Overview
Hiunchuli is 6,441 metres on the western wall of the Annapurna Sanctuary. It carries the same NMA Group B permit as Island Peak, and the resemblance ends there — this is a steep, loose, seriously exposed mountain with a low summit rate.
If any single record makes the case that "trekking peak" is a licensing category rather than a difficulty rating, it is this one.
The climb
The approach is the Annapurna Base Camp trail, then three camps: base at 4,400 m, camp one at 5,200 m and camp two at 5,800 m. The ground between them is steep and loose, with rockfall and serac exposure that closes the route for days at a time.
Summit day is sustained snow and ice, fixed throughout the upper mountain. Annapurna I stands directly opposite.
Who it is for
Climbers who have already been to 6,000 metres and can move confidently on steep ground under objective danger. It is not a progression from Island Peak — it is several steps beyond it, and the permit price hides that completely.
What it costs
USD 3,200 to 6,000. The permit is the cheap part at USD 250 in spring; the money goes on a strong climbing crew, three camps of fixed rope and hardware, and the spare days the mountain demands.
Day by day
The 18 days itinerary
Distances, walking times, altitudes and accommodation for every stage — stored as structured data, not written into the prose.
- Day 1
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Kathmandu (1,400 m) → Pokhara (820 m)
- Walking
- 30 minutes by air
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 820 m
- Sleep
- Hotel, Pokhara
- Meals
- Dinner
- Day 2
Pokhara to Chhomrong
Pokhara (820 m) → Kimche → Chhomrong (2,170 m)
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 4 hours after the drive
- Altitude
- 820 m → 2,170 m
- Elevation
- +700 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chhomrong
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 3
Chhomrong to Dovan
Chhomrong (2,170 m) → Dovan (2,600 m)
- Distance
- 13 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 2,170 m → 2,600 m
- Elevation
- +800 m / −370 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Dovan
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 4
Dovan to Deurali
Dovan (2,600 m) → Deurali (3,230 m)
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 2,600 m → 3,230 m
- Elevation
- +630 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Deurali
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 5
Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp
Deurali (3,230 m) → Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m)
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 3,230 m → 4,130 m
- Elevation
- +900 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Annapurna Base Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 6
Annapurna Base Camp — acclimatisation
ABC (4,130 m) and the moraine
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 4 hours
- Altitude
- 4,130 m → 4,130 m
- Elevation
- +350 m / −350 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Annapurna Base Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 7
ABC to Hiunchuli base camp
ABC (4,130 m) → base camp (4,400 m)
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 4 hours
- Altitude
- 4,130 m → 4,400 m
- Elevation
- +270 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 8
Base camp — skills and load carry
Base camp (4,400 m) and the lower route
- Distance
- 4 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 4,400 m → 4,400 m
- Elevation
- +400 m / −400 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Fixed-rope
- ice-axe and crevasse-rescue drills
- Day 9
Base camp to camp one
Base camp (4,400 m) → camp one (5,200 m)
- Distance
- 4 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 4,400 m → 5,200 m
- Elevation
- +800 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Steep, loose ground on the approach — the rockfall here is the reason the mountain is climbed early and rarely late in the season.
- Day 10
Camp one to camp two
Camp one (5,200 m) → camp two (5,800 m)
- Distance
- 3 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 5,200 m → 5,800 m
- Elevation
- +600 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 11
Summit day
Camp two (5,800 m) → Hiunchuli (6,441 m) → camp one (5,200 m)
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 12–14 hours
- Altitude
- 5,800 m → 5,200 m
- Elevation
- +641 m / −1241 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Sustained steep snow and ice, fixed throughout the upper mountain, with serac and rockfall exposure on the approach. Not a walk-up in any sense — this is the hardest of the peaks the NMA calls "trekking".
- Annapurna I directly opposite
- Machapuchare
- the Sanctuary below
- Day 12
Contingency day
Reserved
- Altitude
- 5,200 m → 5,200 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 13
Second contingency day
Reserved
- Altitude
- 5,200 m → 5,200 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Two spare days is not generous on this mountain. Summit windows are short and parties routinely use both.
- Day 14
Camp one to Bamboo
Camp one (5,200 m) → ABC → Bamboo (2,310 m)
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 8 hours
- Altitude
- 5,200 m → 2,310 m
- Elevation
- −2890 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Bamboo
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 15
Bamboo to Jhinu Danda
Bamboo (2,310 m) → Jhinu Danda (1,780 m)
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 2,310 m → 1,780 m
- Elevation
- +500 m / −1030 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Jhinu Danda
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 16
Jhinu Danda to Pokhara
Jhinu Danda (1,780 m) → Pokhara (820 m)
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 2 hours, then the drive
- Altitude
- 1,780 m → 820 m
- Elevation
- −960 m
- Sleep
- Hotel, Pokhara
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch
- Day 17
Pokhara to Kathmandu
Pokhara (820 m) → Kathmandu (1,400 m)
- Walking
- 30 minutes by air
- Altitude
- 820 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 18
Contingency day
Reserved for weather
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
Route map
Where the trail goes
Route line, start and end points, and every overnight stop. Locations are shared entities — the same record powers the destination and itinerary pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hiunchuli really a trekking peak?
Who should attempt it?
Why is the summit rate so low?
How does it compare with Tharpu Chuli?
When should you go?
About the author
Tom Eriksen
Gear editor & photographer
Tom tests trekking equipment the only way that produces honest answers: by carrying it for weeks at a time above 4,000 metres. He shoots most of the photography on this site and writes the gear reviews, comparison tables and packing lists.
Writes about: Trekking gear · Photography · Packing and weight
