Trekking the trails to Annapurnas
16 Review Posted, Article Posted On 17 Jan 2008 www.pokahracity.com
I was still suffering from knee ache as I had just back from Panchase trekking however I prepared myself for the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC-4,130m) trek, one of the most popular trekking destinations of Nepal.It takes almost 10 days to complete the ABC trekking for most of the foreigners but I completed it in a week (Dec 21 to 27) however it was completed only in five days as I first time was enjoying this trek in 2002. Beautiful but danger; it is the reaction of poet Binod Gauchan, who had already been here, about the trekking of ABC so it was really an adventurous trekking for me.
ABC is the best managed trekking route I have ever trekked. The route is independent and cleaned where one could find tea-house lodges in every another hours. The route starts from Fedi, Kande or Naya Pul along the Bhupi Sherchan (Pokhara-Baglung) Highway in Mid Nepal. The route is in the Ghandruk Village Development Committee of Kaski District. So the trekking started from Naya Pul at 8 am and it took me almost 10 hours arriving in Jhinu which is also known as Hot Spring is famous for hot water spring situated in the bank of Modi River that follows the right side of ABC trekking route until we arrive in ABC. A local Sanctuary Youth Club welcomed me including my friends Ram Dai, Arju and Indra with beautiful garlands in Jhinu. I forgot all the aches as I immersed myself in hot water spring here. The night remained superb with millet brew, delicious Dal-Bhat and cultural programs. Devi Sharma and Durga Gurung arranged that entire environment for us in Jhinu.
Having oranges, lemons, homemade pickle, chocolates, dried meat, we shortened our route and arrived at Chomrong (2,100m) which is the largest village in the ABC trek. Villagers and mother groups welcomed us here as well with same kind of yellow garlands made of marigolds. The atmosphere was chill and the wind was continuously blowing us though we were carrying enough warm cloths with us. It used to be felt cold as we stopped our hiking but sweating while on the walking. The unforgettable moment here was the big frog (Paha) that we ate along with the millet brew during the dinner.
The mineral water bottles are banned from Jhinu to ABC and the tourists are served hot water from filter. No bottle beers are available here however can beers could be enjoyed as per one's wish. Goods are carried by porters and donkeys also are used to some extent. So the price of goods is naturally expensive but it is not felt expensive as it is the highland area. Life is naturally hard here and people have to face cold environment and snowing sometime.
The price of everything hikes as it goes upper spots. Dishes are tasty and hygienic. Hot water shower and facility of electricity are also available in some areas but not in ABC. The green forests, herds of sheep, roaring Modi, wildlife like deer and monkey, amazing landscapes and high mountains are the major appendages of ABC trekking. Hiking routes made of stone steps, unforgettable hospitality, lovely and helpful people and cultural diversities unforgettably torched me.
Ever dining is covered by wooden plates and windscreens to bar the cold blow from entering inside. I could not forget the moment that we enjoyed the heat of kerosene-stove from the under of the table and it killed the chill. Foreigners also were enjoying such moment and they also were playing cards among the friends. The moments of Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC-3,700m) and ABC was really amazing. The face of Fishtail (Machhapuchhre) was not like that could be seen from Pokhara, as we were in the back of this mountain. There were snows everywhere and there could be hardly seen vegetations. As it was the off-season of tourism in Nepal, there were very few tourists doing up and down. They used to greet us in Nepali style saying Namaste. We celebrated our Christmas in ABC where more than 20,000 tourists arrive annually. JB and Jagan Dai from ABC helped us very much. There could be seen only ice and snow but not water however hotel entrepreneurs melt the snow and ice to change them into the water. I drank hot water (tatopani) in every spots. Lemon squash's drop in hot water was served as hot lemon and beer glasses were provided to drink water in most of the spots. The camera battery charging facility is available only up to Sinuwa and it is difficult to save the battery's charge in cold environment however we succeed to take thousand of photos. The snowcapped mountains near ABC and MBC are felt really striking. Jokes of Ram Dai, Real Stories from Indra and talks with Arju remained very memorable for me.
We took part in a volleyball tournament organized at Chomrong while on our returning and we defeated the team of hotel entrepreneurs here. The sanctuary Youth Club organized this competition during a Loshar, one of the biggest festivals of Gurung People. Mountains Hiunchuli(6,441m), Annapurna South(7,219m), Barah Shikhar (7,647m), Annapurna I (8,091m), Khangsarkhang, Singhchuli (6,390m), Tent Peak (5,127m), Annapurna III (7,556m), Gandhava Chuli (6,249m) and Fishtail (6,993m) could be observed from ABC. Glacier dome aka Tarkekang (7,193) and Gangapurna (7,455) could be seen only from MBC.
Routs Nayapul-Birethanti-Saulibazaar-HImalpani-Newbridge-Chomrong-Sinuwa-Bamboo-Dovan-Himalaya-Deurali-MBC-ABC Fedi or Kande Kande-Dhampus-Pothana-Deurali-Tolka-Landruk-Chomrong- Sinuwa-Bamboo-Dovan-Himalaya-Deurali-MBC-ABC Napul-Birethanti-Saulibazaar-Kimi-Ghandruk-Chomrong-Sinuwa-Bamboo-Dovan-Himalaya-Deurali-MBC-ABC
Menu in ABC Items Price in Rs Black Tea 40 Milk Tea 40 Coke/Fanta 100 Beer 160 Noodles Soup 100 Boiled Eggs 100 Plain Fried Noodles 200 Dal-Bhat 250 Pizza 290 MoMo 200 Double Bed 200 By : Rup Narayan Dhakal For more picture : Click Herehttp://www.thikthak.com/picture-gallery/
its a lovely place some thing like a place like paradise.if u visit once u don't like 2 return back again.the local people r also so helpful and hospitality.
actually we,a group of student of BPKIHS,dharan,had recently completed a grand visit or trek to ABC ,the dearest place which we cant forget ever.By reading this article i feel as if i am on the way to ABC.lastly i want to say everybody that plz to be a complete person,which is almost impossible,make your trek to ABC at least once in your lifetime.really it was a adventurous trek.we are planning to visit the everest bast camp next year during our internship posting. the special moments during our ABC tour were:tatopani jof jhmu,malvika subba or chiring of ......dhunga,heroin ki bahini of sinwa,milan dai of dovan,punhill ma mero dear ko phone lageko,ani rohit surya samdi and kunu dear ka ramaila jot haru. missing u ABC tooooooooooooo much............
well abc need to be trekked by all Nepalese once in his/her life. but still there is a problem that everyone knows we usually face racial discrimination in such area. wat i mean is that foreigners are more prefarable to nepalese. one one side abc trek look good, but we may sometime have to return with a heavy heart too. i have though never been in that trek . but i had a trek to poon hill , i feel and se the discrimination. 1st one hotel refuse to give a room to us and they did not serve food to us , that was a self serve but foreigners were served. so see.... But i am not threatning but that is the fact, still do visit abc abc promote internal tourism
wow wat beautiful pic like a haven isn't it ?? any way don't worry about price yar if you visit there then you"ll forget all the prices..coz of the beautiful place..but i never been there ? but 1 day I'll be there..coz I like 2 trek yar i love trekking so much.. thank you..
nepalese ji, I really do agree with you. The tourism activities that takes place in ABC i,e ACA can be defined as eco-tourism.No matter it's wellknown as a successfull eco-touristic area..Though merits and demerits both do come. As a big merit and as the defination of the eco-tourism,we can save the nature for our future generation lessening the exploitation of nature from the tourism or local activities. But there comes the demerits too..victims do arise. the local people not concerned directly in tourism field cannot be excluded.ACA as a protected area, residence living in those areas excluding the tourism entrepreneurs have always been facing a hard live. They have tasted a less benefit from this field. Neither the tourism has played any potential reverberation in their economic development.The people living in those will always be far away from the term 'development', neither they will earn enough for their better living until and unless new ideas gets generated. Programmes in benifit of the poors shall be launched...Entrepreneours directly related in tourism activities in ACA, either they are insiders or outsiders shall play a vital role for the development of this area...its what is called corporate social responsibility......According to the UNWTO..the international tourist arrival in Nepal by 2020 will be more than 2 million, approx. 4 times of now. And we are sure that it is to happen, the increasing demand of eco-tourism, no doubt that Nepal will be a perfect tourist destination in the near future. So we have to get launched for the new generation, tourism not only for the entrepreneurs but also the local people. That's what we all do want for the betterment of Nepal. Thanks for reading.
I'm from Pokhara. And I know very about ABC trekking. The Tregady is I've never been. While I was in my place I never got the chance. But It has been always a dream. And Now it's getting even more impossible for me. Since It will be very hard to gether my friends. But I really want to do this. I hope I'll meet my friends. Actually your article has blasted my dream again. Thanx a lot.
I love trekking but at ABC the people are raising money unnecessearily. Even the local people are not in benefit. All the money goes in the hotel owners pocket and the other people who are unable to make hotels are in usual condition. It is something like "hatti ayo hati ayo fussa".If u don't believe me go and do a survey at ABC.
ya I think , it is the one of the shortest and exciting trekking route in the world. you can really enjoy the natural beauty and touch the warm heart of people around there.
But , I even don't how could it become so expensive at ABC?? Rs 100 for the come and Rs 160 for a beer !!!!!!!!!!!! So,the conclusion is, its better to drink beer than coke You can weigh the Egg and Noodle soup = Rs100 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn how it comes??????????
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I also very impressed from that picture. And i also wants to go at least once i will come back in nepal.
wow wat beautiful pic like a haven isn't it ?? 
