Annapurna Trekking Region
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.) Annapur?a 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.
The Annapurna massif contains six major peaks over
7,200 m:
Annapurna I 8,091 m (26,545 ft)
Annapurna II 7,937 m (26,040 ft)
Annapurna III 7,555 m (24,786 ft)
Annapurna IV 7,525 m (24,688 ft)
Gangapurna 7,455 m (24,457 ft)
Annapurna South 7,219 m (23,684 ft)
(source: wikipedia.com)