Pisang Peak, standing at an elevation of 6,091 meters (19,980 feet), is a thrilling adventure destination in the Annapurna region of Nepal. Renowned among avid mountaineers and trekkers, Pisang Peak also offers an exhilarating climbing experience combined with stunning Himalayan vistas. This trip overview provides a glimpse into the exciting journey of Pisang Peak climbing in just 300 words.
The Pisang Peak climbing trip usually starts with a scenic drive from Kathmandu to the vibrant town of Besisahar. From there, the trekking route leads through picturesque villages, terraced fields, and lush forests, gradually gaining altitude. As the trail meanders along the Marsyangdi River, trekkers soak in the natural beauty of the region while acclimatizing to the increasing elevation.
After reaching the charming village of Pisang, climbers embark on their ascent towards the peak. The climb presents a mix of challenging sections and moderate slopes, demanding a good level of physical fitness and mountaineering skills. Along the way, climbers are also rewarded with breathtaking panoramas of towering peaks, including Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak, among others.
Upon reaching the Pisang Peak Base Camp, climbers take a well-deserved rest and engage in necessary preparations for the summit bid. Experienced climbing guides also provide guidance on safety procedures, equipment usage, and rope techniques to ensure a successful and secure climb. The ascent to the summit usually involves traversing snow slopes, rocky terrain, and negotiating crevasses, adding to the thrill and adventure of the expedition.
Finally, as climbers reach the summit of Pisang Peak, a sense of accomplishment and awe engulfs them. The awe-inspiring 360-degree view of the Annapurna and Manaslu mountain ranges, along with the sweeping landscapes below, makes every step of the journey worthwhile.
After descending from the peak, trekkers continue their journey through the Annapurna Circuit trail, passing through the charming villages of Manang and Chame. The trail also offers an opportunity to immerse in the local culture, interact with friendly villagers, and experience the unique Himalayan way of life.
In conclusion, a Pisang Peak climbing trip is a thrilling adventure that combines trekking, mountaineering, and natural beauty. With its stunning vistas, challenging terrain, and cultural encounters, it promises an unforgettable experience for adventurers seeking to conquer the Himalayan heights.
You will arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. After completing your customs formalities, our representatives will pick you up from the terminal and escort you to your respective hotel in Thamel.
After having some refreshments, you can either relax at the hotel or choose to visit Friendship World Trek’s office. In the evening, you can stroll around the streets of Thamel to explore the vibrant marketplace. You will be invited for a welcome dinner in the hotel where you can try some local Nepali delicacies and bond with your team members.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu
Kathmandu is noted for its architecturally beautiful monuments with religious and historical significance. Although Kathmandu Valley boasts seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, we will be able to visit only 2 to 3 of these sites on this day.
Early in the morning, after having breakfast, you will be driven to Kathmandu Durbar Square, located in Basantapur. You can witness the former Royal Palace of the past monarchs, laden with elusive architecture. From thereon, you will be driven to Pashupatinath Temple, revered by pilgrims as the most popular Hindu Temple.
Moving on, you can visit the spherical Buddhist Pilgrimage site, Swayambhunath Stupa/ Monkey Temple, sitting on a hilltop to the west of the city. You can choose to visit the Boudhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Stupa’s in the world, located in the northeastern skirt of the city, if time permits.
Additionally, you will also complete the necessary paperwork with the assistance of your guide. Furthermore, we will have pre-trip discussions where you can clear any doubts you might have about the climb. Check your packing list so that you do not miss out on anything.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.
After having breakfast, we will catch a bus to Chamje. Driving through the Prithvi Highway along the Trishuli River will be lengthy. The road, at times, is bumpy and can get tiring. However, the views compensate for the difficulty, if any.
Along the way, you will come across rolling hills and scattered settlements. The ride will proceed from the banks of the Marsyangdi River. Before the road construction, it was only possible to drive up to Besisahar, but now the motorable road leads to Chamje.
Chamje is a small village in the Marsyangdi Valley, which is also the starting point of our trek. After the long drive, take some rest at the lodge and prepare for the next day’s trek.
Overnight stay at Lodge in Chamje
After breakfast, begin your journey to Dharapani. The trail crosses many suspension bridges along the way. After crossing a bridge over the Marsyangdi River in the initial phase of your trek, pass through fields of corn, barley, and potatoes. Enter into a forest covered with rhododendron and bamboo. Rocky routes will eventually lead to Tal, then Karte.
Cross a slopy landslide area and walk past a Buddhist prayer wheel. Navigating through grassy trails in the slim bamboo and terraced sugarcane fields, arrive at Dharapani. The ethnic Gurung community inhabits it. After the first trekking day, help yourself with a generous serving of rice, lentil soup, and curry to quench your hunger.
Overnight stay at Lodge in Dharapani.
Start early in the morning to Chame. Begin by walking over a bridge to a small Tibetan refugee village of Bagarchhap. You will then head to a secluded forest before being graced with the views of snow-capped mountains.
Walking along the side of the Marshyangdi river, you will reach Koto. The remote Nar Phu Valley Trek begins from the village of Koto. But we will enjoy some dried apples here, then head to the trail that leads to Chame.
Chame is the administrative headquarter of Manang District. You will find relatively good lodges here. Enjoy a hot shower and other basic facilities before the following day’s trek lead to remote areas where these facilities are difficult to find.
Overnight stay at Lodge in Chame.
The trek for today takes you to Upper Pisang, further inside the Marsyangdi Valley. In the initial stage of the trek, it will take you around 2 hours to reach Bharathang village with the sun shining above your head and the crisp air around. The village is famous for sweet apples.
Then you will follow a trail with Himalayan scenery in the backdrop towards Dhukur Pokhari. The trail has been carved on the side of the road, and beneath, you can see the turquoise river flowing swiftly. Be mesmerized with the views of the giant natural carved steep mountainside called Swarga Dwari, meaning ‘Gates to Heaven.’ It is unlike anything you will have ever seen. Following a zig-zag trail, you settle Dhukur Pokhari.
From thereon, you begin your high route hike by crossing over three bridges and a football field towards Upper Pisang. The ancient village of Upper Pisang on the banks of the Marsyangdi River boasts amazing views of Annapurna II.
Overnight stay at Lodge in Upper Pisang.
Today has been set aside as your first day for rest and acclimatization. As there will be a drastic rise in altitude, your body needs to adjust to the climatic change to prevent altitude sickness.
After having breakfast, you will leave your gears and heavy backpack in the lodge and head for a hike to nearby viewpoints. First, you can explore the village of Upper Pisang that is inhabited by Gurung, Ghale, and Tibetan Immigrant communities. There are no more than a handful of lodges in the area.
In the scattered settlements around the area, you will find old brick houses. There is a school, moreover a football ground in the area where you can interact with the joyful kids. You can head to the nearby monastery for vistas of mountains like Mt. Gangapurna and Annapurna. Head back to your lodge and try some authentic dishes made from rare Himalayan herbs.
Overnight stay at Lodge in Upper Pisang.
After having breakfast, early in the morning, you will head on to the Pisang Peak Base Camp. In the initial phase of the trek, walk through thick forests until Kharka. Kharka is a wide grassland where locals graze their cattle in summer.
The Kharka, located near a ridge, offers stunning views of mountains; this is the best place to set up your camp for the day. It is your first day sleeping at a campsite. The excitement of the entire trip begins from this point onwards as you get a step closer to reaching the Pisang Peak summit.
Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Pisang Peak Base Camp.
You get closer to the summit on this day as you navigate the Pisang Peak High Camp. You will witness a sudden change in the altitude with over 1000m on this day alone within just a few hours. Commence by taking an ascend and follow narrow paths. The trail gets even more snowy with no traces of greenery around. Before you reach the destination, your camps will have been set by the crew. Once you reach the High Camp, keep your belongings in the camp, get refreshed, then join in for pre-climbing training.
The climbing guide will demonstrate the proper usage of climbing equipment like Harness, Ice axe, Ascender, Crampons, Karabiner, and others, essential while climbing on the next day. You will also be offered tips and technics from our experienced guide on successful and easy climbing. The guide will teach climbing skills like rappelling and belaying. It is a great confidence booster and skill enhancer before the actual climb. Feel free to ask queries if you have doubts regarding the process.
After the training, head to your camp and make necessary arrangements for tomorrow as you will have to wake up early in the morning.
Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Pisang Peak High Camp.
This day is the highlight of your entire trip as you will finally reach the Pisang Peak summit after days of the trek. With enthusiasm and excitement, wake up early in the morning to avoid the unpredictable mountain winds in the daytime.
The trail begins with a steep climb to a rocky ridgeline. Not much technicality is required during the climb; however, mind each step in the snowy slopes. The climbing guide will have fixed the ropes along the trail where necessary. The peak itself is very steep so, there won’t be much snow.
You will be overwhelmed as you take your final step at the summit of Pisang Peak. The rewarding feeling is unlike another you have had. After the tough climb, you are graced with majestic views of the Chulu range, Annapurna Range, Damodar peaks, Manaslu, Glacier Dome, and Tilicho Peak.
It will take a moment for you to grasp the victorious moment fully. After fulfilling your dream of reaching the Pisang Peak summit, take a descend to the Base Camp. Have some hot soup and warm drinks to cope with the cold weather at night.
Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Pisang Peak Base Camp.
A day has been set aside for any unforeseen events that might happen during the trip. There might be slight shifts in the plan due to unpredictable bad weather in the summit, major injuries, altitude sickness, or other incidents.
If everything goes as planned, you can effectively use this extra day to traverse to the nearby viewpoints that fall on the route or anytime during the trip afterward.
Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Pisang Peak Base Camp.
From the base camp of Pisang peak, we trek towards Pisang village. From Pisang, there are two routes to Manang. We choose the one which passes through Upper Pisang via Geru as it guarantees outstanding views of north face of Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna, Tilicho, and Pisang Peak. As we walk near Manang the climate becomes more cold and dry. However, a short visit to Barge Monastery, the biggest monastery in the Manang District should cheer us up. Overnight at Manang.
We will be acclimatizing on this day. However, we will remain busy throughout the day exploring Manang village. In the morning, we will visit Gangapurna & Ice Lakes, and spend the rest of the day soaking in the magnificent views of Annapurna III, Tilicho, Pisang, and Chulu Peaks. In the afternoon, we may visit the Himalayan Rescue Association in Vraja village, where we will be briefed about acute mountain sickness, its symptoms, and prevention methods.
From Manang village, the trail crosses a stream, climbs to the village of Tenki above Manang, and then continues to climb out of the Marshyangdi Valley turning northwest up the valley of Jarsang Khola. The trail follows this valley northward, passing a few pastures, a scrub of juniper trees, as it steadily gains elevation. The trail further passes near the small village of Ghunsa, a cluster of flat mud roofs just below the trailhead. Now the trail goes through meadows where horses and yaks graze. After crossing a small river on a wooden bridge, the trail passes an ancient old Mani wall in a pleasant meadow and then reaches another small village of Yak Kharka. Small but gradual ascent is the key to avoiding altitude problems.
Accommodation: Tea house
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Max Altitude: 4,420m/14,502ft
Time Duration: 4-5hrs
Today we head to the foot of Thorong La pass, Thorong Phedi. From Yak Kharka, we will climb up to a ridge, then head down and cross the Marsyangdi river on a wooden bridge. After climbing up the mountain, we follow a narrow trail across a slope and descend to Thorong Phedi. The uninhabited, rugged terrain is otherworldly and much different than the lush lowlands that we passed on the way up during the initial phase of the trek.
Accommodation: Tea house
Time Duration: 9 hrs
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Max Altitude: 5,416m/17,770ft
This day will be remarkable as we will trek from Thorong Phedi to Muktinath Temple via Thorung La high pass. It is also one of the most challenging parts of the trek as Thorong La Pass is one of the highest passes in the world.
We start early in the morning and push ourselves through the icy air and high altitude, but the views from the pass are totally worth it. Northwards, towards Tibet, we will see a panorama of majestic Himalayan peaks, and if you look back, you will see the Annapurna range.
We then descend to Muktinath – a sacred place for Hindus and Buddhists. The Buddhists call Muktinath – Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means Hundred Waters. Muktinath Temple is known for 108 stone sprouts with water flowing from the Kaligandaki. You can also see the eternal flame that has been burning there for more than 2,000 years.
In the morning, we visit Muktinath Temple and then continue our journey on a local bus ride to Tatopani. It will be a rough drive as the road passes through some of the deepest gorges in the world. We will be moving from the arid highlands to lush green forests. Tatopani is famous for natural hot springs, and it is a place where we can immerse ourselves in the hot springs and relax. The waters of Tatopani are said to have curative properties against skin diseases.
Note: You can take morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara as an alternative route without driving to Tatopani.
Trek Distance 17km / 10.5miles
Highest Altitude 2,860m / 9,385ft
Trek Duration 6-7 hrs
We leave the hot springs behind and cross to the east side of the Kali Gandaki River and ascend to Ghorepani through the ethnic Thakali villages of Sikha and Chitre. Our trek takes us through terraced farmlands with mountains all around and passes through lush forests filled with rhododendron, birch, and magnolia. We will stop at Ghorepani, a beautiful village located at a ridge top, to spend our night.
Trek Distance 12.5km / 7.7miles
Highest Altitude (3,210m / 10,525ft)
Trek Duration 4-5 hrs
Driving Hours 2 hrs
This will be our final day on the trail. We ascend to Poon Hill (3,210m) in the early morning to view sunrise over the whole Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif -including Mt Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). Poon Hill is one of the favored spots for photography because of the incredible views it offers. We will also be taking pictures to our heart’s content and then return to our Ghorepani lodge for breakfast. After breakfast, we will trek to Birethanti and then take a bus to Pokhara.
Driving Hours (200km / 124miles)
Time Duration: 6-7hrs
We wake up in Pokhara this day, and after breakfast, we drive back to Kathmandu on a tourist bus. It’s a 200 km route that initially follows the Marsyangdi River and Trishuli River later. You may also choose to return by a 25-minute flight (not included in the package) from Pokhara. Our trek package completes at Kathmandu.
Upon reaching Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel. After having refreshment, you can choose to take a rest at your hotel or head out to the evening market of Thamel. Stroll around the market for souvenir shopping. You can even head to a local pub with your newfound friends during the trip and your climbing crew to enjoy your final day in Nepal. End with a farewell dinner.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Included standard meal (Breakfast)
The final day of your stay in Nepal has come. In the morning, you will be driven to the Tribhuvan International Airport by our team. We will drop you at the terminal and bid farewell. As you board your flight homewards, you will remember the wonderful time you had in the Annapurna region of Nepal. You are bound to remember the vivid memories of the Pisang Peak Summit and the views of all the surrounding mountains.
For similar climbing experiences or variant trekking adventures in the Annapurna region, remember Friendship World Trek again.