Annapurna IV Expedition (7,525 m)

Today we complete the formalities for the Annapurna IV climbing permit, including the official expedition briefing at Nepal's Department of Tourism, where you meet the government liaison officer assigned to the team. Your Sherpa guide then runs through your equipment piece by piece. Kathmandu has good mountaineering shops, so anything missing can be bought or hired here. In the afternoon there is time to visit Boudhanath Stupa, close to our office. Overnight at the hotel.

We leave Kathmandu early by private vehicle and follow the Prithvi Highway west along the Trishuli river before turning north at Dumre into the Marsyangdi valley. The drive takes about 6-7 hours, with stops for tea and lunch. Besisahar, the headquarters of Lamjung district, is the traditional starting point of the Annapurna Circuit and a lively market town. The expedition cargo travels with us. Overnight in a lodge or simple hotel.

A full day by 4x4 jeep on the rough road up the Marsyangdi valley, passing Jagat, Tal and Dharapani, where the valley turns west towards Manang. The road is bumpy and the journey takes around 7-8 hours, but the scenery changes steadily from rice terraces to pine forest and the first snow peaks. Chame, the headquarters of Manang district, has comfortable teahouses and views of Lamjung Himal. Overnight in a teahouse.

Although the road continues further, we walk from here to help acclimatisation. The trail follows the Marsyangdi through pine forest, past the great curved rock slab of Paungda Danda, and opens out into the upper valley with fine views of Annapurna II. Walking time is about 5-6 hours with gentle height gain. Pisang is a Tibetan-style village of stone houses and prayer flags. Overnight in a teahouse.

A short and gentle walk of about 3-4 hours along the lower trail of the upper Marsyangdi valley, through pine and juniper and past mani walls, to the village of Humde with its small airstrip. The Annapurna peaks rise steeply to the south, and the side valley of the Sabje Khola, our route to Base Camp, opens nearby. The afternoon is free to rest and help the crew sort loads. Overnight in a teahouse.

A day to let the body adjust before going higher. In the morning we take an acclimatisation hike on the slopes above the village, gaining a few hundred metres before returning for lunch. Your Sherpa guide checks how everyone is adapting and reviews equipment for the climb on Annapurna IV. Meanwhile, the crew organises porters and loads for the walk into the Sabje Khola. Overnight in a teahouse at Humde.

We leave the main trail and head south into the Sabje Khola, a quiet side valley that sees very few visitors. The path is rough and sometimes faint, climbing through scrub and then onto open moraine. After about 5-6 hours we stop at an intermediate camp at around 4,000 m, a sensible break in the height gain. Porters carry the expedition loads, and our crew sets up the tents and kitchen. Overnight in tents.

A further 4-5 hours up the valley brings us to Base Camp at around 4,500 m, beneath the north side of the Annapurna wall. Our crew sets up individual tents for each climber, together with the dining, kitchen, storage and toilet tents. The rest of the day is for settling in, drinking plenty and resting. From here you get a first proper look at the lower part of the route on Annapurna IV.

We begin with a puja, the Buddhist ceremony Sherpa climbers perform to ask for safe passage before climbing. The following day is for rest and a skills refresher: your Sherpa guide reviews fixed-rope technique, ascender and descender use, crampon work and glacier travel. Meanwhile our climbing team scouts the lower route on Annapurna IV and starts carrying ropes, tents and fuel towards Camp 1.

The route climbs the north side of Annapurna IV. Rotations establish Camp 1 (around 5,500 m) and Camp 2 (around 6,100 m), then Camp 3 (around 6,400 m), with our Sherpa team fixing rope on the steeper snow and ice. After each rotation we return to Base Camp to rest and eat well. By the end of this phase you should have slept at Camp 3, ready for a summit attempt when the weather allows.

When a settled forecast appears, we move up through the camps to Camp 4 (around 6,850 m), reached by a traverse across the upper face. Summit day climbs the final snow slopes and ridge to 7,525 m, with views across Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna and the Manang valley. The push takes four to five days in total. Turnaround times are agreed in advance, and spare days allow a second attempt.

We pack up Base Camp, leaving the site clean and carrying all waste out, and walk back down the valley to the main Marsyangdi trail. With weeks of acclimatisation behind us the descent is quick, taking around 6-7 hours. Returning to a teahouse, with a hot shower and fresh food, is a pleasant change after weeks in tents. In the evening we thank the porters and crew. Overnight in a teahouse.

A long day by 4x4 jeep back down the Marsyangdi valley, retracing the route through Chame, Dharapani and Jagat. The road is rough in places and the journey takes around 8-9 hours, with stops for tea and lunch. As we lose height, the air warms and the pine forest gives way to terraces and villages. Overnight in a lodge or simple hotel in Besisahar.

We drive back to Kathmandu along the Marsyangdi and Trishuli valleys, a journey of about 6-7 hours with stops along the way. On arrival you are transferred to your hotel, where a hot shower and a comfortable bed are waiting. The evening is free to relax, eat out in Thamel or simply rest after the expedition. Overnight at the hotel on a bed-and-breakfast basis.

This day is kept in reserve for delays caused by weather or transport. If it is not needed, we complete the expedition debriefing and you are free to explore Kathmandu: the old royal squares of Kathmandu and Patan, Swayambhunath on its hilltop or the shops of Thamel. It is also a good moment to celebrate the Annapurna IV expedition with the team before heading home. Overnight at the hotel on a bed-and-breakfast basis.

After breakfast, we transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport in good time for your onward flight. We hope you leave with strong memories of Annapurna IV and of the people who climbed it with you, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Himalaya, whether for another expedition, a peak climb or a relaxed trek.