Your browser has disabled scripting - some functions of this album will not be available. Please check your browser configuration and security settings for this site

Mountains Of Travel Photos

Home | Annapurna Main | Annapurna References | Contact

Annapurna Sanctuary Photo Gallery - Chomrong to the Annapurna Sanctuary with excellent views of Annapurna South and Machapuchare.

Annapurna Sanctuary Photo Gallery from October 2002

101 Chomrong. Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machupuchare From Chomrong Before Sunrise Chomrong (2210m) is a large town built in two sections on a steep hillside with more than 100m difference in altitude between the new (upper) and old (lower) villages, with hundreds of steps linking the two. I stayed at the friendly Himalayan View. From Chomrong, I had a great view of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machapuchare (6993m) before sunrise.

101 Chomrong. Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machupuchare From Chomrong Before Sunrise

102 Annapurna South Sunrise From Chomrong The sun slowly started to rise, shining very brightly on Annapurna South, taken from Chomrong.

102 Annapurna South Sunrise From Chomrong

103 Machapuchara Sunrise From Chomrong From Chomrong, you can see why Machapuchare (6993m) got its name ‘fishtail peak’.

103 Machapuchara Sunrise From Chomrong

104 Looking Up Modi Khola Valley with Annapurna III and Machapuchare I left Chomrong (2210m) at 6:20 and descended a couple of thousand stone steps to lower Chomrong, crossed the Chomrong Khola (1860m) at 6:50, and then trekked steeply uphill to Sinuwa (2340m), reaching the bottom of the village at 7:25, stopping for a Coke and then leaving the upper part of the village at 8:00. “Next day we entered the gorge proper of the Modi Khola. It was an incredibly impressive place, dense forest of gnarled trees and dead bamboos that looked like skeletons in its bed and lower flanks, huge walls towering on either side. Waterfalls cascaded down and the river in the bed of the gorge set up a restless thunder” (Chris Bonington, Annapurna South Face).

104 Looking Up Modi Khola Valley with Annapurna III and Machapuchare

105 Machupuchare From Modi Khola Valley Machupuchare stood as a sentinel at the head of the Modi Khola valley.

105 Machupuchare From Modi Khola Valley

106 Machupuchare Close Up From Modi Khola Valley Here is a close up of Machupuchare at the head of the Modi Khola valley in the morning light.

106 Machupuchare Close Up From Modi Khola Valley

107 Dovan With Machupuchare After leaving Sinuwa at 8:00, I passed the abandoned ACAP office at Kuldi (2470m) at 8:50. Then it was descent time on a stone staircase through a tall bamboo forest, arriving at 9:25 at the appropriately named Bamboo (2310m). From here on baby it's ascent only! The trail was steep, again thru bamboo, arriving at Dovan (2540m) at 10:30, with Machupuchare poking its head above the intervening ridge.

107 Dovan With Machupuchare

108 Forest Temple Dedicated To Hindu Deity Baraha From Dovan (2540m), it was into the deep forest again, which seemed to go on forever. About 30 minutes from Dovan is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Baraha, with offerings of rice, flowers, incense and coins.

108 Forest Temple Dedicated To Hindu Deity Baraha

109 Himalayan Hotel In Modi Khola Valley I reached the Himalayan Hotel (2840m), a collection of two lodges, at 11:50, 2:20 from Dovan.

109 Himalayan Hotel In Modi Khola Valley

110 Waterfall In Modi Khola Valley There was a nice waterfall after leaving Himalayan Hotel.

110 Waterfall In Modi Khola Valley

111 Jerome Ryan Resting In Hinko Cave After leaving the Himalayan Hotel at 11:50, the trail became rocky and the gorge narrowed, until Jerome Ryan came to the famous Hinko Cave (3100m) at 12:50. Hinko Cave is a huge overhanging rock where Don Whillans supposedly saw a yeti in 1970.

111 Jerome Ryan Resting In Hinko Cave

112 Deurali Before Machupuchare Base Camp After leaving Hinko Cave at 11:50, the trail crosses a ravine and another avalanche track to Deurali (3140m), where I arrived in the sun at 13:15. Deurali sits in the middle of the two peaks, Hiunchuli and Machapuchare (6993m), although you can’t see them. Leaving Deurali, the mist rushed up the valley and it started to rain. The trail was unrelentingly steep as I struggled into Machapuchare Base Camp (3700m) at 15:05 for some soft drinks. It started to hail heavily as I left MBC; the trail was steep at first but then leveled off, and the hail turned to light snow. I ambled on in the mist to Annapurna South Base Camp (4130m), arriving at 16:30. I checked into the Paradise Garden Hotel, the only one with a room, sharing with another man.

112 Deurali Before Machupuchare Base Camp