Pisang Peak

Overview

 Pisang peak is one of the popular peaks which lies in the Northern part of Nepal, within the Annapurna region in the Manang district. Pisang peak stands steadily at the height of 6091m and looks like a pyramid of ice and snow. The peak was first climbed by the German expedition in 1955. The trail to Pisang Peak is beautifully decorated with cultural villages, holy sites including Muktinath, and one of the highest mountain pass called Thorang La pass. Besides this, the route also passes through green vegetation, and forest allowing us to see the amazing wildlife of Annapurna Conservation Area. Many rare animals and plants are found here like snow leopard, red pandas, Himalayan Tahr, etc. However, the stunning view of Lamjung Himal, and Mount Manaslu remains the main attraction of this trek. Even though Pisang peak is categorized as easy peak climbing, you need strong physical and mental fitness for this trek and climb. 

Temperature and weather- 

The best seasons to climb this peak is in autumn and spring. The temperature is cold but bearable, the days are less windy, the clear atmosphere makes this peak more appealing. During the spring season, you can see the flower blooming everywhere along with green vegetation. Autumn provides a spectacular view of snow-capped mountains with crystal blue skies. Moreover, these seasons come with few challenges which make the climb relatively easier. The winter season has harsh weather and is covered with snow, sometimes blocking the way. The monsoon is warmer but the trails are muddy and slippery due to heavy rainfall. 

Food and accommodation 

In lower altitudes, there are enough teahouses available for you to spend your nights. They have a small room with a twin-sharing bed, blankets, and pillows. The room and toilets have to be shared. However, once you arrive at the base camp, there are no such facilities available and the only solution is to camp. You need to prepare tents, camping sites, and food by yourself. Or, if you choose to travel through any agencies they will be the ones to manage all these things and also hire a cook. If you are traveling solo, tents, sleeping bags, mats, liners, cooking gas, utensils are highly recommended. 

Transportation

The gateway for your trek is Syangje or Besishahar, to which a bus is available from Kathmandu. It takes almost 6-7 hours to reach Syangje from Kathmandu. Once you reach Syangje, you need to start trekking to Dharapani, Chame and further. 

Permits and fees 

1) Pisang Peak climbing permit

              Spring season- cost 250$

              Autumn season- 125$

              Winter- 70$

              Summer- 70 $

2) Annapurna Conservation area permit

NON SAARC countries- 3000 (excluding VAT)

        SAARC countries- 1500 (excluding VAT)

3) TIMs- 1000 NRS (10$)

Guides and porters

When it comes to peak climbing, professional, licensed, well-educated and experienced guides are everything you need. They lead you, they have great knowledge about directions, people, villages, camping sites, etc. Since you will be carrying all the stuff for camping you will definitely need a porter to help you. Guides usually charge up to 35-40$ per day and porters charge around 25-30$ per day. However, if you choose to travel through agencies they will hire a guide and a porter for you. 

Electronics and communication

Most of the teahouses have electricity through a solar panel. There will be no problem with charging your electronics. The teahouses also have telephones and satellite phones. You need to pay extra money to use that. At the higher altitudes, these facilities are not available and you have to entirely depend on power banks and extra batteries. 

Safety and fitness– The road to Pisang peak base camp is rough, steep, and can be snowy. The trail above the base camp is more challenging. The steep up and down trails can be very difficult. You need to be well familiar with mountaineering gear like ice ax, harness, crampons, etc. The extreme temperature and altitude can be a serious problem if you don’t apply the necessary precaution. Any peak climbing requires concentration, focus, patience, and knowledge. Physical and mental stability is the most important factor. Physical fitness can be built by running, jogging, and doing some light exercise before starting your trek. The average walking hour of 5-6 per day, and overnight camping, risk of altitude sickness, combining all these facts, the trek and climb to Pisang peak can be moderately difficult.  

*Symptoms of Mountain sickness

-Headache

-Dizziness

-Loss of appetite

-Shortness of breath

-Fast heartbeats

*Preventing mountain sickness 

-Walk slow

-Stay hydrated

-Have nutritional food 

-Have enough rest

-Avoid smoking and alcohol 

*Medicines for mountain sickness 

-Acetazolamide 

-Ibuprofen, paracetamol (for headache)

-Promethazine (for nausea) 

 Other requirements

Travel insurance– trekking to high altitudes can always be risky. Travel Insurance is something you might want to do before trekking anywhere. Sometimes in emergency cases, people need to be evacuated through a helicopter and get medical service. So, in such cases, your travel insurance will be bearing the cost for you. Seeing all these benefits, the government of Nepal has made travel insurance mandatory thing before trekking. However, it is very important to mention the heights and all the places you will be reaching during your trek. Your insurance entirely depends on the details you have provided earlier. Travel insurance costs you around 150$ which is good for 1 month. 

 Visas/passports– if you are not a Nepalese or Indian citizen, then a visa and a passport are mandatory. You can get your Nepalese Visa at Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu. The passport must hold a visa of a minimum of 6 months.