Responsible Adventures

Short Trek to Annapurna Sanctuary

This is a perfect trek if you do not have the time to do the regular trek to the Annapurna base camp. This trek is designed to hike to ABC and fly out in a chartered helicopter.

Unexplored before 1956, the Annapurna Basin has been a sanctuary for wildlife as well as the Gurung people of Nepal for centuries, and this short trek to Annapurna Base camp is designed for those who don't have the 2 full weeks or more to spare, as required by many other trekking firms.

Responsible Adventures has designed a trek into this dazzling natural amphitheater that takes only 10 days, and allows enough time to witness the staggeringly beautiful peaks of all the Annapurna giants that encircle the basin: Annapurna 1 (8091 m), Annapurna South (7273 m), the Glacier Dome, Gangapurna (7454 m), the unclimbed Fang (7647 m), and the fishtail peak of Machapuchare (6997 m).

Although there is only one entrance into the sanctuary itself, we follow the locally known, lesser-used approaches and exit routes on this premier Annapurna Base Camp Trek.

The approach follows the Modi Khola Valley through forests of oak, rhododendron and bamboo, and passes through many Gurung villages while entering this world of soaring peaks.

Even during the flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, we see no less then three 8000 m giants, and we begin the trek after a short drive from Pokhara to Nayapul. We walk through the villages along the Modi River in Birethanti (1000 m) that are flanked by huge oak forests and we cross several side valleys, which run into the Modi Khola, with a climb up the stone staircase to the Gurung village of Chomrong (2060 m). Trekking past Hinku Cave, we reach what is known as the “gate” of the Sanctuary - the mountain pass between the spectacular peaks of Hiunchuli and Machapuchare.

The glaciated and snow covered peaks of the Annapurna Sanctuary form a spectacular barrier with dazzling views as we trek up to the last permanent settlements of Machapuchare Base Camp (3729 m) where we are then rewarded with superb views of Fishtail Mountain. We also visit the Annapurna South Base camp before flying out of the Sanctuary on a chartered helicopter for our return trip to Pokhara.