Best Time to do Annapurna North Base Camp Trek
The optimal time for the Annapurna north base camp trek is in Spring (March-May) and Fall as sunny days, mild temperatures & least rain/snowfall/natural disasters. Will not suggest trekking here during Monson and Winter seasons. Nepal has a Summer Monsoon and in these times it is extremely hard to trek cause of leeches, muddy-slippery trail paths, unclear views & chances of natural disasters like floods, soil erosion, etc. Similarly, during winter, treks are difficult because of severe cold conditions. That being said if you are able to withstand cold weather you can try this journey on even winters.
Altitude Sickness
The north Annapurna Base Camp is at a height of 4068m. You may have altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is a disorder caused by ascent to high altitudes. These symptoms will arise from 6 to up to (definitive)24H after arriving at a significant altitude. Altitude sickness can be lethal and it should not the avoided because if proper care is not taken in time, then delay has fatal results. You have to keep you alert for any symptoms that arise.
The symptoms will be as follows:
Headache
vomiting and nausea
lightheadedness
fatigue
appetite decline
upset stomach
Feeling unstable
Breathlessness Elevated heart rate
Having trouble falling asleep
If you experience any of the symptoms, adhere to the suggestions listed below:
Rest completely until you feel better;
avoid strenuous activity;
drink lots of water;
obtain an external oxygen supply if needed;
take anti-sickness medications; and
refrain from climbing higher for the next 48 hours.
Preventive Measures for Altitude Sickness
Take plenty of rest
Grow tall and slowly rise to ascend
keep yourself hydrated
Eat high-calorie food
Prevent consuming Smoke, alcohol and sedatives
Annapurna North Base Camp Trek Accommodation
In Pokhara and Kathmandu, one finds everything from luxurious resorts, comfortable hotels, budget guesthouses, and lodges, to homestays. But upon going on the trek in, it is only Tatopani and Narchyang that will have any comfortable lodges.
In the trek towards the base camp, as we ascend the mountains, the quantity of the tea houses will lessen. In many places, there is no teahouse/accommodation site available. So, it implies that there shall be accommodation in the form of tents in the wilderness as we go higher. The campsite would be set up by the guide or camping team.
Meals in Annapurna North Base Camp Trek
You can get every type of food/cuisine in the cities like Pokhara. Tatopani and Narchyang serve Nepali, Indian, and Tibetan dishes as well as Continental & Western cuisine. As you trek along the journey you will have the following options breakfast lunch and dinner.
Tibetan bread, pancakes, omelets, porridge, or muesli. Tea, coffee, and boiled water are almost always accessible.
Get used to the typical Nepalese blanket of “Dal Bhat,” It consists of rice, lentils, vegetables, and curry depending upon your eats. Alternatively, there are momos, chow mein, fried rice, pasta, soups, and other types of noodles. We even got guesthouses with some more sample varieties such as pizza, sandwiches, or traditional Gurung and Tibetan kitchens.
Along the path, you can taste or munch on, boiled eggs, popcorn, local bread, biscuits, and chocolates. Some of the dried fruits and nuts are better to be suggested to be bought along as a personal snack pack.
It will be a highly nutritious meal providing you with the fuel needed to climb all day. Once you get to camping, the food will be there but it is manned by your camp team who cook for you. The hikers will not worry about the cleanliness and sanitation of the food that they consume. The food provided in these hotels and tea houses is very safe, delicious, clean, and nutritious and of course, the food prepared by the campers of Himalayan Trekkers is very tasty and healthy as well as safe.
Transportation
We will first take a trip to Beni via Pokhara, which is our starting point for the trek. The international airfare is not included in the costs of the above-listed North Annapurna base camp trek. In case you wish to include a flight to and from Kathmandu, please contact us so that we can adapt your trekking itinerary.
Drinking Water Availability
Bottled mineral water as well as natural bottled Himalayan Springwater along with boiled and filtered Springwater is present in the lower parts. However, once you start trekking, only boiled and filtered Spring water is served in the local teahouses.
There is natural health plain spring tap water through most rivers and steam and tap water. For buying spring water from the villagers, they will charge you reasonably for the boiled congested spring water. You could still go to the source of the Himalayan Spring Water and disinfect it with chlorine drops, UV water sterilizers, or water filter hand pumps, which will be carried by the trekkers themselves.
In the same way, we tell them that they should carry their own refillable water (not in plastic), and purify the water as discussed above or buy it from the villagers as it is environmentally feasible and also helps in benefiting the local economy.
How to obtain Nepal Visa?
For the North Annapurna Base Camp trek, the minimum duration required to complete the trek is 10 days. Get a 15-day visit visa from the nearby Nepal Embassy or get it in the Tribhuvan International Airport, after your arrival.
In order to have that, approach the immigration desk and ask for a form to be filled in for visa application. It is important as well to complete the required fields of the visa application form along with submitting it to an immigration officer. One must provide such documents like photos of passport size, a valid passport in a period not less than six months. Check here for more https://be.nepalembassy.gov.np/tourist-visa/.
The Visa fees is as follows:
15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD
Annapurna North Base Camp Trek Permits
You will require two licenses to trek in the ABC area which are the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project Permit) and TIMS. Of course, the Himalayan Trekkers will take care of issuing and buying necessary permits for you once your documentation applications and payment have been settled.
The ACAP is for a single entry and exit to the Annapurna Conservation Area from where it was issued. In almost the same way, the TIMS card is compulsory when you come across registration checkpoints throughout your planning trek. These two permits are compulsory.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance that also includes Medical Evacuation is a must for all the trekkers thinking of trekking anywhere in Nepal. If some unfortunate things happen then Travel Insurance will help you like bad weather, natural disasters altitude sickness, difficulties during trekking in the mountain region during travel times and physical injury on any robbers or loss of your luggage while traveling phase. so all kind of issues can be solved with this solution. While trekking in the Himalayas, if you need any emergency medical treatment than Travel Insurance is here to save from costing a bomb.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek Clothing List
Down jackets that are warm
Windproof jacket and water resistance
Synthetic fleece with long sleeves (ideally made of windproof material)
Warm undergarments
a scarf, mittens, and a hat
loose-fitting hiking pants that are comfortable
pants with shorts or a skirt
Two cozy wool-blend sock pairs
Two pairs of liner or running socks
appropriate hiking footwear
Flip-flops with running shoes
Two to three T-shirts
bottled water sunglasses
