Another Himalayan Adventure!

After months of uncertainty, we finally booked our ticket to Kathmandu! 

Celine and I have been planning to return to Nepal since last year. Levi and Pen's Annapurna Circuit trek was too appealing not to experience for ourselves. An opportunity came when we heard some of the UPM "uncles" were also planning a climbing trip in the Annapurna area, up the Chulu Far East Peak (6000+m), and Dawa suggested we join that group so that everyone's expenses get lower. Unfortunately things didn't pan out for the others, and we were left scouting for other options. 

Along the AC trail (photo: Dream Himalaya Adventures)

We agreed to let the airfare decide on whether we should still go or plan again for Fall 2018 or next year. Since November Thai Airways has not lowered its rate the way we hoped it would, until recently (for the Bangkok-Kathmandu-Bangkok sector only), but even that has not made a big dent on the total travel cost.

Then two weeks ago, a couple of credit card-sponsored travel sales have sprung, and it was time again to test our luck. The BPI-Singapore Airlines promo was a bust (discounted fares did not fit our schedule), but the BDO-Thai Airways promo showed promise. After a few confused tries, I figured out their online booking and was surprised to get a rate that's almost $200 lower! So we scrambled to find someone who has a BDO credit card with some disposable credit limit and finally got our ticket at our preferred dates! 

And so our real preparation has just begun; two months later than ideal. We have to cram all the fitness training and logistical arrangements in a mere 7 weeks! Nevertheless, both of us are fueled with the excitement of going back to the arid and cold, and getting back home in one piece. This will be the first long trip that Celine and I will be taking just the two of us in two years, and the first true couples hiking trip. The only downside is that we won't be able to take Ein with us.

Annapurna Circuit - A Brief Introduction

This is one of the two of the most popular classic treks in Nepal (the other being the Everest Base Camp trek). The trek takes you around the Annapurna range and could exceed a total of 300 kilometers and three weeks to finish, depending on your plans. The main difference this has with the EBC trek is that it offers a more culturally diverse trail, with Hindu, Sherpa, Bon, Tibetan, and other villages along the way. The highest point of the trail is Thorong-La, which, at 5,400 meters, is a formidable barrier for those that have not acclimatized well. 

Developments in the past decade(s) have introduced motor vehicles along the classic trail, and it is now possible to bypass a lot of the villages by riding a bus of chartered jeep if you have a limited time to explore. The trail ends (and sometimes starts) in the beautiful town of Pokhara, which is said to be a more laidback tourist area than now-dusty Thamel in Kathmandu.

Another possible (separate or integrated) trek in the area is to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC),  a shorter but still challenging hike which takes you closer to the 8,000-meter peak of Annapurna as well as the beautiful Machhapuchhre (or Fish-tail Mountain).

Our friends at Dream Himalaya Adventures are offering worry-free packaged treks through the circuit and ABC. It's not too early start planning for your own trip, especially if you want to get the big advance booking discounts on airline tickets.