Seen from the lakeside town of Pokhara in central Nepal, a tremendous wall of snow & ice-capped mountains dominates the northern horizon
- the Annapurna Himal. With no less than 12 summits topping 7000m (23, 000ft) soaring above a foreground of intricately terraced foothills, this is one of the most beautiful & ethnically diverse landscapes on earth. Around this island block goes the route of the classic Annapurna Circuit
- one of the great walks of the world. Into the heart of these mountains another trekker's trail leads to the Annapurna Sanctuary. Through the world's deepest valley, between Annapurna & Dhaulagiri, goes the Pilgrim's Trail to Muktinath, while the Ghandruk Foothill Trek provides an introduction to some of the best of Nepal's hill villages & mountain views. Kev Reynolds describes each of these treks with full route details for 'tea-house' trekkers & those journeying with & organised group. Information with regard to lodges, tea-houses & villages is provided; there are sections on how to plan a trek, where & when to go, permits & preparations, health matters, an equipment check list &, of equal importance, how to avoid giving offence to the local people. Outline suggestions are offered for other treks in the region, & details of Trekking Peaks are also given. This is a new, full-colour edition of an established guide.