Khopra Ridge Community Trek

<p>Upon your arrival at Kathmandu, our airport representative will meet you outside the airport terminal building and transfer you to the pre-booked hotel. After hotel check-in, take your time to rest and refresh. In the evening, stroll around the street of Thamel to get acquainted with local environment and lifestyle. </p><p>Note: We conduct the pre-trip meeting at the very day of your arrival; so make sure you ask all the questions related to the trip. In meeting, we will introduce you to your trek leader and fellow trekkers.</p>

<p>Today we drive west via winding route to Pokhara. On the way, we get to admire the serenity of mid-hill geography and High Himalayas. Once in Pokhara, we drive to the hotel at Lakeside and rest for a while. In the evening, we can enjoy boating at Phewa Lake or simply stroll around the lakeside streets.</p>

<p>After heartily breakfast, we drive to the start of our trail at Ghandruk through lush forest and villages. Ghandruk is the largest Gurung settlement of entire Annapurna region. This village commands superb view of Annapurna south (7,219m), Hiunchuli (6,441m) and Machhapuchhre (6,993m). </p><p>From here, we begin the trek and enter deep inside the lush rhododendron forest; enjoying chirping birds and roar of waterfalls. In spring (late March – April), the rhododendron is in full bloom; changing the entire vegetation into an earthy paradise. There are no big settlement on the way but some teahouse in Baisi Kharka will welcome you offering welcome drinks and place to rest. As we reach Tadapani, we will be rewarded with astonishing view of Annapurna II (7,937m), Annapurna III (7,555m), Annapurna IV (7,525m), Annapurna South (7,237m), Machhapuchhre (6,993m) and Lamjung Himal. </p>

<p>After breakfast, we walk beyond the main stream tail of Ghorepani and climb gently that leads us above the tree-line. On the way, we can catch the superb view of Annapurnas. We take a lunch at the edge of small stream and climb gradually a small pass. Cross the pass, we reach Bayli Kharka. The teahouse serves great views of Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and other peaks</p>

<p>Today we climb down through the forest to reach the Chistibung pasture. After lunch, we walk through the forest and climb gently through the forest to reach Upper Chistibung. Today we are off the beaten track. </p>

<p>Today we make continues climb that takes us above the tree line. The area is populated by exotic wildlife – Himalayan Tahr and Danphe Pheasant. We climb on a gentle pace to avoid any sort of altitude threat. We will reach the Khopra Ridge by the lunch and will get rewarded by more up-close and rewarding views. The excellent panorama includes Annapurna South (standing only 6 km away from us) with Fang and Nilgiri to the north. </p>

<p>It is wise to stay more night so we can take a scenic day hiking trip to Khayar Lake at an elevation of 4,728m. It is not recommended for every trekkers as the trek is long and tedious and you have to climb up and descend down via same route. The round trip to Khayer Lake and back requires more than 8 – 9 hours. However, it is good idea to walk up to the Thanti (4,200m) and trek back. Thanti is a shelter for yak hearders and shepdherds to stay during monsoon. </p><p>Khayer Lake is famous and highly scared Hindu pilgrimage site. In the month of Janai Purnima (July – August), many pilgrims from Nepal and India visit this sacred site to perform a holy rituals. There they garland the stature of Lord Shiva and throw coins at temple and lake.</p>

<p>From Khopra ridge, we drop down steeply through lush forest with the impressive view of Mt. Dhaulagiri. We further descend along the terraced fields and traditional houses to reach Swanta village.</p>

<p>From Swanta village, we drop down to the cultivate fields nearby the small river. From there, we cross the suspension bridge and join the main trekking route to Ghorepani. At Ghorepani, we get the more tempting views of Dhaulagiri massifs and the rest.</p>

<p>A pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill (2 – 3 hours) offers superb view of sunrise over high Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. Today we descend down from Ghorepani to Tirkhedhunga via lush forest and several villages. On the way, we climb down via steep 3,500 stairs at Ulleri –the only challenging part of the trek. Finally, we board on a private vehicle from Tirkhedhunga that drives us to back to the hotel at Pokhara. </p>

<p>An early morning drive via torrent-flowing rivers, villages and forest along the snaky mid-hill geography takes us back to Kathmandu. Once at Kathmandu, we drive back to the designated hotel and take a rest. </p><p>Evening: attend farewell dinner hosted by us in typical Nepali restaurant with cultural shows. </p>

<p>Our Khopra Ridge Community Trek is now completed successfully. We hope your time with Mountain Layers Treks has been a good one. After breakfast, you can visit Thamel for some souvenir shopping or check out from the hotel if you have a flight scheduled. Our representative will assist you with reaching the airport a few hours before flight time. We wish you a safe flight home, farewell!</p>