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The Annapurna Range and the Himalayas Annapurna (Sanskrit, Nepali, Nepal Bhasa) is a series of peaks in the Himalaya, a 55 km (34 mi)-long massif of which the highest point, Annapurna I, stands at 8,091 m (26,538 ft), making it the 10th-highest summit in the world and one of the 14 "eight-thousanders". It is located east of a great gorge cut through the Himalaya by the Kali Gandaki River, which separates it from the Dhaulagiri massif. (Dhaulagiri I lies 34 km/21 mi west of Annapurna I.) Annapūrnā is a Sanskrit name which literally means "full of food" (feminine form), but is normally translated as Goddess of the Harvests. In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga.
The entire massif and surrounding area are protected within the 7,629 sq. km Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), the first and largest conservation area in Nepal, established in 1986 by the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation. The Annapurna Conservation Area is home to several world-class treks, including the Annapurna Circuit. Geography
The Annapurna massif contains six major peaks over 7,200 m:
Annapurna I | 8,091 m | (26,545 ft) Ranked 10th; Prominence=2,894 m |  28.595° N 83.819° E
| Annapurna II | 7,937 m | (26,040 ft) Ranked 16th; Prominence=2,437 m | 28.539° N 84.137° E | Annapurna III | 7,555 m | (24,786 ft) Ranked 42nd; Prominence=703 m | 28.585° N 84.000° E | Annapurna IV | 7,525 m | (24,688 ft) | 28.539° N 84.087° E | Gangapurna | 7,455 m | (24,457 ft) Ranked 59th; Prominence=563 m | 28.606° N 83.965° E | Annapurna South | 7,219 m | (23,684 ft) Ranked 101st; Prominence=775 m | 28.518° N 83.806° E |
(Source: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia, “Annapurna,” (accessed June 20, 2008).Touring Annapurna Region
The Annapurna region is an area in western Nepal where some of the most popular treks are located. The region is generally taken to include areas around the Annapurna Range (Annapurna Himal), Dhaulagiri mountains and the Kaligandaki River valley. The peaks in this region include the 8,091m Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Nilgiri (7,061m) and Machhapuchchhre (6,993m). Most of these peaks a visible throughout the region on a clear day.
The Annapurna Conservation Area is also located in the region.
Among the popular treks in the region are the Annapurna Circuit trek which circles the Annapurna Range, the Kaligandaki River Valley trek which brings you up the world's deepest valley and the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek up to the Annapurna Base Camp. There are many more trails for shorter treks. The region includes the Trans-Himalayan areas north of the main Himalayan Ranges, where the land is arid and the culture more Tibetan than Indian subcontinent.
The Annapurna region as travellers know it is not an administrative region. The area is located in two zones - Gandaki and Dhaulagiri. The districts in the Annapurna region are Baglung, Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang and Myagdi. .Trekking Annapurna
While the Everest range boasts of higher mountains, the Annapurnas are far more accessible; impressive mountain views may be reached within a few days of walking from the roadhead. While the Himalayas and Nepal's northern border generally coincide, in this region the mountains come farther south, allowing the trekker an opportunity to travel from low-lying forests into the mountains and beyond into the Tibetan plateau without having to leave Nepal. (Source: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikitravel, “Annapurna,” (accessed June 20, 2008). |
