10 DAYS YOGA TREK RETREAT
ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP,NEPAL
Day 1: Reach Pokhara on your own before 4.00 PM. You can find different ways to reach Pokhara in ‘Reaching the Basecamp’ section of the trek page.
Your stay in Adishakti Yogashala, Pokhara will be booked by Adishakti. You don’t need to pay extra for this.
You will meet the rest of the team at the hotel. The pre-trek briefing will be conducted in the hotel at 6.00 pm by your trek leader.
Day 2: The team will leave for Lower Ghandruk/Kimche from Hotel Serenity at 7.00 am.
Drive distance: 55 km
Drive duration: 3 to 4 hours
Trek from Kimche to Komrong (7,380 ft);
Trek distance: 5km
Trek duration: 3-4 hours
Day 3: Komrong (7,380 ft) to Chomrung (7,120 ft)
Towards the biggest village of Annapurna Conservation Area Chhomrong; Stay in tea houses.
Trek distance: 7 km
Trek duration: 5-6 hours
Day 4: Chomrung (7,120 ft) to Dovan (8,460 ft);
Trek distance: 10.5 km
Trek duration: 6-7 hours
Day 5: Dovan (8,460) to Machapuchare Base Camp (12,135 ft);
Trek distance: 10 km
Trek duration: 6-7 hours
Day 6: Machapuchare Base camp (12,135 ft) to Annapurna Base camp (13,550 ft);
Trek distance: 3.5 km
Trek duration: 2 hours
Day 7: ABC (13,550 ft) to Bamboo (7,675 ft);
Trek distance: 15.5 km
Trek duration: 8-9 hours
Day 8: Bamboo (7,675 ft) to Jhinu (5,770 ft);
Trek distance: 10 km
Trek duration: 6-7 hours
Day 9: Jhinu (5,770 ft) to Pokhara via Sewai ; Duration will be 3-4 hours.
Trek distance: 6 km
Trek duration: 4 hours
Drive distance: 50 km.
Drive duration: 3 to 4 hours
Day 10: Buffer day. Book your travel back only after 6 pm of 10th day of the trek.
This is an additional day to account for unforeseen circumstances. If the buffer day is used, you have to pay us Rs. 4,000 per day (INR) for the buffer day. We will collect this only if we use the buffer day. The money will be collected by your trek leader.
**Please note that you will be staying in tea houses on Day 2 to Day 8 of the trek.
**It is mandatory for trekkers to carry a copy of their photo id for entry at forest check posts on the trek.
Day 1: Arrive in Pokhara. Pre-trek briefing
Reach Pokhara on your own before 4.00 PM. You can find different ways to reach Pokhara in ‘Reaching the Basecamp’ section of the trek page.
Your stay in ‘Adishakti Yogashala Pokhara’ will be booked by Adishakti. You don’t need to pay extra for this.
You will meet the rest of the team at the hotel. The briefing will be conducted at the hotel at 6.00 pm on Day 1.
Go for a walk by the lakeside after the briefing and retire early after dinner. You’ll need to conserve energy for the long trek ahead!
Day 2: Drive from Pokhara to Lower Ghandruk. Trek to Komrong.
Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna region. You start the drive from Pokhara at 7.00 am to Lower Ghandruk. Ghandruk is the biggest village you will find on the trek. You will see old stone and slate roofed houses lining the slope. You will also find a lot of tea houses spread through the entire village. This is your first introduction to the tea house culture of trekking. You will experience this throughout the trek.
From Ghandruk, the trail descends gradually to Kyunri Khola (stream). Once you cross the bridge across the stream, the trail split. Take the trail on the right – this ascends steeply for about an hour to Komrong (7,380 ft).
Day 3: Komrong to Chomrung
Komrong is located on top of a ridge. From Komrong, you can see Chomrung on the other side of the mountain, separated by Kimrong Khola. Descend from Komrong towards Kimrong. In half an hour you will cross a small stream. The trail ascends from here to reach Kimrong Khola in half an hour.
Once you cross Kimrong Khola, keep to your right. You will be following Kimrong Khola along the mountainside. The muddy trail ascends gradually. You will see Komrong on the other side now. Snow capped mountains such as Machapuchare, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and the tip of Gangapurna gradually begin to appear. After about an hour, you will reach the first few lodges of Chomrung, at the edge of the mountain. The trail splits here – take the ascending stone steps to reach Chomrung at the top.
From the top you can again see Annapurna South, much closer now. Also visible is the entire Chomrung village, which lies on the other side of the mountain. On the opposite side you will see Sinuwa village, which you will trek through on Day 3.
Chomrung is known as the gateway to the Annapurna Sanctuary. From here, you get a grandstand view of the peaks that were visible on the trail. Do not miss the sunset view on Annapurna South from here
Chomrung, like Ghandruk, is lined with tea houses. There are also several shops that sell essentials like batteries, memory cards and toilet paper. Rest here for the day. There is a checkpost here where you need to register yourself again. Visit the office and show your TIMS card.
Day 4: Chomrung to Dovan
You come across a variety of flora including rhododendrons, ferns and bamboo while trekking through the sanctuary. PC: Lakshmi Selvakumaran
Chomrung (7,120 ft/2,170 m) to Sinuwa (7,675 ft/2,339 m)
The trek today begins with a descent on the stone steps towards Chomrung village. Along Chomrung, for about 500 metres, you will find tea houses on either side. In 20 minutes you will reach Chomrung Khola. The last guest house before the bridge on Chomrung Khola is place-marked as Sinuwa – ignore this since Sinuwa is at least an hour away
The trail climbs steeply on stone steps after the bridge. 15 minutes of climbing brings you to the hamlet of Tilche, which has a few houses. Another 10 minutes of trek from Tilche brings you to Lower Sinuwa. From here, the trail again climbs steeply on stone steps to reach Upper Sinuwa. This takes around 20 minutes – you can see the place as you start climbing. You will get good views of Machapuchare and Annapurna III from the viewpoint. Both Lower and Upper Sinuwa have a few lodges.
The trail to Sinuwa is lined with fields and thin forests. Beyond Upper Sinuwa (7,675 ft), you will be entering the Annapurna Sanctuary area. This is marked by dense forests and clustered tea houses. Cutting trees for firewood is prohibited. The tea houses are all powered by hydroelectric power plants. You can spot some of the small scale power plants along the trail.
Sinuwa (7,675 ft/2,339 m) to Bamboo (7,675 ft/2,339 m)
The mud trail from Sinuwa to Bamboo climbs up gradually for the first 30 minutes, till you reach a clearing. You will see an abandoned ACAP checkpost here (8,100 ft). From here, it’s a steep descent to Bamboo on stone steps for about 30 minutes.
All this while you are walking through dense forest. The Modi Khola flows alongside but you can only hear it. As you approach Bamboo you feel yourself getting closer to the source of the sound of this running river. Have lunch at one of the lodges in Bamboo.
Bamboo (7,675 ft/2,339 m) to Dovan (8,460 ft/2,579 m)
The ascent to Dovan begins immediately where the lodges of Bamboo end. Cross the wooden bridge that you will reach in 10 minutes. Climb further up for about 40 minutes till you get another wooden bridge. Dovan is 10 minutes from here, up the same trail.
This stretch is one of the most beautiful walks of the trek. The forest is dense and the climb is not too strenuous. You can stay in any of the 5 lodges in Dovan – they’re all in a single lane. Only the tip of Machapuchare is visible from Dovan.
Day 5: Dovan to Machapuchare Base Camp
Dovan (8,460 ft/2,579 m) to Himalaya (9,510 ft/2,899 m)
The trail winds slowly up from Dovan towards Himalaya. In about 10 minutes, you’ll reach a fork in the trail – take the one to the left. Cross the wooden bridge that you get in about 15 minutes and continue ascending. The path is a mix of short stretches of steep and gradual ascents. Walk past the shrine that you get on your left till you reach another fork in the trail (about an hour from Dovan).
Both routes lead to Himalaya but the mud route to the right is shorter and steeper and joins the other one 5-10 minutes later. Another 10 minutes of climbing brings you to a point where the trail opens up to the Modi Khola. Machapuchare becomes visible again here. You will also see Himalaya from here. Fifteen minutes on an undulating trail brings you to Himalaya. There are a few lodges in Himalaya in case you wish to take a break.
The trail that goes to the right from the first fork that you hit earlier today goes to a small hut. This is one of the small hydroelectric power plants which supplies electricity to surrounding villages. You are likely to find signs of past landslides and avalanches on the trail today.
Himalaya (9,510 ft/2,899 m) to Deurali (10,595 ft/3,229 m) (about 6 km from Dovan)
Climb up steadily from Himalaya for about an hour to reach an overhanging rock called Hinku cave. The entrance to the cave is blocked. From here, the trail slowly descends for 10-15 minutes till you reach two big snow patches. Cross the snow patches and one stream. Climb up for for about 20 minutes to reach Deurali. Have lunch at Deurali.
After Himalaya, the terrain starts to shift from dense forest to alpine boulder. The only vegetation you find are Bamboo, Ferns and grass. You will be climbing up and down small boulders on a large part of the trail.
Deurali (10,595 ft/3,229 m) to Machapuchare Base Camp (12,135 ft/3,704 m) (about 4 km)
It’ll take you 10 minutes of climbing through boulders to cross the last lodge at Deurali. From here, the trail opens up to the valley with Modi Khola thundering past next to you. You will see Machapuchare and Gangapurna in the distance.
Keep walking ahead till you reach descending stone steps leading to Bagar in about 40 minutes. Continue past the abandoned lodges here and climb steadily up from for about 1 hour. You will reach a bridge and cross Modi Khola. MBC is 20-30 minutes from here, up steep steps. Soak in the magnificent views of Machapuchare (22,955 ft) in front and Annapurna to your left.
The terrain on this stretch is marked with small snow bridges that need to be crossed. You are also entering grasslands, marked with few Daphne trees. Small flowering plants adorn the trail with their colors. The mountains on either side are rocky. Small waterfalls flow from either side into Modi Khola. This is also marked as an avalanche prone area.
You will be ascending close to 4,000 ft. Watch out for signs of AMS. Make sure you don’t rush through the trail – walk slowly to help your body acclimatize.
Day 6: Machapuchare Base Camp to Annapurna Base Camp
Start early from Machapuchare Base Camp. The peaks glowing with the golden and orange tints of sunrise are a must watch. ABC is about 90 degrees to the left of the direction you came in to Machapuchare Base Camp.
The initial 1 km is a steep ascent. Then the trail ascends gradually. As you walk, you will see sunrise hit Annapurna I and slowly extend towards Annapurna South. The last stretch to ABC is a walk on moraines. If you are lucky, you can spot some Marmut on the way to ABC.
You are surrounded by mountains at ABC. Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Annapurna South, Gangapurna, Gandharvachuli and Machapuchare are right there in front of you. Pick a spot at the edge of the Annapurna glacier and soak in the views.
Day 7: ABC to Bamboo
This is perhaps the longest day of the trek. You will be tracing back the same route you took to reach ABC all the way to Bamboo – crossing MBC, Deurali, Himalaya and Dovan. Today’s trek includes long stretches of steep descent interspersed with short ascents. Himalaya is good place to stop for lunch.
Day 8: Bamboo to Jhinu
Take the trail to Sinuwa and begin climbing up steep steps till you reach the abandoned check post. This should take you around 45 minutes. Descend from here till Sinuwa fo about 45 minutes. From Sinuwa, it’s a hard descent to Chomrung Khola for about an hour followed by a steep ascent to Chomrung for about 45 minutes.
Checkout from the ACAP office at Chomrung before you leave.
Take the ascending trail from Chomrung up to the fork with the signpost for Juini. This should take you about 5 minutes. Descend on the steep steps to reach Jhinu in 1.5-2 hours.
The view of the sub tropical forests from Jhinu is one of the best. Jhinu faces Modi Khola and is famous for hot springs. Enjoy a nice bath here.
Note: The Jhinu hotsprings are common for both men and women. So come prepared accordingly with your swimwear
Day 9: Jhinu to Syauli Bazaar; leave for Pokhara
Take the steeply descending trail from Jhinu to reach the bridge at Kimrong Khola in about 30 minutes. After crossing the bridge, take the trail to the left. The ascending trail to the right goes to Somrong. Keep walking along the houses on the trail straight ahead. You will reach New Bridge in about an hour. This stretch of the trail is a mix of gradual and steep ascents. Many different kinds of butterflies thrive in this region, below 5,000 ft. So, you will have a colourful display of these as you reach lower from Jhinu.
Continue on the trail from New bridge. Within 5 minutes you see a fork to Landruk on the left and to Kyumi on the right. Take the trail to Kyumi. After about 20 minutes on this undulating trail, you will reach a small village, Uppu Dandu. Take the descending stone steps from here to reach Kalchane in another 20 minutes. You will find a couple of tea houses here.
The trail from Kalchane forks again in about 10 minutes. Take the route to Kyumi – to the left and descending. Keep to the right on this trail. You will reach Kyumi in about 20 minutes. Kyumi is a small, quaint village with 5 tea houses. Have lunch here.
From Kyumi, take the ascending trail towards Ghandruk. You will hit a fork within 5 minutes – take the trail to Birethanti and reach the roadhead in about 45 minutes. This is Syauli Bazaar. This is where the trek ends. If you’re traveling on your own, regular buses and jeeps to Pokhara can be boarded here.
Kalchane forks again in about 10 minutes. Take the route to Kyumi – to the left and descending. Keep to the right on this trail. You will reach Kyumi in about 20 minutes. Kyumi is a small, quaint village with 5 tea houses. Have lunch here.
From Kyumi, take the ascending trail towards Ghandruk. You will hit a fork within 5 minutes – take the trail to Birethanti and reach the roadhead in about 45 minutes. This is Syauli Bazaar. We will spent some time here and then back to the hotel.
Your trek fee includes
Your trek fee does not include
What are the risks on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek?
The Annapurna Base Camp trek is graded moderate-difficult. If you have registered for this trek, then here is some information that you must know in order to have a safe trek. At Adishakti, we believe that as long as you are well-informed and well-prepared, you can survive easily at high altitudes.
The ABC trek has long distances to be covered everyday. Although there are no technical sections, this high altitude trek comes with several risks. The trek climbs very rapidly from Dovan to Machapuchare Base camp. There are several stretches with very steep ascents and descents. These are some of the things you need to be mindful of.
What Adishakti does to ensure your safety
Our philosophy is simple. We ingrain safety aspects in the people we work with, in the processes that we follow, and in the equipment we carry. All our trek leaders are trained repeatedly on safety issues and protocols. Most issues are resolved with their intervention.
Right from the time you decide to register for the trek till the last day of the trek, these safety procedures will be running in the background. We have listed a few of them below:
Over years of organizing high altitude treks, we have found that safety issues thrive amongst those who are unfit and unprepared for the trek. So we have introduced an eligibility criteria for the ABC trek. Anyone who wants to register for the ABC trek has to meet the fitness requirements, with the ideal BMI. The BMI and fitness regime will require proof. A high altitude trek is not to be taken casually.
Any abnormal reading will be paid special attention to and action will be taken immediately.
On the ABC trek, your Trek Leader will be monitoring two aspects thrice a day.
Your Blood Pressure levels will be checked once a day.
This will help us ensure that your body is acclimatising as required.
Every trekker will be given a Health Card at the beginning of the trek. The Health Card is issued to monitor the trekker’s daily health, wherein they will be entering details about their health everyday. It also contains details of what symptoms one should look out for and what action should be taken during emergencies. These Health Cards will be collected back at the end of the trek.
Your trek leader will be carrying a full-fledged high altitude medical kit. This will include basic medicines and specific medicines catering to altitude sickness – Diamox, Dexamethasone (tablets and injections) and Nifedipine. Your Trek Leader will also be carrying a portable oxygen cylinder throughout the trek. In addition to that, there are oxygen cylinders installed at all high altitude campsites for any emergency situations.
To ensure safe trekking on snowy terrain, Adishakti will provide you with micro-spikes to attach to your shoes. This will give you good traction on hard snow. To avoid snow from entering your shoes, Adishakti will provide you with gaiters that you can put on over your shoes. You will have qualified technical guides with you, who will lead the way on difficult terrain.
All our sleeping bags and tents are custom-made for high altitude. If it is cold outside, it will be around 10 degrees warmer inside the tent. The sleeping bags can withstand temperatures up to -10 degree Celsius.
You need to drink a minimum of 4 liters of water every day during the trek to ensure that you’re well hydrated. De-hydration on a trek can make you lose energy very quickly and intensify the effects of AMS. Your trek leader will brief you about the amount of water that you need to carry with you at the start of each day as well as water sources on the trail.
We provide trekkers with nutritious meals to ensure that they are energized to complete the trail each day. Apart from this, snacks or packed lunch is provided wherever the trail before a meal break is likely to be long. Make sure that you do not skip any meal as this can lead to serious health emergencies on high altitudes.
With all these processes and equipment in place, you can be rest assured that you will have a safe trek with Adishakti.
Nevertheless, you will need to be cautious and report the slightest of symptoms to your trek leader as soon as you feel them.
What you compulsorily need to know if you’re going on the ABC trek
Acute Mountain Sickness:
At high altitudes the chances of being hit by Acute Mountain Sickness cannot be ruled out.
Machapuchare base camp and ABC are the highest campsites on the trek. Trekkers tend to develop symptoms of altitude sickness at these camps. This is especially the case on Day 4, when the ascent is rapid and you gain close to 4,000 ft.
Inform your trek leader about your condition immediately if you feel any symptoms of AMS. If the symptoms don’t alleviate it is best to head down to a lower campsite.
This risk can be avoided by going on a course of Diamox. Even while on Diamox, the risk of AMS still prevails. While AMS can be treated with rest and medicines for the most part, the symptoms must be recognised before it can go to advanced stages – High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).
HAPE and HACE are critical conditions that can be fatal within hours. And they can occur without AMS preceding them. So it’s doubly important to recognise any symptoms and nip them in the bud.
** Being a tea house trek, alcohol tends to be available easily on this trek. Although prohibited on our treks, some trekkers make the mistake of sneaking in a drink. Nothing can be deadlier than this. Alcohol multiplies the chance of being hit by AMS by several times.
Take this specific precaution – Go on a preventive course of Diamox
We strongly advise you to go on a preventive course of Diamox. Diamox is a blood thinner and helps you acclimatize much faster and reduces the chance of AMS by around 80%. Take half a tablet twice a day from one day before your trek.
What to do if you have symptoms of AMS?
If you feel any symptoms of AMS on the trek, you must report to the Trek Leader immediately. Do not wait till the end of the day’s trek. Do not try to handle it yourself either. Our Trek Leaders are well-trained and experienced to handle any cases and they will be the decision makers in any such cases.
Watch the below video to understand the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness. In this video, Arjun Majumdar, the founder of Adishakti will also tell you the protocol to follow when you see someone showing symptoms of AMS.
Exit points on the ABC trek:
In case of an emergency, you would need to reach Syauli Bazaar. This is a road head and vehicles will be available for further evacuation. Please note that it could take up to a day to reach Syauli Bazaar depending on where you are on the trail.
Closest hospital:
Ghandruk has the only medical centre on the trek.
Why you should personally know about the risks and precautions of high altitude treks
If ever you find yourself alone at high altitude, either while trekking independently or with another organisation, there are some life -saving steps you can take. Firstly, you should be able to recognise symptoms of altitude sickness. So acquaint yourself with the symptoms.
Secondly, there might be instances when you have to administer medicines to yourself or to a fellow trekker. There are three life-saving medicines that we suggest you always carry on you – Diamox, Dexamethasone and Nifedipine.
If you are trekking with Adishakti, do not administer these to anyone without consulting your Trek Leader. If you are trekking independently then you need to know when exactly to administer these medicines and in what dosage.
Also ensure that you are well hydrated throughout the trek and do not skip any meal.
You can watch the video below to learn about HAPE and HACE and how to tackle them. In the video, Sandhya UC, explains in detail about High Altitude Pulmonary and Cerebral Edema, what the symptoms are and how to tackle them.
We cannot stress enough on how important it is for you to communicate any symptom to your Trek Leader. Only then your trek leader will be able to take steps at the right time.
Acute Mountain Sickness
If you’re of the opinion that fit people don’t get AMS, please get rid of that notion right away. AMS can affect anyone without paying heed to their fitness and prior experience at high altitude! Altitude sickness does not distinguish between a first timer and an experienced trekker.
For more detailed information about Acute Mountain Sickness, you can download and study the manual below.
Fitness
A high altitude trek in the Himalayas requires considerable fitness. Your body needs to train itself to process more work with lower levels of oxygen. Therefore, on treks, cardiovascular training is critically important. The trek has long climbs and steep descents on a daily basis. As a measure of your fitness, we require you to be able to run at least 5 km in 35 minutes by the time your trek starts. If you are 45 years or above try to cover 10 km in 90 minutes This is a minimum, mandatory requirement.
If you prefer cycling over running then try to cover 25 km in 60 minutes.
Unable to do so can make your trek difficult.
In addition, preparation of trek needs to include strength and flexibility training. Registering for the trek is an understanding that you will undertake the mandated fitness training and upload the fitness screenshots on your dashboard. Trekkers who have not adequately prepared may be asked to discontinue the trek at any point.
Indiahikes has the right to reject trekkers who do not meet our eligibility requirement at the base camp.
Backpack Offloading
Adishakti expects all trekkers to carry their own backpacks. All common gear will be carried by the support team. If for some reason are trekker is unable to carry his or her backpack, he/she can offload the same by booking a porter .
Transport
The best way to reach Pokhara is to reach Kathmandu and take a bus or flight to Pokhara. You are expected to reach Pokhara before 7.00 am on the first day of the trek. The pick up point will be near the lake.
We will pick you up from Pokhara on Day 1 and drop you back from Syauli Bazaar to Pokhara on Day 8. Travel will be in shared vehicles.
Backpack offloading charges – Please note that last minute offloading will not be possible on this trek. You can opt for offloading making the payment for the trek.
Partial offloading is not allowed. The backpack cannot weigh more than 9 kg. No suitcases/strolleys/duffel bags will be allowed.
Accommodation
Stay is included from Day 1 to Day 8 (Pokhara to Pokhara). You will be staying in tea houses on all days of the trek. Rooms will be shared with fellow trekkers. Males and females in separate rooms. Twin sharing is not possible.
Rooms have beds with mattress, pillow and blankets. Toilets are fixed concrete structures with running water.
In the event that you cancel your trek, this is the cancellation policy we follow:
– Cancellation 30 days before the starting date of the trek
Advance fee is non refundable.
In the rare event that we cancel your trek, this is the cancellation policy we follow:
We almost never cancel our treks. But in case we cancel a trek because of natural calamities (snowstorms, thunderstorms, floods, landslides, earthquakes) or unexpected political unrest, curfews, local riots, government orders, Adishakti will return the full amount of your trek fee (minus the trek insurance).
Important note: The Trek Insurance amount is not refundable once it has been paid for.
Special Cases That Could Occur:
There are some special cases that could occur when you’re on a trek.
In the above two cases, Adishakti Management will try to settle the same with a mutual understanding.
Important note: Your offloading and rental fee will not be refunded in the above two cases.
In the third case, if we cannot accommodate you in the next day’s trek, we will give you the entire trek fee (including your offloading and rental fee).
How long does the refund process take?
It will take 10-15 working days.
Duration : 10 Days
Price : $ 1600/Person (Single Room)
Price : $ 1500/Person (Shared Room)
Get in touch with us for more information