Deurali

Deurali (3,230m) sits right at the treeline, the last teahouse stop before the valley opens into the high alpine terrain of the Annapurna Sanctuary. It's also an avalanche-prone stretch of trail in winter and after heavy snow, so guides typically push through this section early in the day.

Deurali simply means pass or saddle in Nepali, and there are places of the name all over the country. At 3,230m this is where altitude starts to matter on the Sanctuary trek: the climb to Machhapuchhre Base Camp gains nearly 500m and then another 400m to Base Camp, so headaches are common on the second night up. When avalanche risk above is high, guides hold parties here or turn them back, and that call is not negotiable.