Annapurna Circuit trek in May 2017. (Appx 12 days)

Looks like the normal itinerary agencies push: along the valley floor from Pisang to Manang, skipping Ghyaru and Ngawal (too lazy to find anything "new"* and to climb a bit for vastly better villages and views). If you have to overnight in Pisang for some reason, go to Ngawal for the next night, then one night in Manang, etc.

Costs: I suggest a porter-guide who also carries you bag, at $20/day. Times 12 + 15% tip = $280. Food and lodgings: about $25/day = $300. Permits $60 (less for SARC citizens?). Flights: ? (also cheaper for Indians).

Total about $640 + flights.

*) I took the Ghyaru - Ngawal route the first time already in 1986, but most NEPALESE agencies have not four it yet...

Thanks a lot for this. I'd love to try a different route which is a bit more challenging. Would it be possible for you to share the route you used ? I'd have to still finish it within 12 days.

Simply go from Pisang to Ghyaru, which means climbing a few hundred meters higher to the northern side of the valley, then following a good and strong trail to Ngawal, then to slowly descending to the valley floor near Braga. If you can extend your day 05 to reach Ghyaru for the night instead of just Pisang, fine. If not, the next day hike via Ghyaru only to Ngawal and overnight there. Ngawal is at about the same altitude as Manang, so it serves just as well for acclimatisation (as does Ghyaru, even better, 200m higher than Manang). Either way, if you stay overnight in either Ghyaru or Ngawal, one night in Manang is enough.

This map gives some idea about the route: http://howadoor.umbra.cz/img/map/Annapurna_1_125000_150_dpi_colour.jpg

There are more trails leading from Ngawal towards Manang than the one marked on the map, ones which approach the valley floor more gradually, leading more to the west.

Perfect. Will look into this. Yet again, thanks a lot for this.

My wife and I did the high route from Upper Pisang to Ghyaru, Ngawal, Braga and Manang last year. The only time on the entire Annapurna Circuit that the paths confused us was the section down to the valley from Ngawal - as Petrus says, there are a lot of paths. We studied our map and looked around but couldn't make head or tail of what was what ... I don't know which path we eventually took, but it came out near the village of Mungji (which we mistook for Braga at the time). Full story of our trek (with pics) is at www.paulkilfoil.co.za/2016.aspx.

Here’s a photo from the trail just below Ngawal, at 3510 meters looking straight west.

dropbox.com/west_humde.jpg

The turquoise circle is where you are heading and will meet up with the main road at Mungi. The pink circle shows north end of Humde Airport.

The trail west is obvious, easy to follow and beautiful.

opencyclemap.org/?zoom=15&lat=28.64832&lon=84.07533
opencyclemap.org/?zoom=14&lat=28.63928&lon=84.08357

I would also suggest the high route via Ghyaru and Ngawal shouldn't add any time in days but a couple more hours, but I would also highly recommend a side trip to Tilicho Lake which is spectacular if you can squeeze in an extra 2-3 days. You can see various itinerary options here. And play with the possibilities.

Re #7: visiting Tilicho Tal does not necessarily add ANY days to a "standard" itinerary. You just plan your overnight stops carefully. Naturally this means slightly longer days and no "rest day" in Manang, but what comes to acclimatisation this is fairly safe:

Normal stop <> Tilicho version
day 1) Pisang <> Ghyaru (acclimatisation starts)
day 2) Manang <> Kangshar
day 3) Manang <> Tilicho BC
day 4) Yak Kharka/Letdar <> Shree Kharka
day 5) Thorong Phedi <>Thorong Phedi or even High Camp

Same number of days on both. One just has to be able to shake the notion that Manang is somehow a "must" village to stay in. It is not.

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