Category: books and magazines

ramblin’ boy did both in 2006.

I did Annapurna in the late 1990s, Everest in 2009.

Recently we removed Annapurna on our list of the top 10 hikes in the world, replacing it with Everest.

If you are considering one or the other — or both — check ramblin’s 2013 comparison:

… the big question these days is – Is the Annapurna Circuit still worth doing?

The short answer is – Absolutely!

… While there is no going back to the past, what is still there waiting to be experienced makes the journey worth your while.

Even better is the work being done by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and people like Andrees de Ruiter, a Belgian trekker whose visits to the Annapurna region over the past thirty years make him very familiar with the situation …

The answer he has worked on along with a Nepali trekking guide Prem Rai and members of the ACAP during the past few years is the New Annapurna Trekking Trail (NATT for short). Their commitment to establishing a viable new Annapurna Circuit resulted in this 2011 first edition of the guide-book Trekking The Annapurna Circuit (Including NATT – Trails Which Avoid The Road), which is available for free on line in pdf form. Click here.

There is a more detailed second edition in the works and it should be available by September 2013. ….

Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit: Is It Still Worth Doing?

I’m pondering a trip to the Indian Himalaya, Oct/Nov 2013.

Happily, there’s a great new Cicerone guide published Dec 2012.

Known as “Little Tibet” for both its landscape and culture, Ladakh lies at the northern tip of India.

The region is bisected by the great River Indus and neighbours Tibet and Kashmir.

This quiet corner of the Himalayas has developed a strong trekking culture over recent years for adventurous trekkers. Trekking in this remote, high-altitude region is extremely challenging, as paths are not signed and there are only a limited number of villages. However, its magnificent landscape (a huge area full of limitless trekking possibilities), hospitable people, rich heritage and limited number of tourists make Ladakh an amazing destination.

The guide includes background information on local culture, history and religion, as well as all the planning detail you need on crucial aspects such as environmental responsibility, health and safety in the mountains, trekking practicalities and preparation for altitude.

Amazon

I’ll buy that. And consult these others:

• Lonely Planet Trekking in the Indian Himalaya – Garry Weare (2009)
• Trailblazer Trekking in Ladakh – Charlie Loram & Jim Manthorpe (2004)
  
• Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya – Harish Kapadia (2001)