The Annapurna Circuit Trek offers, from subtropical valleys of fertile vegetation and wildlife to the consecutive high mountain passes of the Himalayas. This is all to say that the higher you went, the cooler it was, and falls are cold, unless you are there in the heat of summer. Hiking in off-season– if it’s hopefully not winter (Dec – Feb)and it’s not too cold to ensure you keep warm, it’s safety first! Here are 9 tips for keeping warm while trekking the Annapurna Circuit in winter.
Look Like You’ve Done It a Thousand Times and Be Ready
(How many miles is Annapurna Circuit weather is highly unpredictable, especially as we ascend the peaks. Meanwhile, all the low and not-at-all cold temperatures down in lower sections of the trail are kind of a lie — they absolutely, absolutely plunge, particularly as you continue toward Thorong La Pass (the trek’s high point, at 5,416 meters, or 17,769 feet) — even if it is high noon.
As you go down, it gets warmer and more sun shines; high places might stay very cold all day.
Up high (above 3000 m), night cold can stay at −10 to −20 °C (14 to −4 °F), or drop more in the cold time.
With these discrepancies in play, layering becomes a crucial matter of predicting the climbing day in store.
Dress in Layers to Stay Warm
All the Trek Nepal Annapurna Circuit packs I recommend depend on are layers. Put clothes on, take them off as the temps drop/rise throughout the day. At a minimum, you can want 3 layers: a base layer, a middle layer, and an outer layer.
Layer 1: live dry and cool. Dye and dirt-moisture-wicking baselayers. Wear Layer .1 Depending on temperature, Layer 1 could be your base layer, a thin base layer first to wick moisture away.
So actually, your base layer is the layer that you put on next to your skin, that’s the layer that’s there, specifically, to wick that moisture away from your skin. So sweat you will, as you hike, and if it doesn’t evaporate, it is able to cool you, specifically at high elevations. For a base layer, pick a few types of moisture-wicking fabric like merino wool, polyester, or an artificial equal. And these items are also going to wick the sweat off of your frame, so that you’re not going to be wet and cold and freezing.
Insulating Layer: Trap the Heat
(That insulating layer has the same effect.) And that’s the layer that insulates, the layer where your body heat gets stuck.” You don’t need a jacket as big as an Annapurna for daycare, but you get my drift, something made of fleece, something of synthetic or down insulation in the daycare playground will be good too. But down doesn’t insulate when wet, and is thought to be less warm than synthetic insulation when wet, so a synthetic jacket is a strong option if you’re hiking in the rain, sledding, building snow for, or doing just about anything else outside.
Down Jackets – I like my down jackets (so light and toasty) – but they’re not good when they’re wet.
Fleece: Great for dry, cold conditions (less so when wet), but not as warm as down in extreme cold.
Synthetic Insulation: Read also > Synthetic insulation: Better performance with moisture and can be bulkier > Down insulation.n It thrives in the lightest, wettest conditions, but costs a little more in weight.
Layer One: Windproof and water-resistant
The shell is that outermost layer designed to shield you from the elements — wind, rain, sn snowow, and generally just being cold. A good jacket that’s waterproof and windproof is the key to being comfortable when you are walking up hills all dinnto the alpine and listening to goats kill each other. Get a jacket made of wicking (as in moisture-wicking) material that’s waterproof but will physically wick sweat from your body and evaporate it.
WeaWear waterproof and proof trekking pants as your pair of pants for the day to keep snow, wind, and rain from getting to your skin. You may also want to bring insulated pants to wear over your regular trekking outfit if you expect below-freezing temperatures at elevation.
Warm Accessories are a Must
But the Annapurna Circuit, heat won’t just be about the layers you bring, the blisters and socks you’ll have to dig to the bottom of your pack to change out at tea houses along the trail, but also helping to protect the essentials from bare minimum extremity in hands, feet, and head. Here, a few cold-weather accessories that will help keep you toasty pavement-side:
Hats and Headgear
You lose body heat through your head, so try wearing a toasty warm hat. Just cover your head and ears with a wool beanie or balaclava, instead. For everyone else who wants your neck and more of your face covered — especially if you’ll spend your time on a trail in windier climes — add a windproof buff or neck gaiter.
Gloves
Marclay Bravo Scariest costume: You’ll need some warm gloves, your poor hands might be a bit exposed to the cold. There were some gloves in the store that would fit her. Comedic op, as a thin glove for warmth with another over it to keep her hands dry in rain and snow. Data Reader Grover would do fairly well to double up on walled gloves – a “liner” to keep the hand warm with an outside layer that is the protective element from the elements. Mittens, which are generally warmer than gloves since all your fingers generate heat together, are another alternative, particularly the higher up the mountain you go.
Footwear and Socks
So, all you want is a superb pair of waterproof, warm hiking boots, and they will keep your toes warm all day. Look for boots with a lot of warm stuff inside that can keep out water and stand up to snow, ice, and wet.
For socks, same, I’d recommend merino wool or synthetic — they wick moisture, and they’re warm. They will drink your sweat, and your feet will sing. And the gloves have to come off so you can get anything done or read a text message or pick up a dime off the street (it’s probably not worth it, but it’s a slow news day). Plus, you’ll want to have more than one pair of socks to change into so you can stop soaking your feet.
Hand and Foot Warmers
And as toasty hand-warmer and foot-warmers to use on the trails in colder weather, they can be lifesavers. Simply slip this slim, disposable heat pack into your gloves or shoes for a touch of extra warmth on a cold night or after hiking in the cold for hours on end.
That’ll Keep Your Energy Up. Warm Up with Hot Food and Drink
Hot food and drinks for sale might come in useful as a warm-up, too. Sip hot tea, coffee, or soup in the morning and at night, when it’s cold, and you’ll both warm your body up and get some of the calories and liquids you should be imbibing anyway. (It is a time when you need to eat more, truth be told, because your body simply burns a heck of a lot more energy just to stay warm at higher altitudes.)
Acclimatization: Avoid Cold-Related Illnesses
Go much higher than you are now, on the way up the Annapurna Circuit, and you might start feeling the hypoxia, not just the cold. Higher up, the human body can produce less heat. If you want all that altitude sickness and hypothermia, and an anastomotic bite, Acclimate.
Allow a couple of bonus days at a lower elevation for acclimatisation before you set out, then take it easy to preserve energy, stay warm, and travel well at altitude. Decide on an easy rhythm and do not overheat yet before you sweat.
Conclusion
The article was published in July 2016. On foot, the Annapurna Circuit proper in the heart of winter is a large journey; just make sure you are ready for it. Wear many layers, choose the proper clothes, stay dry, make exact alternatives, and you will do well on a hike, even if it’s very cold. But train well enough, you might also end up on the adventure of a lifetime in one of the most stunning mountain ranges on the planet, where you certainly won’t feel cold.
