Annapurna I is the highest peak at 8091 m in the 55 kilometers long Annapurna Massif in the Himalayas located in North-Central Nepal. The name “Annapurna” is derived from the Sanskrit words “Anna” meaning “Food/grains” and “Purna” meaning “full”. Annapurna is also referred to as a goddess in Nepal and is highly believed and prayed by Newar communities.
The first ascent to Annapurna I, also the first ascent to any 8000 m was made by Maurice Herzog from the French Expedition team in 1950 via the North face. The grand Annapurna Massif houses 1 peak over 8000 m, 13 peaks over 7000 m, and 16 peaks over 6000 m making it a wonderful stretch of giant snowy line which is equally eye-pleasing. Limited towards the west by Dhaulagiri separated by Kali Gandaki Gorge, towards the north and east by Marshyangdi river, and towards the south by beautiful Pokhara Valley, Annapurna I covers about 7629 sq. kilometers of the area including the mesmerizing Annapurna Sanctuary, adventurous Annapurna Circuit, and numerous world-class trekking destinations. The first and largest conservation area of Nepal, Annapurna Conservation Area also lies within this area.
As majestic as it looks, Annapurna I is one of the most difficult climbs with a huge fatality rate. Despite being the 10th highest mountain in the world, it is still the least climbed peak among other 8000ers. The extremely sloppy south face, the wall of rock rising above 3000 m and risks of avalanches due to unpredictable snowfall during any season make it one of the treacherous peaks that even the veterans must be careful during the climb.
Annapurna I Expedition also requires an extremely fit body and mental strength. One must have high experience of high altitude mountaineering and adequate knowledge of all technicalities of climbing. As we will also be spending a number of days in the isolated regions, prepare yourself well.
Best season for Annapurna Expedition
The best season for any trip to the Himalayas is in Spring, Summer, and Pre Autumn when the weather is at its best with clear skies, less extreme temperatures, green lush forests, the beauty of floras, and faunas. It is also quite difficult to climb Mt. Annapurna in the winter season for its technicality and extremely unpredictable weather. So, if you want to get the best out of your travel package, make sure you book your holiday in the best seasons.
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival In Kathmandu And Rest At The Hotel (1400 M)
Upon your arrival at the airport for the Annapurna Expedition with Eight K, you will need to complete your immigration procedures. As soon as you are done, one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the arrivals gate with your name card. Then you will be escorted to the hotel booked for you to rest and relax. You may go out to Thamel in the evening for refreshments.
Altitude 1400 m
Meals N/A
Accommodation 3-5 Star Hotel
DAY 2: Expedition Preparation, Official Formalities, And Briefing
Day two has been allocated for official formalities and documentation. We will obtain necessary permits, complete all formal procedures and conduct a briefing about the overall expedition.
Altitude1400 m
MealsBreakfast
Accommodation3-5 Star Hotel
DAY 3: Fly From Kathmandu To Pokhara (822 M)
On the third day, we will also have a wonderful breakfast and drive to the airport. Then we fly to the beautiful city, Pokhara. With the aerial view of cities, hills, lakes, and snow-capped mountains, we will reach Pokhara within 30 minutes. The rest of the day will be spent in the outskirts of Pokhara and Lakeside.
Altitude822 m
MealsBreakfast
Accommodation3-5 Star Hotel
DAY 4: Drive From Pokhara To Dana (1200 M)
We wake up early in the morning and have a fulfilling breakfast. Then we will drive to Dana in Myagdi District. After about a 3-4 hours drive on a rugged path, we will finally reach Dana to rest overnight.
Altitude1200 m
MealsBLD
AccommodationLodge/Teahouses
DAY 5: Fly From Dana To Annapurna I Base Camp (4190 M)
After a night’s rest at Dana, we will take a helicopter flight to the Annapurna Base Camp. Taking a flight will save our time of trekking and also save our energy for the climb. Our team will set up tents for the kitchen, bedroom, dining, and shower. They will also prepare nutritious meals for us. We will prepare for the expedition
Altitude 4190 m
Meals BLD
Accommodation Lodge/Teahouses
DAY 6-37: Climbing Period (Base Camp To Summit To Base Camp)
On day 6 we will perform a prayer ceremony before starting our climb. It is believed that goddess Annapurna will bless us with her blessings as we pray. Meanwhile, our crew will set up fixed ropes along the climbing route. We will also conduct multiple rotations around the higher camps and back to the base camp. This will not only train us on the snow and ice but also acclimatize us and prepare us for the ultimate climb. Enjoying the nutritious meals prepared by our highly experienced cooks, we will wait for favorable weather to push for the summit climb.
On the summit day, we will start early at midnight and have a fulfilling breakfast. Following the fixed-line set up by our crew, we will slowly ascend until we conquer the Summit.
As we reach the Summit, we will also be blessed with the panoramic views of beautiful snow-capped giants like Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchre and other significant peaks of the Annapurna massif.
Then, we will slowly descend back to the base camp and prepare to leave.
Altitude 8091 m
Meals BLD
Accommodation Full Board Camp Service
DAY 38: Helicopter Flight From Annapurna Base Camp To Dana (1200 M)
As we clean up the base camp and pack up all our expedition equipment, a helicopter will also be on standby which will take us to Dana.
Altitude1200 m
MealsBLD
AccommodationLodge/Teahouses
DAY 39: Drive From Dana To Pokhara And Fly Back To Kathmandu
On this day, we will spend our morning in the beautiful Dana village. After scrumptious breakfast, we will drive to Pokhara. We may spend our day in Pokhara or fly back to Kathmandu via a domestic flight enjoying all the beautiful scenery from a birds-eye view.
Altitude1400 m
MealsBreakfast And Lunch
Accommodation3-5 Star Hotel
DAY 40: Leisure Day In Kathmandu
This is the day to explore the capital city, Kathmandu. You may go sightseeing around the outskirts of Kathmandu with our city tour guide. We have numerous World Heritage Sites like Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, Bouddhanath Stupa, Thamel, Basantapur Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan area, and many more. Evening shall be dedicated to the farewell dinner organized by the Eight K expedition at a typical Nepali restaurant.
Altitude1400 m
MealsBreakfast And Farewell Dinner
Accommodation3-5 Star Hotel
DAY 41: Final Departure
After a wonderful journey to the beautiful Annapurna mountain, we will bid you farewell with souvenirs from the company. One of our representatives will drop you off at the airport 3 hours prior to the scheduled flight time for your departure.
Thank you for joining us in this extremely adventurous journey to the treacherous peak, Mt Annapurna.
Altitude 1400 m
Meals Breakfast
Accommodation N/A
Includes
- International and Domestic Airport-Hotel-Airport transfers in Nepal
- 3 nights hotel accommodation in hotel in Kathmandu and 1 night in Pokhara on bed and breakfast basis
- Schedule flight Kathmandu-Pokhara-Dana-Pokhara-Kathmandu for members,
- Schedule flight for Kathmandu-Pokhara-Dana-Pokhara-Kathmandu for Liaison Officer,
- Member personal climbing equipment Kathmandu-Pokhara-Dana-Pokhara-Kathmandu (max 60 kg)
- Full Board food, lodging during trekking to base camp and back to Dana after Expedition
- Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Fees
- A professional climbing Sherpa guide per member during summit attempt and during climbing
- 7 Oxygen bottles (4 liters.) per member with top-out Mask and Regulator.
- Climbing Sherpa oxygen 3 cylinders ( 4 liters ) per Sherpa
- All staff KTM-Base Camp-KTM transportation
- Common climbing equipment (necessary rope, ice bars, ice screws, etc.)
- Clean Mountain bags
- Solar Power at Base Camp and Camp II.
- Satellite Phone available at Base Camp ( with nominal charge per use)
- The facility of Internet service and recharge cards with a nominal charge
- Daily Weather Report Services
- Medical consultation services at the Base Camp with the (HRA) clinic
- High Altitude tents: Single Tent in the Base Camp while in upper camps, the tent shall be shared with 2-3 climbers
- All food and fuel for Base Camp and higher camps during Expedition as per the schedule
- Services of cook and kitchen boy at Base Camp and Cook at higher Camps.
- Kitchen tent, Stores tent, Dining Tents, Toilet Tents, Shower Tent, Tables and chairs, cooking utensils for Base Camp and camp II,
- Insurance for Climbing Sherpas, Cooks, Liaison Officer, and local porters as well as Equipment,
- Allowances and wages for Climbing Sherpas, cooks, kitchen boys, and Government Liaison Officers.
- Base Camp single tent with mattress and pillow for each member, Climbing Sherpa, BC staffs, and Liaison Officer Tents
- Solar panel at Base Camp for light and charging small electronics. (Eg. mobile phones, amateur digital cameras, and handheld video cameras).
- Personal solar-powered light at each tent per member at the Base Camp in the evening,
- Transportation of food and equipment supply to Base Camp from Kathmandu
- Heaters in the base camp in the dining tent
- Fresh vegetable supply from Pokhara or Kathmandu
- Special high foods for members and sherpas as per requirements of your choice in Kathmandu
- Summit and Higher Camp Route fix charge,
- Emergency oxygen during the expedition in the Base Camp and Higher Camps,
- First Aid kit ( For special medicine or internal medicine please seek advice from your doctor and prepare accordingly)
- 1 Walkie-talkie for each climber while climbing,
- Garbage deposit Shipment Charges
- Company service charge
- Mt. Annapurna Expedition Royalty fee and all official formalities of all documents for climbing Mt. Annapurna
- Oxygens cylinder and mask regulators,
- Route fixing charge
Exclude
- Applicable fees and local taxes (VAT 13%) imposed by Nepal government
- International flight tickets from/to your country.
- Nepal Entry visa fee that can be obtained at the airport upon arrival,
- Lunch and Dinner during the stay in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- An extended stay in a hotel after 3-nights in Kathmandu.;
- Your Personal Climbing Equipment,
- Extra cost incurred due to Personal member’s baggage exceeding 60 k.g,
- Buy special Insurance such as travel, accident, medical, emergency evacuation by helicopter in case of need during the Annapurna Expedition
- Charges for Commercial Filming and Drone Permit if needed,
- International airport departure tax at Kathmandu Airport.
- Expenses of a personal nature such as hard and soft drinks, laundry, postage, telephone, wifi, etc,
- Extra oxygens other than 7 bottles,
- Climbing Sherpa summit bonus for Annapurna $1500,
- Tips for staffs cook in the Base Camp $250 at minimum that will be collected in the Base Camp,
- Camp 2 cook tips minimum $100,
- Any other extra expenses other than mentioned in the Cost Includes section,
- Any unforeseeable risks that can arise during the mountaineering,
Trip NotePlease
do remember these things.
Trekking and mountain climbing in the Annapurna region are highly dependent on weather conditions. We try to schedule our trips at the most favorable time but in case of extreme scenarios, domestic flights to Pokhara and Dana may be delayed or canceled. In cases as such, we would like to notify you that except for the total number of days in the itinerary section, expenses of other extra days shall be borne by the client himself/herself. However, EEN will make necessary arrangements for the accommodation of porters and guides. If you wish to make alternative arrangements such as a helicopter flight to avoid flight delays, we can arrange it at a nominal extra charge.
Also, EEN shall not be liable for any compensation for losses due to missed International Flights but we will surely help to make necessary arrangements to minimize your loss. To avoid missing flights, we suggest keeping some flexible time frames before trip departure and after trip departure.
Also be notified that as we will be traveling in remote areas with extreme climatic conditions and geography where trails can be distorted at times, we might need to adjust our itineraries as required. But we assure you that the quality of service shall not be compromised at any cost.
Cost of Expedition
Expedition costs vary depending on factors including: group size, royalty and permit costs in different seasons, category of hotel accommodation, numbers of Sherpa’s allocated and equipment, type of arrangement and package customization. So, we would like to discuss with our client before offering the cost. Please feel free to contact EEN for any information about in your selected package.
Thank you for joining us on our Expedition!!