A Tranquil Escape: Trekking In Nepal
If you are planning to trek in Nepal but don't know where and when is the best to plan a trek in Nepal or wondering to visit Nepal to make an enjoyable and memorable trip with your loved ones. There are numerous popular trek destinations and various activities in Nepal for solo to a group of families and friends from all over the world.
There are numerous trekking routes to venture upon this high land and it is known as the 'Great Himalaya Trails.' It is an immense trail system that covers areas of Nepal from Humla and Darchula which lies in the west to Kanchenjunga in the east.
Trekking in Nepal is found to be completely different than that of mid 1960s. Only a few trekkers visited Nepal as a part of expedition group. But now, situation has completely changed and with the facility of accommodation with food and lodging facilities, trekkers from all around the world are encouraged to visit our country.
The three major trekking areas and the easily accessible ones are Langtang, Everest and the Annapurna regions. Amongst three, Annapurna and Langtang have an advantage as they can be reached through road connections. The Great Himalaya Trails has substantial amount of information on other hiking regions which can be easily accessible on domestic flights. Kanchenjunga, Dolpo, Makalu and Far West are some grounds covered by flights. However, this is just the starting of the journey and it takes several days of trekking to reach higher mountain areas from the local centers of population and administration.
Domestic flights usually occur early morning and two domestic flights are required to reach the starting destination of the trek. The popular trek areas in Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna and Kanchenjunga are able to provide lodge with better accommodation. Similarly, the west of Annapurna is the less visited trekking route and they may not have proper lodging facility; but they most definitely have camping style trek support.
Mustang trek has become of the most popular and common trekking destination among the visitors and travelers. It is famous for international as well as national tourists. Mustang Trekking is a superb trekking route in the Western Nepal as it takes tourists to the hinterlands of the western region of Nepal. Previously, Mustang Trekking was restricted for expedition and the land was alienated from the travelers. But now, it is be swarming with visitors and has become a major tourist hub.
Along with this, Manaslu Circuit Trek is another famous trekking route. It has successfully attracted the intended tourists and adventure seekers. Many come here for the purpose of hiking and trekking. They get full experience of the serene beauty of high lands. Nepal has captured the imagination of the entire world with its unsurpassed beauty.
The southern areas of Nepal are usually preferred to trek as they receive higher level of precipitation. We can find climate variations as some routes along the Great Himalaya Trails lie in the rain shadow. These dry lands on the north fall on the leeward side of mountains. The places that fall under it are Mustang to the north of Annapurna with Manaslu and Dolpo to the north of Dhaulagiri.
Post monsoon season can be a great time for trekking as the weather tends to be clearer. Winter can be good but the trekkers have a disadvantage as this season has shorter days. Spring season can also be affected by the seasonal rain and snow storms. Summer season does not last long and it is quickly followed by the monsoon season. Thus, no season is perfect for trekking purpose and the trekkers have to make though decision about which kind of season is most desirable for them.
- Here are few of the refreshment activities that you can try on the Himalayas:
- Yoga and meditation – As dramatic as it sounds to climb to the top for meditation; yoga is a stress reliever and you can relax peacefully in a calm environment.
- Indulge yourself with nature – Flora and fauna found in abundance in the mountains and you can carry your camera and explore this rich land. Who knows, you may even stumble upon a Yeti! You can immerse yourself in the lakes, rivers and lowest gorges.
- Mountain biking - You may want to test your physical limit by taking a mountain bike up to the high lands. As the trail is diverse, you can bike on a clean bumpy road to bumpy rough trails. You will enjoy delightful greenery and elevated mountains in the backdrop.
- Everest Skydive?! – As crazy as it sounds, you can have the best spine chilling adventure with the combination of the highest peak of the world and mind blowing sport of skydiving. You can get view of the Everest region with stupendous mountain views and the Sherpa settlement below makes this experience a lifetime achievement.
- Take mountain flights – You can choose to fly close to the Himalayas to get an unbelievable scenic view of this tremendous chain of snow covered mountains.
- Shopping! – Who does not like doing good old shopping? Astounding handicrafts items of excellent craftsmanship are found in the Himalayas. You can get souvenirs for you and your loved ones. Items like thangkas, pashmina, carpets, jewelry, prayer wheels, stone carvings etc. has great cultural significance.
- Faith healing – You can explore the mysticism of the animalistic of Himalayan culture. The process involves honoring the earth and respecting the spirit which is believed to reside in all of us.
- Mingle with the locals – Nepalese are considered to be the friendliest of the lot and you can always socialize with them. You can feel their optimism, simple yet powerful spirit and get a taste of their genuine warmth. A simple gesture of 'Namaste' can lead to great friendships with unforgettable memories.
The trekkers can be enthusiastic about the idea of solo trek with their own schedule and convenience. But do you want to risk the unknown and get stranded in a situation with a major storm, temperature of at possibly 5,000 m and zero visibility? Thus if you want to avoid the risk, it is advisable to you travel with a group of trekkers for support and guidance.
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An unexpected journey to paradise
The mountain passes of Jiri and the picturesque hill of Kalinchowk were heavenly. For someone who was born and raised inside the walls of a city, this escape made me understand the expression, "Nepal is heaven on earth." Even though the journey only lasted for two days, we traveled and saw many highs and lows.
In life, there aren't many moments that aren't many moments that are memorable as the ones made spontaneously. With this mindset, my dad and my friend and I decided to go on a trip to Jiri, which turned out to be anything but ordinary. In this blog, I have talked about our adventure in the highlands with a rejuvenating experience. The memory will remain with us and it will be cherished forever.
When confronted with the gorgeous hills of Jiri, we came to realize that Nepal is more than just the two peaks of himalayas. Visitors were cycling, running around the hills, immersing themselves in the environment. We shared a collective appreciation of nature, which gave me a warm feeling.
Turns out Jiri has been noted as the highly praised and popular trekking route to reach the Everest Base Camp. I told my dad may be we could also try, but he laughed and retorted that it was not possible as I couldn't even walk a mile. Upon further exploration, we saw a pond where fishing was made commercialized. A boy screamed with joy when his dad caught a fish, which probably will be their meal later on. The local people were more than happy to guide us around the place. While roaming around, I also saw vendors selling cheese and durkha, a special delicacy of Jiri, yum! Overall, Jiri is one of the big towns of Dolakha which is very strict about cleanliness and security. Unfortunately, the journey in Jiri only lasted few hours as we had to descend downwards to reach our next destination 'Charikot.'
We planned on staying one night in Charikot as it served to be a mid point on our road to Kalinchowk. After sleeping in a wonderful climate without mosquitoes, it gave us a fresh start to travel in the morning. The road was jerky and uncomfortable but the expectation of the glorious Kalinchowk kept us going. On the way up, I noticed white colored rhododendrons blooming, which surprised me. I thought that rhododendrons were only red in color. However, the entire valley was covered in white rhododendron. The walk to the top of Kalinchowk was going to be a long one so we prepared ourselves by stuffing ourselves with locally prepared food 'Chana' and chiya. At first, our bodies were shivering from cold, but eventually our body started adjusting to the cooler climate and we were pumped up for our adventure for the day.
After panting and gasping for what seemed like forever, we reached to the top of Kalinchowk temple. The breath of icy fresh air, made it seem like paradise. Devotees were praying and offering sacrifices. I cherished my existence and opportunity to be in Kalinchowk as I felt like I was on top of the world. Although the views of the Himalayas were covered by fog, we did get a glimpse of it and it was a wondrous sight. Though we wanted to stay and marvel at the beautiful scenery, we had to return back to Charikot. The ride on the Bolero again became thrilling and our motion was out of control. Although, this rickety ride caused our body to be sore, the view made it worth it.
The journey only lasted two days but we experienced many places. We are so close to the touch of the heavens regardless of our occupation as city dwellers. The need to escape to such wonderland every once in a while could easily be fulfilled if we ventured outside our bubble. Even though the journey only lasted for two days, we travelled and saw many highs and lows. The mountain passes of Jiri and the picturesque hill of Kalinchowk were heavenly. For someone who was born and raised inside the walls of a city, this escape made me understand the expression, "Nepal is heaven on earth." I have so much to explore and so much of this beautiful land to see. Now I wait to get to my next destination.
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The Kalinchowk Trek Part 2
Why Nepal is a Trekker’s Paradise
The Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp treks are so well-known that they are often referred to as simply, EBS and ABC. Nevertheless, Nepal is a trekkers’ paradise not only for these two popular treks; there are many other trails that are exciting and challenging,. Here’s a series of trails that are becoming more familiar by the season.
You, of course, carry on along the main trail, and two hours or so later, you’ll arrive at Thangsa, and then, another half hour takes you to Gairidanda (2,540 m), a ridge point that gives excellent views (danda means ridge). If the weather is clear, the northeastern Himalayan range offers a splendid sight for hungry eyes. However, one cannot expect everything to go as one wants, and the clouds up at these heights can be quite disturbing, so you have to be ready for anything, including disappointment at not seeing the magnificent Himalayan peaks. However, you’ll be somewhat compensated by the sight of Chayuris (cow and yak crossbreeds) grazing on the lusciously green hillsides, which is also a pretty picture. You may as well take a lengthy break at Gairidanda, because after that, for the next four-five hours, you’ll not come across any settlements. So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get adequately nourished with tough grilled yak meat and thick tea made of chyauri milk. Now, up ahead, the trek begins to be a back breaking one, with the trail climbing steeply uphill through thick forests of a variety of high altitude trees, as well as Rhododendron, the national flower. This part of the trek consists of a four-hour climb that will surely test your stamina, not to mention your back and legs. After reaching the top, where there is a stone deity image (as is usually is on most ridge tops), you are advised to make a longish halt, which will help to acclimatize you to the higher altitude. The trail then descends to a small valley, from where some distance ahead is Kuri Kharka (3,200 m), where you spend the night in one of the shack-like ‘guest houses’ around.
A good night’s sleep, hopefully, and a sunny morning, again hopefully, paints a more enthusiastic and inspiring picture of magnificent mountains all around. Nice sight, but not much fun to climb! The trail now carries straight up again, this time across a mountain face, which naturally results in pretty ragged breathing all around, and an extremely slow pace. But, when you reach the top, you get a fantastic view of Gaurishanker, the goddess mountain, which stands apart from the other peaks on the horizon, with Melungtse Himal (7,023 m) beside her. From here, it’s only 200 meters more to the Kalinchowk Temple, but is a slow climb, since the track is narrow, and then there’s that deep gully on one side, and the high mountain on the other. So, it is a scary sight, yes—looks quite dangerous, doesn’t it? So, it is no surprise that it can take you more than two hours to reach the temple. Before you arrive there, however, there’s one more bridge to cross. Literally! An iron stairway across a chasm between the two opposite crests is what awaits you, and you’ll have to somehow pick up the courage to crawl across it. Reminds you of Indiana Jones, does it? Anyway, having done so, you then climb to the very top, which is barely 200 or so square feet in area, and here is where stands Kalinchowk Temple, dedicated to Kalinchowk, another form of Goddess Bhagwati, that powerful Mother Goddess of the Hindu pantheon. She is symbolized by a natural spring arising in a small pit, and all around the site, you’ll find many tridents, that three-forked weapon of the goddess. It should all inspire you. Even if it doesn’t, the awesome panoramic views from here definitely should!
The Kalinchowk Trek Part 1
Why Nepal is a Trekker’s Paradise
The Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp treks are so well-known that they are often referred to as simply, EBC and ABC. Nevertheless, Nepal is a trekkers’ paradise not only for these two popular treks; there are many other trails that are exciting and challenging. Here’s a series of trails that are becoming more familiar by the season.
It is the Arniko Highway that most trekkers drive on to get to their respective take-off points for quite a few treks in regions north of the capital. It’s a good road, so that’s a good thing, because you reach your destination faster, saving you precious time. And so, that’s how you start your Kalinchowk trek, it’s a pleasant beginning. However, you might be less pleased to know that you’ll be trekking in an isolated area and hiking through some pretty dense forests on the way, one of which, especially, has seen its fair share of robberies. So, be warned!
Anyway, you first drive to Charikot, which should take around five hours. This picturesque town is 133 km northeast of Kathmandu, atop a hill at 1,733 meters. The trek to Kalinchowk from here mean you will be climbing to a height of 3,782 meters, and so it is bound to challenge your mettle, both physical and mental. At the same time , it need not be said that the scenery you encounter will be really lovely, the route passing across terraced fields of millet and mustard, forests of sweet smelling pine trees, hemlock, and what not, and thick droves of gracefully swaying bamboo. Soon after you start hiking, you’ll get splendid views of the Tamakosi River way down below, to the south, while to the north are of course, the mighty Himalayan peaks, Gaurishanker (7,134 m) being, without a shred of doubt, the most prominent and impressive.
As you near Chothang village, which is also called “Hotel Danda”, you will observe chortens with Nepali inscriptions and stone memorials with Tibetan inscriptions all along the trail. Such memorials to the dead is a common tradition for the largely Sherpa, Magar, Lama, and Tamang villagers who live around here. Carry on hiking, and now you’ll notice that there’s a clear change in the geography, with the rhododendron and pine forests becoming denser as you climb, and at some point, you’ll find the tall trees almost completely blocking out the light. This is where many robberies apparently have occurred, so you’ll be walking a bit faster through this part of the woods, right?
All going well, and no Robin Hoods having made their presence felt, you emerge onto a lovely setting that’s pretty enchanting. It has as its centerpiece, a heart-shaped, moss-covered pool of water, that’s known as Simpani. You can rest easier now, and take your time enjoying the beautiful scenery, since your next stop will be at a place only a half hour later; it’s called Deurali (2,350 m), and it has some very welcome teashops. And, hot tea is what’s most welcome, what with the chilly weather up here. A fork up ahead has tracks going down to some villages. Chhyamamwati and Makaibari have Tamang, Magar, and Sherpa inhabitants, while Shuspa village has an ethnic group called Thami.