| Day |
Route |
Duration |
Highest Point/m |
Grade |
| 1 |
Arrival Kathmandu transfer to Hotel |
All day |
1300 |
Easy |
| |
Meet with our representative at the
airport. Drive to hotel. |
| 2 |
Kathmandu |
All day |
1300 |
Easy |
| |
Sightseeing Day see Kathmandu Day Trips for ideas
of what to do. |
| 3 |
Kathmandu - Nepalgunj |
90 mins flight |
450 |
Easy |
| |
A 90 minute flight
to south-west Nepal to Nepalgunj, a major trading city near
the border with India. It will be a congested place that's
warm to hot and quite humid so wear light clothing and make
sure you have some water with you. |
| 4 |
Nepalgunj - Jumla - Chala Chaur |
2 hours |
2335 |
Easy |
| |
We first fly north from Nepalgunj
across the Himalayan mid-hills towards the distant snow-capped
peaks that border Tibet. Jumla is in a picturesque valley surrounded
by rice paddies and dense forests. The town lies on the former
Malla 'royal highway' linking the plains of the Terai with Tibet
and is now the administrative headquarters of the entire Karnali
zone and Jumla district. We meet our crew here and begin our
trek along the 'highway' to our camp site to the north of Jumla.
Enroute we pass a hamlet that features a small compound containing
some stone stupas which relate local Buddhist legends. |
| 5 |
Chala Chaur - Jaljal Chaur |
7 hours |
3505 |
Easy |
| |
 |
Today we must climb our first pass, the
Jaljala Lekh (3505m) before descending into the Jaljala
Khola (river) valley. This wills a very enjoyable day
as we puff ourselves up to the pass through some stunning
birch, pine and oak forests. The distinctive twin peaks
of Kanjiroba are visible to the east before an easy
descent through more forest to our pasture camp for
the night. |
|
| 6 |
Jaljal Chaur - Sinja |
4 hours |
2438 |
Easy |
| |
Today is a short trek to give us
time to explore the ruined remains of the ancient Malla capital,
Kotgaon or Lamathada, that surround the Kankasundri Temple.
The Temple is over 300 years old but the surrounding standing
stones and ruins are far older, some dating back to medieval
Khasa Kingdom of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Our destination
is just beyond Sinja where the Sinja Khola has cut a small gorge
and formed an ideal camp site. |
| 7 |
Sinja - Ghorasai |
4 hours |
3200 |
Easy |
| |
Another short day that gives us time
to relax and take a long breakfast. Our trail climbs up through
the cultivated Sinja and Ghatta Khola valleys as we trek to
Ghorasai and the Rara Lake National Park entry post. |
| 8 |
Ghorasai - Rara Lake |
6 hours |
3810 |
Easy |
| |
Our day begins with the ascent of
another pass over the Chuchuemara Danda (3810m) through fine
pine and rhododendron forests. Beneath us lies Rara Lake, shimmering
the reflection of the surrounding hills. We descend to the now
vacated village of Rara (inhabitants of the valley were relocated
in 1975 when the area was designated a National Park) through
bamboo and birch forests and begin exploring the lake shore. |
| 9 |
Rara Lake |
all day |
3000 |
Easy |
| |
Today is a chance to take
a quick dip in the extremely refreshing waters of the lake,
explore the deserted Rara village and enjoy the view from
the wooden observation tower of the surrounding hills and
distant mountains, as well as visiting the National Park Headquarters.
|
| 10 |
Rara Lake – Dhotu |
4 hours |
2545 |
Easy |
| |
Another short trekking day
today as we take our time enjoying the views of the lake and
surround country. Our trail takes us along an easy path that
takes us first through the hamlet of Jhari and onto a riverside
camp at Dhotu, just outside the the Rara valley. |
| 11 |
Dhotu - Chautha |
6 hours |
3444 |
Easy |
| |
We now begin to head southwards
and up to the Ghurchi Lagna pass (3444m) on the other side
of which we leave the Rara Lake National Park area. The trail
is then a very easy downhill through walnut groves and a steep,
narrow valley to Chautha, a village famous for its high quality
clay chilims (smoking pipes).
|
| 12 |
Chautha - Dhanphe Lagna |
6 hours |
3350 |
Easy |
| |
Leaving Chautha passes under
a massive overhanging rock at Kabra, the source of the important
medicinal mineral, Silaji, which is said to cure almost anything.
We trek on through the classic Tibetan style village of Bumra
and then begin the climb to our camp site beneath our final
pass, the Danphe Lekh.
|
| 13 |
Dhanphe Lagna - Jumla |
5 hours |
3688 |
Easy |
| |
Our Last day on the trek
begins with a gentle climb through birch forest which should
contain flocks of Danphe pheasants to the Danphe Lekh. From
the top of the pass are some great views of the mountains
to the north and the Jumla valley to the south. It is then
pretty well all downhill to Jumla where we will camp for the
night and have a final party to celebrate the end of the trek!
|
| 14 |
Jumla - Kathmandu |
all day |
1300 |
Easy |
| |
Fly from Jumla via Nepalgunj
to Kathmandu. Final Day end of trek debrief and departure.
|
