Today we will start early to drive from Kathmandu to Dharapani. The road leads us West following the Trisuli River, then branches off the Pokhara highway, going North alongside the Marshyangdi River. Normally we arrive in Besisahar in the early afternoon and then we will take private jeep to get Dharapani. We will follow the Marshyangdi Valley all day.

An uphill journey takes us to the village of Chame known for its hospitality and spectacular views. This will be your first chance to take in panoramic views of Annapurna II, III and Lamjung Himal.

From Chame to altitudes over 3000 meters, you will notice the surrounding changing as natural trees and plants become more scarce as the terrain begins to shift to a drier more desert like environment.

We are now in the dry, arid region of Manang called Nyesyang. This area falls in a rain shadow area of the Himalaya where it seldom rains in the summer months; though it snows in the winter and the snow remains on the ground for a long time. The local people are mostly farmers and traders. There are two routes leading out of Pisang towards the Manang Valley. We take the one which follows the left bank of the valley floor. Today we will enjoy magnificent views of Annapurna III, IV, Gangapurna and the Tilicho peaks. At Hungde, we cross the river and walk along a fairly broad trail through the buckwheat and potato fields to the village of Braga, famous for it's monastery which is expected to be more than 500 years old. Then after a slight climb, we will reach the village of Manang.

This is an ideal place to stop and spend the day around Manang for many reasons. First, we want to acclimatize to the altitude and to conserve our energy to succeed in our Mini Annapurna Trek endeavor. Second, this is the part of the trek where we are closest to the mountains. Most people climb the hill behind Manang to enjoy the magnificent views of the whole Annapurna range and the enormous icefall that crashes and rumbles down from Gangapurna. The sunset and sunrise over this natural amphitheatre is one of the most beautiful mountain views in the country.

After crossing Manang, the trail climbs steeply to the village of Tenki, which is the last permanent settlement. The trail ascends for a short distance to Gunsang, a small settlement of tea houses and an amazing viewpoint of the mountains. It finally levels out into the open pasture lands from which the name Yak Kharka, Yak Pastures, is derived. After 1 hour walk from there, we'll reach Letdar where we will stay overnight.

After enjoying a refreshing morning sunrise view, we continue along the winding trail before the meadow encountering a large rock formation. We will camp near a stunning viewpoint offering views of the Annapurna giants towering over the clouds.

Today, early in the morning, we will be heading towards Chulu West High Camp.

After packing and arranging our equipment, we move along the trail admiring the rapidly changing landscape as we reach higher elevations. We then continue along a steep trail leading to the strategic camp I location that will allow the best access to the peak. We will set up camp here and enjoy a timeless panoramic sunset as the mountains reflect the pinkish sunlight over the mountains.

We will take a light day and return back down to the base camp taking plenty of time to descend safely on the slippery trail. Upon arrival at the camp I, you may either rest or take a short hike to enjoy more of the local scenery.

Since we cannot guarantee favorable weather for the scheduled summit day, we have allowed an extra day in the schedule. If we are unable to summit the Chulu West Peak on scheduled date due to bad weather or some other reason, such as someone in the group having acclimatization problems, the reserve day will be useful.

We continue through pastures to a settlement called Letdar from where we get an excellent view of Chulu West. From here, the trail follows the bank of the Jarsang Khola, a tributary of the Marsyangdi before branching off to climb the scree slopes high above the river, to Phedi.

We have an early start today for the crossing of Thorung La Pass [5416m]. The trail becomes steep immediately on leaving camp, the path is well defined. The gradient flattens after around 4 hours of steady climbing, From the snow-covered mountains above to the head of the Kali Gandaki valley below, we are surrounded by the brown and purple hills of Mustang offering a once in a lifetime vantage point.

We will head down the Kali Gandaki Gorge past the town of Kagbeni before arriving in Jomson. We will stay here for the night to learn more about the local culture and customs of the Tibetan people while exploring this peaceful town.

We will return along the short 35-minute flight route to Pokhara.