Banana Peak Climbing

After breakfast in Kathmandu, we shall all hop into a private vehicle that takes us around. Firstly, we will visit the beautiful Swayambhunath at the city’s top. After the clear views of the entire Kathmandu city, it’s time to roam around the places such as Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. From Kathmandu Durbar Square, we will probably return to Thamel to prepare for the trip.

The guide helps you get the permit and shop/ rent trekking gear around the Thamel. If we have some time, we might have a small training or discussion session for Pisang Nepal.

Note: If there are some issues in getting the permit, we shall stay in Kathmandu for one more day.

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Hotel

1,400 m / 4,593 ft

The Pisang peak climb tour begins after we dive from Kathmandu to Besisahar. Besisahar is the Lamjung district’s headquarters, 175 km from the capital. As per the group size, we shall ride in a tourist bus to a public jeep along the bank of the Trishuli highway. And we reach Besisahar within 7-8 hours of the trip. This is the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit Trek.

The views of the landscapes, along with stunning forests, keep us occupied while we reach Besisahar. After enjoying our dinner, we stay in a comfortable hotel at Besisahar.

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Hotel

760 m / 2,493 ft

After the warm breakfast, we leave Besisahar and start heading north. Hiking through many suspension bridges and waterfalls, we shall reach Bahundanda in 5-6 hours. Accompanied by many uphill and downhill treks, you will be enjoying this initial part of the trek. By evening, we reach Bahundanda, which means the village of Bahuns. And this is probably the only time you will stay with the Bahun ethnic group. So, explore the culture and lifestyle of villages while staying in the local tea houses.

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Casa di tè

12 km / 7.5 miglia

1,310 m / 4,298 ft

5hrs

From Bahundanda, we will be accompanied by terrace farms for rice and paddy. The path is slightly uphill as we move slowly in the staircases along with the village. In less than an hour, we reach the Marshyangdi river, where we refresh ourselves with the cold water. Then, we hike to Jagat, which is mostly uphill. After lunch in Jagat, we walk for another two hours to Chamje. The local Tamang people will serve the gratifying dinner in a tea house at Chamje.

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Casa di tè

15 km / 9.3 miglia

1,410 m / 4,626 ft

4hrs

After leaving Chamje, we shall cross a suspension bridge and enter the Manang District. Manang, the semi-arid land beyond the Himalayas, has a colourful blend of nature. This lower section is full of Rhododendron and Bamboo. Walking to Tal, we can see some fields of barley and potatoes. Savouring these destination specialities, we shall again cross the river and hike to Dharapani.

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Casa di tè

16 km / 9.9 miglia

1,860 m / 6,102 ft

5hrs

From Dharapani, we walk along the alpine grassland and a few forests to Chame. There are many small Tibetan-influenced settlements on the way. In about 6 hours, we reach the massive colony of Chame. This headquarter of the Manang District is renowned for its cultural diversity and beauty. We get to stay in a nicely built tea house at the headquarters.

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Casa di tè

15 km / 9.3 miglia

2,710 m / 8,891 ft

6hrs

It’s among the most challenging trekking day as we start gaining a lot of altitudes. You hike through the dense pine tree forest from Chame to Upper Pisang. At Paungda Danda, you witness the rock with a dramatic curve. Now, with the incredible views of the Regione Annapurna, we hike to the Upper Pisang Settlement.

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Casa di tè

10 km / 6.2 miglia

3,300 m / 10,827 ft

5hrs

The further climb demands a lot of strength. And we shall gather that with an additional day in Pisang. Upper Pisang, at 3700 meters, is a perfect place for acclimatization with the views of the Annapurna range and Gangapurna.

In the morning and evening, we shall learn some climbing skills from our expert guide of MyEverestTrip. We can take short detours around Pisang to view Tilicho lake in the daytime. We are back at the same tea house/ camp for the night.

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Casa di tè

5 km / 3.1 miglia

3,700 m / 12,139 ft

3hrs

The actual climb only starts now, and you shall know how strenuous mountain climbs can be. From Pisang, it’s a steep ascend with a hefty altitude gain while we reach the base camp. With the falling rocks, the trekking trails will be rough, and the forest will become sparse. By evening, we reach Pisang Peak Base at 4380 meters.

Here, we find pasture land at Kharka to set our camps. You shall already have kitchen staff and utensils for the dinner and tents to live in the Camp.

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Caravaneige

6 km / 3.7 miglia

4,380 m / 14,370 ft

5hrs

Pisang Peak High Camp is only 4-5 hours from the Base Camp. Before leaving, ensure your climbing gear and equipment are in good condition. Although it’s a short walk, the rough terrain and uneven rocks make it a tricky climb. We shall each Pisang Peak High Camp quite early in the day and set camps for the night. The staff will prepare warm food even at such an altitude. Then, we shall start preparing for the summit the next day. The guides will set the ropes to make it easier for you if needed.

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Camp

5 km / 3.1 miglia

5,100 m / 16,732 ft

5hrs

Finally, the most important day. We start the climb from the high Camp quite early. Walking on the steep snow slopes needs some good technical climbing skills. Ensure you follow the instructions of the guide who helps you with every step of the Pisang Peak Climb. We start the hike before sunrise, and with the guidance of Sherpas on the technical portions, we shall conquer Pisang peak quite early in the morning.

At the top, the view of the glorious mountains, including Annapurna, will take away all your pain. You can leave some marks on the top and take all the beautiful photos before returning to base camp. Before that, we stop at the high Camp to collect our utensils and tents. We shall set up the tent at the base camp and celebrate the success.

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Camp

12 km / 7.5 miglia

6,091 m / 19,984 ft

11hrs

After the victory over Pisang Peak Nepal, we start a rather interesting back of the tour. On the 11th day, we return to Manang valley from Pisang Peak. They retrace the same beautiful route from Pisang Base Camp to the valley in Manang. After 5-6 hours, we reached Manang village and spent our night in a local hotel after a long time. It’s time for a hot shower and refreshments.

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6hrs

14 km / 8.7 miglia

4,380 m / 14,370 ft

Hotel

The journey gets even more interesting as we follow the path of  Tilicho Lake and hike towards Yak Kharka. The amusing view of Lavu Tilicho and the glorious mountains keep you excited throughout the route. We shall reach Yak Kharkha only in the evening. Yak Kharkha is a small village with few settlements at 4110 meters. Here are a few tea houses for our night’s stay.

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Casa di tè

16 km / 9.9 miglia

4,110 m / 13,484 ft

7hrs

Prepare for an exciting day in the mountains as we journey to Thorang Phedi. While many people cross Thorang La Pass on the same day, we take things slowly. We walk for a couple of hours to Thorang Phedi in the morning. If the situation is favourable, we will hike to the High Camp on the same day. Here, we stay at 4800m, the highest accommodation point of the Annapurna Circuit trek.

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Camp

8 km / 5.0 miglia

4,800 m / 15,748 ft

4hrs

This is the longest and most challenging part of our walk. However, since we are already in High Camp, we save ourselves from much pain. The team wakes you up quite early, i.e. 4 to 5 am. Then, we take our packed lunch and climb the Thorang Pass. After 3-4 hours, we reach the hilltop with the most beautiful view of the mountains. Filled with colourful flags, it’s an excellent place for a photo session. After a short stop, we start walking down to Muktinath and Jomsom.

Note: You can also join Upper Mustang Trek from Muktinath.

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Casa di tè

20 km / 12.4 miglia

5,416 m / 17,769 ft

10hrs

Today, we woke up early for a short visit to the Muktinath. This holy temple of Nepal is filled with Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. Next, we drive towards other famous places, such as Kagbeni and Jomsom, the headquarters of Muktinath. From here, we trace our route back to Pokhara.

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Hotel

25 km / 15.5 miglia

5,416 m / 17,769 ft

6hrs

After the beautiful morning in Pokhara, we hop on a bus to Kathmandu. Drive along the Priitihve highway is full of the beautiful scene of rivers and hills. We get to Kathmandu only in the evening. However, we will have some time for last-minute shopping in Thamel. Later, we all enjoy our last meal together as a team.

Note: Instead of a long drive, you can take a 25-mins flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. This way, you will have some time to explore the beautiful city of Pokhara and Kathmandu.

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Hotel

1,400 m / 4,593 ft

So, this is your final day in Nepal. Get your stuff packed and inform the driver about your flight time. A car will leave you at the airport a few hours before the flight for customs formalities. I wish you an incredible journey!!

Breakfast

1,338 m / 4,390 ft