Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty

Leaving footprints on the shores of the world’s highest situated lake and crossing 5416 m mountain pass is never easy! It requires great level of physical fitness and mental strength. Tilicho Lake (4919 m) and Thorong La Pass (5416 m) are the top destinations of the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek. These places test your perseverance and attitude! Therefore, proper planning is necessary for safe and successful trekking trip. In this blog, we delve deeper into finding the grade of the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty.

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Now, let’s find out the grade of the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty:

Tilicho Lake Trek Route Overview

The Tilicho Lake Trek route is the journey towards the world’s highest situated glacial lake. The trekking route used to be the off the beaten path for years. Nowadays, lots of Nepalese trekkers and foreigners trek in this route. Therefore, the route is slowly becoming the commercial trekking route of Nepal. The beauty of the lake and the valley surrounded by the snowy mountains surely offer great scenic trekking trip. The trail starts from the Annapurna Circuit Trek route and ends in the same route. Trekkers can either choose to retrace the same trail back to Manang or continue the journey to Thorong La Pass. Some adventurers choose to cross the Meso Kanta La Pass from Tilicho Lake as well. This is purely wilderness trekking trail to Mustang skipping the Thorong La Pass crossing.

Annapurna Circuit Trek Route Overview

The Annapurna Circuit Trek Route is one of the oldest trekking routes of Nepal. The trail opened for foreigners in 1976. There are countless popular trekking routes in Nepal. The popularity of the Annapurna Circuit Trek is on par with the popularity of the trekking routes like the Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, and Manaslu Circuit Trek. Therefore, it is always worthwhile to knit high – altitude trekking moments in this trekking route. The thrill of crossing high mountain pass and traverse through ethnic Gurung – Magar – Thakali villages offer cultural insights.

Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty Grade

There are few things to consider while talking about the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty. Major hurdles for hassle free trekking trip are transportation, trek route conditions, altitude, weather conditions, and restrictions. Let’s find out various difficulty grades in different issues on the Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek route:

Transportation Difficulty Level

The trek starts from Chame Village which is about 67 kilometers from Besisahar. Travelers have to travel either by bus or private jeep to Besisahar. It is about 175 kilometers. You don’t have to worry about getting bus or jeep from Kathmandu to Besisahar. Regular buses or jeeps don’t go to Chame village. Therefore, you have to use either shared jeep or private jeep. The road is bumpy and off road. Traveling to Besisahar is easy and comfortable but driving to Chame is tiring due to the condition of road. Muktinath to Pokhara is long but easy. Travelers have an option of flying from Jomsom to Pokhara. So, the transportation to the trail head is fairly tiring but transportation from trail end is fairly easy.

Transportation Difficulty: Moderate

Chame to Manang Trek Route

Majority of the trekking route in the Chame-Manang section of the Annapurna Circuit Trek is the road track. Therefore, people find it easy and comfortable to trek. However, there are few sections where you can walk on the natural trekking trail. For example, trekking from the Ngawal section is comparatively harder than the Humde route to Manang Village. Trekkers have option of reaching Manang either from the Ngawal route or Humde route. In the Manang Village, trekkers have to stay additional night for acclimatization activity. The hike to the Gangapurna Lake is scenic and comfortable. Travelers can easily walk around the village and adjust to the altitude.

Chame to Manang Trek Route Difficulty: Easy

Yak Kharka to Tilicho Lake Trek Route

The trekking trail from Yak Kharka to Siri Kharka via Khangsar is uphill. The trail winds up gradually. Trekkers may feel difficult while climbing uphill. The trail from Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp is through a landslide area on a narrow ridge. It is rugged and full of small rocks. This section is comparatively harder than the first section of the trek route. Therefore, the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty level increases in this section. Finally, trekkers start to feel the strain of the trek up in the Himalayan region of Nepal.

Yak Kharka to Tilicho Lake Trek Route Difficulty: Hard

Ledar or Yak Kharka to Thorong High Camp Trek Route

The trail from Ledar or Yak Kharka to Thorong High Camp is mixed in terms of difficulty. The trek route until the Thorong Phedi is fairly easy to walk. Trekkers can walk comfortably on a gentle uphill flat trail through the valleys. Upon crossing the river, trekkers have to trek uphill on a rocky and rugged trail via Thorong Phedi. It takes about 2 to 3 hours of uphill walking from the river to Thorong High Camp(4970m).

Ledar to Thorong High Camp Trek Route Difficulty: Moderate

Thorong La Pass Crossing Difficulty

The crossing of the Thorong La Pass (5416 m) is the hardest activity on the trek. The Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty reaches its peak in the Thorong La Pass summit. Trekkers have to start the trek early in the morning before dawn around 4 am. The trek is steep uphill through snow and rocky terrain to the top and it takes about 3 hours. Upon crossing the pass, trekkers have to walk downhill on a rocky trail and traverse through the rugged trail all the way to Muktinath Valley.

Thorong La Pass Crossing Difficulty: Challenging

How Altitude affects the difficulty level in the Annapurna Tilicho Lake Trek?

Maximum altitude where trekkers have to stay overnight is at 4880 m. It is an altitude of Thorong High Camp. You have to stay four nights in the places above 4000 m height. Therefore, there is risk of altitude sickness during the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek. Normally, the places beyond 2500 m are altitude risky. The acclimatization activity in the Manang Village prepares well for the safe trekking trip.

Altitude Difficulty: Moderate

How Difficult is to find meals and accommodation in the Annapurna Circuit Trek?

You don’t have to worry about the availability of the meals and accommodation in the Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek. There are many styles and themes of eateries and lodges in the trekking trip. It is not hard to find quality lodging facilities in this trekking journey. There are limited tea houses in the Tilicho Lake Trek section. However, the Annapurna Circuit Trek route is rich in terms of availability of lodging and meals. Relish the best amenities and facilities during the trek. Travelers can enjoy cuisines of the world ranging from Indian, Chinese, Continental, and Local.

Meals and Accommodation Availability Difficulty: Easy

Is it hard to get the Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek permit?

No, there is no difficulty in getting the Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek permit. You can get the permit in Kathmandu at the Nepal Tourism Board office. If you are traveling on the trekking package of the trekking agency, then you don’t have to worry about the permit. The agency arranges your permit.

Permit Making Difficulty: Easy

Weather Difficulty in the Annapurna Circuit Trek route

Weather conditions depend upon the various seasons. Nepal experiences four seasons. They are spring (March – May), monsoon/summer (June – August), autumn (September – November), and winter (December – February). Spring and autumn season have ideal weather conditions. It is stable and skies are clear during these seasons. Heavy rainfall and snowfall are biggest factors you must consider before embarking on the trekking trip of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. If you choose the right time to do the trek then weather factor may not become hassle. A slight change in the weather conditions can alter the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty. Therefore, you cannot ignore the importance of choosing right season for right weather to trek.

How to minimize difficulty in Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek?

The best tip to minimize the Tilicho Lake Annapurna Circuit Trek difficulty is by buying the trekking package from leading trekking agency. If you buy the proper trekking package, then you can follow an expertly prepared itinerary. Trekking independently may feel more difficult than by trekking with a trekking guide. Make sure that you are well prepared physically and mentally. A fit body with strong stamina can easily complete this trekking trip without much difficulty. Please make sure that you don’t underestimate the difficulty level of the Annapurna Circuit Trek route. Respect the terrain and local culture for easy journey in Nepal’s oldest trekking route.