Day: 01 Arriving into Kathmandu
Namaste and welcome to Nepal, You'll be met and assisted at the airport by our local representatives who will arrange your transfer and check in to your hotel.
Day: 02 Kathmandu and Valley
In the morning we explore Kathmandu on an organized sightseeing tour visiting Bodhnath Stupa & Swoyam,bhu Nath Stupa. Here we may observe Buddhist monks in prayer in the monasteries surrounding the Stupa. where we can visit the surrounding monasteries and perhaps watch the monks as they chant their daily mantras. In addition, we visit Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we will see Hindu holymen (or Sadhus), pilgrims bathing and, occasionally, funeral pyres burning on the ghats. In the evening, you will be supplied with your trek packs and final departure details for tomorrow.
Day 3: Baglung (970M) Pokhara.
We depart from the hotel fairly early this morning and are transferred to the domestic terminal at Kathmandu airport. From here you fly to Pokhara, with a flight time of about 30 minutes and often-spectacular views of the main Himalayan chain to the north. After arrival at Pokhara we will be then transferred by road (private bus) some 74 kilometres from Pokhara to the starting point of the trek, a drive of about three hours. On arrival there is a short walk from the road to our camp close to the village.
Day 4: Tatopani (970M)
We will make an early start to take advantage of the cooler hours of the day. We follow the western bank of the Kali Ghandaki River valley, with views of Dhaulagiri to the north, en route to the local district centre of Beni (870m), a large village with many local government offices where we will take lunch. In the afternoon we bear west and follow the Myagdi Khola as it meanders past the villages of Beni Managalghat, Jyanmara and the small settlement at Singa. The altitude is low, and the temperatures as we follow the valley will be particularly warm, a t-shirt and shorts being ideal. Beyond Singa we pass a hot spring and enter cultivated fields to reach a wide path that leads to Tatopani. Ten minutes beyond this village, we cross a suspension bridge to the right bank and make camp.
Day 5: Darbang (1120M)
This is another fairly straight- forward day following the Myagdi Khola. We again start early, passing the tiny village of Bholamza, and continue through fields to another suspension bridge which we cross to the left bank. From here we continue west to Simarchor to cross a suspension bridge over the Newale Khola and continue through terraced fields to Babichor where we take lunch. In the afternoon the track ascends gradually through paddies to reach the Duk Khola and the small settlements of Ratorunga, Bodeni and Chachare, before reaching the large village of Darbang with its rows of shops where we camp in the school grounds.
Day 6: Kamlo (1610M)
From the village we cross the Myangdi Khola by suspension bridge and then follow the river under cliffs to Phedi and the Marang Khola (1270m) where we take lunch. In the afternoon the trail ascends steeply, passing a few houses to reach a ridge at 1,690 metres where there are great views of Churen Himal (7371m) and Gurja Himal (7193m). We descend from the ridge to camp among terraced fields, high above the valley, at Kamlo. This small settlement is populated by Brahmin and Magar peoples and, in clear conditions, we are treated to the best mountain views of the trek so far.
Day 7: Baghara (2060M)
From the camp we descend steeply through terraced fields of wheat to the valley floor. The Myagdi Khola valley narrows at this spot and we cross to the northern bank on a small suspension bridge (1370m); from here there are fine views of Ghustung South (6465m) and Tsarabang Peak (6395m) to the north. Following the trail upstream we ascend gradually at first, and then steeply, towards the village of Sukhepani where we take lunch. In the afternoon, after a short steep uphill section we follow a valley trail from where we can see the trail ahead, rising dramatically up the left-hand face of a barren hillside. The route zig-zags abruptly uphill, and a good head for heights and steady footing are essential on this section. The climb leads to a forested ridge of bamboo and rhododendron at about 2,370 metres. After a short, tricky section we gain the first views of the terraced hillside of Baghara. From here the walking becomes easier and we descend to camp close to the village.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Day 8: Doban (2490M)
After an initial descent through terraced fields, we cross a small ridge, and descend further through treed areas to the remote village of Jyardan. The trail crosses a tricky landslide before again dropping through bamboo forest on a steep stone step-path to the river's edge. We then follow the river and ascend to the huts at Lipshe (2090m) for lunch, and a very pleasant option of bathing in the hot springs. In the afternoon the route is spectacular; towering cliffs line either side of the valley, beautiful waterfalls and lush forest make the walk particularly impressive. The trail passes through delightful rhododendron forest to reach a clearing at Baisi Kharkha (2305m) and continues through forest, with many short ascents and descents, to reach another clearing and camp at Doban.
Day 9: Sallegari (3060M)
About ten minutes beyond Dobang, we cross a wooden bridge over the Konabon Khola and enter a forested area with views of the west wall of Dhaulagiri I seen between breaks in the trees. We descend to the Myangdi river and cross a shaky wooden bridge to the left-bank path which again passes through a wooded area, with intermittent views of Jirbang Peak (6062m). After crossing a small stream we reach a clearing in the forest at Chartare (2890m) before proceeding through forest to reach our campsite, among pine and fir trees, at Sallegari.
Day 10: Italian Base Camp (3590M)
From Chartare we pass two small bivouac caves and then a rocky area. From here we ascend to contour the hillside before crossing the Choriban Khola. There are views of Manapati Peak (6380m) from here. We continue to ascend a steep path initially through forest to Puchhar, an open grassy area and then cross a small glacier that originates from the west wall of Dhaulagiri to a wide grassy area in a shallow ablation valley and our campsite.
Day 11: Italian Base Camp
It is essential that we are well acclimatised before continuing on to the most demanding section of our trek. A full day's rest here will be most beneficial, and the view from the campsite is most impressive. The menacing west wall of Dhaulagiri I towers above our camp, to the right is Manapati, and to the rear are the huge stone walls of Tsaurabong Peak.
Day 12: Dhaulagiri Depot Camp (4490M)
It is essential we leave in the early morning before the sun hits the higher slopes above the gorge which could potentially cause rock-falls. The trekking route descends across steep screes and then follows a poor track along the valley floor between towering cliffs, to the terminal moraine of Chhonbarban Glacier where camp will be established on the boulder-strewn ice. The day is kept short to assist with acclimatization.
Day 13: Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4750M)
In the morning we follow the glacial valley and bear right through a large gorge where magnificent views appear with Tukuche Peak West (6837m) seen at the far end of the glacier. We walk along an indistinct track on loose, moraine screes and although the trail is not steep the combination of altitude and the poor track can make today’s walk tiring. We will take lunch on the glacier and in the afternoon continue up the glacial trail to our camp close to the site of Dhaulagiri Base Camp.
Day 14: Hidden Valley Camp (5025M)
From our camp the north face of Dhaulagiri I looms high above, while to the west peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7751m), III (7715m), and V (7618m) rise high on the horizon. The route to the French Pass ascends moraines that fall from Sita Chuchura (6611m), entering a gentle snowy incline on the right from an ablation valley. The climb to French Pass (5360m) is a steady pull mainly due to the altitude. On the top there are great views, Sita Chuchura, the mountains of Mukut Himal, and Taski Kang (6386m) - all of which surround Hidden Valley. To the right is Tukuche West Peak and to the rear stands huge Dhaulagiri I. We descend down into Hidden Valley and then to our camp in the base of the valley.
Days 15 - 16: Hidden Valley Camp (5025M)
The Hidden Valley is one of Nepal’s most beautiful areas, surrounded by mountains and often covered in snow. The location is an ideal place for a rest and exploration day. Your leader will arrange interesting excursions in the valley depending on conditions. We have allowed an extra day here that can be used in case of poor conditions on the trek.
Day 17: Yak Kharkha (3900M)
If there is a lot of snow on the route today the walking will be very strenuous. We start with an ascent from the Hidden Valley to Dhampus Pass (5120m) with the mountains of the Mukut Valley spread out below. From the pass close to Thapa Peak we will have a long descent on snow and scree covered ridges to the high-altitude grazing pastures at Yak Kharkha where we will make camp. We are now high above the Kali Ghandaki valley and while views of Dhaulagiri I are obscured by Tukuche Peak the peaks of Nilgiri on the other side of the Kali Gandaki Valley are clearly visible.
Day 18: Marpha (2665M)
The trail down to the Kali Ghandaki river valley and the village of Marpha is a long and steep descent, following shepherds’ trails past several huts at Alubari and then with a final long zigzag down to the valley floor at Marpha. We are now on the popular Jomosom trail and we will have the opportunity to indulge in a few luxuries such as a beer or apple pie from one of the village lodges.
Day 19: Marpha
This day is used as a rest day, or in case we need extra time on the circumnavigation of Dhaulagiri.
Day 20: Kalopani (2560M)
We leave Marpha, through the narrow main street, crossing the sophisticated underground drainage system en route to Tukche. This Thakali village was once the centre of the salt trade with Tibet but now is reliant on the tourist trade for business. We continue on to Larjung, for lunch where the flat-roofed houses join together over the trail to form a tunnel giving protection from the high winds that blast the Kali Ghandaki Valley. In the afternoon we leave the dry arid rain shadow area to meet the fertile southern aspect of the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. The valley narrows at this point and we arrive at Kalopani, our overnight halt in this charming village surrounded pine and fir forest, back-dropped by the towering peaks of Dhaulagiri, Tukche Peak and Annapurna.
Day 21: Tatopani (1180M)
In the morning we leave Kalopani and follow the valley, descending through alpine forest to Ghasa, the last major Thakali settlement of the region. We have now descended over 4,000 metres since the French Pass and we now walk through the warmer sub-tropical surroundings of the lower valley. Lunch will be taken by the spectacular Rupse Chaara waterfall and in the afternoon we descend through the Magar village of Dana to arrive at our lodge in Tatopani. Here there is a chance to bathe in the hot springs and to eat oranges and pumpkin pie in beautiful surroundings. Tatopani was once a large and thriving village; sadly in the last 15 years two major floods during the monsoon season have washed a major part of the old village away.
Day 22: Baglung (970M)
An easy day following the Kali Ghandaki, at times on a trail cut into the rock high above the river valley. We pass through the village of Tiplyang and then cross several areas where the trail has been damaged by landslides before reaching Beni for lunch. In the afternoon it is a steady walk through the valley and back to Baglung where we started the trek. We camp on the outskirts of the village.
Day 23: Pokhara
After saying farewell to our porters we transfer by coach to Pokhara. Free day in Pokhara valley
Day 24: Kathmandu (1360M)
After breakfast we are transferred to the airport in the morning for the return flight to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu we are transferred back to the Shangri La hotel.
Day 25 At Leisure in Kathmandu. O/N Kathmandu Hotel.
An opportunity to relax and reflect on your adventures and to complete any sightseeing and last minute shopping. We will also organize an optional flight over Mt. Everest ($130 US) or an optional biking trip around the Kathmandu Valley. Later this evening we'll all meet up for a group farewell Nepali food with typical dance.
Day 26: Departure with warm Good Bye.
Today is free to relax until departure or to commence any additional trips or activities you may have booked. If departing, you will transfer to the International Airport in time for your return flight home. |
