Annapurna Region

The Annapurna region is situated in the center of the Nepalese Himalaya, and occupies about 80km of land between the Marsayangdi River in the east and the Kali Gandaki River in the west. The mysterious and veiled land of Mustang, closed until just recently, lies to the north. Among the hump-like Annapurna I (8091m) are 11 other soaring peaks. There is the rocky Annapurna II (7937m), and the snowy Annapurna III (7555m) just to name a few.  Annapurna means “goddess of fertility” in the Sanskrit language. The first ascent of Annapurna was accomplished by a French party in 1950, from the North Annapurna Glacier. It was a brilliant achievement among the 8000er peaks and ushered in a golden age of Nepalese Himalayan mountaineering. Annapurna II was first climbed in 1960 by a joint party of Indian, Nepalese, and U.K. mountaineers. At the base of the Annapurna region is the famous lake city of Pokhara. It’s a great place to plan a trip into this fabled area. Many people begin shorter treks in Pokhara as well. About two-thirds of the trekkers in Nepal come to visit the Annapurna region. The area is easily accessible, and hotels in the hills are plentiful. The treks here offer good scenery of both high mountains and lowland villages. Many trekkers enjoy the surrounding area of Pokhara because its relatively low chance for any altitude related problems. Similar to the Khumbu area of Mt Everest there are many popular trekking routes in the Annapurna Himal. There is the circular course visiting Ghorepani, and others like the Annapurna circuit via highest Tilicho lake, Annapurna Sanctuary, or the famous ABC Trek (Annapurna Base Camp). Other famous treks include the Jomsom, and the Muktinath trek. In the Annapurna region and to the north is Mustang and north east is Nar-Phu Valley, but because treks to Mustang and Nar-Phu Valley are subject to special restrictions, this destination is described on a separate page about treks in restricted areas.