Annapurna Circuit

ANNAPURNA, NEPAL - 2013/12/29: Villagers in Tukuche on the Annapurna Circuit. It's considered one of the most diverse trekking trails in the world; the Annapurna circuit passes an immense array of landscapes, from the lush green foothills of the Himalayas to the 5400 meter Thorung La pass and the moonscape of Mustang, a former Tibetan kingdom on a treeless plateau. Asia's most popular trekking trail, the Annapurna circuit has come under immense pressure in recent years with the construction of a road along the old trekking route. The road brings vital access and goods and services to the villagers, some who previously lived up to a week's walk from the nearest road head, but destroyed the tranquility of the mountains for trekkers, and hindered much needed tourism. Hoping to balance the best of both worlds, the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project, the government body who oversea the trail) have been busy building side trails through new villages and on upper levels of mountain ranges, allowing trekkers to still access Asia's most loved trail and its sunning wilderness, without the jeep dust. (Photo by Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images)