How to prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek

  • Taralal Dharel ( Hari )
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Mt Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world and its base camp is the adventure walk in the world. Annapurna Base Camp Trek takes you to the Lap of the Mt Annapurna with the beautiful experience of Himalayan flora and fauna, picturesque village in-rich with culture, religion and tradition, gorges, diverse landscapes and many more.

A trek to Annapurna Base Camp is the lifelong dream of the visitor of the world because of this trek with combined with the gorgeous views of Mt Manaslu, Mt Dhaulagiri, Mt Himchuli and many more and charming village. It is the perfect package of the beautiful walk along with landscapes, villages, flora, and fauna, one can make the beautiful vacation trip by being far from the hustle and bustling life of the city. This trek is very suitable for group trekking, solo, traveler, hikers.

Though ABC trek is the moderate trek one should be How to prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek to make the vacation trip for memorable and interesting.

Preparation of ABC Trek

Table of Content

Some tips How to Preparing for Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Here are the top 17 tips How to Preparing for Annapurna Base Camp Trek. If you are planning to make the adventure trek to Annapurna Base Camp then join one of our trek which takes you through the Poon Hill, Ghorepani and another famous place of the region. Here are some tips for the Annapurna Base Camp which helps to make your trek success, beautiful and interesting. Nepal Hiking Trek provides the many treks in Annapurna region like Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna circuit trek and many more. We have the 100% success rate to Annapurna Base Camp. So make the adventure trek plan with the Nepal Hiking Trek we will provide you with the expert guide. Quality service and many more.

Tip 1 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Physical training

Annapurna Base Camp Trek is moderate in the trek difficulties. You do not require other trekking experience and knowledge. Anyone with different age, capacity, skill, knowledge can complete this trek. However, the Annapurna Base Camp is at high altitude so that some strong preparation should be done. Normally during the hike to the mountain region, one should walk 4-5 hours per day. To improve your walking skills you should walk downhill and uphill for a month before booking the trip to Annapurna Base Camp. Do swimming, exercise, yoga for a week to increase your strength, to be calm during the trip.

Tip 2 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Visa

Visa card is very important to enter in Nepal and you keep safe while preparing the vacation trip to Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal. You can get your visa card on the arrival from Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal. During the peak season like March-June and September-December you may sit in a long Queue to get your visa, you can also easily get your visa in advance from the embassy of Nepal, in your own country.

Poon Hill View- ABC Trek

Tip 3 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Best time to trek

The best season to trek Annapurna Base Camp is from March-June and from September-November. March –June falls in the local spring season which is the best and beautiful months to enjoy the vacation with the perfect weather for the clear views of the gorgeous and magnificent snow-capped mountain and diverse landscapes, lush green forest, blooms rhododendrons on the way to Annapurna Base Camp.

September- Mid December falls in the local autumn season which the peak season to trek in Nepal in Annapurna region. It is the perfect time with the perfect weather and clear views of the snow-capped mountain, opportunity to enjoy the local culture, tradition, cultural program with the fantastic views of the Himalayan flora and fauna, diverse landscapes and many more. The suitable season for you also should include while preparing for the Annapurna Base Camp.

Tip 4 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Trekking Permits

For the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, you required two types of trekking permits. They are TIMS and ACAP.

TIMS (Transport Information Management System is very necessary from every trekker to come to trek in Nepal. You can make TIMS card in Kathmandu and Pokhara. If you are trekking individuals you should pay 2000 Rupees while making TIMS card and while you are trekking with the agency you should only pay 1000 Rupees.

ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Permits) is needed for every trekker come to trek Annapurna Region.  You will walk through the forest areas of the Annapurna region in some part of the trek which falls under the conservation area and some parts of the permits money go to the fund for the conservation of the Annapurna region. You can make this permit easily in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Never tries to skimp on the permits as they are checked in the checkpoint or you may ask to disclose these permits. You will be fined and made to buy these permits which may cost higher comparatively made in Kathmandu or Pokhara. So you should be well prepared for TIMS and ACAP from Annapurna Base Camp.

Tip 5 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Mentally preparation

You should be mentally fit and fine while preparing a plan for the Annapurna Base Camp. Depending on how comfortable you are outdoor in the remote region and have to prepare mentally for yourself. Luckily I am the nature lover and love to be outdoors, involve in traveling and camping and very comfortable with the mountain life and camping but however some love all four season then campsite so they should be also well prepared for. In the Annapurna Base Camp, all the accommodation is in the tea house. They are not luxury and you have to share the room with your friends, there is no option for the hot shower and many more, the toilet condition is also unique so that you should be well prepared from all these. During the route, you may not find the teahouse and other washroom facilities so you also should be prepared to go outdoor and should be walking 5-6 hour a day with your backpacks and there may not available wifi, air-conditioning, and your many requirements. So you should well be prepared for this all things also don't expect the good accommodation facilities in the High altitude area.

At Annapurna Base Camp

Tip 6 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp: Equipment, Gears, and Supplies

All treks in high altitude required good gears and equipment to enjoy every moment of the journey without any disturbance of your problems, weather, climate, and temperature. Some of the basic things you should be prepared for Annapurna Base Camp

  • Good and Waterproof hiking shoes which always support you in the walk to the terrains every day and the good hiking socks which protect your feet from the frostbite and cold.

  • Good and warm jackets. Every tea house or lodge may not have heater facilities in the room so to keep your body warm you should have a warm jacket. You can only expect an indoor fireplace.
  • Sleeping bags will help you in the cold night in the high altitude region.
  • A good water bottle and water purification tablets. Dehydration can occur quickly and cause irritation, headache, rashes in the upper region. You may find some water station but this water is not very pure and can cause many harmful diseases so you should carry some water purification tablet during the trek.
  • Sunhat and sunglasses. Sunburn and occurs more quickly in the upper region of the trek.
  •  So make the all personal required goods, gear, equipment, and supplies safely you can purchase and also rent at affordable prices in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Tip 7 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp: With or without the guide

Annapurna Base Camp route is the most populated route in Nepal and also moderate trek so you can go with or without the guide.

It is recommended to hire the guide while trekking in Nepal. A guide does not only help you not to get lost in the Trek, the guide is your mutual friends throughout the trek, but they also share each and every information about the place you are hiking, make familiar about the remote culture, tradition, and religion, Himalayan flora and fauna, landscapes. A guide will improve your experience by making familiar with the local, their lifestyle.

 But without a guide, you may not collect all these experience during the trekking.

Only hire the guide from the licensed gained trekking agencies and proper check the guide to be safe.

It is highly recommended you to get the travel insurance that covers trekking and other emergency packages. This is for your safety for the weather condition of Nepal is Unpredictable, it can change anywhere, anytime so travel insurance is needed to stay safe from the hassles and problems that may arise from a loss of baggage, travel postponement, cancellation and so on.

ABC Trek- meal with guide

However, travel insurance should be done in your own country.

Tip 8 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Itinerary

Choose the perfect itinerary that is comfortable for you. The itinerary that you choose will let you have the right number of the days for you the comfortably and safely enjoy your Annapurna Base Camp Trek. If it is your first experience in the walk to the high altitude or never trekked the continuously for a long day then I suggest you chose an itinerary that provides with the acclimatization. These days will provide you with complete rest, will help to maintain your body adjust and fit the high altitude and also prevent from the different sickness and problems.

Tip 9 for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Accommodation

You can choose from a wide range of accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara with modern facilities like wi-fi, air-condition, bathrooms and many more.

But on the trail, you may have to choose from the limited, tea house and lodges where you have to share the room with your friends and may not include the facilities of the hot shower, air-condition, toilet and many more. Though the wifi is being very popular in the world as the important means of the communication you may not finds this in every lodges and teahouse in the high altitude region so for using it you should pay a certain amount you should also pay for the charging your electronic device. So I recommended carrying a power bank to up to date with your families, avoid to carry your other unnecessary device like headphone, laptop, tablets. These devices consume your money during the trek.

 But as the increasing of the trekkers and travelers every year in Nepal the quality of the service is also going better.

Tip 10 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Food and water

In the lower region, Kathmandu, and Pokhara you can choose from the wide varieties of food and water. Like you can get the continental, Chinese, Nepali, Indian, Newari and many more in food and in water selection, you can get coconut water, boiled and cold water and so on.

On the trail you may not get the option your choice will be limited to the local food Dal and Bhat(rice with lentils)and roti(Flat Bread) and some vegetables and for water, you are suggesting t bring the water purification systems or tablets for pure and safe water.

You may find open water taps, waterfalls along with the trial but you are not recommended to drink them directly use water tablet (iodine) or filters just in the necessary case. Boiled water is available but you should pay a certain amount which can be increased as the increase in the altitude.

Tip 11 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: High Altitude Sickness

View From Poon Hill

High altitude sickness is the very common sickness of the traveler trekking in the high reason so before trekking, to the mountain region, you should be well prepared for these, consult with the doctor and collect more information as you can about the high altitude sickness. This will help you to notice the symptoms, to take care of it and the necessary steps if they occur. Don't ignore the symptoms of the high altitude sickness as they can lead to serious problems or to the death if they are not cured immediately. So always be very careful while trekking to the high altitude region.

Tip 12 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp: Fill the extra space; bring the treat for the small children

One of my favorite parts of the trek is walking through the local villages where people spend their whole life. When I have trekked to mountain region I will fill my bags with a few things to the local children like books, copy, pencils, color box, crayons, small toys, sweets, and so on. The children will be very happy and grateful by seeing these goods and these make me happy. By sharing the needed things with the children helps to put a smile in our face. So to enjoy every moment of the journey with the smiling face throughout the trek carries some education goods for the children. By doing the small contribution to the village helps you to collect and gain lots of happy moments, experience and many more.

Tip 13 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Stay out of the sun for Annapurna Base Camp

As you reach the high altitude the lower you got the UV protection.  Some days on the trial the sun can be brutal and giving the harmful solar radiation. Staying out of the sun is not for protecting your face from the wrinkles, from the skin cancer but for the beautiful and memorable success of the trek. When you get sunburned you can be dehydrated, being dehydrated can cause all short of the problems so to protect yourself and enjoy the very moment of the trek you should be far from the sun or also you can use sun cream to protect your body from the harmful rays, sunglasses to protect your eyes from the direct contact with the sun and light and comfortable dresses during the trek.

Hike to ABC

Tip 14 for Annapurna Base Camp Don't be afraid for the normal headache

You will get some sort of headache at some stage during the trial. Many visitors and travelers face this problem. A bad headache is common in the altitude and had to learn to manage and control it. One of the best ways to control this headache is by drinking plenty of water. The main cause of the headache is due to the dehydration. So drink a lot of water which help to lessen your headache. And another preventive measure is to add Disprin to each morning and another each evening it will help us by slightly thin out the blood and help to reduce the headache caused by the thickening of the blood at the high altitude. We normally experience this headache in the high altitude so don't be afraid but if the headache gets very extreme and limit your ability of eating, sleep, think and walk in the mountain you may need to search for the medical attention.

Tip 15 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek: Hydration is the key

While trekking in the high altitude tries to keep hydration as it is your top priorities. At high altitude, your body gets more dehydrated as in the low altitude and you will have to drink plenty of water to remain healthy. I recommended drinking around five liters of water throughout the days during the mountain region. While I am trekking to the mountain region I used to drink more than 5 liters of the water, while I used to trek a liters before breakfast and lunch and also drinking before starting the trek and throughout the route but I never used to drink lots of water during the evening or night time, we should rust to the washroom in every 30 minutes and can disturb our dreams and make us lazy while walking but do remember that to be safe from each and every problem you should drink plenty of waters.

Tip 16 How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Slow and steady is also the key to the success of the trek. Don't be more excited while trekking in the mountain region to enjoy every moment of the trek you should walk slow and steady. If you are trekking in the mountain for the first time you should choose the itinerary that includes more acclimatization days to make the trek more interesting and memorable and also to be far from the sickness and the major difficulties during the walk. You will not get the equal amount of oxygen in the altitude and you may face different killing diseases, so walk slowly experiencing the Himalayan flora and fauna, cultural village, their lifestyle and other natural and cultural beauty of the mountain with sharing with your friends.

Some extra tips for How to Prepare for Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Take the photo along the way as well as the Annapurna Base Camp.  You can capture the gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountain in the high altitude, remote lifestyle and in the lower regions, blossoms of the red and white rhododendron, local people tradition, culture, waterfalls, Himalayan flora, and fauna.

Choose the best season which fit you with best weather condition for the comfortable trek and to enjoy the gorgeous views of the world iconic peaks without any disturbance.

Carry both summer and winter clothes as the weather condition in Nepal is unpredictable. A beautiful morning can turn into the stormy and nigh can turn to cold but don't carry heavy clothes in the summer it is good to wear clothes in the layers.

Trekkers at ABC

Carry some snacks for the trek sometimes it needs to get the extra energy to climb the high altitude.

Include some extra days in the trek for the weather condition of Nepal is unpredicted it can change anywhere, anytime and you can postpone you trek for the days or you can also enjoy your favorite place and enjoy your journey.

Don't trek with the tight schedule; the weather is quite unpredicted at the mountain region so keep an extra day aside to use in the needed.

Conclusion: Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Preparation is required from every trek to the high altitude region. Though Annapurna Base Camp Trek is the populated, moderate trek and everyone can complete this trek with the lots of the experience and memories but you should be prepared and train yourself to walk uphill or high altitude 4-6 hours a day. Walk slow and steady is the key of every trek in the mountain region. This trek will be fruitful for the very trekkers.

There are many trials in the Annapurna region you can choose anyone that you are comfortable and satisfy. You can also contact us for any question regarding the trekking in Nepal.

Always remember just to relax and enjoy the each and every moment of the journey and don't give any space in your mind for the stress over the duration of time you are taking to complete the trek or don't compare your speed with other. Trek is not for the competition it is for collecting the memories, to enjoy the very moment of life. Be well prepared for the Annapurna Base Camp and plan the trip with Nepal Hiking Trek. If you want to know or ask any question please mail us: info@nepalhikingtrek.com

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