A trek to Annapurna Base Camp may be among the most spectacular, but it's also one of the most dangerous. A year after a couple of Australian trekkers died in an avalanche last spring, three German trekkers bound for ABC died in an avalanche on the morning of 3 March. German nationals Bernhard Peter, Christof Wopperer, and Verena Beutlhauser had stopped to take pictures when they were swept away when an avalanche and strong winds suddenly hit their group at Bagar, a day's trek from ABC. Their guide, Madan Lopchan, still missing, is presumed dead. Says group leader Manfred Hartl, who survived the tragedy along with another German trekker, "We were covered by snow when an avalanche suddenly hit us. After about five minutes, Barbara Fehm and I were able to get up. We checked on the other members. But they were dead." A few spots in the area, especially near Deurali, are exposed to avalanches coming off the flanks of Hiunchuli and Annapurna South, which funnel accumulated snow and huge blocks of ice down to the trail.