Though Nepal is a small country, it is very important from the tourism perspective as it boasts of several Himalayas and the mountain ranges including the world’s tallest mountain peak of Mount Everest. Nepal boasts of eight mountain peaks above 8000 meters of altitude and several other mountains around 7000 meters and below it. All of them form the Great Himalayan Trail which is located in the northern part of the country stretching up to 1700 kilometers in length. The Great Himalayan Trail with the Emerging Nepal begins from the belt of Kanchenjunga Mountain which lies along the Nepal –Sikkim border and lasts until Humla district in Nepal, close to the Nepal-Tibet border in Western Nepal.
As the name signifies, the Great Himalayan Trail passes along the belt of Himalayas so as to facilitate the trek for the trekkers all along the world’s tallest mountain peaks. The Himlayan Trail is the longest, and also the highest trekking trail in the world which provides the trekkers with the chance to explore some of the tallest mountain peaks in the world. The route of Great Himalayan Trail crosses from Pakistan to Tibet, surpassing India, Nepal and Bhutan while on the way. It is not just one distinct path but a complete route that zips up all accessible trails near the Himalayas to make a long trekking route (4500 kms).
Hence, Great Himalayan Trail is not a single trekking trail but a network of several treks and trails. Nepal as a matter of fact has the major sections of the Himalayan Trail. It is considered that a trek expert named Robin Boustead was the one who first mapped Great Himalayan Trail back in 2008. All credit goes to Boustead because it was his effort that the Great Himalayan Trial turned out to be the ultimate destination for the mountain trekking in the world for the aspiring trekkers and the mountaineers.
However, the route of Great Himalayan Trail was first officially opened in 2011 as a package for central attraction of “Nepal, Tourism, 2011”. Nepal as a major section of great Himalayan Trail is totally open for the trekkers. However, some of the regions and places along the Great Himalayan Trail do not have clear demarcation because of unclear political border and controversies surrounding it. As a result of this, the trail has been opened as a five country connecting trail. Great Himalayan Trait route doesn’t have clear and straightforward itineraries but it merges treks and trails which are similar to the Base Camp treks like Everest, Annapurna and Langtang region trek. According to the itinerary of Robin Boustead, the Great Himalayan Trail takes around 13 days to complete and hence because of the long duration, it is not an ordinary type of trekking trail.
Nearby the treks that combine and form the Great Himalayan Trail, there are lots of other possible short treks which are equally thrilling and exciting and waiting to be explored. The perfect time for the trekking is from late September to early December as it happens to be the perfect time for sightseeing. The Great Himalayan Trek offers unforgettable experience for the trekkers regarding natural as well as cultural delight. The trail is full with natural beauty and cultural sightseeing. The upper route is mostly known for enjoying natural beauty of the mountain peaks while the lower trail offers cultural insight into the trek, helping to uncover the lifestyle of the people who are living along the belts of the mountain. All in all, the Great Himalayan Trail is an exclusive trekking package filled with great adventure and learning experience.
Great Himalaya Trail is the longest trekking route in the world. Great Himalaya Trail (Nepal part) is divided into 10 sub sections from Kanchenjunga to Humla. The shortest section is Langtang (18days) and the longest section is Makalu to Everest (34days). The Total 10 sections list include (1) Kanchenjunga Section (2) Makalu Barun Section (3) Everest and Rolwaling Section (4) Langtang and Helambu Section (5) Lower Ganesh Himal Section (6) Annapurna Section (7) Dhaulagiri to Dhorpatan Section (8) Lower Dolpa Section (9) Rara, Jumla and Mugu Section and (10) The Far-West Section. Given below is the popular Lower Dolpa section of Great Himalaya Trail that Emerging Nepal Team organizes.
13. Sagarmatha National Park permits fee.
It takes an hour of flight to take us to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu. Nepalgunj is an important economic hub in Nepal which is bordered to Indian town of Rupediya. Itinerary can be customized to visit nearby Bardia National Park. We can also visit Bageshwori temple in Nepalgunj. Stay overnight in a hotel in Nepalgunj.
We will take early morning Nepalgunj to Juphal flight. The pleasant flight above snow capped mountains continues for 35minutes. Juphal Airport is not so well developed. You can feel the change in geography from hot city in the plains to the cold mountain village.
Great Himalaya Trail Trek (Lower Dolpa Section) begins from Juphal. 2hrs of trek from Juphal will take us to Dunai (2140m).
6hrs of trek from Dunai will take us to Chunuwar / Amchi Hospital (3130m). We will begin our trek early in the morning and take lunch somewhere near to Chunuwar / Amchi Hospital. We need to cross through few dispersed settlements and Pine forest to reach Chunuwar where we will stay overnight in a tented camp.
Ringmo is an ancient village located near to famous Phoksundo Lake (3608m) which is the jewel of Lower Dolpo. We will visit the ancient Buddhist monastery in Ringmo and witness the traditional Himalayan lifestyle. Stay overnight in Ringmo.
Early in the morning, we will trek all the way to Phoksundo Lake. Phoksundo Lake does not support aquatic life but the interesting feature of this lake is the shift in color of water. The lake is secured by sharp cliffs and snowcapped mountains. Leaving Phoksundo Lake, we will pass through the narrow path and proceed to tiny Sangta village where we will stay overnight.
We will leave Sangta early in the morning after breakfast and proceed through the pine and oak forest and few dispersed tea houses to Kageni in about 6-7 hours. The walk through highland area is pleasant with views of beautiful landscapes that are colored with several species of blooming flowers. We will stay overnight in a tented camp in Kageni.
Our Great Himalaya Trail Trek is coming to an end. We will leave Kageni and walk through the forested area. The path swirls up and down, passing through few highland villages for about 4-5hrs before taking us to Juphal. We will return to Nepalgunj on the next day. So we will stay overnight in Juphal.
We will take an early morning flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj. The pleasant flight above snow capped mountains continues for 35minutes. We will land at Nepalgunj Airport. You are on your own. Spend the day as you like. Either explore Nepalgunj market or take rest in hotel.
On 11th day, we will return back to Kathmandu. It takes an hour of flight to get transferred from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu Airport. You will be taken to the hotel in Kathmandu where you can spend the day by arranging photo albums or taking journal and thus savoring your memories so that they may last forever.