This video is about the Annapurna circuit - The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
The Annapurna circuit has long been rated one of the best treks in the world but lot
has changed in the last few years.
I’ve recently returned from the trip and I’ve got some recent feedback you should definitely
hear before you book a trip.
Hey Guys, welcome to Trekking FAQS, my name is Chase, and if we are just meeting, I am
a Strength and Conditioning Coach from Australia, and in 2012 I started a business called Base
Camp which focuses on the fitness needs of trekkers and mountaineers.
So every day, almost, for the last 6 or 7 years, I’ve been surround by trekkers who
have come and gone from Nepal.
So the opinions I share in this video aren’t just mine, they’re a collection of the people
that I’ve surrounded myself with for the last few years.
So in this video i’m reviewing the Annapurna Circuit, i think it’s time that there is
an honest review of this trek.
I have completed the trek twice and most recently just a month ago, October 2018.
And there is a lot that has changed over the last few years between those two trips that
I want to talk about in this video
Alright, now that you’ve got some context let’s kicks things off on a positive note
about the things that I love about this trek- the Annapurna Circuit.
The Annapurna Circuit it’s perhaps one of the most recognisable treks in the Nepal,
if not the world.
It’s popularity and reputation as an unforgettable experience has been increasing steadily since
the opening of the area to trekking tourism in the 70’s.
In it's original form the trek lasted for more than 20 days and was consistently voted
as the best long distance trek in the world, probably due to the fact that in it’s original
form, the trek included a wide variety of climate zones from the tropical feeling you
get walking through rice paddies at 600 metres above sea level, to the high altitude desert
above 5000m and some of the world highest peaks.
As with any trek in the Himalayas, it becomes incredibly humbling to be around some of the
greatest physical masses on this planet, and it’s definitely something everyone should
do at least see once in their lifetime.
But the highlights of the trip aren’t just the physical, they’re also cultural.
As you ascend up through the valley you see the meeting of two vastly distinct and very
different cultures.
On the southern end of the trek, you meet locals, whom are largely of Indian descent,
they practice Hinduism, produce rice and spend most of their time in the valley.
As you ascend to higher altitude, you meet Manang people who are much involved and influenced
by Tibetan culture.
They predominantly practise Tibetan buddhism and mainly subsist of yak and goat herds and
their extensive trade networks.
This cultural change, coupled with the environmental change as you go through the trek makes for
really interesting trekking.
These are the things that I loved about this trek in 2011 when I first completed it, and
they're the reasons why I wanted to come back and bring people again, to this area so that
they can experience it themselves,
And it’s only now that I’m realising the extent of the changes that have happened in
this area and they are things that don’t get talked about and that I have seen in any
other reviews.
So, these are the bad things about the Annapurna Circuit
Firstly, the new 4WD track that runs through the Annapurna Circuit.
If this is the first that you are hearing about this then I’m glad you’re watching
this video.
When I was there for the first time in 2011 the Jeep track was just starting to make in
impact on various areas throughout the route.
Part of the reason for me returning to this area was to see with my own eyes and witness
the changes that have been taking place since the construction of the jeep track
Which by now, spans almost the entire trek.
I found it difficult to recommend this trek to people not knowing what the real situation
was with the jeep track so I want to check it out.
Now you may have heard, as I have, mainly from trekking companies is that there are
alternative walking paths that have been built, which means you can escape the Jeep track
for the vast majority of the trek,
However, I found that to be almost entirely untrue.
There’s only really about 40% of alternative trails where you can get away from the Jeep
track, and upon rediscovering just how impossibly steep and sheer some of these valleys are
I find it very hard to believe that the Nepalese authorities are ever going to be able to establish
a jeep track and a walking track through some of these very steep and difficult sections.
So the currently reality of the Annapurna Circuit this - what was once a world class
trekking area is now almost 90 per cent passable in a Jeep.
In fact, if you were to take full advantage of the jeep roads, hiking only the trails
that have been left untouched, you could complete the trek in only 3 days.
Only 27 km of the original 211 km remains untouched by jeep trail.
So, the modern experience of the Annapurna Circuit has changed a lot.
Rather than getting dropped off at the starting point, doing the trek and then getting picked
up at the end point.
These days you have decide where you’re going to start?
Is it going to be at the actual beginning?
Or are you going to skip certain points with the Jeep?
Should you start in Besisahar, the original starting point of the trek, you will not only
be walking on the Jeep road, but you’ll be passing by two gigantic, foreign owned,
hydroelectric stations.
If that’s not appealing to you, you can start at Chame for instance, that’s typically
day 4 or thereabouts on the original itinerary.
But then, you have the make the same decision every single day whether you’re going to
get a Jeep or whether you’re going to keep up with walking on the Jeep road.
Do you pursue with walking on the Jeep track road?
Do you keep putting up with the noise, the dust, the incessant honking of horns - Or
do you give in, and become part of the problem and hire someone to take you in a Jeep?
Now, I’m not sure that it’s just that I have had far too much privilege in terms
of spending so much time in truly wild places like Tasmania and New Zealand, so
so in order to get a balanced opinion I decided to reach out to a few other people who had done the
Annapurna Circuit recently to find out, in particular, how the Jeep track affected them.
Here’s some good news from Heidi who I think went in the off season around November or
December, She says:
Thanks Heidi for that feedback I’m sure there’s plenty of people happy to hear a
positive side.
Now we’re going to hear from Sofi who says:
Definitely a few people who would agree with you on that one i think, Sofi thanks for chiming in
I also got some feedback from Luke who says
And this is a common theme that i’ve found with people along the Annapurna Circuit these
days especially those who are doing the whole trip, is that it’s now common to jump in
and out of a jeep to skip the parts that aren’t so enjoyable walking along the way.
So the trek now is almost more of a hybrid journey in car and on foot
Versus the original trail which was obviously just walking.
So I’ve covered the good, the bad, now it’s time for the ugly.
And there’s three main points that I want to cover here and the first of which is that
this trek is overcrowded.
Despite the Nepalese government having elaborate organisations like the Trekkers Information
Management System and multiple fee structures there appears to be no real measurement and
certainly no restriction of numbers on this trek.
This is something that has been done all around the world for instance Macchu Picchu and Kilimanjaro,
and I think it’s time for Nepal to implement something similar.
Point 2.
Rubbish and garbage all over the trail.
With the increased amount of people that are doing this trek every single year this means
rubbish is being brought in and more plastic especially is being used.
Despite the very informative signs and the pits that have been dug as a solution to hide
the garbage, the fact is that many people still discard their rubbish all over the trial
- that’s why I encourage everyone to follow the #10pieces movement.
It's an incredible movement that gets people to take 10 pieces of rubbish every time they
go hiking.
It’s a really great way of spreading the word and doing something about this problem.
I am also advocating for incineration stations to be placed along the trek to properly dispose
of the rubbish.
I’ll post a link below to the site if you want to learn about those stations.
Definitely jump on board and hashtag 10 pieces every time you do it.
Third and final point is that with more humans, comes more human waste.
And with so many people on this trail many of them first time trekkers and people unfamiliar
with how to conduct their business in the outdoors the result is truly ugly.
I mean, it’s on the trail.
It’s not uncommon to see this.
And my suggestion is that some of the fees from the permits trekkers pay go back into
providing compostable toilets in certain places along the trails
And these issues don’t only pertain to the Annapurna Circuit, you’ll find them cropping
up on the 3 major treks, the Everest Base Camp Trek and the other one being the Annapurna Sanctuary.
Now I realise I’m coming across a little negative here, which is difficult for me because
I love this area and it honestly breaks my heart to give it a bad wrap, but I can’t
in good conscious recommend this trek to anyone who is seeking an immersive experience
in nature or someone looking for the quietude of the wilderness, because those moments are
just so rare on the Annapurna Circuit.
The fact is that trekking is becoming more and more popular and we need to account for
this increased popularity with an investment in planning in infrastructure.
What’s even more pressing is the looming “Visit Nepal Year in 2020” which is the
government's efforts at recuperating some of the losses after the 2015 earthquake.
Now, I was there at the time in the earthquake on Ama Dablam and believe me I am behind Nepal.
One of my major missions in life is to get more people into the outdoors especially into
the Himalayas.
But it’s difficult for me to encourage people to go to Nepal when the situation is as it
is, when the situations is as it is, with refuse, human waste and overcrowding.
So this is where I need your help to share this video to feed this information back to
trekking providers and relevant parties to show them that these are the problems that
need to be fixed before we start encouraging a million people to go to the mountains.
Literally.
So there you have it, you’ve in depth feedback and up to date feedback from myself and others
about the current state of the Annapurna Circuit and now you can make an informed decison now
that you know the good, the bad and the ugly.
And I would love to know what you think, maybe you’ve made your mind up already, answer
me this: would you still consider doing the Annapurna Circuit knowing what you know now
or would you choose something else.
Let me know in the comments section below.
That’s all for this trip review guys thanks for tuning in, if you found it helpful please
hit the like button and also have a scan through my YouTube channel, and subscribe if you like
the content for more videos about preparing for treks and getting fit as well.
You can see information on my fitness programs at basecampfit.com
And just remember, the more you prepare for the trip, the more you’ll enjoy it.
If you’ve got any other questions feel free to contact me on facebook and join our facebook
it’s an open forum where you can post and answer questions from
other people who are preparing to go on treks,
And if you believe, like me, that we need help from the Nepalese government, cleaning up
after ourselves with our own human waste, our own plastic and our rubbish and limiting
the amount of us that can go on these treks then please share this video, feed the information
back to the people who can make the decision to change and improve your experience on a trek.