ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I visited Nepal in 1986 for our first trek experience. What better place for than the incredible Himalayas. It was an “easy” one-week trek out of Pokhara, heading up to the the highest point, Siklis (3,100 meters/10,000′). Fortunate to have friends living and working in Nepal, they escorted us all around the Kathmandu valley to see every sight. Stayed at the Hotel Yak & Yeti, the premier ***** hotel then. (How could anyone not love that name.) Altogether, a wonderful learning experience.

Our second trip to Nepal was to do trek the Everest Escapade with Mountain Travel Sobek one of our favorite and most reputable tour oganizers. This time, we stayed in the Malla Hotel, a newer 5***** hotel used by Mountain Travel Sobek. A chance to see the Himalayas in all their glory but the North Face of Mount Everest is even more beautiful and exciting on the Tibet side.

Nepal Map
For years I had read about the Annapurana Sanctuary with options to trek around it or trek into the Sanctuary itself. The Annapurna Sanctuary is a natural amphitheater of mountains and at Annapurna Base Camp – 4,100m/13,451′, you are surrounded by Machapuchhre, Annapurna 1, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli , Tent Peak, Gandharba Chuli, Gangapurna, Annapurna Frank , Khangsha Kang and Glacier Dome. These mountains range from 3,755m/12,319″ up to 8,091m/26,545′. There is no other trek in Nepal where you can be completely surrounded by peaks of this magnitude.

Annapurna Sanctuary is the only trek in Nepal with a risk of avalanche during winter and early spring (January until mid-March). I’d hate to go so far and then be turned back because of avalanche danger so we planned an October trip. Another plus was the altitude wasn’t that high UNTIL you reach Machapuchhre Base Camp at 3,600m/11,811′ and Annapurna Base Camp 4,100m/13,451′.

Almost every tour operator runs a trip to the Annapurna Sanctuary. Decision-making time. Which one to use and did we want to go the “Teahouse route” (small lodges) or camp?

There is an extensive network of teahouses throughout the Annapurna region. They provide simple but comfortable accommodation for those who don’t wish to camp. A teahouse generally has simple twin-share bedrooms. There are communal squat-style toilets and sinks to wash with hot showers that you can use for a small fee. Teahouses also have communal seating areas and serve all meals.

We’ve always camped and decided to try teahouses this time. The toilet situation would basically the same either way. If you tent, it’s necessary to use a communal toilet tent. In a teahouse, communal squat toilet. And either one requires a sleeping bag. The big factor that influenced this decision – we wouldn’t have to unzip and crawl out of a tent, just use the communal toilet. Booking through Adventure Center, we selected an Imaginative Traveller teahouse itinerary.

I’m going into even more detail on the following series of articles because you really should “know…before you go”….