nepalese people was a humbling experience. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Given the range of climates one encounters on the Circuit, you will need to take a variety of clothes and this puts a premium on space and weight. The following advice should be read at reader's risk. It is what WE found.Some things we were advised to take but DIDN'T need:A big heavy, 4-season, sleeping bag? No. At high altitude without exception the lodges provided massive bedcovers. We were very happy with our light, highly compactable, "trekkers" sleeping bags. They were supposedly 3-season bags althougth we never had a chance to put them seriously to the test. A big supply of toilet paper just in case? No. It is available everywhere. One roll will be fine.Savoury snacks (nuts, biltong, jiffy beef)? No. These are great in theory but in practice what everyone craved for were sweet things. And you don't need to carry much of these, either. Biscuits, chocolate bars, muesli bars, etc, are available everywhere.Down jacket? Not for us! This may be a good idea in the dead of winter but they were not needed on our trek. The down jackets on hire from Exodus are heavy and take up a lot of room. Several of us had them and they were a nuisance. It is better (I think) to have lots of layers: base layer, fleecy shirt, fleecy jumper, fleecy jacket, fleecy over-jacket and a shower-proof jacket to cover everything in an emergency. I had all five items, to mix and match as needed. Items we DID need:At least two water containers, of which one should be at least 2 litre capacity, plus water purification tablets. One drinks a huge amount of water at high altitude, so you need to be able to have one bottle of water in the process of being treated while the other bottle is available to drink from. Drink stations aren't always available when you want them and, high up, one is discouraged from buying bottled water (though it is widely available) on environmental grounds.Medicines for altitude sickness and bacterial diarrhea. Our leader did have stocks of Diamox and Ciprofloxacin (in addition to a lot of other emergency kit) but he naturally expected what we consumed to be replaced. We brought our own and were glad we did.   A day bag that provides good ventilation for your sweaty back and has a super-comfortable waist strap that enables you to take some of the weight on your hips. You are going to have that damn thing on back for an awful long time! Robust, clear, waterproof polybags to protect your stuff in transit. The Exodus kit bags are excellent but not rain-proof.Small, self-sealing bags for toiletries, etc. We found that ziplock bags easily snag and get ripped. Self-sealing bags of the kind provided at airport security last longer.Washing line and hooks with which to sling it across your bedroom, plus a few clothes pegs. We found this essential. Many lodges provide washing lines but stuff left outside overnight often ended up damper than it started.   Is there anything else you would like to add? I would advise everyone to do some serious training, with back pack, before attempting this trek. If you are enthusiastic and a reasonably active sort of person, they'll get you round. BUT you will find you are tested from day 1. If you want to enjoy the experience to the full, I strongly recommend you work on your fitness beforehand. Show more
  Traveled in October 2013
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  Sheila

  April 18th, 2013
  Walking the Annapurna Circuit was the achievement of an ambition formed when doing the Sanctuary trek previously with...
  Walking the Annapurna Circuit was the achievement of an ambition formed when doing the Sanctuary trek previously with Exodus. There is something compelling about Nepal Show more
  Traveled in March 2013
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  Hilary

  January 19th, 2012
  I really enjoyed this trip after worrying about never having been at altitude before. My fears were groundless,...
  I really enjoyed this trip after worrying about never having been at altitude before. My fears were groundless, there is plenty of time to acclimatise on the way. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Reaching the top of the Thorong La Pass!  Worth all the effort. What did you think of your group leader? Everybody was very pleasant and knew their stuff.Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Teresa

  January 19th, 2012
  The trip was the perfect antidote to a hectic city life. I had no idea just how stressed I was before I left for...
  The trip was the perfect antidote to a hectic city life. I had no idea just how stressed I was before I left for Kathmandu, but as soon as I landed and met my fellow travellers, it started to melt away. Prem, our guide was a legend, putting us all at our ease, answering our questions and concerns and essentially, bringing us together as a group. He helped us become friends rather than a groups of strangers.I am a well-seasoned traveller, but this was my first trip to Nepal. I have totally fallen in love with the country and the people who live there. The mountains were awe-inspiring, the trail continually beautiful as the scenery changed day by day and what a sense of achievement we had every day after we had ascended to ever greater altitudes. Our nervousness approaching Thorong La, the pass, was palpable, but with Prem and the rest of his leader team (Dhan, Deuman and Parbhat) we felt totally safe and cared for.It definitely is a challenging trip in physical terms, but for anyone who is relatively fit and mentally game for a bit of an adventure I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Nepal has worked it's way under my skin, and I cannot wait to go back and explore more of the myriad of trails in this astounding country. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I couldn't pick one single inspirational moment on the trip - there were so many highlights, but the day of crossing the pass at Thorong La was packed with them. From start to finish it was amazing. Stepping out of the room at 4am to start the climb we were greeted by an incredibly clear sky full of stars. Gazing at the snaking line of headlamps trudging up the pass in the pitch black was another moment, suddenly being dazzled by dawn breaking over the peaks was another. Reaching Thorong La was brilliant but for me the stunner that day was the descent over the other side, faced with the jaw-dropping scenery of Mustang. It actually brought me to tears. There is more, of course, every day was full of these moments. You'll have to go yourself and find out what they are! What did you think of your group leader? Prem was a legend - kind, funny, friendly, expert and language teacher extraordinare. I felt privileged to have got to know him during the trip and will forever be humming Resum Phiriri, one of the many folk tunes he taught us. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Just do it, put aside your nervousness and you will not regret it.Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Thomas

  November 21st, 2011
  A fantastic trip; challenging but very enjoyable. Great secenery and met some lovely people en route. What was the...
  A fantastic trip; challenging but very enjoyable. Great secenery and met some lovely people en route. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Crossing the Thorung La was an unforgettable day.Most days included passing through lovely villages. What did you think of your group leader? Group leader (Llakpa Gorung Sherpa) was a lovely guy; great organiser and able to deal with any problems as they arose. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take plenty of good quality warm clothes for crossing the Thorung La - especially gloves. £500 per person spending money was plenty to take for the whole trip. Consider using Diamox for the Thorung La; one of our party had to turn back becuase of Acute Mountain Sickness - she was the youngest, fittest person in the group! Is there anything else you would like to add? The second half of the trip (after crossing the Thorung La) was not at all spoiled by the new road; we followed higher routes through beautiful unexplored villages. Tea-houses from Muktinath onwards are relatively luxurious (e.g. compared to Everest region or before crossing the Thorung La on this trip).Show more
  Traveled in October 2011
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  Kirit

  October 27th, 2011
  Excellent trip, wonderful views and excellent Guides and company of like minded travellers. One minor suggestion...
  Excellent trip, wonderful views and excellent Guides and company of like minded travellers. One minor suggestion would be NOT to include a trek to see Exodus projects at the end of a busy trekking day as that isnt what we came for . Otherwise a wonderful experiance of Nepal ........and there is a variety of good food and NOT JUST DHAL BHAT !! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Ah, the ice covered Peaks , Thorang La pass and the wonderful Nepali people with a smily Namaste ! What did you think of your group leader? Group leader was very Good as well as the other Guides ..........and the Porters are incredible, always smiling even when carrying their loads. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? As a famous advert says" JUST DO IT"  and you wont regret it.Show more
  Traveled in September 2011
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  Liane

  December 3rd, 2010
  This was an excellent trip taking us from the balmy rice fields up through oak forests to the desolate rock and ice...
  This was an excellent trip taking us from the balmy rice fields up through oak forests to the desolate rock and ice of the high pass, through the desert landscape of the rain shadow and returning to the lush lower villages. Three weeks flew past. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Difficult to say... I was pretty impressed we all made it round the circuit and all made it over the Thorong La without any problems!  Definitely thanks to the expert team of guides. What did you think of your group leader? Very competent leader.  He and his team did their best to keep us healthy, kept us at a sensible pace, were always chearful and made sure we didn't miss the chance to take a photo of a vulture, blue sheep, yak or other local wildlife that wandered by. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? It might not be as difficult as you think!  We enjoyed preparation walks in the Scottish Highlands and Lake District but you don't need to be an athlete. Is there anything else you would like to add? If you like adventure travel and stunning, varied mountain scenery this trip could be for you too.Show more
  Traveled in November 2010
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  Christopher

  November 14th, 2010
  A thoroughly enjoyable trip fantastic scenary, good company and an excellant leader and support staff. Would highly...
  A thoroughly enjoyable trip fantastic scenary, good company and an excellant leader and support staff. Would highly reommend Exodus and if wanting to do this trip I would suggest doing it sooner rather than later as I think the new road is going to spoil it. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Visiting the monastry above  high above Pisang listening to the the monks chanting as the clouds cleared for a few minutes which allowed us to see Annapurna II high above.Finally reaching the top of Throng La Pass What did you think of your group leader? Really supportive, good company and good advice most of the time. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? As stated previously do the trip soon. Purchase your own sleeping bag and jacket as they are much lighter and smaller when packed up than the gear you can hire from Exodus. Did not really feel the need for the jacket suggested as it was not that cold and felt ok with a few thin layers of clothing plus my normal jacket - may need the jacket later in the season.Muktinath to Kagbeni, as a group we all felt if we had been advised better we would have taken the shorter route on this particular day as walking on the roar was very dusty with vehicles continually passing us.Show more
  Traveled in October 2010
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  Alison

  November 10th, 2010
  A great but hard trek through amazing changing scenary, beautiful villages and massive mountains. This was a more...
  A great but hard trek through amazing changing scenary, beautiful villages and massive mountains. This was a more challenging trip than I had anticipated . The road is changing the circuit on the western side- go before it is all changed forever. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Bodhnath Temple in KathmanduWalking through Thorung La pass in the fresh snow as the sun rises.The acclimatization viewpoint walk in Manang, with 6/7000m mountains all around.Finishing the trek after 17days of walking!! What did you think of your group leader? All our team (leader, guides and porters) were fab. All very considerate, enthuisiatic and cheerful, especially when giving out the early morning tea!! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take antibacterial hand wash gel- there doesn't seem to be any taps/sinks next to toilets at all.Luckily, didn't have any stomach problems but be prepared with a good personal first aid kit. I seemed to go through quite a lot of anti-inflammatories! No blisters although others in the group did, I just had sore feet by the end of some days. I found having a effervescent general multi vitamin tablet good- the diet was a little limited- very little fruit. The tablets also good for flavouring water!Be prepared for some poor hygiene- I found it quite difficult to deal with for the number of consecutive days. Wet wipes, wet wipes, wet wipes!A metal water bottle is a good idea as can be used as a hot water bottle (it gets very cold at night even in down sleeping bag!). A scarf/buff that can wear as a face mask- roads in Kathmandu and some parts of the circiut are very dusty.Be prepared- this is a long walk. Make sure it is within own capabilities, do some practice hikes. I would like to feel I was a "walker" walking regularly in Scottish hills but this trek is a big undertaking and was  harder than others I have done. After many days of walking, the last 2 days are tough (big ascent 1800m/descent- 3600 steps!!) after 15 days of walking- it was hard going. Is there anything else you would like to add? Overall, a fabulous trip but hard trek (not a holiday!). Have seen some amazing scenary, encountered lovely people and seen an insight into Nepal.On reflection, really feel a sense of achievment in completing the circuit although at times it was tough mentally, physically and emotionally!Show more
  Traveled in October 2010
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  Anne

  April 28th, 2010
  A hard trek because of distance and altitude but the best and hardest trek I've ever done with a great bunch of...
  A hard trek because of distance and altitude but the best and hardest trek I've ever done with a great bunch of people. I know now why it's a classic and feel a huge sense of achievement. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? So many!Thorung La - obviously.Kali Gandaki river valley.Sitting eating veggie noodle soup at Titi village with Gangapurna on one side of us and Annapurna I on the other side.   What did you think of your group leader? We have used Exodus for more than ten trips now and all our leaders have been good at their jobs but Ugs was outstanding. His anticipation of our needs, his willingness to find solutions to every problem and his ability to organise just about everything to perfection gave us a wonderful sense of well being and confidence. This is exactly what you need when you finish a day's trekking. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take a metal flask for water - you can use boiled water - hot at night to warm your sleeping bag then cooled next day to drink.Wet wipes for when you just can't face a tepid shower.Carabiner clips for camera, sunglasses etc. Because we wanted to avoid the road we did a lot of undulating paths on the other side of the river. Despite the extra effort involved, these alternatives were stunning in terms of scenery - don't wimp out and do the road if given the option!    Is there anything else you would like to add? This is a challenging trek because of the sheer number of days you are 'on the go'. There are no rest days so be prepared for that.Thank you to a great bunch of trekkers, the experience would not have been the same without you.  Show more
  Traveled in March 2010