Annapurna Sanctuary and Tharpu Chuli Ascent

Our representative greets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel. We spend the afternoon reviewing your gear and discussing the upcoming expedition.

We spend the day visiting key UNESCO heritage sites in Kathmandu with a local cultural guide. In the afternoon, we complete final permit formalities and packing preparations.

We catch a morning flight to Pokhara, enjoying views of the mid-hills from the aircraft. From Pokhara, we drive by private vehicle to Nayapul where our trek officially begins, following the Modi Khola to Tikhedhunga.

We climb the stone staircase known as Ulleri, ascending steeply through oak and rhododendron forests. We reach the ridge village of Ghorepani by afternoon, where the peaks of the Dhaulagiri range begin to dominate the horizon.

We make a pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas. After breakfast back in Ghorepani, we traverse forested ridges through mossy woodlands to arrive at Tadapani.

We descend through steep terraced fields and cross suspension bridges over rushing torrents before climbing stone steps up to the large Gurung village of Chhomrong, sitting directly beneath Hiunchuli.

We descend stone stairs to the Chhomrong Khola, cross the suspension bridge, and climb through bamboo and forest groves past Sinuwa. The trail continues into the narrow, forested gorge leading towards Dovan.

We follow the Modi Khola upstream through damp, forested terrain where waterfalls cascade down the cliffs. We pass through Himalaya hotel before reaching the higher settlement of Deurali.

We emerge from the tree line into alpine scrub, stepping into the vast glacial bowl of the sanctuary. We stop briefly at Machhapuchhre Base Camp at 3700m before continuing across the lateral moraine to Annapurna Base Camp at 4130m.

We leave the main sanctuary lodges behind and traverse the lateral moraine of the Annapurna glacier. We set up camp at Tharpu Chuli Base Camp, situated at 4910m, where our climbing crew briefs us on equipment use and rope technique.

We tackle a steep, rocky moraine trail leading up to the high camp of Tharpu Chuli. Our team establishes tents on the rocky shelves, melting snow for water and preparing for the early morning push.

We start before dawn, ascending snow slopes and navigating crevasses with fixed ropes and crampons. We top out at the 5653m summit of Tharpu Chuli for clear morning views of the surrounding peaks, then retrace our steps down to base camp.

We pack our gear and descend out of the high alpine zone, dropping past Machhapuchhre Base Camp and down through the gorge to overnight at the forested settlement of Bamboo.

We retrace our steps up to Sinuwa before dropping steeply down to the Modi Khola. We reach Jhinu Danda by afternoon, giving us time to visit the hot spring pools by the river bank.

We follow the lower Modi Khola valley out through farming settlements to Nayapul. Our private vehicle meets us for the short drive back to Pokhara, where we spend the evening by Phewa Lake.

We catch a morning flight back to Kathmandu. The remainder of the day is free for resting, shopping, or independent exploration of the city streets.

We keep this day in reserve as a weather buffer for flights or summit schedules, or use it to explore additional cultural sites around the Kathmandu Valley.

Our team provides a private transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your international flight home, concluding your expedition with us.