Annapurna. Siân Pritchard-Jones

trekkers in Nepal are required to obtain permits before setting out on their expeditions. Both the documents below can be procured for a fee by trekking agencies in Kathmandu, or independently at the Bhrikuti Mandap building, south of Ratna Park bus depot, tel: [phone]. The office is open every day except Saturday and public holidays.

      Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS)

      There are two types of permits for trekkers: Blue, issued through trekking companies, costing US$10; and Green for individuals, costing US$20 (maybe payable in rupees). TIMS cards can be issued on the spot in 30mins or so. Take a copy of your passport and two photos for the single-use card. Cards are valid for at least one month and longer if requested. See www.timsnepal.com.

      Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP)

      Visitors to the Annapurna region are also required to pay for entry to the ACAP zone that encompasses nearly all of the trails described in this guide. Currently the fee is Rs2000 (£15, $18) per person per single entry.

      Note Single entry does mean just that; if you leave one part of the conservation area hoping to re-enter in another (for example, you cannot even get the bus from Beni to Birethanti), you will be refused – this means no rest and recuperation in Pokhara is permitted without payment again in full!

      ANNAPURNA CONSERVATION AREA PROJECT

      Meeting the locals in the Lamjung foothills

      The Annapurna Conservation Area Project was established in 1986. Its aims were to regulate activities within the zone to promote conservation in tandem with community development. The project began work on developing more ecologically sound ways of improving the environment. One major aim was to reduce the destruction of the forests caused by traditional wood-burning cooking; other schemes sought to improve health and hygiene levels, as well as improving basic infrastructure. Bridges, schools, health posts, safe drinking water depots, kerosene dumps and regulation of trekkers have all brought significant benefits to locals and visitors alike. Preservation of the local culture is another key aim, and certainly the monasteries and historic places have seen the results of this sustaining project.

      National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC)

      PO Box 3712, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal; tel: [phone]; email: [email protected]; www.ntnc.org.np; www.forestrynepal.org.

      Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN)

      Tel: [phone]; email: [email protected]; www.taan.org.np

      See also www.welcomenepal.com and www.tourism.gov.np.

      Permits for restricted areas

      Lo Manthang harvest (Trek 5)

      Prospective trekkers planning a trip to Upper Mustang, Damodar Kund or Nar-Phu do now require a company-issued TIMS card. These are normally procured by your trekking agency from the constantly moving immigration office. In addition, the areas require you to take a guide. All places to be visited should be mentioned in your application. Check www.nepalimmigration.gov.np for the latest information.

      Upper Mustang

      Currently a fee of US$500 is levied for the first 10 days, with an additional US$50 per extra day. However, recent information suggests that the intial fee might soon be lowered to US$100. Do check the relevant website (www.nepalimmigration.gov.np) for the latest information. Trekkers need to be familiar with the rules concerning conservation, ecology and cultural aspects when entering Mustang. Independent trekking in the Mustang region is not yet allowed.

      Nar-Phu

      Your trekking agent will normally obtain your permit, but if you need to go with him to get it be aware of the following anomalies. The permit is issued for one week, but officials will try to insist that it’s for seven days and only six nights, which immediately causes problems with the itinerary. The permit should have seven days written on it, but the fixed entry and exit dates might reflect the six nights. (Fortunately the checkpost in Koto is much more in tune with reality and automatically allowed us the correct seven-night period, and they also let one trekker in a day earlier than their permit stated. This means you do not need to be bamboozled into paying for another week, unless you plan some extra days for acclimatisation or additional walks from Phu or Nar; crossing the Kang La will not need an extra week.) It’s very unfortunate that extra days cannot be added to this permit, as for Mustang. Theoretically a group must be at least two trekkers, but if you are a lone visitor you can pay double to get the proper papers.

      THE EVER-CHANGING REGULATIONS

      The trekking regulations have been constantly modified over recent years, so you will need to check the latest changes when planning your trek. Information on the internet is often not up-to-date, so you will need to check in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Even as this guide was going to press, there was talk of changing the rules to require all independent trekkers to take a guide or porter. Further talks continue on this issue, but as yet no law has been passed. Such schemes (usually instigated by the big trekking outfits) have been imposed in the past, but subsequently abandoned with equal speed. Previous schemes actually harmed many small or fledgling local tourist operatives, porters and guides – particularly all those outside the Kathmandu valley. The reason cited for the latest changes is security – mainly because some individuals who trekked alone and off the main trails sadly came to grief. How these new regulations will affect trekking in Nepal is not clear. Information about the independent TIMs cards is also subject to change.

      See also:

       www.nepalimmigration.gov.np – immigration department for visa and permits

       www.timsnepal.com – information on TIMS cards

       www.taan.org.np – Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal

When to go

      Dhaulagiri from a snowy Kopra Danda (Trek 4)

      A trek anywhere in the Annapurna range is best undertaken in either autumn or spring. The autumn period, usually the most stable, is the optimum period for trekking in Nepal and will be the busiest time on the trails. Traditionally early October (after the monsoon) heralded the beginning of this season, but in recent years unsettled weather has prevailed. This has given rise to unseasonable rain, heavy cloud and delays for those flying to Jomsom. After mid-October the weather is usually better, with clearer skies and magical views. The harvest is underway, carpeting the hillsides with fabulous colours. November is often the clearest month, with crisp and clear days likely well into December. December is much colder at higher altitude, but trails are quieter. The stable conditions expected in autumn can occasionally be disrupted – about once every five years – when a storm blows in from the Bay of Bengal, wreaking havoc with heavy snow in the mountains.

      Trekking through the winter is perfectly possible, but heading to high altitude during January and early February might mean encountering more cloud, snow and bitterly cold temperatures; minus 20°C has been recorded in Manang. Trekking into the Annapurna Sanctuary then can bring the risk of avalanche, so check locally with the lodges before proceeding