This morning we wind our way up through the beautiful old houses of Ghandruk and climb on an undulating trail to a tea house in the forest with an amazing view to the Annapurnas. From here we continue through the rhododendron forest, which just keeps on getting more and more stunning throughout the day.

We begin to hear the roar of waterfalls and then, for a time, we follow a stream which is literally hurtling down the hill we are climbing up. We cross a bridge and the real climbing starts with a very steep section up to the tea houses at Bhaisi Kharka, where we are quite likely to see Langur monkeys playing in the trees while we rest our legs and wait for lunch.

Continuing up after lunch and reach a stunning, undulating trail through magnificent rhododendron forest, with gigantic old growth trees keeping out the light and with orchids and mushrooms growing everywhere. After enjoying this stunning section of the trail for about half an hour we have a short, steep climb up into Tadapani.

Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tadapani view © Mohan Duwal

As soon as we leave Tadapani this morning we are in incredible rhododendron forest. The ancient trees tower above us and block out the light and this is a magical trail which feels like something straight out of a Tolke in a book.

After a short climb and descent into a dell, we start a more serious climb which continues all the way up to the lodges at Dobato. There are a few undulations and some contouring, but it’s mainly steep climbing on a small trail, through this stunning forest. After about half an hour you emerge on the northern side of the ridgeline and have a stunning view of the Annapurna South Massif towering above you and hear the roar of many waterfalls as the river races away into the dramatic steep-sided valley far, far below. Here the forest starts to change and you see oak trees and conifers come into the mix. From here you have a steep half hour up to the tea house at Meshar Danda, perched on the ridgeline with truly incredible views. After a cup of tea here and a short rest, we have about an hour more of this type of forested trail until we reach the open hillside at Isharu where shepherds graze their sheep and where we will have lunch.

All fueled up, we start out with a gentle ascent as the trail contours around the hillside and then up to a small but beautiful pass, where the path goes through a fascinating Gurung temple. From here you drop down a little way to a beautiful open valley and follow the dry creekbed up, into the trees again and then you climb steeply to a ridgeline. Along the way you can see incredible purple barked rhododendron trees – much smaller now than the ones earlier today, but absolutely striking because of the color (and the mountain backdrop if the weather is clear). From the ridge, you contour down to a creekbed and follow this to a small pass, from where you contour around to the lodges at Dobato.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

Accommodation: Community Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Annapurna South from Muldai © Clare Mathiasen

In the morning it is highly recommended to get up an hour before sunrise and walk up to the viewpoint above Dobato and return to the lodge for breakfast. This stunning side trip will give you a great view up to Khopra Danda and incredible views of the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri further to the west.

After breakfast, we start out across a gravelly hillside and then have a short climb to a small pass, where we see Dhaulagiri and Tukuche in full view. From here we walk down along the ridgeline through rhododendron trees and then have a short climb before we cross to the western side of the ridgeline, bidding farewell to those huge snowcapped peaks until we see them again at Khopra. From here we contour around with great views down towards Ghorepani, Poon Hill and Swanta, far down in the valley below. We have a short climb and then contour around again to the two tea houses at Bayeli, where we will have an early lunch.

From here we can see Chistibang, far away across the valley, but to get there we must first descend. We trek through sparse rhododendron trees and berberis bushes before crossing some streams and then continue up to the community lodge for a well-earned rest.

Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours (not including sunrise excursion)

Accommodation: Community Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On the way to Chistibang © Georgina Ayre

From the Chistibang lodge, we have a steady ascent through alpine meadows and pastures and we should keep on the lookout for yaks and crossbred (called Dzo), as well as possible sightings of Himalayan Tahr and the beautiful Danphe pheasant, the national bird of Nepal.

As we near the end of our climb up to Kopra Ridge we can see the tip of Annapurna South start to emerge. However, it is only on arrival at Khopra Community Lodge that the almost unbelievable panorama is fully revealed: Mount Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Fang and Annapurna South can all be seen, feeling incredibly close and overwhelmingly huge.

After lunch, it is well worth going for a short walk down Kopra Ridge to a viewpoint overlooking Kali Gandaki river far below in this deep valley.

Walking time: Approx. 3 hours

Accommodation: Community Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kopra Ridge -Dhaulagiri © Robin Boustead

Today you can rest and enjoy the views, or you can undertake a strenuous day hike to the sacred Khayer Tal (lake) which is surrounded by shrines.

Today’s day hike will take minimum 8 hours and care must be taken with ice in streams and shady places – this is a good test for fit walkers, but well worth the effort! The ascent is gradual at first, allowing you to warm up, then you have steep climbs interspersed with ‘kharkhas’ or grazing areas where you will see some chautaras (Buddhist monuments) and herders huts which are used for summer grazing.

At last, you will see a small temple on a grassy hill and on reaching this you will be able to find the sacred lake ‘hidden’ behind a rock face. This lake is spring fed and is held sacred by the Gurung and Magar people living in the villages below.

If you have the energy to go for it, you can climb for another 30 minutes or so to view the stunning scenery behind the jagged ridge. This is the high point of Khopra Danda where, above all habitation, you can really feel the rugged beauty of this landscape. Annapurna Fang seems so close you can almost touch it, along with the other the towering peaks of Annapurna Range and to the west lies Dhaulagiri. Far below lies the Kali Gandaki River Valley, which is the world’s deepest gorge.

Don’t stay too long as you have a long walk back to the lodge and possible ice on the trail means you want to get back in the daylight.

Walking time: Approx. 8 hours

Accommodation: Community Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dhaulagiri View © Georgina Ayre

This morning we bid farewell to the incredibly close up views of the Himalayas, knowing we will have plenty more panoramic views on this trek yet, but none quite like this. We descend for about an hour back down to the Chistibung Community Lodge, where we stop for a drink and then carry on down to Swanta village.

From the treeless ridgeline we re-enter the sparse vegetation of berberis and tiny rhododendron trees and then we come into truly amazing oak and pine forest on a steeply descending but incredibly stunning trail through this old growth forest. Finally, we come down to bamboo and wet mossy forest of mixed vegetation, without the towering giants but more species diversity.

As we approach Swanta we see Mount Dhaulagiri re-emerge and it provides a lovely backdrop to the terraced fields and traditional houses of Swanta. In Swanta village there is a primary school where there are two teachers funded by the profits from the community lodges.

Walking time: Approx. 6 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Swanta Fields © Clare Mathiasen

From Swanta we descend through terraced fields to the river before climbing up to Ghorepani where we rejoin the main trail and have lunch on one of the big tea houses in this bustling trekking town. From Ghorepani, we can see a lot of our trek route so far and marvel at how far we have come in a few days. We have a hearty lunch, enjoying the more extensive menu, before we bid farewell to the panorama and head south of the ridgeline, down to Ulleri.

The trail starts off contouring down the hillside through a mix of beautiful forest, small villages and open meadows. We come to a fascinating shrine and then we cross the river and enter a spectacular steep gorge. We trek downwards for about an hour with a sound of the river below us roaring in our ears until we finally emerge into the sunlight again and the open vistas of the valley as it opens up to show us the villages on the way to Ulleri. About an hour further and we check into our tea house for the night and enjoy a final sunset on the trail.

Walking time: Approx, 6 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Group rest © Clare Mathiasen

This morning we have a steep section of seemingly never-ending stairs down to Tikhedhunga (we pity those coming the other way) where we cross a suspension bridge and then enjoy an easier walk for the rest of the trek. The valley opens up more and more and we reap the benefits of the newly built dirt road, our weary legs enjoying the gentler grade and the complete lack of steps.

We meet the river and if it’s warm it’s nice to jump in and cool off in one of the beautiful pools. We continue along the road (taking a short detour off the road through the beautiful but tiny village of Mahathanti) and arrive in Birenthanti for lunch in the charming old guest house there.

We have a half hour walk remaining, initially along the road (busier now) and then on the old trekking trail to Nayapul, where we meet our vehicle for the 1 ½ hour drive back into Pokhara.

Walking time: Approx. 3 hours

Accommodation: None
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Millet Harvest © Clare Mathiasen