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I'm toying with the idea of doing the Annapurna Circuit at some point in the future. I'd like to hear stories, tips, etc. When is the best time to go? How busy is the circuit? Which way is the better order to do it in? etc etc etc

Thanks!

As for when to go, the clearest air (and nicest views) is in October/November (and the heart of winter, but it's very cold and snowy then.)

March/April is when I walked it, and also has reasonably clear air, and the rhododendron forests are in bloom. Later spring starts to get quite dusty, and summer is monsoon season, which means the trail is empty, but you don't see as much of the mountains.

Starting in Besisahar and finishing in Pokhara is definitely best. Doing it the other way leads to a huge (1600m/1 mile) single-day climb as you go over the Thorong pass, which is not only hard, but can be dangerous.

When I went (and from what I hear, now) it's not very busy, even in peak times. A dozen or so people a day starting out. This has been tough on the tea-house owners. If the political situation in Nepal smooths out look for it to become a lot busier (several locals told me that in better times there were 50-60 people per day starting the trip.)

It's a spectacular walk, probably the most amazing I've ever done. Very highly recommended

Take a look at my blog for a pretty complete story of walking the circuit, which should fill in some more details for you (but don't be discouraged by my snowy day on Throng La. It was somewhat un-seasonable and it would have been possible to wait it out instead of crossing that day.)

thanks, oswiu! i'll definitely check out your blog. the time of year i'm looking at is March-ish as well (not this year, maybe next yr).

I didn't do the whole circuit, just a little piece of it, but I hope you won't mind a few tidbits of info. from me...

I went in March/April as well. Had a little bit of rain/hail, but mostly the weather was grand -- and as oswiu said, the rhododendron are in bloom then and are beautiful.

I did a piece of the Jomsom Trek, which is the last bit of the whole circuit, going counter-clockwise, from the pass down to Pokhara. I met many independent trekkers who had joined up into groups as they did the circuit. If you go by yourself, you won't have any problems meeting people. As you probably know, there are teahouses (guesthouses) all along the Circuit, so a tent is not necessary and accomodations are never a problem.

I am a VERRRY slow walker, so I was loath to join up with other trekkers. I also was not sure I was in shape to carry my own gear up and down all the many steps. So, I hired a female guide/porter from this fabulous company: Three Sisters Adventure Trekking. It's a company founded by three Nepalese sisters to meet two needs: to provide safe guides for women trekking alone, and to provide employment opportunities for village girls. Three Sisters has well-thought-out training programs for local women, giving them both language and guide/tourism skills.

Marisa, I have a feeling that *you* won't need a guide or porter, but I wanted to give Three Sisters a plug anyway as I think they're doing some very valuable work. They also run a lovely guesthouse in Pokhara -- it's a bit away from the action, a 10-15 minute walk from the town centre, but it's quiet, clean, and the staff is wonderful.

That is lovely...girl guides and porters. I remember asking if they were any women porters on Kili. None.

Marisa is a tortoise as well but she is strong! for somebody who is barely 5ft.

Wow I think I might think about this now...you people are very bad giving me new ideas.

lol, I never made it up to 5 ft! pole pole!

wanna go for my 30th?

For your 30th baby we will go to vegas! but it might be close to my 40th..humm doubt I will be able to keep up.

I'm going to spain...for sure. Annapurna will have to wait.

Trivia: Do you know what Annapurna means?