to do annapurna or not?

I found good info on www.yetizone.com<BR><BR>Enjoy - it's a wonderful trek.

hey melo-- my boyfriend and I are arriving Sept 20th, and will hang in KTM for a week or so getting supplies and sightseeing. We are going sans guide and sans porter, and at first doing the Annapurna circuit trek. Not sure if you want company or not, but you can check our website www.daijalovestroy.blogspot.com and my myspace site www.myspace.com/daijarillera and see if you'd like to meet.

We are in good shape ( I ran a marathon last fall) though have never trekked before. We are laid back, outdoorsy, and would be up for someone else to walk with--

PM me if interested

Thanks to all and esp. tomtraveller.

I keep hearing tea houses and tea. I'm more of a coffee guy and was wondering whether they serve coffee, too?

How are the toilets? are they pit-toilets or chemical ones? Thanks again.

#12, many tea houses/hotels will sell coffee although it costs alot more. I'm not a coffee guy so I can't tell you about its quality. Toilets are usually pit. Most will have a concrete floor with small hole. You'll use water from a bucket to wash it down the hole. At higher elevations, when ice covers the floor, it's very tricky to squat over the hole! Others have a much bigger hole where you can actually look into the pit. For these, just don't go to the hole drunk. You'd hate to fall in! Occasionally, you'll find a western toilet where you can actually sit.

lol, tomtraveller. You know, I actually prefer squatters, since as a woman it's much easier to squat over a hole than over a toilet seat.

Anyways, visceral trek, I don't think we'll be overlapping each other. Since I probably won't be starting the trek until the 20th of October. Thanks though, and have wonderful time?

Still looking for information between the circuit and the sanctuary trail,and their main differences...all I seem to find on the net, are maps.

Carolyn: check out this thread Stilltrekkin provides a good brief description of the differences. The Jomsom trek is simply the east side of the Annapurna. You can always combine the two (AC & AS) as described in yetizone

Thank you so much tom traveller

Is the Annapurna base camp trek considered the same as the Sanctuary trek? I was looking at the maps and they seem to be the same.

yes, they are the same. Above, I said the Jomsom trek was the east side of the Annapurna Circuit (AC) trek. Sorry if I confused you. It's the west side of the AC.

Thanks to all for invaluable advise. Since there are so many experts here, I thought I will post my packing list for the AC trek in Oct 06. Please feel free to comment/suggest add/ delete. Thanks in advance.

Passport with trekking permit; take a bunch of passport photos;
Backpack; and Pack Cover;
Sleeping Bag in its bag;
Sleeping Bag Liner - Silk Liner- Cocoon?;
2 Wool Socks; 2 Sock-Liners;
Polartec Jacket; Also useful as pillow;
Medium Weight Thermals; Top and bottom;
Warm Hat, Gloves, Scarf;
Rain Jacket and Rain pants;
3 T-shirts (One of them is longsleeve) All Techwick;
2 pair convertible pants;
3 Techwick briefs/boxers;
Bandana;

Two trekking poles;
Lighter;
Small Towel;
Map - tear out relavent Guide Book; Notepad for notes; Pencil;
Whistle; Compass;

First-aid kit with Diamox and Dexamethasone; painkillers and Moleskins;
Flip-Flops or Sneakers;
Sun Hat; Sunglasses; Eye-glasses;
Small soap; Portable razor; Shampoo;
Toilet Paper - spare little only;
Tooth Paste Dental Floss;
Moisturizing Cream;
Camera + extra-batteries + Charger;
Head lamp Petzl Tikka; extra batteries;
Swiss Army Knife with Scissors;

2 Water Bottles; Iodine tabs Hi-C vitamin tabs; Gatorade Powder;
Dried Cherries; Almonds; Pistachios; Granola Bars;
Hot Sauce; Instant Coffee;