The Annapurna
Sanctuary is “high glacial basin lying forty km directly north of Pokhara.
This oval-shaped plateau sits at an altitude of over 4000 metres, and is
surrounded by a ring of mountains, the Annapurna range, most of which are over
7000 metres.With the only entrance a narrow pass between the peaks of Hiunchuli
and Machapuchare, where run-off from glaciers drain into Modi Khola River, the
Sanctuary was not penetrated by outsiders until 1956. Because of high mountains
on all sides, the Annapurna Sanctuary receives only 7 hours of sunlight a day
at the height of summer. The unique combination of heights and depths in the
Annapurna Sanctuary give rise to an extraordinary variety of ecosystems. The
south-facing slopes are “covered in dense tropical jungles of rhododendron and
bamboo”, while the north-facing slopes, in the rain shadow, have “a drier
colder climate similar to that of the near-by Tibetan Plateau.”
The entire sanctuary was
held as sacred to the Gurung people, one of the many native people to inhabit
the area. They believed it was the repository of gold and various treasures
left by the Nāgas, the serpent-gods known in India. The sanctuary was believed
to be the home of several deities, from Hinduism and Buddhism as well the older
animistic gods. The peak of Machapuchare at the entrance was believed to be the
home of the god Shiva, and the daily plumes of snow were thought the smoke of
his divine incense. Until recently, the local Gurung people forbade anyone from
bringing eggs or meat into the Annapurna Sanctuary, and women and untouchables
were prohibited from going there as well.
In recent
years, the number of trekkers to the Sanctuary has increased substantially, in
part because the Sanctuary forms the base of one of the major routes to the
peaks of the Annapurna range. The Annapurna Sanctuary is now part of the
Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which places restrictions on number of
outside travelers, gathering of firewood, and domestic animal grazing.
Annapurna base camp Itinerary:
Day 01: Fly/ drive Kathmandu to Pokhara.
Day 02:Drive to Nayapul,Trek to Tikhedhunga (1540)
Day 03: Trek to Ghorepani (2855m)
Day 04: Trek to Tadapani.(2590m)
Day 05: Trek to Chomrong (2170m)
Day 06: Trek to Himalaya Hotel (2900m)
Day 07: Himalaya Hotel to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) (3700m)
Day 08: MBC -Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) & back to MBC or Deurali.
Day 09: MBC/Deurali to Bamboo (2500m)
Day 10: Bamboo to Chomorong. (2170m)
Day 11: Chomorong to Ghandruk (1940m)
Day 12: Ghandruk to Tolkha. (1710m)
Day 13: Tolkha to Dhampus. (1510m)
Day 14: Dhampus to Pokhara. (820m)
Day 01: Fly/ drive Kathmandu to Pokhara.
Day 02:Drive to Nayapul,Trek to Tikhedhunga (1540)
Day 03: Trek to Ghorepani (2855m)
Day 04: Trek to Tadapani.(2590m)
Day 05: Trek to Chomrong (2170m)
Day 06: Trek to Himalaya Hotel (2900m)
Day 07: Himalaya Hotel to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) (3700m)
Day 08: MBC -Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) & back to MBC or Deurali.
Day 09: MBC/Deurali to Bamboo (2500m)
Day 10: Bamboo to Chomorong. (2170m)
Day 11: Chomorong to Ghandruk (1940m)
Day 12: Ghandruk to Tolkha. (1710m)
Day 13: Tolkha to Dhampus. (1510m)
Day 14: Dhampus to Pokhara. (820m)
Email-:sanjib-adhikari@hotmail.com