No wonder the Annapurna Circuit Trek is famous for its key components: picturesque Marshyangdi valley, gigantic Thorong La Pass, and deepest Kali Gandaki Gorge, but for those craving a rewarding trekking experience, some elbow grease into self-purposed exploration off from the trodden trail uncovers concealed cultural and geological gems along the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal. Indeed, these more hidden highlights might not be listed on the Annapurna Circuit Map but usually go unseen by hikers who are just there to “tick off” the major ring, and actually, they are what make a standard Annapurna Round Trek an intimate journey to remember. These breathtaking detours are there to be discovered, but they do take a bit of preparation and a little extra time on your Annapurna Circuit Trek route – as well as an open mind to getting off the beaten track.
Trek Route of Upper Pisang to Manang landscape
Trekkers wanting to avoid and for some of the best views and its peace can’t blindly descend the main (road from Pisang, left, but need to go this way, so take the higher part of their NATT plan today with a high-level route up through Ghyaru & Ngawal, clearly marked on day 9 of our Annapurna Circuit Trek map. This detour avoids the noise and dust of the main road and goes up through an incredibly picturesque, time-warped village to one of the best viewpoints in the region for arguably the most awesome unobstructed, head-on possible experience anywhere(weather permitting), about all the south-facing 6k peaks from the good-looking yet difficult hoe lodge TAPRIGA mamaz inc. Annapurna II & III.
Challenging Ascent to Ice Lake (Kicho Tal)
Extra must-do acclimatization day spent lounging around in Manang proper (or, if you feel like one-upping those who seem to have cast aside any pretensions about hiking up a valley not enormously famous for its food or views and instead can help you forget that you’re somehow still part of the developed world by helicoptering some budget Instant Ramen up there; Bhraka), before we all (well, it’s really just me using “all” at this point) shuffle our feet that little bit further upwards towards something cooler than looking down on sunburnt yaks: Gangapurna Lake.
Hidden away beneath a cairn-strewn ridge reaching out for the sky past 5400 meters is Ice Lake, which works as both an honest-to-goodness, royal mint-produced test case for your body before even considering whether another high pass might waste it over. The tough 5-hour climb up to this occasionally frosted, completely awesome Alpine lake won’t just have you creaking with that ” twinkle in your buckle”, or at the sight of the looming peaks that form its backdrop, but also puts you into position for those two crucial words in all mountaineering lore: “climb high, sleep low” by getting a little better adjusted before you go through hell on the toughy section of the Annapurna Circuit Altitude.
The Perfect Addition to Tilicho Lake Trek
For those with a few more days to spare in their itinerary can make it an overall longer trip encompassing the partial Annapurna Circuit Trekking while adding 2-3 extra days to reach Tilicho Lake which will be worth every extra energy that you put on during this trek as concealed deep inside the Trans Himalayan terrain it is also one of the highest glacial lake in the world at such a high altitude under thr gigantic peaks of Nilgiri and Tilicho Plains – 4919 m/16139 ft. The “excruciating” detour cutting across the fragile slide-prone area to reach Tilicho Base Camp is not a piece of cake, but it exposes you to an entirely darker, lonelier,n d undeniably breathtaking setting so light-years different than other sections of Annapurna Circuit that has you swear it’s hell worth for those additional logistical adds well as the little pinch to your Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost.
Cultural Gompas of Impros, Brag, and Muktinath
However, though Manang is a well-used stop on the way through to Thorong La, very few walkers break their journey here for the side trip out to nearby Braga (also spelled Braka) Monastery – a vast yet ancient gompa hewn into the cliff face high above the valley that pre-dates even the trade trail across Thorong La and contains some of the region’s oldest and most treasured Buddhist relics and wall paintings. After crossing the pass, it is most famous for its temple rather than for the mountains rushing toward the horizon. The sacred complex of Muktinath also houses a lesser-known but equally important monastery — the old Dholamebar Gompa — with its eternal flame fueled by natural gas from the local springs. This too is worth discovering for its interesting history and spirituality, which enrich your cultural experience on the circuit.
Trekking the NATT Trails from Musikhola Valley to Kali Gandaki Valley
After a superb descent over the jeep track—if one can overlook the tarmac intrusion through Kali Gandaki after crossing over Thorong La Pass, ACAP have signposted alternative routes—the NATT trails (New Annapurna Trekking Trails)–simple beaten earth paths with red and white flashes to guide the trekkers–that keep us away from both dust and jeeps as we pass through villages like Kagbeni and Marpha. To turn away instead and avoid all the shortcutting through those quiet, peaceful, and clean local villages shows a descent that keeps itself in immaculate condition (apart from those waypoints on the map) – all for a relaxing Hiking Nepal Annapurna Circuit.
Lower Mustang Villages and their Amenity : Kagbeni: Of course, I cannot forget Kagbeni!
Most of the Short Annapurna Circuit Trek trekkers do not visit traditional Thakali villages, Kagbeni and Marph, a region between Muktinath and Jomsom, where you can experience quite a different culture. Sure, the Lo Mustang is also shown in the Vanapurnaa circuit trek Map/Profiler map. From there, it’s through a medieval citadel of mud-walled shikari security, and into the restricted Upper Mustang, but you may already shrug at Kagbeni: wait or imagine that pretty-white-washed Marpha is dog-chewed about for having cobbled tourist mall but also famous – as everywhere en route seems to be too – for apple brandy, beguiling cultural side swipes largely indiscernible to clock-watchers so far.
The Silent Option of Bhraka Village
If you haven’t done so already, Manang is your acclimatization stop and can be a bit of a tourist trap in high season – Bhraka, just down the road (20-minute walk max, a few minutes on bike or by jeep), is smaller but far more traditional, and I would suggest also quieter for the two nights’ rest instead. The trip then follows returning back up to the main trail and turns westerly into the Pri Hunua River, approaching Bhraka, allowing for a relaxed time with Manangi people and direct access to one of several wayside Tibetan Buddhist-influenced monasteries, which completes a picture-perfect cultural experience that does not compromise on high-attitude conditions.
Concluding: The Rewards of A Full Ransack
The real glory of Annapurna Circuit Trek is not just crossing the pass but unlocking its full account with every nook and cranny being turned, resulting in a worthwhile thing for the one who chose Annapurna Circuit. By design by adding extra days on your Annapurna Circuit Itinerary for the steep climb up Ice Lake or Pilgrimage around Tilicho Lake, visiting ancient gompas and walking closer with New Annapurna Trekking Trails (NATT), you become more than just any average Joe in a Tour of Nepal’s most famous trek out the door again refreshed and having bright understanding about ‘reservation center of what’s mamazing’. From that point, it’s not just about touring.’
