Not to be Missed
When planning for the Habitat build, I just could not imagine going to Nepal and not including a trek of some type. But, there were more than a few questions - Where? For how long? Will others want to do this? Cost?
Through a friend in Victoria, I was directed to someone living in the Gulf Islands (BC) who organizes treks in Nepal. I found out that his treks were for at least a couple of weeks, but that he would be open to organizing something of a shorter length. With a bit of discussion and research, the decision was made to go with the Royal Trek. I put this idea forward to my Habitat team and was pleased there was so much interest.
The Trek
The next morning, we taken by van to the trail head at Bijayapur and along the way picked up our three porters. Before starting to hike, the porters organized what they would carry, which I think ended up being about 70 lbs. each. All we had to carry was our day packs.
Within a short time, the trek started to provide opportunities to observe life in small villages and encounter local people. In addition to going through several villages, the route goes through farms and areas with magnolia and rhododendron. In many places, it offers views of the Pokhara Valley and Begnas Lake as well as the Annapurna range. Often, we were hiking through forested areas on paths that were easy to follow and meeting many local people along the way. On three nights, we stayed in tea or guest houses that provided basic accommodation!
Day 1: Our destination was Kalikasthan, which sits at 1,370 metres. The first hour or so, we hiked through rice paddy fields and then started to ascend to our destination. Shortly into the hike, one person broke their hiking pole, but within a few minutes one of the Sherpas found a piece of bamboo that he cleaned and made into a replacement.
It was a hot day, so we appreciated the relaxed pace and stops to hydrate. Lunch was taken in a small village with one of the Sherpas providing directions to the cook. One of the things we passed was a communal well that was the result of a World Vision project. Having seen much World Vision promotion over the years for projects like this, it was neat to see one on the ground. There were others on the route. Our guest house was just a bit outside of the village and situated on a ridge that provided spectacular views of the Annapurnas, terraced farm plots and the sunset/sunrise. We had lots of time to relax and enjoy the setting. Bhim, one of the Sherpas, pointed out a number of the peaks in the Annapurna range, all at least 7,000 metres and some at around 8,000 metres. As the sun started to go down, a substantial thunder storm moved into the area and finished up as a bit of a hail storm. The elevation gain for the day was about 550 metres (1,800 feet).
As the sun went down, the wedding festivities picked up and there was music well into the night. I don't think any of us found it especially loud or intrusive. After the music stopped, however, a dog some where in the centre of the village barked for the rest of the night.
This was the first day that we encountered another trekker - a young woman from Brazil who was hiking on her own with a guide. We first saw her in the village and then also saw her a few times on the following day. We did not see any other trekkers for the entire route, which surprised me given the purported popularity of the route.
Day 3: After Syaklung, our next destination was Chisapani. We started the day with a 400 metre, which was followed by a 600 metre ascent and then the rest of the day of a mix of up and down. For the ascent, there were long distances where we had stone steps and I wondered if these had been installed for the Prince Charles expedition or if they have been around for much longer. It was another hot day, maybe the hottest.
The setting for our lodging that night was in the midst of farm plots and the rooms were the most basic of all the tea houses we used. I shared a room with sacks of rice and grain, and potatoes spread out on the floor under my bed. The place had a comfortable gazebo like structure with a thick grass covering that provided shade and a good place to sit and relax. All the cooking here was done by the Sherpas and it seemed like the best of the trek.
When planning for the Habitat build, I just could not imagine going to Nepal and not including a trek of some type. But, there were more than a few questions - Where? For how long? Will others want to do this? Cost?
Through a friend in Victoria, I was directed to someone living in the Gulf Islands (BC) who organizes treks in Nepal. I found out that his treks were for at least a couple of weeks, but that he would be open to organizing something of a shorter length. With a bit of discussion and research, the decision was made to go with the Royal Trek. I put this idea forward to my Habitat team and was pleased there was so much interest.
The Royal Trek is a fairly popular short trek
and there are variations of what may be involved ranging from four or five days to as many as nine days. The actual trekking part seems to be the same in the various packages I researched (four or five days), with the differences being related to other things being included when in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The Royal Trek departs from near the city of Pokhara and offers spectacular views of the Annapurnas.
It was ideal for us because we didn't want to take a long time and it did not have the challenges associated with a high elevation trek. The trek was given its name after Prince Charles hiked it in the 1980s, apparently with an entourage of about 90 people. While our trek did not entail any particularly long days of hiking, we did have the challenge of hot weather. I should note that I use the word "trek" because it sounds more impressive than "hike." Technically, we were on a five-day trek, but we actually hiked four days.
It was ideal for us because we didn't want to take a long time and it did not have the challenges associated with a high elevation trek. The trek was given its name after Prince Charles hiked it in the 1980s, apparently with an entourage of about 90 people. While our trek did not entail any particularly long days of hiking, we did have the challenge of hot weather. I should note that I use the word "trek" because it sounds more impressive than "hike." Technically, we were on a five-day trek, but we actually hiked four days.
Getting There
After the Habitat trip was officially over, other folks headed home and eight of us were on our way to Pokhara. For the trek, we were supported by a guide (CR), two Sherpas (Bhim and Norbasso), and three porters (didn't get their names).
Our support team
Early on April 17, we departed Kathmandu for the long (6-7 hours) and adventuresome drive to Pokhara on the Prithvi Highway. Before leaving the city, we were able to leave our large pieces of luggage at the hotel where we stayed upon returning to Kathmandu. This certainly lightened the load for the porters.
As we were leaving the Kathmandu Valley, the traffic slowed to a crawl and even completely stopped for quite a bit. I think the highway is a candidate for a reality TV program about the most dangerous highways. The highway is heavily used and there was a constant stream of trucks. Many of the trucks are old and frankly one has to wonder about their safety. Two were stopped right on the highway with a broken drive shaft and another one had rolled on its side on a bridge. Once we got past these situations, we were able to travel faster. Along the way, we stopped for a snack and then for lunch, arriving in Pokhara in mid-afternoon, which is where we stayed overnight. Throughout much of the drive, there often were three or even four rows of traffic on a two-lane highway. It all seems to work, but I certainly did not get completely comfortable with.
Pokhara is located in a beautiful setting near a large lake with mountain views. Compared to Kathmandu, it was quiet and all of us went out to explore a bit. We didn't have to contend with the pressure to purchase encountered constantly in Kathmandu, which made the experience of simply looking around a bit more relaxing. While we were out exploring, the guide and Sherpas were securing the required permits and making some other arrangements.
The Trek
The next morning, we taken by van to the trail head at Bijayapur and along the way picked up our three porters. Before starting to hike, the porters organized what they would carry, which I think ended up being about 70 lbs. each. All we had to carry was our day packs.
Load for one porter
Within a short time, the trek started to provide opportunities to observe life in small villages and encounter local people. In addition to going through several villages, the route goes through farms and areas with magnolia and rhododendron. In many places, it offers views of the Pokhara Valley and Begnas Lake as well as the Annapurna range. Often, we were hiking through forested areas on paths that were easy to follow and meeting many local people along the way. On three nights, we stayed in tea or guest houses that provided basic accommodation!
Day 1: Our destination was Kalikasthan, which sits at 1,370 metres. The first hour or so, we hiked through rice paddy fields and then started to ascend to our destination. Shortly into the hike, one person broke their hiking pole, but within a few minutes one of the Sherpas found a piece of bamboo that he cleaned and made into a replacement.
It was a hot day, so we appreciated the relaxed pace and stops to hydrate. Lunch was taken in a small village with one of the Sherpas providing directions to the cook. One of the things we passed was a communal well that was the result of a World Vision project. Having seen much World Vision promotion over the years for projects like this, it was neat to see one on the ground. There were others on the route. Our guest house was just a bit outside of the village and situated on a ridge that provided spectacular views of the Annapurnas, terraced farm plots and the sunset/sunrise. We had lots of time to relax and enjoy the setting. Bhim, one of the Sherpas, pointed out a number of the peaks in the Annapurna range, all at least 7,000 metres and some at around 8,000 metres. As the sun started to go down, a substantial thunder storm moved into the area and finished up as a bit of a hail storm. The elevation gain for the day was about 550 metres (1,800 feet).
Day 2: We got started a bit earlier on the second day, which was a good idea so we didn't have to do most of our hiking at the hottest time of day. Our day started by being wakened to see the sun rise and it certainly was worth it. We descended into village of Kalikasthan and within a few minutes of hiking we saw several monkeys jumping around in trees along the road. Not especially unusual to the locals, but interesting to us. Again, we hiked through villages and were treated to great views much of the way to our destination of Syaklung, which sits at 1,730 metres. While the elevation difference from Kalikastan is only 360 metres (1,200 feet), our hiking involved a mix of descending and ascending, so I don't really know how much we actually hiked in terms of elevation.
One the day's interesting events was when we met about 25-30 people
from a small village walking in the opposite direction with a man
playing a unique traditional horn and another man carrying a young goat.
Through our Sherpa's, we learned that they were on the way to have an
annual "good luck" ceremony along the river we could see. The ceremony,
as so many in Nepal, was to include the sacrifice of the young goat.
In Syaklung, our lodging was in the centre of the village, which provided lots of entertainment. There were two weddings that evening, with one being preceded in the afternoon by the slaughter of a chicken (head shot off) being witnessed by some in our group. The village is on a bus route and a some of us watched with interest as a number of local men loaded a motor scooter on to the top of the bus. It's common to see people, boxes and luggage on the top of buses in Nepal, but the scooter was a first. Another piece of entertainment was provided when one of the Sherpa's (Norbrasso) cut Bhim's hair.
My room on the second night
Loading the scooter
Bhim (Sherpa) and CR (guide)
As the sun went down, the wedding festivities picked up and there was music well into the night. I don't think any of us found it especially loud or intrusive. After the music stopped, however, a dog some where in the centre of the village barked for the rest of the night.
This was the first day that we encountered another trekker - a young woman from Brazil who was hiking on her own with a guide. We first saw her in the village and then also saw her a few times on the following day. We did not see any other trekkers for the entire route, which surprised me given the purported popularity of the route.
Day 3: After Syaklung, our next destination was Chisapani. We started the day with a 400 metre, which was followed by a 600 metre ascent and then the rest of the day of a mix of up and down. For the ascent, there were long distances where we had stone steps and I wondered if these had been installed for the Prince Charles expedition or if they have been around for much longer. It was another hot day, maybe the hottest.
Lodging on third night
The setting for our lodging that night was in the midst of farm plots and the rooms were the most basic of all the tea houses we used. I shared a room with sacks of rice and grain, and potatoes spread out on the floor under my bed. The place had a comfortable gazebo like structure with a thick grass covering that provided shade and a good place to sit and relax. All the cooking here was done by the Sherpas and it seemed like the best of the trek.
Day 4: Today's hike was a mix of up and down, but it involved more descent as we headed to the small village of Sujan, where we would be picked up by the van. From hiking through forested trails, we gradually descended to walk past rice paddy fields and some roads. Our route took us past Begnas Tal, which is a popular destination for people interested in being on the water and getting out of the city of Pokhara. There is a large resort, camping and a bazaar. We did not actually hike down to the lake, but it certainly looked like a place to keep in mind for a future trip to Nepal.
Looking for long-term housing?
We reached the pick-up point in the early afternoon and the van arrived a bit later. After relaxing with a cold drink (not beer) for a bit, we boarded the van for the trip back to Kathmandu. The porters traveled with us all the way, so we did not have as much space to spread out as on the way to Pokhara. It was a hot day and all of us were happy to be back in Kathmandu for showers and clean clothes. Thankfully, we did not encounter major traffic issues.
Our schedule was completely relaxed from that point forward with the only specific commitment being to return the rental sleeping bags and getting to our flights in the evening of the next day. It was great to kick back with a cold Everest beer or two. Most of us did a bit of last minute shopping and exploring. On the last day in Kathmandu, I returned to Pilgrim Books and also had lunch again at the Northfield Cafe.
Last Thought
I am extremely pleased that the trek was possible and found it to be an excellent way to wrap up what was an overall fantastic first trip to Nepal. The other trekkers were a great group of people and we were very well cared for by the support team.
If I have the opportunity to return to Nepal, I'd certainly like to do a similar trek.
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