Trekking in Nepal

Trekking Nepal

VIEW FROM ABOVE PHUGAON

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TREKKING THE HIMALAYAS

MUSTANG 1991
KANCHENJUNGA 1993
ISLAND PEAK & MERA PEAK 1994
NARPHU 1996
MAKALU & EVEREST 1998
MANASLU & NARPHU 1999
MILKE DANDA & NORTH 2000
NORTH EAST NEPAL TREK 2002

ARUNACHAL PRADESH TREKS 2003

ADVICE and TREKKING AGENTS

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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NARPHU 1996

After the trek to Island Peak and Mera Peak I vowed never again to trek with an unknown group, in fact I was determined to try a trek just with a guide and porters. I had heard of a remote area off the Annapurna circuit trek that had Snow Leopards and was a completely different terrain from the main trail. I again organized my trek by e-mail direct with a new contact in Kathmandu; Jiban Ghimere. shangrilatreks@hons.com.np What impressed me was his quick response to my e-mails enabling me to sort out the trek in a short time. Narphu is a restricted area but I found a way of getting into it by getting a climbing permit for Chulu East north side and I hired a climbing guide for an attempt to climb it.

MAP OF TREKKING ROUTE

01	In 1996 the road leading up to the trail was nothing more than a very dangerous mud track. The bus ride was memorable as one of the most dangerous I have ever done, in fact the following day seventeen people were killed by a bus going off on one of the treacherous river crossings. Under the tree is Birip, my guide with the porters carrying about 50 kilos each.
02	The villages were quite prosperous with tea houses catering for the hundreds of trekkers. Everyone doing the round world trip seemed to be doing the same trek and staying in the same tea houses, all reading the same guidebook.
03	Typical tea houses along the trail but the food could be very good.
04	Some villages were quite idyllic, here a German had married a local girl and set up his own tea rooms, a cut above the rest.
05	We kept on looking up the valleys for views of the big mountains but there was not much to see for some time.
06	The bridge at Chamje.
07	Disaster; the previous year a flash flood tore through the village just above Dharapani killing villagers and trekkers. A new village was slowly being built further up the trail away from the rather small stream.
08	My guide, Birip always looking well dressed and smart.
09	Koto is where I turned off the main trail for Narphu. This is the mystery valley we were going to enter. There is much trepidation as we may not be allowed into the Restricted Area, we have to get past a police post first. Although we were only at about 9000 feet I was suffering with a thumping headache and had a slight chill as my warm gear was packed away and we had to wait quite a while for the porters to turn up.
10	Setting out for Narphu immediately we find ourselves on a good trail but somewhat precarious skirting the river on a rocky ledge.
11	Getting up the trail with Pisang Peak in the distance.
12	Quite easy walking but the chill I got in Koto was developing into something worse.
13	This was a large village Kyang, completely abandoned because a change in the climate had turned the irrigation water to a mere trickle.
14	Here were vast fields that at one time would have grown millet and barley.
15	October and the fiery red leaves of the Berberis bushes gave splashes of colour to the valley bottoms.
16	The incredible entrance to the village of Phugaon.
17	Access was via a steep climb up a narrow winding path to the right climbing up to the stone Chorlton. This way in would have been easily defended against enemies in times past.
18	We were just three days away from the main trail yet we were in another world.
19	We watched a large buzzard catch a pigeon but it didn't take off fast enough. The porters were down the slope in a flash scaring off the Buzzard and here the pigeon was being plucked for tea.
20	Wonderful old Stupas at the entry to Phugaon.
21	The village is set right back to the left.
22	It was only about four hours walk from the deserted village but I got a thumping headache and took pain killers in the night fearing that if I didn't sort myself out we would have to go back down. We were at about 4242 m /14000 ft in three days from 2727 m /9000 ft. Sometimes acclimatization is very slow or we had gone up too quickly.
23	The village was very un-spoilt although the occupants were well aware that the main trail was only a short distance away. It was evacuated in the winter when they trek over the Kang La with all the yaks and goats to Manang, weather permitting.
24	The last westerner they had seen in the village was more than twelve months before so we were the highlight of the day.
25	This was supposed to be an important monastery, quite close to the Tibetan border.
26	A view of the village from the monastery. It is set high above the river, again a good defensive position in past times of strife.
27	I was not feeling very good but managed to climb up and take a look at a good trail heading off far into the distance to Tibet. This view with the trail stretching away into the distance stayed with me and brought me back again.
28	That trail off into the far distance was entrancing but I was not feeling too good so it was back down the trail taking antibiotics now. I never hesitate to use antibiotics. As soon as you go high it takes very little to turn a slight cough into a serious chest infection.
29	I thought we were in for a lazy day's trundle back to the last camp but found myself faced with a 2500 ft climb up to the village of Naurgaon but just at the bottom we met a horseman and after a little haggling I was on its back. Noticing the rider was eating bread and I was hungry, managed to persuade him to part company with some. Never has brown bread tasted so good. The cook on this trek was not very good and the memory of the taste of that bread has stayed with me ever since.
30	A view back up the valley we had trekked down. It was a long hard climb up to the village of Naurgaon the porters were late in, about 7.00 pm and a guide and torches were sent to bring them in.
31	The next day the villagers were in a frenzy, thrashing the grain far into the night. The temperature rose by about ten degrees, the weather was changing.
32	This is the direction we should have headed off in but the guide and climbing Sirdar decided to head down rapidly, they sensed the weather had changed and my attempt on Chulu East was aborted before it had even starting.
33	I ended up racing down with one of the porters, at times we were literally running through the forest but I came to my senses and we all gathered and made it down together in very good time as it started to rain.
34	Raining heavily we made our way up the Annapurna circuit trail but the weather was worsening all the time until we got to Pisang. We stayed there for two days. It was snowing with over two metres of snow a little further up the trail, we might not have got over the Thorong La for some considerable time.
35	Chulu East from below Pisang.
36	I decided to back track as the Thorong La could be impassable for many days. We went at break-neck speed back down the trail to Kathmandu where there was a problem with money. This sorted out I decided to fly to Pokhara and then on to Jomasom.
37	From Jomasom we went up the trail to Kagbeni and after a night there on to Jharkot. Here at Jharkot, I found myself well acclimatized and walked in on the ridge in the background; great views.
38	This area, once you are off the main trail, is very beautiful. It is incredible how everyone sticks to the trail.
39	The ladders connecting the various levels had to be taken with care; the Nepalese just treat them like stairs. Notice the stacks of timber used for cooking. It is a real dilemma trekking as one knows that unless you can afford a full trekking crew using kerosene, then just being there is increasing the deforestation that is inevitably going on.
40	The valley was extremely rich in agriculture and is one of the most populated I have seen. There were the sounds of the farmers singing as they ploughed the land with Yaks.
41	I set off to climb the Thorong La but the hordes of sullen trekkers who would not even say 'good morning' put me off even trying, so I turned off right and made my way up to the high ground ahead.
42	I was on top after about five hours hard climbing and saw great views off into Mustang.
43	In the distance, to the right is Dhaulagiri and Niligiri is to the left.
44	In the direction of the Thorong La Pass 5416 m. We went down to Jharkot and the next day we walked to Jomasom staying the night and then on to Marpha .
45	Dhaulagiri in the distance on the left, middle Tukche Peak and the third small peak is Thara Peak 6386 m /21073ft. I tried to climb this in one day from Marpha, we should have started at first light but a local guide I had hired was late as I had insisted he had good boots on.
46	So near yet so far from the top of Thara peak. We had taken nearly nine hours to get this far but had not planned a night out camping so this was as high as I got at about 4.30pm.
47	The views were fantastic. I find it is always worth the effort to get high and I was well acclimatized by now. Niligiri North 7061 m and Tilcho Peak 7134 m in the distance.
48	We went down from here at great speed as you can see from the long shadows we were loosing daylight quite quickly, but I had my head-torch. Of course the bulb blew and there was no spare. Luckily the Nepalese seem to be able to see in the dark like a cat so I stuck really close to my guide and we were back down in Marpha at 7.30pm.
49	And so ended another great trek. Not everything was achieved, I'd missed an accent on Chulu East and going over the Thorong La, but it was no disaster.

For more information please contact me

David Ketley

Dunge Valley Hidden Gardens
& Hardy Plant Nursery,
Windgather Rocks, Kettleshulme,
Nr. Whaley Bridge, (Stockport)
High Peak, SK23 7RF,
ENGLAND
Tel / Fax: 01663 733787

E-mail me at david@dungevalley.co.uk

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This Page was updated 01/01/2002