Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill

Pokhara is the “Tourist Hub” of Nepal surrounded by magnificent Annapurna Ranges, beautiful landscapes, lakesides, and rich cultural heritage. Pokhara is a gateway to many trekking trails in the Annapurna region. For many trekkers, Pokhara is a stopover to rest and relax before beginning their trekking journey. Pokhara can be easily accessible through a 40-minute domestic flight. If you have ample time, direct bus access between Kathmandu and Pokhara takes 6-7 hours. Else, book a cab if you wish for stress-free travel.

Poon Hill is a beautiful hill station that falls in the Annapurna Conservation Area. Poon Hill Trek is in the west of Kathmandu, located in the Kaski District in Gandaki Province of Nepal. Poon Hill Ghorepani Trek, popularly known as “The Annapurna Sunrise Trek” is very famous among Trekkers. Admire the lush green vegetation, verdant forests, huge rhododendron forest, and terraced slopes en route to the trail. Enjoy the sunrise and stunning panoramic views of the Annapurna Ranges including Annapurna I, II, III, IV, Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri I, II, Machhapuchhre, Dhampus Peak, Hiuchuli, Gangapurna, Manaslu and Lamjung Himal from the viewpoint. The warm hospitality of the Gurung and the Magar inhabitants is impressive.

Accommodation in the Annapurna region is mainly teahouses or lodges which are fairly developed and relatively comfortable. You can get additional facilities like hot water, Wi-Fi, attached bathrooms, and laundry in the Ghorepani and Jhinu Danda. One can get basic facilities and services even at high altitudes. You can get a bucket full of hot water for a shower, heaters, and blankets during the winter season. On cold nights, to keep the room warm there is a fire in the commonplace.

Make sure you ask for the availability of working electrical outlets, and Wi-Fi before taking a room on the Annapurna Base Camp trail. The fully-functional teahouses are owned by local families there. You can interact with them and learn about a different culture, and community and also share some stories with friendly locals. Be humble and respect the local norms while staying in these places.

Meals in the Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poonhill are healthy and suitable for trekkers to provide them energy throughout the trek. Trekkers can enjoy authentic Nepalese cuisine prepared from organic ingredients. The primary dish is Nepali Dal Bhat alongside curry and choices of a variety of international cuisine (Tibetan, Continental, Italian, Indian, etc.) The meal prices differ as you go higher and you have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the destined stopover at teahouses. You can also buy snacks or chocolate bars at small shops around there.

Drinking water is easily available on your trek to the Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill . You can fill boiled water in bottles at the teahouses or directly from the freshwater streams straight from the Himalayas. You should carry water purification agents (chlorine tablets) to perform your water treatment and just to be safe. Thankfully, plastic water bottles are prohibited in the Annapurna Conservation Area, and having your own water bottle makes it easy. Keep yourself hydrated to prevent altitude sickness while trekking.

The phone network is stable till Chhomrong. As we trek further, the phone networks are unstable. In some places, you may find a clear phone network. But no worries as you can interact with your loved ones with the Wi-Fi facility. The internet and Wi-Fi facilities are installed in most of the teahouses and lodges of Annapurna region trails.

Rapid technological development has made it possible to connect with our family and friends more easily. You can enjoy the internet and Wi-Fi facility even in the 7-Day Annapurna Base Camp Trek. Most of the lodges and teahouses have installed connections that are fairly smooth for the most part. Due to difficult topographies and technical problems, some places do not have internet facilities. Some lodges may charge money for Wi-Fi service. You can access the internet in Annapurna Base Camp via Sim Card Internet and buy data packages and use them. Getting close to the Annapurna Base Camp and witnessing panoramic views of the Annapurna ranges is a lifetime experience. So, forget about the internet connection for a while and lose yourself in the lap of the mountain.

Ghorepani Poon Hill trek route, Ghandruk trekking route, and Dhampus trekking route are three major trekking routes to reach the Annapurna Base Camp. Chhomrong village is the gateway to the Base Camp and all these routes lead to the Chhomrong. You trek via Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek in this 13-day trek with the itinerary created by the expert guides and trekking operators of Hillary Step Treks. You have a sunrise view from the Poon Hill viewpoint and start the trek to Chhomrong village via Chuile.

You require to get permits to trek in the Annapurna Base Camp. All treks in the Annapurna Sanctuary National Park require Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) permit. These mandatory permits can be purchased at the tourism office. The ACAP permit costs NPR 3000 and TIMS costs NPR 2000. For SAARC nationals, the ACAP and TIMS permit is NPR 1000 and NPR 600 respectively. Both ACAP and TIMS permit can be used for all applicable treks until it has an exit stamp on them.

Travel Insurance is very important for all travelers/trekkers. Travel Insurance is a safety net against the risk of unforeseen circumstances. It safeguards against medical expenses and other travel-related expenses and makes your tour hassle-free. One must confirm that the travel insurance covers an altitude of above 4000 meters. Medical extremities, luggage loss, theft, flight cancellations, etc. must be covered. Be sure to get appropriate travel insurance before your travel.

Annapurna Base Camp trek is easy for experienced trekkers but moderately tough for other new trekkers. We commend you to attempt short hikes comprised of steep ascends and descends before trekking to the Annapurna Base Camp. Anyone with average physical fitness but with proper guidance and planning can accomplish the trek. First-time trekkers should experience the trek during the season as you encounter many other trekkers and it would be easy. If trekkers have a positive attitude and strong restraint, they can complete the trekking easily. A pleasant trekking experience if you have a guide and porter to accompany you.

Altitude sickness is common for trekkers heading over 3000 m as trekkers ascend and descend multiple times during the trek. Thus, acclimatization days are thoughtfully scheduled to get proper rest for your body. The primary symptom of altitude sickness are headache, nausea, breathlessness, vomiting, and in extreme cases hallucinations and unconsciousness. Only a few percent of trekkers suffer from altitude sickness and proper caution can let you be safe here. Make sure you let your guides know if you have any of the primary symptoms. Some key points to avoid altitude sickness are:

• Do warm-up hikes and stretching before starting the journey for the day.
• Drink an adequate amount of water. Keep rehydrating at regular intervals. It is best to drink a liter every hour you’ve walked then. Set yourself to urinate further throughout the day and night.
• Get plenty of rest & sleep. Don’t push yourself too much while walking. The key is to ascend slowly and gradually. You should trek slowly and gradually.
• You need to have an applicable balanced diet throughout the journey. Avoid too-much salty food and alcohol throughout the trek.
• If necessary take the capsules for Altitude sickness by consulting with your guide. If you feel too uncomfortable descend immediately.

The beauty of this trek is that you can trek all around the year. All seasons have their own beauty and you can experience different in different seasons. But still, Autumn (mid-September-October-November) and Spring (mid-March-April-May) are considered the best seasons. The clear weather, fully-functioned teahouses, and plenty of daylight make your trekking perfect. Off-season trekking is available for experienced trekkers. We recommend you do methodical planning and medications while trying to complete the Annapurna Base Camp during any time of the year.

Trekking is one of the adventurous things to do. It is fun, exciting, and memorable if done properly and with complete equipment. Thus, an equipment checklist is essential to make your trip hassle-free and remarkable. Our HST representative provides you with the necessary equipment checklist and mostly preferred lightweight and they are mentioned below:

Cloths: –

• sleeved T-Shirt (merino wool)
• Long-sleeved T-shirt (merino wool)
• Trekking Trousers (preferably with zip-off shorts)
• Belt
• Underwear (merino wool) x 3
• Sports Bra (merino wool) x 2
• Trekking Socks (merino wool) x 3
• Liner Socks (optional) x 3
• Fleece Down Jacket
• Waterproof Jacket
• Waterproof Trousers
• Silk Leggings (for winter/high altitude)
• Hiking Boots/Shoes (+ insoles)
• Gloves x 2 (thin + thick)
• Hat x 2 (sun hat + warm hat)
• Buff Sunglasses (+ spare pair)
• Trousers (for evening)
• Thermal Tank Top (for winter/high altitude)
• Long-sleeved Thermal Top (for evening/sleeping)
• Thermal Leggings (for evening/sleeping)
• Socks (for evening)
• Sandals (for evening)

Trekking Gear:

• Backpack + Waterproof Cover
• Duffel Bag (if trekking with porter)
• Waterproof Backpack Liner
• Trekking Poles
• Water Bottle(s) / Bladder
• Headtorch (+ batteries/charging cable)
• Microspikes (if trekking in snowy/icy areas)
• Gaiters

Guest House Gear:-

• Sleeping Bag
• Silk Liner Eye Mask & Ear Plugs
• Travel Towel Scrubba & Suds (for laundry, optional)
• Washing Line (optional)
• Packable Bag (optional)
• Penknife + Repair Kit/Tape

Electronic:-

• Travel Adapter
• Power Bank + Charging
• Portable Solar Panel (optional)
• Camera + SD Card + Batteries +
• Charging Unit + Charging Cable
• Phone + Charging Cable

Hygiene and First Aid:-

• Steripen + Filter (or similar) / Water Purification Tablets
• Insect Repellent
• Sunscreen (face + body + lips)
• Hand Sanitiser
• Wet Wipes
• Toilet Paper
• Toothbrush + Toothpaste
• Soap
• Shampoo
• Moisturiser
• Deodorant
• Nail Clippers (for longer treks)
• Tampons/Pads/Cup
• First Aid Kit
• Paracetamol
• Ibuprofen
• Diamox (optional)
• Antihistamines
• Strepsils (or similar)
• Diarrhoea Relief + Rehydration Sachets
• Electrolyte Tablets
• Compeed (or similar)
• Decongestant
• Eye Drops
• Any Other Personal Medication

Essentials Gear:-

• Passport + Copy
• Travel Insurance Details
• Cash (enough for trek duration)
• Trekking Permits (if applicable)
• Waterproof Document Wallet

Miscellaneous:-

• Book / E-Reader (+ charging cable)
• Playing Cards / Games
• Pen + Journal
• Snacks + Specialist Food

Note: The above list can be customized as per the seasons and necessity of the trekkers

All our tour operators are members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal registered under the Nepal government. They all accompany you on the trekking, our experienced guides guide you, and porters carry your backpack. For their service, you may wish to tip them. Tipping is your personal choice but if you wish to tip them the general rule is to tip about 10% of your trekking cost. It is completely your choice to pay more tips.

• Our experienced team of over one decade has accomplished treks in Annapurna Base Camp via Poonhill treks and other treks too.
• Our guides are fluent in English, and Nepali dialects. They know the terrain, culture, people, and the Annapurna region through & through.
• HST provides you with the best value services for your money. No hidden cost, every step with HST is transparent and clear. We value our clients over profit any day.
• Your safety is the top priority while trekking with the HST team. Thus, in case of an emergency first-aid kit or provision of rescue teams as a requirement.
• We are a government-registered company providing you with real care services at the best reasonable rate.
• Our company also has 70% repetitive clients over the years which shows their trust in us.
• We go the extra mile to assure you of a complete trekking experience in Nepal. HST is your ideal choice for trekking in Nepal.