The New York Times has a thorough and stunning account of trekking the world-famous Annapurna Circuit, Last Footfall in Nepal, as well as an update on the plans to build a road in place of it by 2012. This harsh reality is something that visiting writer Ethan Todras-Whitehill has no qualms bemoaning; he says it will be considered “the last nail in the coffin of what was once the greatest trek on earth.”

If he’d seen the 150-mile Annapurna Circuit by jeep, Ethan writes, he’d have memories of beauty mid-blur instead of swaying footbridges over thunderous gorges; rocky footpaths jammed with goats, donkeys and water buffalo; terraced rice paddies thrusting green shoots against the olive hillsides; and the low hum of chanting monks seeping out of brightly colored Buddhist monasteries. For an interactive, photo-filled map, click here.

Embark will be disappointed to say the least if cars affect the beauty, culture, and serenity of one of Nepal’s–and the world’s–most epic treks, not just for visitors but the locals, too.