Exploded View

Annapurna Sanctuary Trek Part 3: Day 7
Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3700m) to Annapurna Base Camp (A.B.C) (4130m)
430m ascended

The last part of "going up" is the hike from MBC to ABC to see the the full view of the peaks. The thing is there is only about an hour per day when it's clear enough to see them- and unfortunately this hour occurs from 6-7 AM! So I along with a number of other people at my guesthouse at MBC arose at the completely uncivilized hour of 4:30 am to do the 2 hour hike up to ABC.

We started in the dark guided by headlamps but as it got brighter we could start to see what we came all this way for-

Getting ligher!

Made it!

The lodges at ABC (you could stay there and get another hour or so of sleep to see the peaks- but that would have also meant doing the hike with my backpack (since I didn't have a porter) so I went with the earlier/lighter option)

Here is the 360 degree views from a ridge above ABC- just spectacular-

After enjoying the views then having breakfast at one of the lodges, we set off to head back down to MBC- and here you see that the visibility window has closed- the clouds rolled in right on schedule-

7:30 am- the view is gone!