Annapurna Conservation Area Project was established in 1986. Its aims were to regulate activities within the zone to promote conservation in tandem with community development. The project began work on developing more ecologically sound ways of improving the environment. One major aim was to reduce the destruction of the forests caused by traditional wood-burning cooking; other schemes sought to improve health and hygiene levels, as well as improving basic infrastructure. Bridges, schools, health posts, safe drinking water depots, kerosene dumps and regulation of trekkers have all brought significant benefits to locals and visitors alike. Preservation of the local culture is another key aim, and certainly the monasteries and historic places have seen the results of this sustaining project.
National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC)
PO Box 3712, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal; tel: 977-1-5526571, 5526573; email: [email protected]; www.ntnc.org.np; www.forestrynepal.org.
Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN)
Tel: +977-1-4427473, 4440920, 4440921; email: [email protected]; www.taan.org.np
See also www.welcomenepal.com and www.tourism.gov.np.
Permits for restricted areas
Lo Manthang harvest (Trek 5)
Prospective trekkers planning a trip to Upper Mustang, Damodar Kund or Nar-Phu do now require a company-issued TIMS card. These are normally procured by your trekking agency from the constantly moving immigration office. In addition, the areas require you to take a guide. All places to be visited should be mentioned in your application. Check www.nepalimmigration.gov.np for the latest information.
Upper Mustang
Currently a fee of US$500 is levied for the first 10 days, with an additional US$50 per extra day. However, recent information suggests that the intial fee might soon be lowered to US$100. Do check the relevant website (www.nepalimmigration.gov.np) for the latest information. Trekkers need to be familiar with the rules concerning conservation, ecology and cultural aspects when entering Mustang. Independent trekking in the Mustang region is not yet allowed.
Nar-Phu
Your trekking agent will normally obtain your permit, but if you need to go with him to get it be aware of the following anomalies. The permit is issued for one week, but officials will try to insist that it’s for seven days and only six nights, which immediately causes problems with the itinerary. The permit should have seven days written on it, but the fixed entry and exit dates might reflect the six nights. (Fortunately the checkpost in Koto is much more in tune with reality and automatically allowed us the correct seven-night period, and they also let one trekker in a day earlier than their permit stated. This means you do not need to be bamboozled into paying for another week, unless you plan some extra days for acclimatisation or additional walks from Phu or Nar; crossing the Kang La will not need an extra week.) It’s very unfortunate that extra days cannot be added to this permit, as for Mustang. Theoretically a group must be at least two trekkers, but if you are a lone visitor you can pay double to get the proper papers.
THE EVER-CHANGING REGULATIONS
The trekking regulations have been constantly modified over recent years, so you will need to check the latest changes when planning your trek. Information on the internet is often not up-to-date, so you will need to check in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Even as this guide was going to press, there was talk of changing the rules to require all independent trekkers to take a guide or porter. Further talks continue on this issue, but as yet no law has been passed. Such schemes (usually instigated by the big trekking outfits) have been imposed in the past, but subsequently abandoned with equal speed. Previous schemes actually harmed many small or fledgling local tourist operatives, porters and guides – particularly all those outside the Kathmandu valley. The reason cited for the latest changes is security – mainly because some individuals who trekked alone and off the main trails sadly came to grief. How these new regulations will affect trekking in Nepal is not clear. Information about the independent TIMs cards is also subject to change.
See also:
www.nepalimmigration.gov.np – immigration department for visa and permits
www.timsnepal.com – information on TIMS cards
www.taan.org.np – Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal
When to go
Dhaulagiri from a snowy Kopra Danda (Trek 4)
A trek anywhere in the Annapurna range is best undertaken in either autumn or spring. The autumn period, usually the most stable, is the optimum period for trekking in Nepal and will be the busiest time on the trails. Traditionally early October (after the monsoon) heralded the beginning of this season, but in recent years unsettled weather has prevailed. This has given rise to unseasonable rain, heavy cloud and delays for those flying to Jomsom. After mid-October the weather is usually better, with clearer skies and magical views. The harvest is underway, carpeting the hillsides with fabulous colours. November is often the clearest month, with crisp and clear days likely well into December. December is much colder at higher altitude, but trails are quieter. The stable conditions expected in autumn can occasionally be disrupted – about once every five years – when a storm blows in from the Bay of Bengal, wreaking havoc with heavy snow in the mountains.
Trekking through the winter is perfectly possible, but heading to high altitude during January and early February might mean encountering more cloud, snow and bitterly cold temperatures; minus 20°C has been recorded in Manang. Trekking into the Annapurna Sanctuary then can bring the risk of avalanche, so check locally with the lodges before proceeding up the Modi Khola. Crossing the Thorong La on the Circuit is also risky – heavy snow makes this dangerous, with a risk of avalanche even before the pass is reached.
The spring trekking season runs from late February to early May. The weather is generally stable, although clouds are likely to cover the mountains more often, and it will be hotter and quite muggy in the lower valleys. Haze is another factor for those who want their mountains crisp and clear for photography. Trekkers interested in flowering plants always favour the spring, when the rhododendrons and magnolia are spectacular. Wind tends to be a factor at this time of year, particularly closer to the Tibetan plateau, north of Manang or Muktinath.
Trekking at the height of summer, July and August, is not recommended and is totally frustrating for those hoping to see mountain vistas. Cloud, rain and snow can be expected at any time from mid-June to mid-September. The monsoon also brings landslides, leeches and flooding – so forget it, or keep to the lowest foothills around Pokhara.
OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS
1 January New Year
19 February Democracy Day
