Annapurna Base Camp Trek In December

Introduction

Among the most popular trekking trails in Nepal Annapurna Base Camp Trek, also known as ABC in short is a great pick. It lies in the Northern part of Nepal covering the area of Annapurna Conservation Area.

It is geographically a mountain region with diverse unspoiled beauty and an enormous ecosystem of Himalayan life. And its popularity comes from there with the appreciation of untouched beauty and as an adventure land by trekkers and tourists from all over the world. The trail is well marked and consists of tourist infrastructure to support their journey uphill in Annapurna Base Camp Trek.

ABC Trek is a diverse subject in a course of beauty and the culture of the Himalayan people. It is a once-in-a-lifetime journey for any trekker, tourist, or travel enthusiast. The trail consists of an opportunity to embrace the adventure journey and the nature of the Himalayas. The trek itself is known for its stunning mountain peaks, lush greenery, fresh water lakes, glaciers, and beautiful streams. It is also home to different ethnic communities like Gurungs, Tamang, Magar, Sherpa, etc. Having their unique living lifestyle.

With all this, we are talking here about the Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December. As in December, the winter gets in its prime which is a challenging part but also you could find a very small crowd bringing an opportunity to explore more about the trekking aspects of Annapurna Base Camp Trek.

We bring you some insights about the advantages and disadvantages considering the features you could have in the December trek as well as the challenges you have to face. Stick to It and make your journey easier. Prepare for the best experience in Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December.

Some Advantages

December brings the winter to its peak which makes it an off-season for trek. So, you will find lots of advantages such as empty routes, easier-to-manage accommodation, and cheaper packages and tickets. It becomes the ultimate time to enjoy the Annapurna Base Camp Trek with more features to get.
The weather becomes favorable in the winter season. It gets very favorable with stable weather. It mostly remains the clear skies all day theme over your head. And warm sunlight on a day walk comes over your body. It is a great experience in itself to get such a warm hue in the cold mountain breeze. It is also a great advantage to have during the Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December.
Because of the extreme cold weather in the winter, the arrival of trekkers, and visitors drastically decreases in the graph of engagement. So, you find the route more empty than in Spring and Autumn. It can be taken as a great chance to enjoy your journey with peaceful walks.
So, it is also a very good one to take as a feature during Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December. There you find a huge number of travelers and visitors from all around the world in other seasons which can be a bit of a bitter experience for you if you want a peaceful journey.
The clear skies welcome you with perfect and clear scenic views all across the journey. So, you can enjoy the majestic views, stunning scenery, and mesmerizing odor of the Himalayas. The visibility also gets very clear with the range of very distant views. You possibly cannot find such clear visibility all around the year. It also brings a very scenic walk alongside the cold of the mountain.
Even though it is just a psychology of humans or a fact that cooked foods with soups taste better in cold and winter Annapurna is the perfect place to do so. You can enjoy the taste of different local foods and drinks in the cold. Most of the trekkers say the same.
It also may depend on personal experience but a great feature to enjoy your journey and make it more memorable. So, it is also an advantage you will get during the Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December.
Another great reason tourists travel to the northern Himalayan is to witness the natural sky without pollution. Due to the pollution and the poor visibility in most parts of the world, the sky adapts to be of different colors.
In December the Himalayan region in Nepal offers you a very crystal clear sky which allows you to witness the real and very natural beauties of blue sky.Along them, you are also about to get a view of very clear clouds hanging on them, which is already another most talked about subject of natural beauty in the Annapurna Region.
During the night time, you can witness the clearest night sky offering you lots of stars and spread galaxies above the mountains which itself a great view to get as a lifetime experience. Ultimately crystal clear sky is another advantage of Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December.

Some Disadvantages

Even in summer it sometimes gets very cold in the Himalayan region and in December it is time when it gets worse. So, If you are a person having a summer vibe then it turns out to be your nightmare. The cold sometimes gets down to -12° c to -20° c at night-time so you can imagine the texture of the cold you have to tackle.
The main problem is the cold breeze and the snowfall that hits you every frame you pass through some few open routes and the frost in the morning is so daring that it challenges your ability as a human.So, if you hate extreme weather or cold temperatures then It would turn out to be your catastrophic experience which can ruin your whole experience during Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December.
It turns out to carry more clothes and essentials during December to tackle the cold. It is also very important to protect yourself from the unbearable cold weather you have to tackle even if you are an experienced trekker. So, with those extra clothes, essentials, and equipment, you will gain extra weight in your backpack.
You also should have to carry some professional trekking gear as the routes somewhere found to be covered with snow and ice which is very dangerous to cross with our proper safety equipment. So, It generally increases the weight and size of your backpack. Most hard is to carry bumping clothes which are essential at night to keep you warm. This weight can be a headache in your wonderful journey.
If you are willing or planning to have accommodation in a teahouse in December then it does not work as you planned. At the time of December, most of the teahouses and guesthouses remain closed because of the extreme weather which makes the people there flee to another place. Most of it is the frequent snowfalls and extreme cold which are very hard to maintain and tackle.
So, it gets harder to find and manage accommodation for your journey in guesthouses and teahouses available there. And it gets harder to find as you climb higher in altitude. It is a great disadvantage as it is very important to stay in a warm lodge during night stay.
Camping is also very hard to maintain as snowfall and cold breezes are the problems that your tent barely can handle.
Due to the low number of arrival of tourists, you will find the services like accommodation, food, and stays much cheaper than in the peak season as the very less trekkers foot their journey during Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December than their capacity. So, all of them try to attract you to their stays by providing you with more discount offers. The same goes for the flight tickets and the packages from the traveling agencies.

Some Insights about ABC

It lies in the preserved area of the Annapurna Region which covers the most of area from the Kaski. It is ultimately rich in natural beauty and diversity of ethnic cultures and traditions followed by the living lifestyle of the Himalayan people. So, alongside the wonderful journey, you also get a chance to witness that unique culture in practice as well as different local cuisines and foods to try.
The trek of Annapurna Base Camp begins from the small beautiful Himalayan town of Nayapul and ends at Base Camp beneath Mt. Annapurna taking you to an altitude between 1070m to 4130m.
It takes you through the breathtaking beauty of rivers, freshwater lakes, and mountain glaciers which you find frozen in December. The trail also consists of countless massive mountain views with the stunning backdrop of its landscapes.
If you want to get rid of camping gear and equipment then Annapurna Region is filled with most teahouses and guesthouses which are best in the local foods and services as of their culture.
You can have your accommodation there as they are also focused on the hospitality services considering the arrival of tourists and a good opportunity to earn and provide good hospitality to visitors followed by their culture in itself. These teahouses and guesthouses are a good idea to try out some local foods and drinks as well as the cuisine available there.
As mentioned above, it is already one of the most visited tourist places in Nepal so you do not need to worry about the hospitality and the friendly environment of people there. The culture of good and better hospitality to visitors is found to be everywhere.
So, you can harness these opportunities to explore and learn more about their culture and interact with them. They are also happy to share such things and have talks with foreigners and visitors.

Some Tips for You

Do always follow the given safety rules and regulations. It is very important to keep you and your trekking member safe. And in December should be more cautious as trails and routes get more dangerous with slippery ice and layers of snow at cliffs.
Your journey covers a very tough journey in the Himalayan topography. So, it is very necessary and important to follow the safety instructions and safety precautions provided to avoid any unfortunate accidents and injuries throughout your wonderful journey.
Only carry necessary things as carrying unnecessary and unusual things which you do not need very often can make you gain unusual weight and as you have to travel through tough stone stairs, slopes, and ascending and descending paths through cliffs and higher mountain slopes.
It brings you more harder journey as well as danger for yourself. It just brings more burden to your trekking hanging at your back. And we already know Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December is a hard course in itself.
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek lies over very high altitudes and it is often to suffer from altitude sickness. You start to suffer from it when you start to climb above 2500m and more in effect after you cross the elevation of 3000m. It happens due to the decrease of air pressure and the level of oxygen in the atmosphere at such an altitude. It causes you nosebleed, vomit, and nausea.
It can get worse if you do not maintain it as quickly as possible. It is caused due to body movement which needs more breathing like running, jumping, and very frequent body movements. So, it becomes very necessary to maintain body movement and avoid frequent moves to do unusual challenges as it also brings danger and threat to your life if you are on a cliff. And if you suffer from altitude sickness, then just stay calm and focus on your breathing until it gets better.
The trails and routes of Annapurna Base Camp Trek follow very narrow paths, higher cliffs, very remote geography, and difficult slopes. And sometimes it can happen and unfortunate accidents even though you are careful. Therefore, carrying Basic Medical support or first aid is most recommended for you to have during your journey. You also get small wounds and injuries often on your journey so, do not forget to carry to prevent yourself from further infections.

FAQ’s

What is the difficulty level of the ABC trek?

The difficulty level is considered to be moderate but for the absolute beginner, it could be harder to have Annapurna Base Camp Trek in the first attempt.

Can I do a solo trek to the Annapurna Base Camp?

No, considering the safety of trekkers and focusing on some better economic gain in tourism, the Nepal government has banned solo trekking in such diverse regions of Nepal since the recent year 2023. So, you need to have a guide or trekking member with you of more than two people.

Do I need to get the guide?

Yes, you need a guide for yourself or your trekking member as it is now a mandatory rule in most of the trails in the Annapurna Region.

Does it get harder in December to do trekking in ABC?

Yes, due to the extreme weather and snowfall as well as ice a t remote and difficult paths as well as cliffs making it even harder during Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December than in other months.

What permits do I need to have access?

You need two permits from the board of TIMS( Trekking Information Management System) and one from ACAP( Annapurna Conservation Area Permits ).

Is it possible to do Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December with budget planning?

Yes, it can be done on a budget as there are enough teahouses and guesthouses that provide you with lodges at a much cheaper price than average hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Also, December is known for the off-season trek where you can find a decrease in pricing for everything.

Conclusion

Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December is a hard course but comes with an adventure and a lifetime journey for you. You could have more features to enjoy and to have with your wonderful journey than what you find in other peak seasons in Spring or Autumn.

So, it is a better time to enjoy the aspects and the different sides of high-altitude trekking with enormous beauty and a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna. The unique culture of people residing there is also a great chance to witness in front of you.

It also offers you challenging parts to know and explore your ability alongside its diversity of different aspects which it holds with it. But, until you go and see by yourself is just a matter of talk. There is no better option than to get yourself there and have your own experience to share. So, make yourself no late and get yourself out there to give it a try in the Annapurna Base Camp Trek in December to get your own story.

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