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This region is new
territory for trekkers. Trekking off the main path is
not only possible, but can be immensely rewarding,
though you do need a sense of adventure and an increased
ability to deal with the unexpected. Geographically,
Dhaulagiri region is a land of dramatic contrast. From
the near tropical Pokhara valley, steep slopes climb to
snowcapped Himalayan giants. Dhaulagiri, the seventh
tallest peak in the world, towers high above the
well-trekked Muktinath pilgrim trail up the Kali Gandaki
valley. The vast rock and ice massif screens the hidden
land of Dolpo to its northwest.
Following the rivers upstream, ferns and forests of oak
and other deciduous trees and juniper abound.
Mountainsides of rhododendron blaze with color in the
spring, and other flowers are abundant on the trail.
Even on High Mountain passes above the tree line, tiny
alpine flowers can be found dotting the windswept
ground.
Highlights: A challenging trek, which will reward you
with the opportunity to camp on a glacier. The toughness
of the terrain is more than made up for by the
spectacular scenery and wilderness. The rewards also
come when you rejoin the Jomsom trail, where you may
have apple cider in Marpha or a hot spring afternoon in
Tatopani.
Itinerary
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Day 01 |
Arrive Kathmandu
Duration:
Height: 1300m
Meet with our representative at the airport.
Drive to hotel. |
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Day 02 |
Kathmandu
Duration: 4hrs
Height: 1300m
Half day sightseeing O/N at hotel. |
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Day 03 |
Kathmandu – Pokhara
Duration: 30 minute fly or 6hrs drive
Height: 960m
Fly or drive to Pokhara and over night at Hotel. |
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Day 04 |
Pokhara – Beni-Shinga
Duration: 4hrs+trek1 and half hrs
Height:
Drive after breakfast to Beni and start trek.
From Beni pass Beni Mangalghat where there is a
row of shops then enter a desolate mountainside.
Pass Jyanmara which consists of a single
teahouse, after the mountain path, follow a wide
level path. Houses increase as you approach
singa with its shops and teahouses. Camp on the
school ground, side of the Myagdi Khola.
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Day 05 |
Shinga - Durbang
Duration: 5 hrs
Height:
Follow a raised path above the riverbed, pass a
hot spring below to the left, and enter
cultivated fields to a wide path that leads to
Tatopani. Ten minutes beyond this village, cross
a suspension bridge to the right bank, pass the
tiny village of Bholamza and go through fields
to another suspension bridge which returns you
to the left bank. Pass by Simarchor a little
further on and cross the suspension bridge over
the Newale Khola that flows in from the right.
Follow the Myagdi Khola left bank path past the
small villages of Shisman and Talkot; climb a
bit to Babichor with its shops and teahouses.
Cross a high, winding path on a mountainside out
Babichor. Terraced hills develop in the wide
valley, paddies become plentiful and the path is
easy to walk, being either flat or gently
ascending. Pass stone paved Shahasdara cross
Dukh khola and continue amid paddies. After
Ratorunga with its shop and tea house the wide
terraced hills end. Follow a path along the
river pass Bodeni to Chachare with its teahouse.
The terraced hills disappear on the opposite
bank as well and the left bank of the narrow
valley gently undulates up and down as you
arrive at the large village of Darbang with its
rows of shops. Camp on the school ground. |
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Day 06 |
Dharbang - Shibang
Duration: 6 hrs
Height:
Cross a suspension bridge to the right bank,
pass the tributary Ritum Khola to your left as
you go to the right through the hamlet of
Darbang. Follow the right bank path along the
river at the base of stone cliffs to Phedi
(1100m) with its two teahouses. Just beyond the
phedi, cross the Dang Khola which flows from the
left, and begin to climb a ridge on the opposite
bank. As you zig and zag up a steep hill, the
angel of incline gradually eases, soon you enter
a mountainside on the Myagdi Khola side from the
pine-covered ridge path to Dharapani, a heavily
populated village. Once again climb a steep
slope after which you descend a mountain path
past Takum where cultivated fields spread over
the wide mountain flank. You arrive at the
village of Shibang and camp on grassy ground. |
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Day 07 |
Shibang - Muri
Duration: 6 hrs
Height:
From Shibang you pass through a forest and
continue past mattim up an incline to the snout
of ridge where Dhaulagiri Himal is visible.
Descend to the Gatti Khola, and then skirt
around the ridge to Phalai Gaon (1810) is on a
mountainside partially penetrated by the
tributary Dhara khola. To go to Muri, follow the
stone-welled path a short way beyond Phalai goun,
enter the terraced fields to the right and cross
the Dhara khola via a suspension bridge. If it
is the dry season, descend the valley next to
the school, walk to the opposite bank, and climb
the steep hill for a short cut. The main path
ascends the mountainside from the suspension
bridge, passes below the village of Dhara and
goes through a hamlet to an up and down mountain
path to join with the shortcut described above.
Though this is the long way the path is better.
Follow the mountain path and skit around the
ridge, emerging once again to the right bank of
the Myagdi khola. The mountain path continues,
winding uphill, and when you skirt around a
ridge, a vista of Dhaulagiri 1 (8167m) and Gurja
himal (7193m) opens up. Reach the large village
of Muri where the houses of the magar clan
closely together, came on the school ground. |
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Day 08 |
Muri - Bagar
Duration: 7 hrs
Height:
Descend a gentle slope, and cross a rocky
stream. Descend a path amid terraced fields to
Dhora Khola. Cross the river and climb to the
right up the mountainside to Ghorban dhara. The
view from this pass is fine, for the first time
you can see Ghustung south (6465m). Follow the
right bank path past Naura where you begin to
ascend the mountainside. After climbing for a
short while, take a path that traverses the
steep grass-covered hill. The Myagdi khola
assumes a steep-walled V-shape as the traverse
ends and a high, winding path climbs the steep,
grassy slope. The steep slope with not tolerate
any missteps but the path is well-constructed
with a great number of zigzag stone step paths.
At last the long climb ends, and you enter a
traverse to the right-here you must also beware
of falling into the gorge of the Myagdi Khola.
Soon you descend through a forested area,
emerging to a ridge snout where Bagara (2080) is
visible. Descend through terraced fields to this
mountain village where you camp in people's
yards or the terraced fields. |
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Day 09 |
Bagar - Dovan
Duration: 6 hrs
Height:
Here we leave the villages behind and the trial
becomes increasingly challenging. |
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Day 10 |
Dovan – Sallaghari or Upper Vungini (Italian
Base Camp)
Duration: 4 and Half+3 hrs
Height:
Passing through the beautiful forest we rapidly
gain altitude and mountains burst out all
around. |
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Day 11 |
Upper Vugini (Italian Base Camp) - Glacier Camp
Duration: 4 hrs
Height:
After crossing the first glacier, probably using
a rope in a couple of tricky spots, we climb
onto the main glacier. The surroundings are
spectacular which makes up for the rough and
dangerous trail. We may also use a rope on this
section. This is a particularly tough day. We
camp on the glacier rubble. |
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Day 12 |
Glacier Camp - Dhaulagiri Base Camp I
Duration: 4 hrs
Height:
Soon the rough rubble gives way to the smooth
ice of the white part of the glacier. We climb
steadily to the rough and chilling but
spectacular Dhaulagiri Base Camp. |
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Day 13 |
Dhaulagiri Base Camp - French Col - Hidden
Valley
Duration: 5 hrs
Height: 5000 m
Getting off the glacier above the base camp
often requires a rope, but once over the steep
moraine walls we are in safer and gentle
country. After a breathless climb to the top of
French Col (5300m,) the views of Hidden Valley
open out. The broad valley is reminiscent of
Tibet and Ladakh and so are the temperatures, at
least -20 degree centigrade at night. |
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Day 14 |
Hidden Valley camp
Duration:
Height: 5000m
A rest day to admire the surrounding peaks and
perhaps do some exploring. |
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Day 15 |
Hidden Valley - Yak Kharka
Duration: 5 hrs
Height:
After climbing over the 5200m Dhampus Pass, we
traverse avalanche-prone slopes and then descend
steeply to Yak Kharka. |
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Day 16 |
Yak Kharka - Marpha
Duration: 4hrs
Height:
More steep descent leads to Marpha and a well
deserved beer over lunch. |
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Day 17 |
Marpha – Kalo pani
Duration: 7hrs
Height: 2100m
Continue down the Kali Gadaki reaching the old
Thakali trading centra of Tukuche. As the trail
continues, the Himalayan rain shadow end and
open spaces make way for coniferous forest and
Kalopani (2500m.) From here there are
spectacular 360 degree views of Dhaulagiri and
the Annapurna high above. |
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Day 18 |
Kalo pani - Tatopani
Duration: 8hrs
Height: 2850m
A beautiful walk, with another transition into
subtropical vegetation and the return of water
buffalo. Banyan trees and poinsettias. The trail
follows the river through a narrow gorge, and
descends to cross a bridge near a spectacular
waterfall, before winding through the valley to
Tatopani. The hot water spring that give the
village its name provide the perfect opportunity
for a good' scrub. |
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Day 19 |
Tatopani - Ghorepani
Duration: 8hrs
Height: 2850m
Big climb will start after crossing Begakhola
leaving the path to Beni if trek want make short
to Beni and drive to Pokhara. |
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Day
20 |
Ghorepani - Tadapani
Duration: 6hrs
Height: 2670m
Wake up early morning and climb up to Poon hill
from where you can see Dhaulagiri range to
Mustang range. During the Sun rise panoramic
views with colorful mountains. Again walk down
to hotel and after breakfast walk up hill
towards Tadapani. Climb with Mountain views
again through Rhododendron forest. After the top
path goes along the ridge and Trail descends
steeply through dense moss-covered forest rich
with bird life. A short early-morning climb to
the Deurali pass for a spectacular panorama over
Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna, and to Tadapani
for beautiful sunset views of Annapurna South
and Machhapuchhare |
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Day
21 |
Tadapani - Ghandrung
Duration: 4hrs
Height: 1950m
This is short trek. Trial descends steeply
through dense damp forest, where you may see
monkeys, and continues down over a series of
rock-cut steps that follow a leaping stream.
Arrive in Ghandruk and explore the maze like
streets of this thriving Gurung Settlement. |
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Day
22 |
Ghandruk – Birethanti-Pokhara
Duration: 4 hrs trek, 2 hrs drive
Height: 1100m -960m
Walk down after village via Kimche to Shauli
Bazar. Gentle walk rest of the day via Birethati
to New Bridge and drive back to Pokhara over
night at hotel. |
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Day
23 |
Pokhara - Kathmandu
Duration: 6hrs
Height: 960m
After this trip can join with other trip like,
Rafting, Jungle Safari or Pilgrim tour if not
fly or drive back to Kathmandu |
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