Day 01 Kathmandu Arrival and transfer to hotel. DB
Day 02/03 VISA arrangement. BLD
Day 04 Kathmandu-Nepalgunj 1½ hour flight Night at hotel. BLD
Day 05 Nepalgunj-Simikot, 40 minutes flight night camp in Simikot. BLD
Day 06 Simikot-Tuling:
This is a short day track. If your flight were early you’d start same day to your trekking. The formalities at Simikot airport are extensive. The police exams your baggage and keeps them on their record various bits of information; your permits and passports will be inspection.
Start climbing from the Simikot airstrip at 2960 meters past the wheat and barley fields on a rocky trail bordered with cannabis and stinging nettles. Trek past the stone houses of upper Simikot and the community water supply. It does not look far, but it's a long 300-meters pull to a large rock cairn at the top of a forested ridge overlooking the town and airfield. Then trek makes a long, tedious, steep descent through deep forests on a rock-cluttered Switch backing path. There are a few teashops along the way down the hill, but their offerings are pretty Spartan. We stay on the main trail that passes above the rooftops of Dandaphoya, also known as Mekh. The village on the opposite side of the river is Shara. Continue past a single teashop under a large shady tree. Here the trail levels out and passes through Tuling, also known as Majgaon, a compact Thakuri village at 2270 meters. The only good campsite in the area is about a half-hour beyond the village. At these lower elevations among unsanitary, flies and other tiny bugs is a real nuisance. BLD
Day 07 Tuling-Kermi:
The trail is reasonably level and walnut and apricot trees provide welcome shade. Beyond the campsite the trail crosses the Yakba Khola, and then climbs a bit on to Dharapuri at 2300 meters. It's a long, rough traverse across a screed-slope to a stream. On the opposite, you will spot the Khanglagaon, a village. This is the last Thakuri village in the valley and the upper limit of rice cultivation. We stay on the north side of the river as the trail snakes up and down to Chachera, shepherds' camp near a series of three waterfalls at 2350 meters. The trail climbs so steeply here that sometime horses and yaks have to be unloaded so that they can scramble up the slope. Further is Dhara Kermi, situated beside a stream at 2690 meters. The route bypasses Kermi village itself; the only camp nearby is below the left side of the trail about 10 minutes beyond the village. BLD
Day 08 Kermi to Yangar:
It's a long climb over a ridge into a big valley with walled potato and buckwheat fields. The trail levels out a bit as it traverses through a sparse pine forest to a Mani wall and rock cairn on a ridge at 2990 meters. Make switchbacks down to a meadow, then further down an extensive growth of wild marijuana and nettles on the bank of the chumsa Khola at 2830 meters. The trail crosses the stream on an impressive long suspension bridge built in 1994. Climb a steep rocky ridge and drop back towards the fast-flowing, light Grey waters of the Humla Karnali, again climb over another ridge, and then descend Yalbang Chaur, a meadow where goat herders camp beside the river at 2760 meters. In November there is an annual trade fair or “mela” at this site. Above this sandy meadow the valley narrows and the sides become quite steep. Climb over two more ridges to Yalbang village at 2890 meters. Then the trail follows an irrigation canal to a huge rock and couple of small defunct teashops just to the north of the village. Yalbang shares a hydroelectric power supply with its Neighbor Yangar, a few km away, though the system has been out of operation since 1994. We’ll take the lower, left-hand fork and contour up and around the horse pasture on the ridge. On the opposite side that people live during the summer. This is also a trade route to the once important Humli trading center of chala and on to Bajura south of Humla. Climb over another ridge at 2930 meters and descend gradually to the extensive fields surrounding Yangar at 2850 meters. BLD
Day 09 Yangar-Torea:
The trail followed an old route over a 3500 meter-high ridge, the Illing La, beyond Anger. The trail passes through the compact settlement of Yanger village, beneath the tunnels and houses, climbs behind a rock spur to a fast-flowing stream. Decline the old trail and follow the new trail across a screed slope and out the end of the ridge before dropping to the river at 2770 meters. About an hour of ups and downs will reach a suspension bridge at 2800 meters, cross to the south bank of the river. Climb to a stream, rock- hop across it and ascend past apricot orchards to totally defunct kani that marks the entrance gate to Muchu village at 2920 meters. Passes the fields below the village to the bridge, descend into ravine and climb to chorten on the opposite side. There are a few houses on the ridge and a border police check post just behind it. The ridge near the chorten offers a good view of the upper part of the valley and Tumkot village with its large white gompa on the next ridge. If the immigration office functions may be we must fill up a departure form, present our passport and get stamped here for out of Nepal and next easy stretch and contours down to the Tumkot Khola, follows the rocky streambed for a short distance, then cross the stream and Bumachiya Khola bridge at 2900 meters where the Humla Karnali disappears into a steep cleft and then we climb uphill for the next two days. The first part of the climb from Bumachiya Khola is quite steep. About half an hour later we arrive to the trial junction. Bit further on the route enters a steep rock-filled gully; it's a long, slow slog up to a ridge at 3270 meters then path levels out as it ascends to cairn at 3310 meters, then descends gently through juniper trees before climbing again to pal bang, a single house near a stream at 3380 meters. Pal bang carry’s Tibetan name but Nepali named Torea, after the bright yellow mustard (Tori) fields that surround it. There's a field above the house that may be available for us to camp. BLD
Day10 Torea-Sipsip:
From Torea the trail ascends a stream and then contours up past fields of Amaranthus and wild roses to small cairn extensive fields of Yari. The trek follows an irrigation canal into the huge valley of the Jhyakthang Chu, marked by a Mani wall at 3640 meters. Climb gently to Yari, a compact settlement of stone houses, a police check post, customs office and a schoolhouse just below the trail at 3670 meters. The police check post remains the last in Nepal side to maintain the register of comings and goings for both locals and foreigners. In upper Humla valley is reach for agriculture, they grows two kind of millets the (Anulekodo) and common Millet (chinu) also the two kinds of barley naked Tibetan barley (uwa) and regular bearded barley (jau) Amaranthus (Marcia), wheat, buckwheat (phaphar), potatoes and radishes, but only one crop per year. To the west of the village the trail leads to Sarpa La, less frequent route to Tibet. This is the trail the Khampa leader wangdi took in 1975 in an attempt to escape into India after the USA removed its support of the Tibetan resistance. He crossed into Tibet at an unmonitored and isolated corner and re-crossed into Nepal via Tinkar pass south of Taklakot where he was ambushed by the waiting Nepali army, passes through Tharo Dhunga a elevation of 4000 meters, continue towards the Sip Sip camp to make the following day easier on the foot of the Nara –La pass at 4330 meters. BLD
Day 11 Sip Sip – Taklakot:
There are numerous tracks along the side of the ridge above Sip Sip; all make the same steep, continuous ascent to a huge rock cairn on the top of Nara- La Gna at 4580 meters. A short distance below the pass you will round a ridge for a view of the Tibetan plateau, the Humla Karnali and the green barley fields of Sher (also called Shera) far below. The descent is tolerable as far as Ranipauwa, the tented hotels at 4370 meters. Beyond the Ranipauwa, trail consists of steep loose pebbles. You've done well if you make it down this hill without a few slips and slides. The trail contours around a huge canyon before making a final steep, dusty drop to the Humla Karnali at an elevation of 3720 meters. It is only few minutes walk along the river to Hilsa – a couple of tent and stone houses surrounded by barley fields. A stone pillar that marks the Nepal/Tibet border is just across the steeled bridge, perhaps one of the most informal Border crossings in the world. Climb a short distance to Sher, a Tibetan salt-trading post at 3860 meters where, we will find a jeep waiting for us to make the 1- ½ hour drive to Taklakot. Now we are with Beijing time, which is 2 ¼ hours later than Nepal time, so set your watch accordingly. Because the Ngari region of Tibet is so far west of Beijing this means that it's dark when we arise 7am and light until 10pm during our trekking seasons in July and August. Sher is the first Tibetan town where Humli peoples sell illegally wood timbers and corps to Tibetan, helps to deplete Nepal's forest resources.
The grains and salt trade is the important, thousands of goats you have seen on the trail, each carrying up to 10- 12 kg. Humli people make as many as six or seven trips a year, and from throughout the western part of Nepal make a single trip each year exchanging one measure of rice for two measures of salt. Somehow this turns out to be a profitable trip to them. Here we have to be done our border crossing formalities and 26km drive to Taklakot 1 hrs. BLD
Day 12: Taklakot-Dharchen 145km. 4½ hrs. BLD
Day 13, 14 &15 Sakadawa Festival. BLD
Day 16: Dharchen-Kailash North face (Dri-ra Phuk) Approx. 16km. 4 hrs. BLD
Day 17: Darchen- Dira Phuk 4909 meters 6 /7 hours trek BLD
Day 18: Dira Phuk-Zuthul Phuk 4805 meters (22 kms — 7/8 hrs trek) BLD
Day 19: Zuthul Phuk-Darchen 4700 meters (14 kms — 3/4 hrs trek) BLD
Day 20: Darchen-Maheum-La Valley 155km. 4hrs Drive. BLD
Day 21: Maheum-La Valley-Dhongba (Chhumik) 177km 5hrs Drive. BLD
Day 22: Dhongba “Chhumik”-Arsar Dhougbang 333km. 7½ Drive. BLD
Day 23: Arsar Dhougbang-Lhache Cichhen 187km 5½ hrs Drive. BLD
Day 23: Lhache Cichhen-Sigatse 50km 6 hrs Drive (Sakya Gumpa Side trip) BLD
Day 24: Sigatse – Gantse 90km, 3 ½ Drive (Sahlu Gumpa Side trip 5 km) BLD
Day 25: Gantse – Lhasa 210km. 6½hrs. Drive BLD
Day 26 –27: Inner Lhasa tour BLD
Day 28: Lhasa Kathmandu flight (1hrs.) BLD
Day 29: Free in Kathmandu (e.g. shopping) BLD
Day 30: Exit “Departure from Kathmandu”
Cost:
2 – 5 People EURO 3799.00 P/Person, SGL supplements EURO 389.
6 – 10 people EURO 3499. P/Person, SGL supplements EURO 389.
Cost Inclusive:
* 5 Nights Hotel in Kathmandu.
* LHASA/KTM Flight. (One way)
* 3 Nights in Lhasa Hotel (Lhasa formerly holy day Inn. B/B basis)
* 2 Nights Gantse Hotel In Gantse on full board basis.
* 1 Nights Sigatse Hotel In Sigatse on full board basis.
* Tibet Group Visa Fee and all the local permits in Tibet.
* Insurance: (For Nepali Staff)
* Handling charge (Kathmandu office)
* Camping gears, kitchen utensils, from Kathmandu.
* Guide, Cook and Kitchen hand.
* 4XD and local Tibetan Guide in Tibet.
* For Kailash Cora trip Yak or porters.
* Inner Lhasa Tour.
* First Aid kits, and PAC (Portable Chamber).
Cost Exclusive:
* Nepali Visa.
* Personnel medic, travel Insurance, emergency evacuate or any other type of insurance
* Meals in Lhasa/KTM Any kind of drinks cancellation Charges and tips. |
