The Annapurna region of Nepal is a land so gorgeous, it’s long been the ultimate trekking dream for hikers. Here, the sacred peaks of Annapurna, Machapuchare and Dhaulagiri, shining with snow year round, tower over ancient rhododendron forests, icy rivers, and temperate jungles where tigers still roam. Plenty of trekkers come here for all this beauty – but few stray off the tourist routes. That’s where The Moving Mountains Project is different. Our Nepal treks visit off-the-beaten-track villages in the Annapurna region. Walkers stay in village communities - sometimes in people's homes - so there's time for real interaction with Nepalis. We eat with families, and on a rest day we might be invited to help them on projects around the village. We visit a village weaving workshop, a cheese making project, and have the chance to partake the celebration of two of the year’s major festivals Dashain and Tikhar. We stay at a yak farming project on the flanks of Annapurna, and the high point of our trek is a visit to sacred Kaire Lake (4500m) surrounded with shrines, and with the peak of Annapurna towering above. The Moving Mountains Project works closely with the Village Development Committee of the region we visit to ensure income from our visits is used where the village needs it most: this might mean for a drinking water or micro hydropower scheme, school and vocational training development, for medical facilities, or to expand the villages' ingenious wireless internet network. Our style of trekking here empowers communities to undertake the development projects they most need.

Cost
AUD $2300

In 2009 we’ll be walking the Annapurna region
25 March – 9 April 2009
November/December 2009 – dates TBC

 

Download comprehensive trip notes on the Annapurna Region trek here:

  >  NepalTripNotes.pdf