The Barun valley – reaching the starting point

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19th October

As discussed among ourselves, I woke up at 4 AM and went for a bath. Dhananjoy and Kunal were to follow after me. It was a pattern that was followed throughout the trip except for a few exceptions. Warm water was not yet available. The water heating system was based on solar power. The trick was to let out significant volumes of water (more than a bucket). After that, lukewarm water started flowing. While all that was underway, I completed shaving, probably the last chance to do before we returned to Kathmandu. We left the hotel premises, hired a cab and started for the Pasupatinath shrine. There was a slight chill in the air as the vehicle went through the streets of Kathmandu in the darkness. As we entered the temple complex, the familiar sounds of bells and the fragrance of incense and candles greeted us. I’m not a religious person. However, I enjoy the serene atmosphere of this temple complex. I find the cremation ground at the back of the temple particularly peaceful. The ones who leave this world, are brought here for their last rites on the banks of the Bagmati river. Their lifeless bodies get bathed in the waters of Bagmati before they are taken to the cremation pyres.

The cremation ground, Pasupatinath shrine, Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

After visiting the shrine, we crossed over the Bagmati to its other bank. Stair cases go up towards a park full of trees and more temples. We ascended them to reach a top. We had cups of teas at a tea house there. Scores of people were on their morning stroll, some even engaged in exercises. A barrage of monkeys followed the pedestrians, many of whom gave them food. Observing such incidents, it was clear that the monkeys expect this every morning. They are well acquainted with the human givers. After a quick look at the watch, we returned the same way. A cab ported us back to our hotel at Thamel. We headed for the breakfast table for the buffet. A lot was on the offering – breads, butter, jam, puri-sabzi, omelets of different variations, tea, coffee, fruit juice etc. It was a problem of plenty and we ate more than usual.

At 8 AM, a cab entered the gates and Raju alighted from it. That was a pleasant sight and it drove out a lot of skepticism from my mind. After loading our main baggage at the rear, we entered inside with our daypacks. Off we went for the domestic terminal of the Kathmandu airport. The streets bathed in bright sunshine as we followed almost the same route for the Pasupatinath shrine. The pleasant weather made me dose off. I woke up just in time as we entered the gates of the domestic terminal. It appeared the same as we saw it during our Everest base camp trek. It appeared more like a bus terminus than an airport.

Check-in counters, domestic terminal, Kathmandu airport

The small baggage check-in counters don’t have the sophisticated conveyor belt system. Airline employees accept the baggage. They dump the bags on to a trolley. A carrier drags the trolley over the runway to the aircraft. After baggage check-in, we waited in the departure gate. We fixed our gaze on the electronic screen used for displaying flight departures. Flights were leaving for various destinations in Nepal. These include Pokhara, Biratnagar and Bhadrapur, which is the base for the Kanchenjunga trek. Additionally, flights were going to Nepalgunj. This city is a gateway to the areas of Western Nepal. Flights were also going to Luk-La. Luk-La is the base for the Everest region. Our destination was Tumlingtar. The flight was to depart at 9:40 AM. That kept getting delayed, first by 20 minutes, then by another 15 minutes. I inquired at the information desk and was told that the incoming flight from Tumlingtar was delayed. Apparently, heavy air traffic wasn’t allowing it to land and the pilot was taxiing in the air! They also showed me the flight map. The plane already made two concentric circles and now was heading towards the runway. We hoped for announcements, but suddenly, the electronic screen showed the flight status as “boarding”. I hurried up the rest and we headed for the bus. A ride took us to the waiting plane with an open belly. The trolley carrying the baggage was already there and the airline staff were loading them into the plane. Even after we boarded the plane, announcements were made for further delays. I kept checking the time. A delay would affect our arrival in Seduwa, which is the starting point for our trek. It takes 7-8 hours by drive to reach Seduwa from Tumlingtar. Add to that, another hour in between for baggage reclaim. You also need to scout for the vehicle. According to inputs received from fellow passengers, one also needs to break the journey at Khandbari. Direct transit is not possible.

Flight to Tumlingtar

Finally, we took off at 12 PM. As the flight took to the air, the Himalayas were up for display from close quarters. This time it was the Everest, Lhotse and our destination, Makalu, who made their appearances.

Mt Everest and the Nhuptse ridge, from the flight to Tumlingtar, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

After about 30 minutes, we started our descent to Tumlingtar. The lush green valley bathed in bright sunshine. The hills had a thick green cover interspersed with terraced cultivation fields. The fields had a golden yellow hue formed by ripe paddy and millet. Then came the wide and serpentine expanse of the Arun river. All along, the size of the picture kept increasing. As soon as we crossed the Arun, the plane touched the Tumlingtar runway. Its speed decreased after it reached the other end of the runway. It then turned around and came to a halt after a short stroll. We alighted to the runway and stood outside to soak in the beauty of this small air strip.

Tumlingtar airport, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

The Tumlingtar airport (rather air strip) has a small runway surrounded by green hills on all sides. It is an important gateway to the Sankhuwasabha district. Generally, there are 1-2 flights in a day between Kathmandu and Tumlingtar, but it varies based on traffic. It can even be zero (as we found during our return) based on weather conditions. Occasionally, they also increase the operations (especially during festival times). They are operated by Budhha air.

Tumlingtar, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

After some photo shoots at the air strip, we headed for the terminal. There were just a few rooms. Raju went out in search of a vehicle while we waited for our baggage to arrive. After sometime, we boarded a vehicle which would take us to Khandbari. From thereon, we need to scout for another ride. Many vehicles were absent from the road. This was due to Bhai duj, a festival where sisters pray for the well being of their brothers. We headed to the parking lot and boarded the vehicle. It started its journey through the low areas of the Arun valley. The road was lined by dense forests on both sides. Villages appeared with terraced fields filled with the ripened crop of paddy or millet waiting to be harvested. It was full of greenery as we moved up the serpentine roads. We stopped at Khandbari for lunch. It was an important town on this route. As we moved into the hotel, Raju got in touch with a few drivers for our next commute. After lunch, we heard that our luggage was already in another vehicle. This would take us to Seduwa. I purchased an international roaming pack from my cellphone provider. I informed my home about our progress and embarked on our post-lunch journey. The road condition was still good and the vehicle made decent progress. A full stomach and the serene greenery made me doze off once again. We halted at a place called Num at around 5 PM to have some tea. The golden due of the evening reflected off the distant clouds. This indicated that the sun was on its downward journey.

Num, en-route Seduwa

After Num, the road condition deteriorated. Though it was wide enough, but the potholes increased along the surface. After sometime, the paved road disappeared and was reduced to a dusty and rocky surface. With that, the comfort of ride also disappeared. This kept true to the facts known about this route. This applies to many routes in Nepal where vehicles ply, but paved roads don’t follow them. In earlier itineraries for Makalu base camp, Num was the starting point for hikes. Though uncomfortable, this bumpy ride would save us at least two days of walk. While this gives some relief for the current trek, it also highlights that trekking routes are decreasing. This is happening in different areas of Nepal. Almost in every circuit, treks have shortened by 2-4 days because of road construction. For example, it takes 2 days lesser today than what it took for us in the Manaslu circuit. We kept plodding on. After sometime, darkness set in and the headlights came on. We realized we were traveling beside a fast moving river torrent. We asked the driver to stop the ongoing music. That’s when the roaring sound of the Arun river reached our ears. In the darkness, its roar gave a chilly feeling as the driver negotiated the bumpy road. There were many switchbacks where the driver had to go back and forth using reverse gear to negotiate the bends. The road was so rough that many times our heads bumped with the ceiling. We had to keep a watch. The travel seemed never ending and we kept gaining altitude. After many such switchbacks, we finally reached Seduwa. The last ride before the vehicle came to a halt seemed vertical (well, almost). I saluted the driver’s skill as without it, its impossible to drive a vehicle on such terrains. We stayed at the first available lodge at Seduwa. It was basic, but had the necessaries. At least it had facilities to charge our batteries and phones. We’d find this rarely in the lodges at higher altitudes. Wi-Fi wasn’t available and thanks to the international roaming pack, we could inform our homes about our arrival. We changed to our home wears and moved to the dining area. This is where we met other groups who were embarking on the trail. There was a French group, who were embarking on the Sherpani col pass trek. This involved traveling to the Makalu base camp and moving further up through multiple passes (more than 6000 m) to reach the Chukhung village. From there on, one enters the Solu-Khumbu region and descends via Tengboche and Luk-La. It was a group which would accompany us to Khongma. We got friendly with the porters and guide of that team. We also met our own porters, Anil and Manoj. They were from villages in the regions further down from Seduwa. They were two brothers (aged 22 and 19 years, respectively) and appeared simple and jovial. They’d prove to be vital cogs in this trek’s wheel. The next day’s trek was supposed to last about 3 hours, taking us to the next halt, Tashigaon. We reclined to our beds under comfortable blankets. We were sleeping at approximately 1500 m.

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The Barun valley – reaching Kathmandu

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18th October

It was Diwali. Working migrants who live in the Delhi area were on the move. They were heading towards their homes to spend time with their families. This is an auspicious time of the year and the greatest festival of North India. During this time, we were also leaving Delhi. In fact, we were departing from the country and heading towards the Nepalese capital. It meant that we were competing with the rush. Even in the early hours of the day, one expects heavy traffic towards the exit points from the city, i.e. railway stations or airports. For international flights, one must arrive at least three hours in advance. This time frame allows for security procedures, which are typically more exhaustive than those for domestic flights. Though our flight was at 11:45, I started from home at 6. Dhananjoy started from Lucknow on the previous evening and reached a friend’s place in the morning. He was on his way to airport via metro. I also decided to use metro railway to travel to terminal 1. After my wife dropped me at the starting station, it took about 45 minutes to reach there. A shuttle transported me to terminal 3 in about 15 minutes. I met Dhananjoy and Kunal there. For some reason, web check-in was disallowed for Dhananjoy, so he had to complete it at the terminal. After baggage check-ins, it was time for security checks. As usual, we had to unravel a lot of our belongings only to reassemble them again. After arriving at the boarding gate, we finished our breakfast with chicken sandwiches provided by my wife, Anindita. Dhananjoy ensured window seats for all of us.

As the flight took off, Delhi turned into a city map, highways turned into lanes, vehicles reduced to toys. We focused our gaze on the Northern horizon. We hoped to view the Himalayas. It was the very reason for booking window side seats. It started with the Uttarakhand Himalayan peaks. The view of the awe-inspiring Dhaulagiri massif and the Annapurna range indicated that we’ve entered the Nepalese skies. We glided past the major regions of Nepalese Himalayas: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and finally Langtang. Then the aircraft started its descent towards the Tribhuvan international airport.

Kathmandu valley from aircraft, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

After landing, we descended the airstairs to exit the aircraft. Standing on the runway in the bright afternoon sunshine, I looked around. It was surrounded by hills on all sides. Snow capped peaks of the Langtang region were visible beyond the hills on the northern horizon. A bus carried us to the arrival terminal.

Tribhuvan International Airport

A statue of Budhha greeted the arriving tourists. We posed for photographs in front of it. Immigration formalities in Nepal are one of the simplest that can be found in the world, especially for Indian citizens. In fact there are dedicated counters for Indian passport holders. While traveling in a cab to Thamel, we went past the famous Pasupatinath shrine. It’s golden top, styled like a pagoda, glittered in the afternoon sunshine. Durbar residency is a decent hotel with comfortable rooms. After getting fresh, we sat over glasses of beer at the hotel’s bar. We spoke to Raju and asked him to meet at our hotel in the evening. Since it was still early afternoon, we ventured out to visit Swayambhunath. The breeze was cool at the top of hill at Swayambhu. The views are all familiar as it was the third visit for me. The bird’s eye view of the Kathmandu valley from the top is awe inspiring.

Kathmandu valley from Swayambhu top, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De
Swayambhunath, Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

The gymnastics of the monkey brigade is ever enchanting. One can spend an entire afternoon by watching their antics. We then went to Basantapur Durbar square. The ancient wooden temples are mesmerizing. The Shwet and Kal-Bhairav idols captivate with their presence. The scores of burning incense sticks and candles transport one back hundreds of years. This was to the age when the Kathmandu valley was ruled by local kings. This was before the Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked and conquered the area. He leaves behind a mixed legacy. Some credit him for consolidating the Nepalese kingdom by defeating the warring chieftains. Others loathe him for his cruelty towards the defeated forces.

Shwet-Bhairav, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu
Kal bhairav, Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De

The Shah dynasty occupies a significant position in Nepalese history. After Prithvi Narayan Shah, the dynasty was immersed into a succession struggle between warring factions conspiring against each other. This mayhem was capitalized by the powerful prime ministers, the Ranas. They took control of affairs and reduced the Shah kings to puppets. They continued their iron grip over Nepal for centuries. The Ranas maintained a warm relationship with the colonial rulers of India, to the south of their border. They even stood by the British East India Company to help them suppress the revolt of 1857. When the British left India, almost abruptly in 1947, the situation changed dramatically. At that time, Nepal was ruled by its prime minister Mohan Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana. The king Tribhuvan was it’s ceremonial ruler (who was crowned at the age of five). Inspired by the ideals of the Indian National Congress, the Nepalese Congress party was formed and it started it’s struggle for Democracy in Nepal. But they were suppressed by the Ranas with a strong hand. Tribhuvan sensed an opportunity and started liaising with them, promising to free them from the autocratic rule. He escaped from the Royal palace and took refuge in the Indian embassy. From there he was flown to New Delhi, where Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, greeted him. Nehru was in favor of a democratic Nepal, but under the watchful guidance of the monarch. The Rana was forced to relinquish the rule and an accord was signed where Nepal was turned into a semi democracy with power shared between a democratically elected government headed by a prime minister and the monarch. Tribhuvan returned to Nepal, a hero. Seen as the king who ushered in democracy to his country. It could have been a happy ending for Nepalese politics from here on. But Tribhuvan’s successor, King Mahendra, had other ideas. He abolished the Parliament and introduced a Panchayat system where the Panchayat heads directly reported to him. Discontent started brewing against his policies. Rural Nepal witnessed the Maoist insurgency. Protests erupted on the streets of Kathmandu. After the sudden demise of Mahendra, Birendra became the king. He inherited not just the throne, but the political turmoil too, much of which was a result of his predecessor’s repressive policies. Despite relentless loss of civilian lives due to Maoist insurgency, the Army was not called upon. It is said that much of it had to do with Birendra’s reluctance to allow the army to fire upon his own countrymen. He took the unprecedented step of relinquishing much of his power. The power then shifted to the elected government. In doing so, he effectively converted himself into a constitutional monarch. But some say, this neither pleased the insurgents on the streets, much less the royal family members, many of whom favored his father’s policies. Finally, on the fatal night of 1st June, 2001, he was assassinated at the Royal Narayanhithi palace along with his queen and other members of the family by his heir Deependra who later shot himself. Many reasons and conspiracy theories float around, but the official record puts the responsibility on Prince Deependra. As the funeral pyres burnt at the cremation ground on the banks of the Bagmati river behind the Pasupatinath shrine, a mythological legend surfaced from the rears of history.

It is said that Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the Shah dynasty, once met with the saint Gorakhnath (believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva). He somehow ended up enraging the saint who cursed him and predicted the destruction of the dynasty during the reign of the 11th Shah king. Birendra was the 11th. After this massacre, younger brother Gyanendra succeeded him. He too, like Mahendra, tried to dissolve the Parliament under the pretence of saving the country from rampant corruption of the political class. This proved to be the final blow to the monarchy and he was forced to abdicate. Monarchy was abolished in Nepal. The country turned into a secular democracy. The monarchs, who once were viewed as incarnations of the revered Hindu God Vishnu, now moved into oblivion. But since then, the political class plunged into one controversy after another. Corruption ran rampant. In a few years, Nepal saw approximately 20 prime ministers come and go. This led to the public protests led by the young generation (called gen-Z) in the month of  September 2025 (just a month before our departure). Police firing led to the deaths of 20 young people. Angry mob burnt down every possible signs of the current establishment. It forced the incumbent government to resign. These developments threatened to disrupt our plans but finally, sense prevailed. Things calmed down with a caretaker government taking over under the leadership of a former chief justice of the supreme court. Fresh elections are slated for early next year.

Anyways, let’s get back to our story. After returning to the hotel, we tried to call up Raju but he didn’t pick up the phone. We tried this multiple times while rearranging our baggage (to leave some elements at Kathmandu). Raju’s silence increased our tensions. Normally, we expect a guide to have a conversation about the plan. They should fix the timing of departure. A guide should also give a sense of responsibility and purpose. We started thinking about alternative courses of action. Ideas of reporting to the police also crossed our minds as it was now 8.30 PM. This was late night by the standards of a hill station. Chances of Raju’s appearance seemed to dwindle by the minute. All our payments were already made and we didn’t know about his address. We almost gave up hopes and let our fates rest upon his mercy. Then, suddenly, late at the night, his face appeared. As if a fever subsided from our bodies after running high temperatures for hours! Apparently, his phone discharged while he was busy printing our T-shirts. Nevertheless, all’s well that ends well. Raju would arrive at the hotel with a hired cab. We would start for the airport no later than 8 AM. It was already planned to visit the Pasupatinath shrine at 4 AM in the morning. I went to sleep with mixed feelings. On one hand I was relieved that the trip wasn’t jeopardized. On the other hand, Raju’s casual attitude didn’t bode well for the upcoming days. Did he make the necessary arrangements as claimed by him or there could be unpleasant surprises along the way? Little did we know then that many such fears will turn out to be true. Because of these thoughts, sleep eluded me for long. It was our last comfortable stay before embarking on a fortnight long trip, but I couldn’t enjoy it. The route wasn’t known to be as developed as other parts of Nepal. It demanded more experience and preparedness from a guide but Raju’s attitude seemed on the contrary. I hope he turns up the next day on time! Was it wise to not engage a tour operator? We were planning a trek that lies in a desolate corner of Eastern Nepal. All my thoughts turned to the negative territory. Finally, some factor in my brain resisted. There wasn’t any point pondering over something yet to materialize. It’s wise to cross the bridges as they come along. Why not live in the present? Why not enjoy the moment of being away from work for a fortnight, away from the corporate rat race? Didn’t I wait long enough to embark on the Makalu trail? This itinerary was impossible to attempt a few years ago due to its duration. Now, it seems within our reach! Why not grab the opportunities with both the hands (rather limbs as well). The Himalayas don’t beckon so easily.  Whatever comes our way, we will tackle it. We will return to the same hotel after a fortnight with Makalu base camp added as a feather to our illustrious cap!

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The Barun valley

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To reach the base of the Everest region, one has to fly North-East from Kathmandu to reach Luk La. Today, it is a prominent destination, thanks to the popularity of the Everest region. It is popular both for trekking and expedition purposes. Luk La acts as an entry point to the higher reaches of the Khumbu region. Solu forms the lower sections of it and is mostly bypassed by flights to Luk La. This region is crowded with trekkers and climbers alike in Spring and Autumn seasons. Though the views are admirable on this route, some feel the lack of tranquility due to the crowd. If you’re seeking solitude in the remote Himalayas, Everest might not be the ideal region anymore. This can be said for some other famed regions of Nepal too, like the Annapurna region.

Next to the Solu-Khumbu district lies another district to its right. It is called Sankhuwasabha. It is located in the eastern most province of Nepal, the Koshi. It borders with the Tibet Autonomous region of China to the north. Two main rivers form the mainstay of this district and drain most of its mountains and slopes. One of them is Arun. It originates in Tibet and enters the district. It flows south across the district. This flow creates one of the deepest valleys. It is situated between Mt Makalu (8485 m) and Mt Kanchenjunga. Mt Makalu is to the west, and Kanchenjunga to the east.

Arun River

The other river is Barun , Arun’s main tributary. It originates from the Barun glacier at the base of Mt Makalu, the fifth highest mountain of the world. Both of these belong to the Koshi or Sapta-Koshi river system. This system drains the Eastern part of Nepal before reaching the plains of India. The other rivers in this system include Sun Koshi (or Indravati). Dudh-Koshi is the famous river flowing through the Solu-Khumbu valleys. The Tamor is in the Kanchenjunga area. The river Barun freezes entirely in winter. The upper section of its valley is one of the richest in Flora and Fauna. Yet, it is one of the least accessed regions of Nepal by tourists. It is so close to the famed Everest (aka Solu-Khumbu) region, yet so unknown among the travelers. It is right under the light of its more famous counterpart in the West. It is one of the richest habitats for birds in Nepal. Also the home of the illusive Red Panda. The valley shelters the Snow Leopard as well. The extreme lucky can occasionally get glimpses of these. The landscape varies from the tropical to the alpine. It ultimately reaches the base of its guardian, Mt Makalu, which oversees the valley.

Barun river, en-route Makalu base camp

The Barun valley lies entirely within the Makalu Barun National Park, which was established in 1992, as an extension to the Sagarmatha National Park (that covers the southern slopes & valleys of Mt Everest). In the early and mid 1980s, some members of The Mountain Institute were intrigued by the enigma of Yeti. They conducted surveys into the sections of the Barun valley. Their aim was to find an explanation of this mystic (rather mythical) phenomenon. In their attempts of doing so, they ended up exploring and unearthing extraordinary biological richness of the area. That led to the need to protect one of the last remaining pristine forests and the alpine meadows (called kharkas in the Himalayan regions). The Makalu-Barun Conservation Area Project began as a result. Over time, this led to the creation of the Makalu Barun National Park. The region is inhabited by people of the Limbu, Sherpa and Yakkha ethnic groups. It is also home to the Gurung, Tamang, and Magar communities. Additionally, Newar, Brahmin, and Chhetri people mainly engage in subsistence farming.

Seduwa

The lush green fields that line the slopes of mountains are obvious. This is clear as one makes way through the villages in the lower reaches of the region. The greenery appears to be much more than the neighboring villages of Solu-Khumbu and it’s very soothing to the eyes.

Entrance, Makalu Barun National Park, Seduwa

Let’s now turn our attention to the mountain which lends its name to this national park, Mt Makalu. At an altitude of 8485 m, it is the fifth highest mountain in the world. It is part of a section of The Himalayas known as the Mahalangur Himal. This section also includes Mt Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. Many other peaks in this area are at or above 7000 m. It lies 19 km south-east of Mt Everest on the Tibet-Nepal border.

Mt Makalu, from Khongma La (3603 m)

Despite lying so close to Mt Everest, Makalu receives much less attention from the climbers or trekkers. Sights of long queues extending up to the summit of Mt Everest are common nowadays. Climbs to Makalu are rare. The first climb was attempted by an American team led by Riley Keeganin 1954. It was called the California Himalayan expedition. It was attempted via South-East ridge, but was forced to retreat from 7100 m when they encountered with storms. Another team from New Zealand including Sir Edmund Hillary also attempted it during the same season (i.e. the spring of 1954), but were deterred by illness and injuries. Finally, on 15th May, 1955, Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy reached the summit. They were part of a French expedition team led by Jean Franco. Like Mt Annapurna, it was a French team, who tasted the first success on Makalu. The next two days saw three and four members of the expedition team summit the peak respectively. It was a major achievement at that time. Most of the expedition team members ended up summiting. This was unusual in those days. Typically, at most one or two members would summit. The rest of the team provided logistical and infrastructural support. This was done via the North face and the North-East ridge. In 2009, an Italian named Simone Moro accomplished the first winter ascent. He was joined by a Kazakh mountaineer named Denis Urubko. Before that, in 2006, the French mountaineer Jean-Christophe Lafaille disappeared. He was on the slopes of Makalu attempting a winter ascent. In 2022, Adrian Ballinger made the first ski descent. He skied from 15 m below the summit to the foot of the glacier.

We had our sights trained on this region from a very early phase. Still, we couldn’t venture out because of its remoteness. We scoured the internet for itineraries. We found many, but none were less than three weeks. This included a flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar. In the past, just reaching the starting point of the trek required at least 2-3 days. This was even after the flight from Tumlingtar. The duration proved to be a deterrent. It kept us at bay. We turned our attention to other areas of Nepal. After ticking off Everest, Annapurna, and Manaslu areas over the last nine years, we returned our focus to this area. By this time the road reach had extended further. This extension allowed us to fit the schedule to a window of two weeks. Now, reaching Seduwa, the starting point, is possible in a single day. This is achieved with a 30 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar, followed by a 7 hour drive.

Conversations started with our friends and Raju Gurung, our guide from Everest base camp and Annapurna base camp treks. Raju became a close friend of ours from these two treks. We wanted him to join us as a guide on this venture. After exchanging ideas, we fixed the itinerary. We made advance payments to Raju. These payments were for making arrangements for porters. They also covered advance lodge bookings and, most importantly, the flight bookings for Kathmandu to Tumlingtar and back. As per plan, we were to reach Kathmandu on 18th October. We would reach Tumlingtar on the 19th and arrive at Seduwa the same day. Successive nights would see us stay at Tashigaon, Khongma, Dobato, Yangle Kharka, Merek to finally reach at Makalu base camp. On our way down, we were to stay at Yangle Kharka, Khongma and Tashigaon. The last day would need us to trek to Seduwa, followed by a drive down to Tumlingtar. The itinerary looked good overall. Only one day raised doubts in my mind. It was the day we were supposed to get down from Yangle Kharka to Khongma. On the way up, the trek from Khongma to Dobato was 14 km long. It required crossing four different mountain passes, including the famous Shipton La (4170 m). This involved gaining elevation only to lose it. The final gain of height to Dobato was just about 100 m. After Dobato, it is about 12 km to Yangle Kharka. So, it involves descending a total of 26 km from Yangle Kharka to Khongma. This descent was supposed to happen in a single day. The stretch from Yangle to Dobato is mainly descent. Thus, it should take less time than ascent. The rest of the section was similar while going up. It would involve crossing the same set of passes. All these factors joined, gave me a feeling of a challenge. I felt it was going to be difficult with tired legs during our descent. It seemed almost impossible. I asked Raju the same question. He seemed okay with it. It seems most of the standard itineraries suggest that. I agreed to it at that time with crossed fingers. It’s another story that much of this itinerary went for a toss due to a multitude of reasons. Another cause of concern was the stay at Dobato. It had a single tea house. All texts on the internet suggested booking it in advance. This would avoid hassles after a long crossover across four mountain passes from Khongma. I often reminded Raju to make sure booking at that place. He assured us that everything was sorted. He had already informed local porters from that area to arrange for advance bookings. Apparently, there wasn’t any cause to worry (well, apparently).

Further inquiries revealed that this route could pose challenges unlike other areas of Nepal. Charging electronic devices or camera batteries may prove difficult. Access to telephone or Wi-Fi networks could also be problematic. This meant we had to equip ourselves with power banks and extra batteries. We also needed to set expectations with our homes. For a large section of the route, keeping them informed about our whereabouts could be a challenge. They should expect us to be off network for a sizable section of the travel. To be honest, this shouldn’t be surprising in a trek. However, in other established trails of Nepal like the Everest or Annapurna regions, the infrastructure support is improved. Because of this, our expectations for connectivity went higher. This was a trail which brought us down to earth. Still, when we went there, it didn’t turn out that bad in terms of connectivity. Though it was not as sophisticated when compared to the more famed trails of Nepal, it fared quite well.

Seduwa

Our last few treks in Nepal has been in the Annapurna region, the most recent was to the Khopra ridge. All of these travels involved entry and exit via Sonauli border (reachable from the nearest railway station, Gorakhpur). This time, after a long period, we entered and exited Nepal via flights. The flights were to and from Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. The team boiled down to three – me, Dhananjoy and Kunal. Dhananjoy would start on 17th evening via a train from Lucknow to Delhi. Rest of us were to join him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi for a flight to Kathmandu. Our return was going to be similar, except for Dhananjoy to take an onward flight from Delhi to Lucknow. A visit to Kathmandu would allow us to renew our ties to that city. We would probably visit the Pasupatinath shrine again. I always find this refreshing before starting over a trek.

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Tranquil Sarangkot

It had been almost ten hours since we’ve been on the roads and it hadn’t been fun always, despite the greeneries on display en-route. The ride was bumpy and dusty to say the least, thanks to the ongoing road widening activity. We started off from the distant village of Nagarkot, that lies about 25 kms from Kathmandu, lying on the border of the valley. After a descent to Kathmandu, we took the road going west, out of the Kathmandu valley, towards the town of Pokhara. Along the route, we were greeted with pleasant scenes of terraced paddy fields of rural Nepal, by the side of the Trishuli river which gushed down the valley. After a small stopover at a roadside hamlet for some tea, the journey resumed. After sometime, the traffic stalled for almost an hour as the road was blocked from one side due to a landslide and the local police were controlling the flow of traffic through a bottleneck. Then came the junction town of Mugling. It is a place where three roads divert (or meet, depending on the way you look at it). One coming from Kathmandu, the second heading to Pokhara and a third, going towards NarayanGarh, Chitwan and Birganj. After this junction, it was all dust and bumps and the speed came almost to a grinding halt.

Noon gave way to afternoon and the sun’s rays acquired a familiar slant and I started to keep a watch on time. It was already 5 PM and we were running against time to reach our destination, Sarnagkot, which was about 10 kms uphill from the town of Pokhara, which was itself about 35 kms way. That’s when we reached another junction and a local lad suggested taking an alternate route going through the upper reaches of the hills. According to him, though the route was longer, it should allow us to reach half an hour earlier, thanks to the clear roads. Hence, we left the main highway and went along the serpentine road along the slopes. Dust and bump gave way to serene fields that were stretched to the horizon where hills formed the boundary. The cool breeze came rushing through the windows while the sun poured gold on the forests lining the slopes.

The leaves glistened in the afternoon sun. The road went through the rural areas of Nepal, devoid of the crowd & traffic that one faces along the main Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. Lush green fields were interspersed with village houses. If I could stay in such a house, surrounded by fields on all sides. A walk of a few kilometers could lead me to a valley with a roaring stream making it’s way through it. A look through the V-shaped opening of the valley would reveal the snow capped Himalayan peaks on the northern horizon, just as they were visible at the moment, bathing in gold amidst the fading solar rays.

A quick look at the time made me realize that our hopes of witnessing a glorious sunset from Pokhara (let alone Sarangkot) would not materialize. Why not spend sometime en-route to make the most of this afternoon? The same thought must have struck with the travellers in the other vehicle as we saw it slowing down & coming to a halt by the roadside. All of us came out of our vehicles, climbed up a small hill to allow us a clear view of the northern horizon where the nature was at it’s best with it’s canvas & brush.

En-route Sarangkot
En-route Sarangkot

A huge range of mountains spanned the view where numerous peaks of the Himalayas of central Nepal were lined up one after another. Their snow covered slopes & crowns were put on fire by a brush of crimson. It was to be cherished uninterrupted but we tried to ensure that cameras captured them as best as they could before the opportunity fades away. We all knew that the window was slim as this splendour was short-lived.

En-route Sarangkot

Our journey resumed and as soon as the sun went down, darkness engulfed us and then the entire focus was on Pokhara, our immediate milestone. Roads became bumpier, speed slowed down but Pokhara still eluded us. The drivers asked a few locals about the way as we were travelling an off beaten route. I was trying to look for the familiar signs of the Fewa lake that greets one on entering Pokhara. While Fewa lake didn’t oblige, but we finally found ourselves riding through the highway from Prithwi Chowk towards lakeside area. That gave some relief. After sometime, we found ourselves moving up the slopes towards Sarangkot. The gradient of the slopes & the frequent switchbacks told that we were gaining altitude briskly. Even in the dark, the glimpses of the Annapurna Himalayas kept growing in stature, thanks to the moonlight. Their evergrowing stature added to our excitement as prospects of sunrise views for the next day grew proportionally.

We enquired about the “Sherpa Lodge”, our place of halt on our way up. After we reached the site, we found the place to be desolate with only one family staying on rent at the ground floor with no one else to be found. We heard that the owners shut the place down to head for Kathmandu. Their phones were silent too. With a large group at hand, the problem stared right at our face. We went around the place scouting for an alternative. At this remote place, out in the dark, it seemed daunting, but the drivers of our vehicles supported a lot, going door to door of the other available hotels scouting for rooms. Finally, they landed us with “Hotel Brisha”, we got smitten by its appearance immediately and to their credit, they didn’t capitalize on our situation to charge more. After settling in our rooms, we sat for a cup of tea at the dining please place while our dinner was getting prepared. The famous Sarangkot watch tower was at a walking distance from the place but the hotel owner cautioned to get started early to get a favorable place for the sunrise views. We retired in our rooms for the night with high expectations for the next morning.

Sleep was comfortable in the rooms under the cosy blankets, but the alarm went off at 4 AM. We saw the undulating reflection of a few distant night lights from the balcony. That revealed the location of the famed Fewa lake of the Pokhara valley. A small walk from the hotel led to the watch tower. Crowds already started assembling there. We hurried along the stairs to reach the viewpoint before sunrise. There was a wide balcony at the base of the tower, which had many stories. Contrary to my assumption, the views from higher stories were rather restricted. We lost more on the horizontal frame than we gained in closeness of the views from higher stories. Hence, we stuck to the balcony. Darkness started fading away as a soft light started gracing the northern horizon. The Himalayan peaks still formed a dark silhouette. The first solar rays started to make their way through the sharp edges of the mountains to grace the crowns of some of the distant peaks. Some of them started to wear a crimson-gold crown while others remained in the dark.

Sarangkot
Mt Annapurna IV, Sarangkot

Hundreds assembled at the place with all of their lenses & devices trained on the mountains. As the crowns became prominent, the tops bathed in gold, I recognized the unmistakable Dhaulagiri. Was it so near to us? Such an imposing structure which inspires awe in the viewers.

Mt Dhaulagiri, Sarangkot

The vista continued to the right to the Nilgiri mountains and then emerged the Annapurna range, starting with the main peak, followed by Annapurna II, III, South, IV, Mt Hiunchuli, Mt Gangapurna. To their right, there was the revered structure of Mt Machhapuchare (or Fishtail, as called by some).

Mt Annapurna South and Hiunchuli, Sarangkot
Mt Machhapuchare, Sarangkot

The mountains ran uninterrupted to the east towards the Manaslu ranges and further beyond. I kept thinking about them, as swathes of gold came down their slopes. These were the same mountains which we cherished from their other sides, their rain shadow areas from the remote villages of Pissang, Ngawal or Manang. The valleys on their Southern slopes are so green & lush in comparison to the barren & desolate slopes in Manang. Somewhere amidst these ranges, deep in their valleys, there would be the southern base camp of Annapurna. In one of the wedges between the Annapurna & Dhaulagiri ranges, would lie the Thorong la, the famed gateway into Mustang from Manang. It’s so amazing that there are three mountains reaching above 8000 m and many above 7000 m among the Himalayan range in front of us! No other region in the world except Nepal can offer such proximity to the high mountains.

Sarangkot
Sarangkot

By the time my gaze shifted from the mountains to my fellow travellers, the mountains appeared in their full morning glow of blazing silver. I regretted that we couldn’t stay another couple of days at this wonderful place nestled in the high slopes surrounding the Fewa lake.

As we travelled down the slopes towards Pokhara, Sarangkot receded behind us, creating an indelible imprint on my mind & a strong desire to be back there in the future.

The solitude of Khopra ridge – Ghodepani-Poonhill

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1st May, 2025

Unlike other days, on this occasion, we woke up with leisure. Our target was to hike to Ghodepani, a wonderful viewpoint in it’s own right, but also famous for acting as the base for one of the famed viewpoints in the Annapurna region, known for its panoramic Himalayan views. Yes, I’m talking about the Poonhill top. To reach Ghodepani (2874 m) from Swanta (2270 m), it’s a hike for approximately 600 m. Our trek was reaching it’s culmination and this day was supposed to be the last day of trekking. The following day also involved a walk of approximately 2 hours but after that, a jeep ride would take us back to the Pokhara town. We took our time to get ready as the day’s hike was likely to last for a maximum of 4 hours and we were expecting to have lunch at Ghodepani.

After breakfast, we exited the premises of the lodge and hit a dusty trail that moved down. After a switchback, the trail turned even narrower & somewhat steeper to reach a suspension bridge which transported us over a gushing stream. After that, the trail moved up and traversed through abandoned cultivation fields. There was also an abandoned house. For a moment, I lost the trail as there wasn’t any clear path. However, after sometime, I did find a feeble line of human steps, which I followed to reach a place where a muddy but wide & unpaved road greeted us. For those who’ve been in Nepal, would know that it was a road where jeeps plied. With ever increasing road reach in the Annapurna area, such unpaved roads make the first “in-roads” with vehicles already plying, while pavements catch-up with these later. We went ahead along the road. Cultivated fields lined both sides of it where a sea of yellow flowers of innumerable mustard plants stretched till the base of the distant hills which formed the boundary.

En-route Ghodepani

The flowers looked contrastingly bright in the backdrop of overcast skies with breeze creating waves among them. A few buffaloes were roaming around with their bells tinkling around their necks. It turned out that Ranjan da left his water bottle at the lodge at Swanta and was now adjusting with a temporary alternative. Hence, I waited for him just in case he needed some from mine. After he sipped some water, we resumed our hike and soon I found myself alone on the trail. After walking on the Jeep road, there was a detour that moved left the main road to move up among the forests.

En-route Ghodepani

That gave some relief. I took the detour while the Jeep road went up gradually along the serpentine slopes. Clouds started hovering again and the winds dashed against my face. That prompted me to put on my jacket. After plodding ahead, we crossed the Jeep road once more at a place called Chitre. Chitre is an important junction on this route. One road went down towards Tatopani, while another joined it from Swanta. The combined road then moved towards Ghodepani. Tatopani is an important town where this road joined the Muktinath highway which came down from the Mustang region and went towards the town of Pokhara. Hence, to reach Ghodepani by road, one could reach Tatopani from Pokhara, switch vehicles to board another for Ghodepani. A milestone declared that Ghodepani was another 4 km away, which took me back. Yugal corrected by saying that it was for the Jeep road, the alternative walking trails should be just about 2 km from Chitre. That sounded more sane & I started off on the trail.

En-route Ghodepani, ground flowers
En-route Ghodepani

The hike was gradual but went through staircases which weren’t kind on our feet & knees. There are alternate tracks available besides the stairs (often created by herds of mules) & I was always on the lookout for them as they offered a more gentle slope. Such staircases could be overwhelming, especially when they span long distances. A glance at them from lower stages make them seemingly unending. Hence, I didn’t bother to look at the top, just focused on the stairs, which eventually would run out. I recalled our long hikes over stair cases during the Annapurna base camp trail, especially on our way from Jhinu danda to Chomrong. My daughter was traveling with me on that occasion and after sometime she gave up and started crying incessantly. Amidst hovering clouds, I was keen for her to go ahead but she became resistant. Finally, one of the porters carried her on his back for the last few steps. These people offer such valuable support but often turn out to be unsung heroes. Back to the present, profuse sweating prompted me to remove my jacket only to put it back on due to the cold breeze. This dilemma never seems to leave me. I felt the need to give a fresh look at my trekking gears. It always appeared to me that I was either over or under clothed reeling or shivering under severe sweat or cold respectively. I always seem to fringe on the extremes. But that’s for later. For now, after sometime, I saw the entrance gate welcoming us to the Ghodepani-Poonhill area. Ghodepani is a terminal village in the Myagdi district of Nepal, beyond which, the areas come under another district, Kaski. I waited at the gate for Yugal & Ramesh to catch up. We had some further steps to cover before reaching the tea house. This last hike was steep but the hope of proximity kept us going. We gradually entered the main tourist area of Ghodepani which was filled with lodges on both sides. Traveling through the alleys, we noticed a direction towards Poonhill. We moved in that direction and after a small hike, reached our tea house. That implied that we’d have to hike a little less for the next day while going towards Poonhill.

We were alloted a room at the third floor. That was an ask after a tiring hike, but it meant better views, potentially, though it was all cloudy at the moment. A sumptuous lunch with rice & chicken curry was well worth eating in a large empty dining space, almost devoid of tourists. The owner & staff also kept themselves busy by watching movies or playing games. With all it’s fame, Ghodepani appeared too empty. We were to be proven wrong in the afternoon when there was a sudden spike in trekkers which set the place abuzz. Actually, it’s a pattern where most of the trekkers reach in the afternoon, it just happened that we reached a bit earlier. After lunch, Ranjan da went for a nap, while I remained in the dining room. A slight drizzle was already going on, which now turned into intense rain. Heavy rains in the mountains cause tensions of potential land slides or road blocks but it also offered a chance for the clouds to clear up. Hoping for the latter, I kept gazing through the windows. Trekkers kept coming and the buzz increased, the hotel staff too, got going on their toes. Suddenly, the chit chat turned into a collective applause. Prompted by that elation, I looked through the window to find the clouds receding, making way for the mountains to appear. The silhouette was still monochrome but it looked like a water color canvas where a painter washed out the previous scene to make way for another.

Ghodepani, canvas
Ghodepani

Clouds still graced the tree tops but they were dispersing. The likes of Gurja Himal, Tukuche and the main imposing Dhaulagiri massif started to reveal their structures while their bases and the tops were still shielded by a horizontal line of clouds. As if they were floating atop the clouds.

Gurja Himal, Ghodepani
Gurja Himal, Ghodepani
Dhaulagiri range, Ghodepani
Dhaulagiri range, Ghodepani

On our right, the Annapurna ranges also started to may their way through. The forests in the valley below looked refreshing & freshly bathed by the recent rains. Ranjan da declared that the forecast was to have an all clear sky by 9 PM. That raised our hopes for the famous Poonhill panorama for the next day. For now, we headed out, training our lenses on the Himalayan vista, making it’s way piercing through the dispersing clouds.

Dhaulagiri range 2, Ghodepani
Ghodepani

As the veil lifted, the mountains revealed their full physical structure. With the clouds still forming the background, the monochrome display appeared surreal. The Dhaulagiri massif appeared as an imposing structure inspiring awe among the viewers.

Dhaulagiri massif, Ghodepani
Dhaulagiri massif, Ghodepani
Ghodepani, woods
Ghodepani

As evening wore on, weather cleared up further and stars appeared in the sky. Dinner was served at 7.30 PM. The dining space was full by this time with ever busy hotel staff catering to the needs of the people. We kept gossipping with Yugal about our previous experiences in Nepal. Reminiscing about previously visited areas made us feel as locals. We discussed our ordeals and unique experiences in the routes of Everest, Manaslu & Annapurna regions. Time flied past and it was time to call it a day. After we reclined to our room, sleep eluded me as I kept glancing through the window towards the mountains. A partial moon cast it’s light over the mountains which made their outlines visible. The sky was still glittering with stars. We went to sleep with high hopes for the morning. We were sleeping at 2874 m.

2nd May, 2025

I woke up in the wee hours of the night. A quick glance through the window revealed a disappointment. Stars were not visible anymore and the mountain tops were covered again by the clouds. We couldn’t do much about it, but to sleep again till the alarm went off at 5 AM. We could hear people already moving towards Poonhill with head torches lit to light their way. When we started our journey, darkness started giving way for the dawn to break. Clouds maintained a strict veil but we plodded towards Poonhill hoping against hope. The track went up the slopes through stairs. Despite the cloud cover, people kept moving up. After sometime, we saw some of the early hikers coming down, giving up their hopes. Earlier known as the Lung Tung danda, this viewpoint was famous for panoramic Himalayan views. It was renamed to Poonhill to honor the Pun tribe who were the local people tied to the land of this area. After about 45 minutes, we reached the top, which was a flat space with a watch tower. The place was crowded with people jostling around to get a space at the front row to have better views, but these efforts were futile as clouds maintained their veil in front of the mountains. The streaming rays of the sun making their way through the cracks in the cloud armour gave an indication that the sun was already high up in the sky.

Poonhill
Poonhill

Hoping for them to disperse, we stated there for sometime, drinking tea from the local stall. The spot has lost some of it’s glory, thanks to the local crowd, many of whom were more interested in selfies than nature. This turned it into a picnic spot rather than a viewpoint. After sometime, we started our descent. On our way down, we were treated with a wonderful flute rendition by a local person who was on his way up. After we came down to Ghodepani, got ready and had our breakfast, clouds started clearing. Nature bathed in bright sunshine as cloud lifted their veil. The Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayas appeared in their full grandeur. After a photographic session for about an hour we started on our way down. As if the Himalayas bid adieu with a marvellous display.

Mt Nilgiri, Ghodepani
Mt Nilgiri, Ghodepani
Mt Annapurna South, Ghodepani
Mt Annapurna South, Ghodepani
Mt Annapurna Main, Ghodepani
Mt Annapurna Main, Ghodepani
Mt Gurja Himal, Ghodepani
Mt Gurja Himal, Ghodepani
Mt Dhaulagiri, Ghodepani morning
Mt Dhaulagiri, Ghodepani morning

We made our way down through the alleys of Ghodepani amidst the numerous lodges. We exited Ghodepani through another gate, out into the forests as the trail moved down the slopes. We descended all the way down to Ulleri, which is a big town in the area. The trail continued further down through the woods. We crossed a landslide area and after a descent of about two and a half hours, reached Banthanti. Local jeeps waited for passengers. We boarded one of them and headed down towards the town of Pokhara. Another Himalayan journey came to an end. Though clouds held their sway, prohibiting the views at times, but they were kind enough to offer a grand sunrise at Khopra danda, added to the beauty of the mountains at Ghodepani. At someday we may come back to the region once again amidst the tranquility of the Annapurna sanctuary. Till then, au revoir.

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The solitude of Khopra ridge – from the ridge to the valley floor

Earlier 

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30th April, 2025

Sleep eluded me for initial part of the previous night and I kept tossing around. I wasn’t sure of the reason, but it wasn’t due to cold as the bed and blanket (along with the warm wears) kept me comfortable. It was these aspects that always made me thank the infrastructure that is available in Nepal. Nevertheless, I had a comfortable sleep during the latter part. Hopes went high in the previous evening. The guide promised to check on the clouds and wake me up if they stayed clear off the mountains. For my part, I set an alarm anyways and when it went off, I left the comfort of the bed. It was 5 AM. A quick glance out of the sole window of the room revealed a dark silhouette of the moiuntains against a feeble background of emerging sunlight. Their tops were devoid of any cloud and there was no mist or fog. Finally, nature did choose to reward our perseverance of hiking up to the ridge amidst clouds! I still had about an hour at my disposal before the first sun rays of the morning started acting out the drama of color shades on the mountains’ canvas. I chose to utilize this to prepare myself for the day’s travel and packed my things into the bag carried by Yugal. I then hung the camera around my neck and ventured out to the open space behind the tea house. Some people already stationed themselves at the helipad, which was at an elevated place, near the lodge, some others made their start towards Khayar lake. I chose the helipad (as there wasn’t enough time left for Khayar lake). I had to hurry as this is the time of the day when the intensity and color of the solar rays change drastically and every minute counts. After reaching the helipad, I turned a glance towards the distant Dhaulagiri range and there it was, the first rays of sun started gracing their tops. The dark silhouette started acquiring golden borders along the sharp edges. The Annapurna ranges still lay in darkness while the sky lit up behind them, indicating the sun would emerge from behind them.

Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda, early sun rays
Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda

The cold was biting and I couldn’t move my fingers freely. I had to expose them bare off and on to handle my camera, which proved tough, but I didn’t care. Everytime I panned the lens across the vista, the colors seemed to change and that resulted in many snaps for the same subject. It’s normall to err on the side of caution as there’s always the option to retain the prefered set after examining their quality at leisure. A quick glance to the left revealed that the valley below was still covered with thick dense clouds. For someone down in the valley, it’d be difficult to imagine the vista at display up here at the ridge.

Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda, solar rays spread
Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda

I kept thanking my luck and nature’s kindness to have displayed its grandeur. Who would have thought about this, under the conditions that prevailed the afternoon before? The decision to hike yesterday, has paid off. Even if clouds engulf the views with the progress of the day, I’d have nothing to complain. These are the views for which one can hike for hours! Himalayan vultures kept flying around, a few crows kept screaming amidst this otherwise silent backdrop, which kept changing the canvas.

Mt Tukuche, Khopra danda
Mt Tukuche, Khopra danda

We’ve seen the Annapurna ranges from multiple angles, but it was the Dhaulagiri massif, which inspired the awe! Such a huge and imposing architecture. Mt Dhaulagiri (8167 m) is the highest mountain that is fully within the territories of Nepal. It is the seventh highest mountain in the world, just behind Mt Cho Oyu (which sits on the Nepal-Tibet border) in the race for height. The other big-wigs (e.g. the likes of Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse or Mt Kanchenjunga) are shared either with Tibet or India.

Dhaulagiri massif, Khopra danda

Our tea house, along with its associated supplementary structures, lay sprawling amidst the ridge, which expaned into a somewhat flat area. A deep valley lay beyond it and at the edge of it, hills rose above the horizon, gradually merging into the snow line of the Dhaulagiri range that ran from Gurja Himal in the west to Mt Tukuche in the east, now all bathing in the morning sun.

Dhaulagiri range, Khopra danda
Dhaulagiri range, Khopra danda

The main and supplementary structure of the lodge appeared like matchboxes amidst this huge amphitheatre. Everything, including us, seemed belittled amongst the wide panorama of nature. The mountains and the sun were the major actors in this play and we were mute spectators. The only act we could take up was to train our lenses and roll the shutters on. As morning wore on, the brightness and intensity of the solar rays increased and the mountain peaks dazzled in their silver crowns.

Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda, silver crown
Mt Dhaulagiri, Khopra danda

Sharp rays of sun emanated amidst the ridges around the Annapurna range, which still lay in the dark and going by the indications, would remain so.

Annapurna range, Khopra danda
Annapurna range, Khopra danda

By this time, Yugal made his appearance. He came to knock at my door, only to find it locked and hence, he concluded that I was already awake and out in the open. As the sun came up from behind the Annapurna range, the rays fully illuminated the mountains. We made our way down the slopes towrds the tea house. Breakfast got served with hot tea and after paying our dues, I and Yugal, started our journey down the slopes we hiked up yesterday. The valley too, was now cleared up and we could see deep down into it, even the distant homes along the slopes of the hills. Pointing at a red roof top, almost at the valley floor, Yugal mentioned that was Swanta, our destination for the day.

Mt Annapurna South, khopra danda, down the slopes
Mt Annapurna South, khopra danda

We gradually moved along the flat trail to reach the place marked by Chortens (Tibetan flags) and then started our descent along the same switchbacks we traversed on our way up, the afternoon before. By this time, the Annapurna ranges too, were illuminated. As we lost altitude, the ridge walls rose above us and mountains went away from our views. The same tract, that appeared gloomy on our way up, now was shining bright with flowers and colors at display in the bright norning sun. Birds too, were more chirpy than they were the day before.

On the way down from Khopra danda
On the way down from Khopra danda

On our way down, we covered the same slopes much faster and with clear visibility, it felt all the more safe. The feeling of loneliness which accompanied me on the way up, was now absent. After a few more switchbacks, we could see the roofs of the tea houses at Chishtibung. They kept increasing in magnitude as we went further down the slopes. We met the Swiss group, on their way up to Khopra danda. They stopped at Chishtibung yesterday. It took one and half hours for us to be at the dining space of the lodge at Chishtibung once again. We reunited with Ranjan da and Ramesh. They were excited to know about our luck at the morning. The sun was still shining bright. As the luggage was being merged and re-sorted, we suddenly saw a rodent, which though appeared like a rat in its color and appearance, but resembled a rabbit in terms of its physical structure. It moved swiftly along the cracks and gullies of the tracks, tipping along at the small plants that came its way. As we tried to move a bit closer for a better snap, it hid away, only to reappear to resume its activities. After some trade off, we settled at a distance that gave us descent snaps of the animal.

Mountain rodent, Chishtibung
Mountain rodent, Chishtibung

After a small halt at Chishtibung, we resumed our descent from that tri-junction where the trail from Bailey kharka joined from the left. We now moved along the other one heading down towards Swanta. The trail now entered the tree line and once again we found ourselves amidst the dense forests. Given the cold during the morning at the heights of Khopra danda, I had my jacket on till Chishtibung, which I now transferred into my back pack. Though it increased its load, but walking was much lighter. At this time of the day, clouds started hovering again. Nature’s window of liberalism started to down its shutters. Yugal informed us that we’d have lunch at Bhainsi kharka one our way down. We kept descending through the woods and after about another couple of hours, we came across a solitary tea house amidst the surrounding forests. It had an open space around the dining room with chairs and tables. Terraced fields surrounded the main area of the lodge where cultivations were being carried out. I asked the owner of the lodge about the name of the place. It was “Al kharka”. Initially, I thought of moving further down, but then I thought of asking him again whether Bhainsi kharka was further down. According to him, there was no Bhainsi kharka along the route. That put me in a dilemma. Since there was only one trail coming down the slopes, there wasn’t any question of veering away, but the information from the lodge owner was contrary to that of Yugal. So, I prefered to wait for them to catchup. The place was quiet and tranquil. The greenery around was soothing to the eyes.

Al Kharka
Al Kharka

I kept my trekking gear on the table and sat to soak in the surroundings. Sound of a flowing stream kept murmuring, birds kept chriping in the woods, clouds acquired a darker shade, a cool breeze brushed my face. I casted regular glances at the higher slopes to look out for the rest of the group. They finally appeared on the slopes, made their way down to join me at the lodge. This was indeed, the slated place for our lunch. Yugal got the name wrong. We ordered sandwiches and french fries along with ginger lemon tea, while Yugal and Ramesh opted for standard “dal-bhat” meals. While we finished our lunch, their lunches were still being prepared and after waiting a while, they suggested us to move ahead and they would catch up along the way.

Al Kharka, leisure
Al Kharka

After the lodge, we moved down the slopes till we reached at a small hydo-electric power generation center where a gushing stream moved a few turbines which generated some electric power. After crossing the stream, the trail moved up for a few distance and then became adulating. We were once again amidst dense forests. The trunks of the large trees (many of them were Rhododendrons) were covered by green mosses. I also saw bushes of thin bamboo plants. We saw something similar at the place called “Bamboo” on the Annapurna base camp trail. Lush green vegetation looked freshly bathed in the rains falling for the last few days.

En-route Swanta, vegetation
En-route Swanta
En-route Swanta, small flowers
En-route Swanta

Small flowers dotted the bushes that lined the trail. Rhodododendrons too, re-appeared in their dark pink shades. This was to our surprise as we thought their blooms were over at these lower altitudes.

En-route Swanta, Rhododendrons
En-route Swanta

With the slopes either adulating or moving down, my speed increased and I kept going down fast, at times, almost running. But, after a while, I thought to wait for Ranjan da as the woods were deep and there could be chances of veering away, especially, there were still no signs of our guide and porter. I waited at a bend where two distinct paths diverged. Though I had a sense of taking one of them, but thought of waiting at least for Ranjan da. After waiting for a considerable time, he apeeared around the bend. We chatted for a while, gulped down a few sips of water and contemplated waiting for our guide and porter. However, we both thought that the choice was clear enough and kept moving ahead. After sometime, we saw a suspension bridge deep down in the valley and a few houses dotted the hill slopes on the other side. That made us think, we somehow had to reach the bridge as we were confident that that homes on the other side, belonged to Swanta. However, despite looking around, we couldn’t find a way down towards the bridge. We thought it better to wait for Yugal and Ramesh. It seemed ages before we finally heard their sounds and they appeared around the corner. Their lunches were served much later than we thought, but they came down swiftly to catch up with us. They assured us that we were still on the right path and Swanta was not on the other side (as we thought), but round the corner of the hill that we were travelling down. After sometime, fences started to appear, bellows of buffaloes were heard and a wide valley opened up with terraced fields.

Swanta, terraced fields
Swanta
Swanta, monastery
Swanta

A few houses made their appearance and more appeared nestled between the fields, as we moved into the valley. We could also spot a monastery. This was the place we looked down upon from the Khopra ridge, in the morning. I tried looking upwards to see if Khopra ridge was visible, but in vain. Our path went through the fields and reached the gates of Hotel Candle Inn, our place of stay for the night. The lodge was charming. We reclined to the open space outside its dining room where some chairs and tables were placed. We had our tea served there but clouds started looking ominous and it started drizzling. Our rooms were at the first floor with balconies opening into the wide valley. Sights of terraced fields greeted us and almost immediately, hails started pounding the roofs. We were just in time to reach our destination. For the first time in the trail, we had chicken and egg curries at dinner, which we enjoyed immensely. After drying our clothes and shoes at the fire place, we reclined to our room and slid under the blankets. Rain and hail storm was still on. We were sleeping at 2270 m.

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The solitude of Khopra ridge – Khopra danda

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29th April, 2025

Yugal (our guide) took the responsibility of checking on the weather early in the morning & letting us know about the feasibility of hiking to the Muldai viewpoint. My own interest prompted me to check myself & that revealed that the effort was to go futile. Similar to the morning before, every object was hidden behind fog & mist, which simply refused to let go of the hold. One famed viewpoint got eliminated from our list without any alternative. Nevertheless, we focused on what remained. Today was supposed to be the longest. From Dobato, an adulating trail over the ridge should take us to the Bailey kharka, beyond which the trail would take us down into the river gorge. A crossover there would be followed by an uphill hike to Chishtibung, our place of lunch. This whole trail would lead us 400 m downhill. After lunch, we’d have to hike 600 m to reach the top of a ridge. A leisurely walk of about 500 m along the ridge should take us to Khopra danda, the second famed viewpoint of the trek. Looking at the gloomy weather, Ranjan da contemplated stopping at Chishtibung unless there was significant improvement justifying the contrary. I deferred the decision till I reached Chishtibung and a hunch in my mind told me not to stop there as that’d at least give me a chance with the views, which, otherwise stood to be forfeited. Even if views can’t be obtained, why should I give away the chance to hike, which was another goal of this trek? How frequently do you get a chance to walk on pristine forest trails in the mountains?

After regular preparation, we started. After the teahouse premises, one trail moved up towards the Muldai viewpoint. We took a right turn to take the other one. It moved a little down to cross a small landslide area. The trail was slightly wet, thanks to a small stream of water that crossed over it. We circumvented it carefully & after a small hike, we reached the top of a ridge with slopes sliding down from both sides of it. The ridge had a considerable cover of Rhododendron trees which were in their full bloom.

En-route Bailey kharka, rhododendrons
En-route Bailey kharka

Since the previous day, the bloom was on the rise. We could realize what a marvellous walk it would have been, in absence of the prevailing fog. Though not fully, the Rhododendron blooms somewhat compensated for the lack of views of the Himalayan peaks. Apart from the flowers, we also saw some unique vegetation.

En-route Bailey Kharka, vegetation
En-route Bailey kharka

While I walked, I felt warm, but whenever I stopped (either to take snaps or to gulp down sips of water), the wind swept my face. As during every morning, I kept my jacket on, despite the sweat it generated inside. We heard some tinkle of bells that told us that mules were approaching us from the other side. One always needs to be careful to give passage to these animals at suitable places, else they could pose challenges as trails aren’t wide enough at every place. We saw a mule being chased down by its owner as it attempted to stray away from the established route. As we went past it, there were three more standing around a bend. That told us that the mule we encountered earlier, had turned rogue, giving it’s owner, a run for his money. The shades of Rhododendron flowers turned lighter.

En-route Bailey kharka, pink rhododendrons
En-route Bailey kharka

After a while, we reached a point where there was a board with arrows pointing to three directions. One pointed towards Dobato (from where we were coming), another towards the hidden lake & the third towards Bailey kharka. I looked towards the arrow that pointed towards hidden lake, thinking about the two unfortunate laborers who lost their lives to lighting strikes, day before yesterday. I then moved ahead towards Bailey kharka. After a while, the trail entered into the woods and we were surrounded by Rhododendrons & we found ourselves walking under a canopy of branches with blooming flowers. Patches of snow lay by the way side.

En-route Bailey kharka, purple rhododendrons
En-route Bailey kharka

After walking through these for half an hour, we entered an open amphitheatre. It was an open pasture where yaks grazed around and the horizons were lined by blooming Rhododendron trees. The ground below our feet were covered with small yellow flowers, so many in their numbers that it was difficult walking without trampling them. The mist played hide & seek with the distant Rhododendron bushes while yaks grazed around in leisure. This was the famed Bailey pastures (or Bailey kharka, as they’re known in Nepal).

Bailey kharka
Bailey kharka

I roamed around the pastures, taking snaps while the rest of the group caught up with me. I could imagine what a backdrop it would have constituted, had the Himalayan peaks been on their displays. Nevertheless, we thanked nature for whatever was placed by it at our disposal.

Bailey kharka, baby yak
Bailey kharka

After some rest, we resumed our journey, which now headed downhill, first through the woods, then along an exposed trail along a ridge. Yellow grasses filled the slopes and the trail, though narrow, was safe enough. There were places with just enough space for one pair of legs, which made one conscious, but by & large it was okay. After sometime, I saw our porter Ramesh signalling me to stop from behind. I heeded to his signals & stopped at a site which had a small temple. Apparently, our guide asked to stop and move together from hereon. After the rest of the group caught up with me, we headed downhill, along the open grassy slopes.

En-route Chishtibung, red trees
En-route Chishtibung

After sometime, woods reappeared on both sides. Presence of trees along both sides has a psychological effect of safety (as opposed to open ridges or slopes) though slip ups are unlikely to be arrested from such heights. After winding down through the woods, we reached a junction where we saw the Swiss team (they stayed at Dobato, the precious night), taking rest amidst a meadow where there were arrows pointing to two opposite directions. The left one pointed downhill towards the village of Swanta, while the right, again downhill, pointed towards Chishtibung. We knew that the downhill was till a waterfall, after which, it was a steady uphill towards Chishtibung. I headed down towards the right, traversing some steep switchbacks, heading towards the waterfall. The more I headed down, the more I felt acquiring some debt as I thought, we had to traverse all this way up, the following day, to reach the junction at the meadow, to take the other route towards the Swanta village. After walking for quite a while, I thought of waiting for the group, just to ensure I wasn’t straying away from the trail. The reason to think so was that there wasn’t any marked trail to follow (just some stray paintings on tree trunks to mark the way). While waiting, my eyes went towards the lush green trunks of the trees covered with mosses. The ground too, was covered with small but strange vegetation. Ferns & mosses with unique features dotted the ground.

After I saw Ranjan da emerging from a corner, I went further down towards the gushing stream, crossed over it via a wooden bridge & started the uphill hike towards Chishtibung. It was considerably steep, going by the switchbacks we had to traverse. I kept an eye towards the top of the hill and it seemed we were being dragged towards the top. But that was misleading. As soon as we reached the point which seemed like the top, the trail opened up beyond that point only to lead further up. After many such traversals, the trees started decreasing and once again we moved beyond the tree line. I now found myself walking through the terraced cultivation fields. A glance above the slopes led me to the place yet further up, where I saw a lodge. I then set it as a milestone & started advancing towards it, in small installments (to give enough rest & strength to my lungs) and finally reached there. Profuse sweating prompted me to remove my jacket while I was waiting for the group to catch up, but the gushing winds forced me not just to put it back on, but also to rush to the covered dining space to take refuge. The place was called Isharu.

The entire trail up to this place from the woods below, was visible & I coul watch other members of my group making their way up. I tried waving my hands but their eyes were firmly focused on the trail. I waited till they reached the tea house, took some time to rest after the uphill hike and then resumed our hike once again. The trails kept moving upwards in the form of switchbacks and now it was exposed on on side, given that we were treading above the tree line. Our strides became ever smaller as we gained altitude, with ever increasing stress on our lungs. As every ordeal comes to an end, so did this and finally, we reached a junction from where three routes met (or emanated, depending on how you saw it). One pointed down towards the village of Swanta, the other towards Bailey kharka (the one which we traveled) and the third pointed upwards towards Khopra danda. We had to opt the third to hike some more distance till we reached a tea house by the way side. Finally, Chishtibung was there.

En-route Chishtibung, Fern
En-route Chishtibung

As we settled in the dining space, Ranjan da declared that his hike was to halt at this place. I decided to continue to Khopra danda after lunch. We had to make some adjustments accordingly as there was no point carrying all the luggage up for just one night. I split the luggage to retain ust enough for a night and stuffed in a small packet which Yugal was generous enough to carry. Ramesh was to stay behind with Ranjan da at Chishtibung and so was to be the case with rest of the luggage. As usual, “dal-bhat” was being prepared while we took some rest. We were hungry and did justice to the hot food that got served after sometime. After lunch, we filled out bottles, Yugal and I strapped our respective backpacks (admittedly, his was much heavier, given that he was carrying some of my luggage) and both of us resumed our hike towards Khopra danda after bidding a temporary good bye to Ranjan da and Ramesh.

En-route Khopra danda

There were some trees scattered around the trail for some distance, but they disappeared very soon as soon as we moved up. After hiking for some time, we came to a resting place where some tibetan flags (chortens, as they’re called) docorated the area. We rested for sometime as walking proved a bit more difficult right after lunch. But we were careful not to waste much time as clouds started closing in on us. The trail was marked by a narow strip of stones laid by the side, which went through some bushes and trees with very sparse foliage. Their colors too, started to take a yellowish tinge, giving an indication that we were approaching the ridge, hence, lower levels of Oxygen. Gradually, trees gave way to yellow grasses and the trail became steeper lining the bare slopes. As we moved up, we could see that the valley below us, was covered entirely by dense white clouds. A slight drizzle also fell on us, but it was still not a downpour. The width of the trail became narrower. We could see other hikers treading the path way above us, amidst the prevailing mist. It have us an idea of how far we still had to cover before reaching the top of the ridge, beyond which, as promised by Yugal, the path was supposed to be flat along the top for about 500 m. I kept trodding ahead till I reached the next bend, rest for a while, only to move up to the next bend. This pattern repeated till we reached the top, which was adorned by chortens. They flapped through the strong winds that dashed the place. Despite being cold, we sat there for sometime to soak in the surroundings. Thanks to the mist and clouds, there wasn’t much to view. The trail indeed, as promised by Yugal, ran through flat terrain and the roof of the tea house appeared before us. Khopra danda, at last!.

We moved down a few stairs to reach the compound and entered the dining space, which was buzzing with other hikers. It was a community lodge. The alloted room was descent. After changing the clothes, I informed Ranjan da & our homes, about our arrival through WhatsApp calls. That’s when, as I looked through the window panes, I was greeted with the appearance of the mountains amidst the hovering clouds! Their enormity overwhelmed us. They were so near as if at a stone’s throw distance. Right there, in front of us, though somewhat shielded by the engulfing mist, was Mt Annapurna South and Annapurna Main.

Mt Annapurna South, Khopra danda
Mt Annapurna South, Khopra danda

To their left, stood Mt Nilgiri and as one turned their eyes to the left, there was Tukuche, followed by the mighty Dhaulagiri massif. Though it’s top was cut off from our views by the ensuing clouds, it inspired awe! Yet to it’s left, there were other peaks of the Dhaulagiri range, with the vista ending finally at Gurja Himal. The Annapurna peaks were clear enough but the Dhaulagiri ranges were faintly visible though the veil of the clouds. More then their actual views, their presence and a possibility of their appearance in full glow, stirred us and we kept training our lenses to capture as many snaps as possible, despite the clouds. One never knows if this was to be the best or even better was in store for the morrow. Given the day’s view, our hopes were up for the next day. Would nature reward us for our toil to reach this place, despite the clouds (as they say, would patience and perseverance pay off)? Well, we hoped so. At least it doesn’t take money to hope for the best. After all, we descended 400 m to Chishtibung, only to hike up 600 m to reach Khopra danda, all in one day. Would that all be in vain? As we slept at 3640 m, we certainly hoped not.

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The solitude of Khopra ridge – Dobato

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28th April, 2025

The views of the Annapurna Himalayas, late in the previous evening, raised our hopes of clear weather, but when I woke up at 5 AM and cast a look outside, my hopes were dashed. Dense fog engulfed every object. I prepared to hike under the gloomy cast of fog and mist for the entire day and just prayed that rain stayed away. Today’s hike was supposed to be longer than yesterday. In fact, today was the first day of full hiking. It would take us to one of the high points on the trail, Dobato. The next morning, we were supposed to hike up to the Muldai view point, which is one of the highest in these regions, promising to offer panoramic Himalayan views. But with the overcast conditions like this, it could be a futile exercise. Ranjan da was already contemplating skipping Muldai view point hike, given the weather conditions, but I decided to defer it till the actual time as one never knows when weather turns merciful, especially, in the mountains. See for a fact, who knew that it’d open up last evening, given the conditions we went through during earlier parts of the day? Hence, I was not ready to throw the towel in yet.

Yugal, our guide, shared a grim information about the death of two laborers high up beyond Dobato, electrocuted by a sudden lightning strike. Apparently, it happened during the brief spell of downpour when we were under the shelter of Bhainsi Kharka yesterday. These laborers were paving stones while establishing a trail towards the “hidden lake”, an side excursion from Dobato. I kept thinking about it while getting prepared for the day’s hike. Once I entered the dining space, all concentration was on the breakfast and the cheerful conversations from fellow hikers from other groups made me divert my attention to the present. We ordered bread toasts along with soup for our breakfast. We asked for two cups hot water to dip the tea bags we carried along with us to prepare our morning tea (that saved at least 100 NPR) and this was a pattern we repeated in the mornings and evenings on everyday of our trek. Nevertheless, after breakfast, we filled our bottles with lukewarm water and hit the trail. The target was still to reach Dobato before lunch. I always face a dilemma about whether or not to put on my jacket during a hike. This is something which I haven’t been able to sort out even after so many treks. The conditions at the start (unless it’s a bright sunny day) mandates wearing it and today was no exception (given the prevailing cloud and mist), but after one starts the hike, the body heats up and causes immense sweating. There have been instances where I’ve taken it off, only to put it on again after winds sent down a chill through the body (especially when one rests at intervals). Hence, the conclusion seems to be to put it on (unless it’s a sunny day) and ignore the sweat. Sweat is a significant factor to consider because once you reach the destination, all your clothes get wet and there are no simple ways to get them dried in these moist mountain climate. The only option is to hang them up near the fireplace at the dining space. Even there, one has to compete for space with other hikers. I also keep a close watch on my backpack. It needs enough space to carry my camera (when there aren’t any chances of snaps), a one litre bottle filled with water, rain coats and sometimes, space for the jacket (when it’s impossible to wear it). This time around, I deliberately chose a smaller bag and left the relatively larger one at Pokhara with some clothes and other items deemed redundant during the trek. That helped reducing the weight of it during the hike.

We started our hike among the mist and visibility was reduced to just the trail and everything around it was behind the shield. After an intial stroll along an adulating track, it started moving up and we were presented with stair cases. Stair cases paved by varied sizes of rocks are a commonplace in the routes spanning the Annapurna sanctuary area. They are a way to shorten the trails, but they take a toll on the hikers’ lungs. Distance gets traded off for angle of slope and I’m not so sure if that helps reducing time. Coming down such slopes also puts stress on the knees and we’ve had some of these tracks during later phases of the trek. Nevertheless, I kept plodding ahead and very soon found myself alone with the mountains (which is always the case in every trek). These are phases where you don’t talk, but introspect about a lot of things. It could be about the trail for the day, the entire trek, some upcoming elements of it, which could be risky to traverse or in general, about life. Unlike earlier treks, this time around, my mind wasn’t able to shelve the prevailing tensions in the current affairs of the country and they kept hovering in my mind while walking.

After sometime, the sun came out and there was some brightness around, but the clouds continued to prevail at the higher altitudes. The Himalayan snow views were out of reach. With the sun coming out, I felt the warmth and decided to peel off my jacket. That made things easier for the moment. Walking through bright sunshine adds color to the surrounding forests. After sometime, I reached an open patch of grassland with a mud hut standing at the center and around it, spread all over the place, a few buffaloes were enjoying their leisure in the sunlight. Some even dozed off amidst the comfort of cool breeze along with the lukewarm sunlight.

En-route Dobato, buffaloes enjoying the sun.
En-route Dobato

These domestic animals have bells hung around their necks, which keep tinkling along as they roam about in the surroundings. That helps locating them by their owners even if they stray around. But on this ocassion, none of them were interested in strolling around and were perfectly happy to lie down, enjoying the sun and the breeze. After that amusing sight, I moved along towards the next milestone of a little pass. After a few switchbacks, I did reach it. There was a gate adorned with some tibetan paintings. Beyond the gate, I saw the first patches of snow lying beside the trail. By the looks of it, they seemed to be fresh. The track moved gradually downwards beyond the gate amidst some blooming Rhododendron trees. Unlike their counterparts down below, these trees did have considerable blooms and I even saw some buds.

En-route Dobato, rhododendron buds
En-route Dobato

The cycles of flowering for these trees differ by altitude. While flowers have disappeared at the lower altitudes, they were in full bloom or about to start in the higher altitudes. Their colors also differed. The flowers in lower reaches were deep red or dark pink, but up here, the shades were lighter. Some were almost white (with a mix of light purple), some with lighter pink shades and yet others, almost fully white.

En-rote Dobato, purple Rhododendrons
En-route Dobato

However, the dark pink shades were still visible, though to a lesser extent. The Annapurna sanctuary area is famous for Rhododendron blooms. They cover the landscape during these times of the year. Both the routes leading to North and South base camps of Annapurna go through dense Rhododendron forests and offer such views.

En-route Dobato, pink rhododendrons
En-route Dobato

Trails in the Everest region also have them, but to a much lesser extent, especially due to altitudes, the forest cover itself is not that dense as boulders and snow cut the treeline short. As we moved higher up, the density of the flowers kept increasing.

En-route Dobato, purple rhododendron bunch
En-route Dobato

The more we reached closer to Dobato, more awestruck we were by the aura of flowers. The cloudy weather and the lack of the fimilar Himalayan snow views were forgotten by the display of flowers at our disposal. While Rhododendrons were at plenty in the trees, but the flowers on the ground, along the slopes or by the side of the walking trail, were equally mesmerizing.

Dobato, ground flowers
Dobato

While walking amidst them, after a few bends, the lodges of Dobato made an appearance. It was just a few metres ahead of us, but we had no hurry to reach there and our shutters kept rolling. That single stretch of the trail, not even half a km in length, offered so much, we took almost an hour to cover it.

Dobato, purple rhododendrons in trees
Dobato

Finally, we entered the tea house, rather it’s dining space. “Dal-bhat” was ordered and as lunch started getting prepared, we were handed the keys of our room. After changing our trekking gears to simple warm wears, we re-entered the dining space, which was abuzz with other hikers. The weather was gloomy and it started playing in our minds. Ranjan da already started contemplating skipping the hike to Muldai viewpoint. In clear weather, we could have had the option to hike to it during sunset as well as sunrise, but senset was out of question. The only feeble hope remained is of the sunrise view. After lunch, Ranjan da decided to take a nap and headed towards the room, while I remained at the dining space, hung up my trekking clothes with the hope to dry them up and spent time chatting with the guide and a fellow hiker, a student from Germany. I walked past her on my way up to Dobato. During our conversations, she revealed that she has been in Nepal for the past one month. She had entered Nepal from it’s western frontiers, visited some wonderful places there (including the Phoksundo lake), then moved on to Bardia National Park in the lower Terai regions (bordering with India) and now she was, in the Annapurna Sanctuary area. We’ve come across such travelers before, who spend long duration in Nepal, traveling to different parts of it. After Dobato, she’d be going down as her trip draws to a close.

On our way up to Dobato, we met a group of Nepalese policemen who were going for an official duty. It later turned out tht they were heading to complete formal investigation around the two unfortunate deaths that happened at the “hidden lake” area. Late in the afternoon, a group of four laborers came down the slopes beyond Dobato, carrying a human body wrapped in a plastic and lowered it at the open space outside. The policemen we met on our way up, followed the laborers. There was an immediate hush and curiosity amongst all the people who looked through the window and some even ventured outside. We heard that another body was following this and soon we saw the carriers of it and it was laid beside the other one. The carriers needed rest and the owners of the lodge gave them food and drink. We couldn’t see the faces but we were told, these were bodies of a pair of uncle and nephew (who was just 18 years old). They hailed from distant villages in the Makalu area of eastern Nepal, came as loborers to pave the trails but to their misfortune, a sudden strike of lightning electrocuted them while they were preparing their food. Someone burnt a few incense sticks beside the bodies, while the carriers rested.

It was a stark reminder of life’s realities. They came with the hope of earning some money to sustain their lives, but ended up losing them. Even yesterday, when we started our hike, they must have been alive, oblivious to the fact about what lay in store for them. After a considerable time, the carriers resumed their work and the bodies were carried down the slopes. They’d be reaching Pokhara, the same day, where standard formalities of autopsy would be carried out and after that, they’d make their final journies to the distant lands where they came from.

After darkness settled in, we had our dinner and headed for our room. We were sleeping at 3426 m.

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The solitude of Khopra ridge – Tadapani

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27th April, 2025

It was unsually warm at Pokhara during the previous night. The hotel room didn’t have a fan, so we had to turn on the air conditioner to escape the heat and humidity. It gave me a sense of guilt (bordering to criminality) to turn on an air conditioner at a hill station like Pokhara. I’ve never faced it before. To limit the sense of guilt, I turned the air conditioner off after a couple of hours and opened the windows. Morning rituals took some time and after a fresh bath (the last occasion to do so before the trek ends), we headed downstairs for breakfast. We’d already transferred our luggage into the duffel bag. Yugal and Ramesh appeared at the doorstep while we were still at the breakfast table. After some delay, we boarded a Scorpio to embark on our journey towards the village of Ghandruk which was about 58 kms away. It was cloudy and none of the members of the Annapurna family were visible, which was a shame. It didn’t bode well for the rest of the day.

The vehicle made its way through reasonably corwded but disciplined roads of the Pokhara town and after approximately half an hour, it hit the highway. We were told that this highway led all the way to upper Mustang via the towns of Tatopani, Beni, Marpha, Jomsom, Muktinath & others. My mind sprinted through these towns along the highway and I recalled the reverse journey on this highway in the year 2022 on our way back from the Annapurna Circuit trail. This journey in itself is an experience. The lower reaches of it goes through lush green areas with the hills covered with dense forests. Gradually, these make way for dry and barren landsacpes of Mustang with mountain peaks keeping company all through. I still remembered the marvellous sight of the Jomsom airstrip with Mt Nilgiri rising beyond it’s limits. Marpha was famous for it’s apples and related products. Kagbeni, which is further ahead towards Muktinath, is a quiet abode where people prefer to spend a day or two for the natural beauty of the valley to sink in. The entire route travels along the famous Kali Gandaki river, which forms the world’s deepest gorge (reaching up to a depth of 1 km) up above in the upper Mustang region.

While I was engaged deep in these thoughts, our jeep took an exit from the highway to head down towards Nayapul where we saw a signboard indicating directions towards the places like Ghandruk, Ghodepani, Chomrong, Jhinudanda and others which dotted the different routes traversing through what is called the Annapurna sanctuary area (which covers the southern slopes & valleys of the Annapurna range). The sanctuary area is a subset of a much larger Annapurna Conservation Area Project (or ACAP, as the acronym goes) which also covers the Annapurna circuit trail and possibly, parts of lower and upper Mustang regions. After the turn, the road sloped down towards an old metallic bridge which led to some houses, shops & some govt offices. It was a busy place with a lot of people bustling around. This was where our ACAP permits got checked for the first time. The place is called Birethanti. I recognized it. It forms a gateway to the Annapurna sanctuary area and all routes emanate from here. We visited it for the first time during our visit to the Annapurna base camp. We had to halt to allow our permits to be examined and allow the govt authorities to register our entry into the area. Such entries are supposed to be matched during the exit to ensure whoever has entered, has also exited the area safely and no one gets lost in the trails. A similar exercise also happens at different checkpoints of other trekking routes of Nepal. We tasted the delicacy of local samosas. They tasted very different, probably due to the fresh vegetables (sourced from the local aggricultural fields) used in the curry that was stuffed inside. After the brief halt, the vehicle resumed it’s journey through the villages and forests of the sanctuary area. The road was still paved, but turned into a bumpy stretch after sometime as the jeep started to navigate through the curved hill sides. After sometime, we reached a junction from where one route moved further up towards Ghodepani through the villages of Ulleri and Banthanti, while we took the right diversion to climb up towards Ghandruk. The skies turned darker and after significant struggle to maintain its center of gravity, the jeep finally halted at a place, beyond which, walking trails awaited us. We disembarked and started our long awaited trek through the woods of the Annapurna region of Nepal. There was a very light breeze that caressed our faces, while we started the hike. We could see the Rhododendron trees, but they were devoid of flowers. What would have been a full bloom, had we reached here even about a fortnight earlier, was now absent. But there was no reason to complain as thick forests provided a canopy over the trail, which not only provided protection from sun (though it was absent for the day), but a cool breeze and more importantly, the much needed Oxygen which prevents one from tiring while walking on these trails. After about an hour of hiking, we reached the tea house where we were supposed to have our lunch. It was a resonably large place with wonderfully crafted and maintained gardens with lots of flowers.

Ghandruk lodge garden
Ghandruk

The flowers shone even brighter amidst the looming darkness of the skies, which sent down sounds of distant thunders. As our lunch started getting prepared, we spent sometime to capture some snaps of the blooming flowers.

Ghandruk - flowers 1
Ghandruk
Ghandruk flower 2
Ghandruk

We enjoyed our first “dal-bhat” meal in Nepal after about a year. With hunger accentuated after hiking up from the starting point, the meal tasted even more delicious which was served with hot rice, lentils, vegetables, pickles and other delicacies of rural Nepal. After lunch, as I moved out to the open terrace, I felt a few drops of water on my body. Looking up at the sky, I saw the dark clouds hovering above. We still had at least two and a half hours of hike left for the day and chances were there that we may need to walk in the rain. We put on our raincoats and resumed our hike.

Ghandruk clouds
Ghandruk

I could now see a few Rhododendron trees with a few flowers which were remnants of the full bloom that might have perished about a week ago. Colors of these flowers vary according to the altitude. The trees we saw now, had red flowers, but other colors make their appearances at the higher altitudes. The height of these trees also keep decreasing with altitude. The trees dotting the higher ridges are called “Dwarf Rhododendrons”. Rain droplets increased in their size and frequency as we moved up and after a point, we reached a place called Bhainsi Kharka, a conglomerate of lodges. That’s when rain came down hard and we had no option but to take shelter. I thought this was good in a way as it might clear up the clouds which could pave the way for a clear evening or even clearer weather for the coming days (or so we thought). I came up earlier while the porter, guide and Ranjan da were still behind. After a while, they emerged from the woods down below and made their way up to the dining hall of the tea house, which gave some warmth. After a a heavy downpour that lasted almost half an hour, the rain eased, but clouds still held their sway in the mountains. We took advantage of this let up and resumed our hike. After leaving the premises of Bhainsi Kharka, the trail moved up amidst a narrow alley. It was thickly forested and we had no trouble whatsoever while moving up. We kept our raincoats on, though they weighed heavily on us, causing a lot of sweat, but there was no choice as there were enough clouds to resume a downpour at anytime. While we were waiting at the dining room for the rain to subside, we saw a few lightning strikes with resounding thunder at distant places. Little did we know then, that these strikes would result in grief for someone.

When we finally reached Tadapani, it was still cloudy but the rain turned into a drizzle. The compound of the tea house was spacious with a dining hall taking the centerstage. A rear door at the end of the dining hall led to a corridor which had rooms on both sides. We settled into one of these, changed our clothing and headed for the dining space, which everyone vies to reach after a day of hike. It’s a place for socialization, gossip, reflecting on the day’s proceedings and making plans for the next day, while sipping away at hot tea. All through our way up, we kept hearing about marvellous mountain views which would have been at our disposal, had weather been kind to us, but such statements sounded more like fairy tales, given the current state of affairs at nature’s department. As we spent our time at the dining space, we saw the veil of darkness getting removed and gradually, light became brighter. The chorus of the trekkers outside gathered some energy, which prompted me to look out through the glass panes and wow, there it was, Mt Annapurna South and Mt Fishtail (Machhapuchare, as they call it in Nepal) made their appearance, still shielded somewhat by the clouds, bt their outlines were visible. The sheer size of these mountains gave an indication of the altitude of the place!

Tadapani - mountains
Tadapani

The sky cleared up further and immediately it lifted the spirits of the people around. Most of them ventured out of the dining place to train the lenses of the mobiles and cameras to the awe-inspiring display of the mountains. We were no exception and our shutters kept rolling in the fading afternoon sun, which started playing its color tricks on the snowy slopes of the Annapurna Himalayas. The emerging sunlight through the still powerful shields of clouds made the birds chirpy too and their sounds were all around us. We got so excited, that we made video calls to our homes to show this view to our family members back there. While I was at that, Ranjanda quickly reminded that this luck might not run long as clouds were still hovering and making advances towards the mountain tops. That prompted me to abandon the call and resume photography to snap up as many as possible till the luck lasts.

Mt Annapurna South, Tadapani
Mt Annapurna South, Tadapani

From the left to right, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, many others in between (the guide told us their names, but I don’t recall) and finally the vista ended at the top of Mt Fishtail.

Mt Hiunchuli, Tadapani

We couldn’t shift our attention from the mountains as the scenes kept changing continuously in the stage act played out by nature. On some ocassion, a mountain top was brightly visible, only to be shielded by emerging clouds, while others made their appearances and this kept on changing amidst the hide and seek between the sun and the clouds.

Annapurna Himalayas, Tadapani

The most striking view was that of Mt Machhapuchare, which keeps inspiring awe, despite looking at it on multiple occassions from different places. We’ve seen it from different angles from Pokhara, the entire Annapurna base camp route, where it’s angles kept changing at every place, Mardi Himal trail and now on this trail.

Mt Fishtail (Machhapuchare)
Mt Fishtail (Machhapuchare)
Mt Annapurna South 2, Tadapani
Mt Annapurna South, Tadapani

Time flied by as we kept our lenses trained on the Annapurna Himalayas and they didn’t disappoint us, but after sometime, clouds gained their strength and made steady advances and eventually shielded them altogether. That prompted us to recline to the dining space. We had our dinner at 7 PM with sandwiches and soup and then moved to our room. The next day would take us to Dobato. We were sleeping at 2630 m.

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The solitude of Khopra ridge

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Nowadays trekkers often complain about lack of tranquil forests or experience of authentic village life and tribal culture in the popular trails like Annapurna base camp or Everest base camp in Nepal. For that matter, they say the same even for the longer Annapurna circuit trail as well. For Manaslu circuit, though one gets to experience the local village life along the route (more so, than other trails), the complain there is about the ever shrinking trail, thanks to aggressive road construction in Nepal which is eating up the trails gradually. That’s true for any other route. With every passing year, the trails get gobbled up with local jeeps plying higher up in the mountains. In some cases, there are altenrative trails available that lets you escape the mud and dust of the jeep roads, but mostly, that’s not an option, especially, in the Annapurna sanctuary area, which is where I was headed for the third time after Annapurna base camp and Mardi Himal.

I was looking for a week long escapade from the depressing & taxing corporate life to an area which could offer some solace. Given the time constraint, I had to look for the Annapurna region as anything towards the eastern part of Nepal would have required more time, a scarce commodity at hand. Initially it appeared to be a tough ask, given the ever shrinking trails of the region, but after some search (especially, on the website of Nepal Alternative treks & expeditions), I came across the Khopra ridge (or danda, as they call in Nepal) trek. My enquiries with Tej Bahadur Gurung (the proprietor of Nepal Alternative treks & expeditions), confirmed the fact that it was a less trodden trail. The time of the year (late April) also offered chances of witnessing Rhododendron blooms (though to a lesser extent than what we found at Mardi Himal about a year before). We were about a fortnight late than the year before as far as Rhododendron blooms were concerned. Nevertheless, I looked forward to my visit to the area. As usual, the description of the trail along with some youtube videos, provided enough excitement to look forward to it. Expectations ran high with two view points on the trail, Muldai and the Khopra ridge itself, offering almost a 180-270 degree view of the Nepal himalayas ranging from the Dhaulagiri to the Annapurna ranges. To top it off, our trek was to include a visit to the famed Poonhill top, an icing on the cake.

The Himalayas from Khopra danda

Most of my mates from earlier treks were either occupied during the period or had plans to visit other places. Hence, I decided to embark alone if need be (such was the desperation). Nevertheless, I floated my idea in the WhatsApp group and Ranjan da responded. Hence, we booked our tickets to and from Gorakhpur Junction, a town close to the Nepal border in eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. This was followed by our hotel bookings at Pokhara for our stays on our way up and down. Conversations with Tej Bahadur Gurung settled the questions about porter and guide. After all these initial proceedings, I got immersed in my professional work as the slated date of travel was still about a couple of months away. About a fortnight after this, an SMS from Indian railways informed me that our train to Gorakhpur on 25th April got cancelled due to some “pre-planned” work at the railway station and any inconvinience was “regretted”. Well, that’s Indian Railways for you. All they can do is to unilaterally cancel trains and regret the inconvinience. That has always been the case and continues to be (despite their claims of advancement with introduction of “high-end” trains like Vande Bharat). Accidents continue unabated, so do delays and abrupt cancellations with “regrets”. After scrambling for other options, the only option remained to start on 24th April, reach Lucknow and take another train in the following night from there. That’s what we opted for. As they say, every cloud (well, almost) has a silver lining, this gave me an opportunity to meet my friend Dhananjoy De (a constant company for me for all treks done in the past), who was a professor at IIIT.

26th April, 2025

After a day’s break at Lucknow and hanging out with Dhananjoy, we reached Gorakhpur junction at 2:40 AM. The only option was to stick around in the waiting room for the dawn to break. The idea was to get going as early as 5 AM to reach Pokhara with the entire afternoon at our disposal to hang around it’s famous lakeside area. However, our driver had other ideas and he only showed up at 6 AM. His reasoning was that the border officials (which included currency convertors) only started their operations by 8:30 AM. We had no other option but to comply. As the vehicle started off towards the border, I closed my eyes as there wasn’t much to cheer about the passing landscape of this dusty town or its suburbs. After about two and half hours of travel, we crossed over the border at Tutibari. This was much less crowded than the conventional Sunauli border. The gate on the Indian side thanked us while the Nepalese counterpart welcomed us for our visit. Soon after crossing it, we stopped near a police station where the cab driver went in for collecting his permit, while we exchanged Indian for Nepalese currency. Our journey started once again as we moved through the Terai plains of Nepal. The landscape wasn’t any different from the plains of India where cultivation fields extended to the horizon. The only difference could have been the views of distant hills, but they weren’t visible due to dust and smoke (some of it coming from burning of crop residues in nearby fields). As we traveled through the highways towards Bhairahawa, Ranjan da shared the weather forecast for the upcoming week. This turned out to be abysmal as everyday was supposed to be cloudy with light or strong rains in the afternoon. The later part of the week was slated to have rains for entire days. As depressing as it may sound, I decided not to delve much into it and leave it to nature’s discretion. It’s not new in the mountains to have unpredicted rains. Our route converged into the highway coming from the Sunauli border and we gradually crossed Butwal. Hills made their appearance after that and we suddenly found ourselves embarking along the serpentine mountain roads towards Pokhara.

This is a familiar trail as I’ve traveled through it multiple times (the most recent being a year ago on our way to Mardi Himal). After about four hours, we stopped at a place called Ramdi. It had a few shops offering the famous “Dal bhat” meals of Nepal. But we headed towards a fruit vendor who was selling cucumbers and a mountainous fruit from the nearby forests called Karphal. These were sweet and sour and tasted beautiful. After eating some, we purchased some more to have on our way up. After Rambi, we reached a road junction with an iron bridge over the famous Kali Gandaki river coming down from the distant and rugged Upper Mustang area of Nepal. I recalled having dinner at this place durnig our trip to Mardi Himal. After crossing that place, I waited somewhat impatiently to reach Pokhara, which was still about a couple of hours away. As the sun settled towards the west, my impatience increased as if time was running out.

After a few bends, we entered the wide roads of the Pokhara town and a few more turns took us to the famous lakeside area. Our hotel Himalayan Vacation was situated almost on the banks of the Fewa lake with just the road separating it from its banks. We disembarked from our vehicle and headed to our alloted room at the third floor. The balcony opened right in front of the lake and a bird’s eye view of the lake surrounded by thickly wooded hills, greeted us.

Fewa lake
Fewa lake, Pokhara

We got some much needed bath and headed towards Gaurighat, which was on the banks of the Fewa lake right across the road in front of the hotel. Tourists flocked the area with cameras and mobiles in their hands to capture the shots amidst the fading sunlight. The weather was pleasant with cool breeze from the lake soothing our souls. As the sun prepared to bid goodbye, the lake waters gilttered in gold.

Fewa lake sunset
Fewa lake, Pokhara

The tourist boats floated in the tranquil waters, splashing their way through it. The sun acquired a crimson tinge as it prepared to hide behind the clouds which also hid the distant Annapurna ranges.

Sun set
Fewa lake, Pokhara

Despite many tourists flocking the area, Pokhara never loses its tranquility, thanks to the wide roads and spaces near the lake area. After capturing many more snaps, we finally headed back to our hotel as we awaited the arrival of our porter and guide. Ramesh (the porter) and Yugal (the guide) finally arrived from Kathmandu and we sat in our room for a conversation. We made some enquiries about the upcoming trek and associated altitudes. Weather formed an important part of it. Both of them were soft spoken and sounded friendly, a welcome sign for a trek. Our bags didn’t quite fit into the duffel bag they had brought over from Kathmandu. So, we decided to transfer the luggage from our individual bags into the duffel bag and leave the unnecessary items at the hotel to recollect them on our way back. It was decided to start at 8:00 AM, the next morning. We were to travel by a jeep to Ghandruk, followed by an hour of walk to have lunch. Another couple of hours of walk after lunch should take us to Tadapani, our halt for the first day. Subsequent days should take us to Dobato, Khopra danda, Swanta, Ghodepani and finally to Banthanti, which is where our trek was to end, culminating in a jeep ride back to Pokhara.

After they went away, we went out for an evening walk. After a stroll, we had our dinners and ice creams and headed back to our room, made calls to our homes to inform our arrival and our plans for the morrow. Given the tiredness of the day, it took no time to close our eyes. We were sleeping at 822 m.

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