NAR PHU VALLEY TREKKING VIA TERI LA PASS

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OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

The fortified Tibetan villages of Nar Phu Valley offer different trekking routes in the Annapurna region. Teri La Pass trekking route is the one among them. This is an extremely thrilling trek route that takes us through unique villages of Nar Phu, then to the last forbidden kingdom of Upper Mustang and also a high pass of Teri La on the way.

The area of Upper Mustang and Nar Phu has been restricted area to preserve the unique Himalayan culture and Tradition. The area was recently opened to foreigners. Since then, the number of trekkers exploring this trail has increased year by year.

Thickets of pine, rhododendron, and bamboos will be the most common vegetations that you will see in your trek. Of course, the unique design of houses in Nar and Phu valleys is going to boggle your mind. Those houses are constructed such that they resemble terrace farming. And the pictures of the villages have been popular over social media for a very long time.

The best time to do this trip would be any month in the year except for winter seasons, as the high pass that lays in the trial might be impassable with snow. Otherwise, it does not matter if you trek during monsoon or spring. However, you have to be careful about landslides during the monsoon season which might adversely affect our road trip. The difficulty of the trek is challenging.

To expedite this trail, you will need two restricted permits – Upper Mustang restricted area permit and Annapurna Conservation Area Project permit. But we will guide through all the necessary procedures to acquire these permits, you don’t need to worry about it.

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ITINERARY

Day 01: Airport pickup and hotel transfer

Our Representative will be waiting for you at the airport and welcome you in our typical Nepali culture. You will be quickly arriving at the hotel afterward where you can expect luxurious accommodation. There will be a welcome dinner tonight and afterward a proper sleep which is much needed after the long trip from home.
Day 02: Rest and Tour Day at Kathmandu

Today we will discuss our trekking and make necessary preparations and we will take a quick city tour of Kathmandu as well. After all the briefings regarding the trek and acquiring necessary permits, we will arrange a short trip to a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city such as Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa and so on. A quick stroll in the streets of Kathmandu and last minute gear shopping is a perfect thing to do in the evening.
Day 03: Fly to Pokhara and Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni (2,810m) – 5 hours

We take an early flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and transit to Jomsom flight thereafter. Both of the flights are going to be stunningly scenic with the views of mountain ranges and then flying through the high mountains to land in the valley of Jomsom. After a short rest in Jomsom, we head towards Kagbeni. Kagbeni is the gateway to upper mustang. The surface of the trail is mostly flat and easy to trek. On the way, we can enjoy the views of Tukuche (6,920m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Nilgiri (7061m). We stayed in a lodge in Kagbeni.
Day 04: Trek from Kagbeni to Tsaile (3,100m) – 6 Hours

Today we follow the trail to the eastern bank of Kali Gandaki River and climb up various ridges in the north. After a few hours of walking, we arrive at the Gurung village of Tangbe. Here, we can see black, red and white chortens along with appealing patterns of alleyways. Furthermore, we head towards Chhusang and cross a river. Finally, we leave Kali Gandaki valley and climb steeply to reach Tsaile. We stay overnight in Tsaile.
Day 05: Trek from Tsaile to Ghiling (3,570m) – 7 Hours

Our trail stretches further along the steep region and passes by a pile of stones. We continue along the trail, then, we cross a stream and climb down to arrive at Rangchung Cave Monastery. This monastery is considered one of the sacred places in Mustang. Then, we steadily climb from Syangboche before finally descending to reach the village of Ghiling. Shortly after reaching this village, we will see a big chorten and two gompas with red painted walls. We stay overnight in Ghiling.
Day 06: Trek from Ghiling to Dhamkar (3,820m) – 6 Hours

We start walking early in the morning and climb up a small pass. After that, we walk through the Ghiling valley. As we move on, we cross the Nyi-La Pass (4,010m). Then, we cross the longest Mani wall in Mustang and then cross a stream. Finally, we have to climb up a ridge and cross a valley to arrive in Dhamkar. We stay overnight in Dhamkar.
Day 07: Trek from Dhamkar to Lo Manthang (3,840m) – 6 Hours

On our 7th day of the trip, we start our day by ascending a steep eroded gully and we pass through some alpine meadows. We climb a ridge and keep descending till Ghar Gompa. Ghar Gompa is also known as Lo Gyaker, which means pure virtue of Lo. We continue our walk along a grassy valley and further to cross Marang-La Pass (4,230m). Eventuallly we start descending and following the trail to get to the fortress of the city of Lo-Manthang. We stay overnight here.
Day 08: Exploration Day at Lo Manthang

Lo-Manthang is a walled city and contains different palaces and fortresses. This place has got some historical touch to it as well. So, we would spend a complete day to explore this place more and extract all available information than we can. This place used to be the capital city of the former Kingdom of Mustang. That is why this place has palaces and fortresses. This place also consists of around 200 earthen structures which include palaces and monasteries. Lo-Manthang is one of the last places on earth which still follows the pre-Buddhist Bon culture. Therefore, this place is also popularly known as the reserve of the purest form of Buddhism. There is only one monastery in the world which has 108 mandalas painted on its wall – Thuchen monastery and this place are situated in Lo-Manthang.
Day 09: Trek from Lo Manthang to Yara village (3,600m) – 7 Hours

On our trip from Lo Manthang to Yara, we need to climb two small passes which are Lo La (3,950m) and Dhi La (3,950m). Crossing these two passes will pave our way to Dhi village. After further walking from Dhi village, we will have to descend for about an hour and then cross Puyung Khola. After crossing the river, we continue climbing alongside the river to reach Yara. We stay overnight in Yara.
Day 10: Excursion to Luri Cave Monastery – 5 Hours

The history of the Luri Cave Monastery dates back to the 14th century. We definitely don’t want to miss such a historical place. This place is set in the high hills and the visitors have to scramble up a dirt trail. There are beautiful white stupas and painted walls in the lower caves. The ancient paintings of Shakyamuni Buddha and Padmasambhava can also be explored. After visiting and exploring the place, we return to Yara and stay overnight in the village.
Day 11: Trek from Yara to Tange (3,300m) – 6 Hours

Although we don’t gain much altitude, the day is going to be demanding. We will start early and make a steep climb. After that, we descend steeply to reach Dhechyang Khola. The trail ascends and passes through the grasslands, as we cross the river. Eventually, the trail drops steeply to Tannge village where we stay overnight in tented camp.
Day 12: Trek from Tange to Yak Kharka (4,100m) – 6 Hours

We do not expect to see a lot of villages on this route. We will climb through a barren land which will take us to the meadow where the locals bring their yaks for grazing. Since this place is used for grazing yaks, it is named as Yak Kharka. We can see many temporary huts of yak herders in this place. We will stay overnight in this place.
Day 13: Trek from Yak Kharka to Samena Khola (4,220m) – 5 Hours

Since we will pass through the gentle paced flat terrain, this trail is going to be comparatively easy. There is not much vegetation as we move ahead. However, the highlight of the day will be the lively river bank of Samena Khola. Before arriving at Samena Khola, we will come across some old cultivated lands. We stay overnight in tented camps in Samena Khola.
Day 14: Trek from Samena Khola to Teri La Base Camp (4,630m) – 8 Hours

As we leave Samena Khola, we follow the trail that heads upwards. The path today passes through sparsely vegetated areas alongside Yak Khola. Following the Yak Khola, we will reach Teri-La Base Camp. From the base camp, we can enjoy the view of Teri Himal (5,935m) along with the views of other peaks. We stay overnight in Teri La base camp.
Day 15: Trek from Teri La Base Camp to Teri La High Camp (5,100m) – 5 Hours

Today, we trek to the High Camp. For this section, as we climb above 5,000m, we need to be fit and ready both physically and mentally. We cross Yak Kharka and follow the trails of Rijung Chwa Khola that flows on the foot of Teri Himal (5,935m). After walking on the moraine on a steep trail, we arrive at Teri-La High Camp. We can get exquisite views of Damodar Himal and Purung Himal ranges from the high camp.
Day 16: Trek from Teri La High Camp to Teri La Phedi (5,000m) via Teri La Pass (5,595m)

As we will be crossing the high mountain pass – Teri La Pass, it is going to be one of the toughest days of the entire trip. Since we need to reach to the top of the pass by the time of sunrise, we start our trek quite early in the morning. As we reach the top of the Teri-La Pass (5,595m), the view is very rewarding. We can see the popular mountain peaks of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Purkung and the ranges as well. We spend an ample amount of time at the top of the pass, enjoy the view around and start descending to the other side of the pass towards Teri-La Phedi. We stay overnight in Teri-La Phedi.
Day 17: Trek from Teri La Phedi to Labse Khola (4,800m) – 6 Hours

Today onwards, we stop gaining altitude and begin descending all the way down to the end of our trip. After walking for about 4 hours in a downhill track we arrive at the plain land. We continue our trek further through the flat terrain of Nar Phu Valley and finally reach Labse Khola. If we are on our trek in the mid-summer, we might see yaks and sheep grazing around the area. We stay overnight in Labse Khola.
Day 18: Trek from Labsi Khola to Nar Village (4,110m) – 7 Hours

Our trail continues through the wilderness to Yak Kharka. We reach Yak Kharka, as we follow downstream of Labse Khola. Only a few numbers of temporary shepherd huts are found in the area. We follow the trail further downhill to reach Nar village. Nar village is located on the northern side of the famous Annapurna Trekking Trail. It is believed that the name Nar Village is derived from Nar Khola (Nar River). Plenty of Buddhist monasteries are situated in this village. We stay overnight in Nar village.
Day 19: Trek from Nar Village to Kyang (3,820m) – 6 Hours

As we descend further down, our trek keeps becoming easier and easier. With no surprise, the trail will be a downhill trek. We walk past the Mani wall and continue to walk downhill to Phu River. Just above Phu River lies Kyang village. As we move along the trail, we can see the locals and mules passing by. We stay overnight in Kyang village.
Day 20: Trek from Kyang to Phu Village (4,080m) – 5 Hours

On the 20th day of our trip, we trek from Kyang to Phu Village. We gain a slight altitude today. We walk past the chortens and streams that arise from the high Himalayas. Further, we walk on a rocky path and follow the trails of Phu River and then cross the river to reach Phu Village. Lakhang Monastery which is also known as the blessed house of gods, which is also one of the oldest monasteries in the world, lies here in Phu village. We stay overnight in Phu village.
Day 21: Trek from Phu to Meta (3,560m) – 6 Hours

We leave the hidden valley and follow the up and down trail to Meta. On the way, we pass through several streams and suspension bridges. There are relatively few trekkers in this region, so, we might expect some solidarity in this section. We might also get a chance to see the blue sheep on the way. We can enjoy the spectacular views of Lamjung Himal (6,893m) and Annapurna II (7,937m). We stay overnight in Meta.
Day 22: Trek from Meta to Koto (2,600m) – 7 Hours

This section of the trek is also going to be downhill and easy. We walk through the pine forests passing many streams and picturesque waterfalls near Dharmashala. This village is small, clean and quiet. We can get astounding views of Annapurna II from Koto. There are also local monasteries in Koto which can be explored in the latter part of our day. We stay overnight in Koto.
Day 23: Trek from Koto to Dharapani (1,900m) – 6 Hours

Today is the final day of walking. We trek from Koto to Dharapani for about 6 hours and the entire trail is expected to be downhill. The trail follows Marshyangdi River downstream, passing through nine forests and small villages. At some point in the trail, we reach a ridge which is an excellent viewpoint for Annapurna II. We continue trekking and arrive at Dharapani. Dharapani is a major junction in the Marshyangdi valley with a police check post and many government offices. We stay overnight in Dharapani.
Day 24: Drive back to Pokhara and Fly to Kathmandu

Today we take a four-wheel drive to Pokhara. We can either stay in Pokhara for an exciting night out or choose to fly to Kathmandu on the same day. There will be a farewell dinner program organized in Kathmandu.

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COST

TRIP INFO

TREK OVERVIEW

Trek Duration : 24 Days
Difficulty : Challenging
Highest Elevation : 5,595m (Teri La Pass)
Accommodation : Teahouses(Lodges)/Tented Camps
Transportation : By land/By Air
Group Size : 4-16 Pax
Best Season : Any Except Winter (Dec-Feb)

Walk Duration : 7 hours Daily (Average)
Trek Cost :

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Explore the beautiful Nar Phu valley with picturesque villages, turbulent gorges and pristine waterfalls

Explore the hidden treasures of Upper Mustang

Scenic flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then to Jomsom

Challenging trek through arid desert canyons to the walled city of Lo Manthang

Explore remote caves and shrines

Cross the high altitude Teri-La Pass

Encounter with Langour Monkeys, Musk deer, snow leopards, yaks, sheeps etc.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

COST INCLUDES:
1. For both international and domestic flights: Airport transfer.
2. Drive from Dharapani to Pokhara
3. Flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back
4. Flight from Pokhara to Jomsom
5. Luxurious hotel accommodations in Kathmandu
6. Variety of meal choices during the trek.
7. Boiled water during the trek.
8. Luxurious accommodation at a teahouse in the trek route.
9. Welcome and farewell dinner with cultural program.
10. All necessary permits.
11. Supplementary oxygen cylinders.

WHAT IS EXCLUDED

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MAP

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EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

RECOMMENDED GEARS

Here are some necessary trekking apparatus that can be required for accomplishing your trek effortlessly. They are shortlisted below.

PERSONAL AND CLOTHING ITEMS

Accessories and Technical items

Binoculars
Camera
Diaries and Journal to write experiences in words
Books/GPS navigators
Credit cards/ATM cards
Umbrella (if it’s too hot or if it rains)

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