DHAMPUS PEAK CLIMBING

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OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

Dhampus Peak which is measured to be towering at an altitude of 6,012 meters above sea level is one of the most popular climbing trekking destinations in the Annapurna Region. This peak actually lies in between the Annapurna Range and Dhaulagiri Range, which makes it a perfect viewpoint to spot numerous mountain peaks of both of the massifs.

Dhampus Peak is also known as Thapa Peak. Once you reach the summit, you will witness over thirty different peaks between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Range with a pretty close view of Tukuche and Dhaulagiri. The peak also offers an arresting view of the whole upper Kali Gandaki.

The trip begins with a long drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then to Beni where we start trekking. We pass through numerous villages and settlements. We stayed in different interesting locations on the way. Our itinerary also consists of plenty of rest and acclimatization days. Passing through Italian base camp, Glacier Camp, Dhaulagiri base camp and many other exotic locations is really adventurous. We also cross a few high altitude passes on the way. Finally, we set up our camps in Dhampus Peak base camp and high camp, made all necessary preparations, acclimatized ourselves, and set off for our climb to the summit. After a successful climb, we diverted our track towards Jomsom. On the way, we cross a pass and the deepest gorge in the world, Kali Gandaki Gorge. From Jomsom, a scenic flight to Pokhara and then to Kathmandu marks the end of our journey.

Similar to other climbing routes, spring and autumn are the most desirable and suitable periods to complete this strenuous trek.

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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: Drive to Pokhara – 6 hours

We take a drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara on the famous highway of the country – Prithvi Highway. The highway passes along the scenic twisting and turning hilly roads. We stop for plenty of breaks in our drive. After about 6 hours of driving, we reached Pokhara, which is a beautiful city set on the banks of the Fewa Lake. Pokhara consists of numerous tourist destinations and a week or more of time itself is not sufficient enough to visit every lake, cave, temples, hill stations, and viewpoints of this gorgeous city. We stayed overnight at Pokhara.
Day 04: Drive from Pokhara to Beni and trek to Tatopani – 7 hours

We caught a private car today to travel from Pokhara to Beni, which is our starting point of the trek. From Beni, the trekking begins following the trail that passes through cultural and traditional villages before reaching Tatopani. Tatopani means ‘Hot Water’, therefore, it is obvious that we encounter a natural hot spring in this place where we can relax and spend the rest of our day pleasantly. People also believe that these natural hot springs can heal all your body aches and pains. We stayed overnight at Tatopani.
Day 05: Trek from Tatopani to Dharapani (1,470m) – 7 hours

Today we set our destination as Dharapani. Our trail goes along the Myagdi River. We will also cross several villages inhabited by Chettri and Gurung ethnic people. Our pass takes us to a suspension bridge which we cross and then climb a final uphill zigzag trail to reach Dharapani. We stayed overnight at Dharapani.
Day 06: Trek from Dharapani to Muri (1,850m) – 6 hours

Leaving behind Dharapani, we follow an easy trail that passes through exquisite terraced fields of rice and wheat. Today also we passed through a number of traditional villages with an astounding view of high mountains along the way. After crossing the suspension bridge over Dhara River we make an ascent to a village known as Muri. Muri is a village inhabited by the ethnic tribe of Gurung people. We stayed overnight in Muri.
Day 07: Trek from Muri to Boghara (2,080m) – 7 hours

On our today’s trip from Muri to Boghara, we crossed a suspension bridge over the Muri River, then passed along the dense bamboo and rhododendron forests, crossed a few farmhouses and large green fields. After about 7 hours of walking, we finally reached Boghara, where we stayed overnight.
Day 08: Trek from Boghara to Dobang (2,500m) – 7 hours

A lush subtropical forest awaits us on our way from Boghara to Dobang. As we initiate our trek, we follow a trail that runs along the west bank of Myagdi Khola. We continue our walk through numerous traditional villages. Villagers trying to collect honey from high trees and hills are common scenes to notice in this area. Our trail passes through dense forests before eventually reaching Dobang. We stayed overnight at Dobang.
Day 09: Trek from Dobang to Sallaghari (2,820m) – 6 hours

We have our breakfast and start walking following a route that heads through dense rhododendron and bamboo filled forest. The trail then descends for a while to cross Myagdi Khola over the bridge and continues on the trail that goes along the east bank of the Myagdi Khola. Our route also goes through deep lush forest as we head towards Sallaghari. We stayed overnight at Sallahghari.
Day 10: Trek from Sallaghari to Italian Base Camp (3,660m) – 6 hours

Passing through the dense rhododendron, pine and birch filled forest we walk to reach an open area. The trail there onwards goes over the lateral moraine. After a few hours of trekking, our trail takes us to the Italian Base Camp. From the base camp, we can enjoy a splendid view of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,176m). We stayed overnight at the Italian Base Camp.
Day 11: Acclimatization Day at Italian Base Camp

After reaching the Italian Base Camp we take a day off in order to acclimatize ourselves with the increasing altitude. There are also several hike options around Italian Base Camp which can also play a vital role in acclimatization. We will explore the places around Italian Base Camp and stay overnight here.
Day 12: Trek from Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp (4,200m) – 7 hours

After a proper acclimatization day, we again set off for our mission. The destination for today is the Glacier Camp. The Glacier camp is located between the Italian Base Camp and Dhaulagiri Base Camp. The trail steeply descends down to a glacier. Walking over the glacier needs much concentration. Therefore, we steadily move forward watching our steps. After we cross the glacier, we go along the moraine on the left side of Chonbarden Gorge. After that, we will follow a narrow trail that leads us to Glacier Camp. We stayed overnight at Glacier Camp.
Day 13: Acclimatization Day at Glacier Camp

We take yet another rest day for acclimatization at Glacier Camp.
Day 14: Trek from Glacier Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,700m) – 5 hours

After taking proper rest at Glacier Camp, we head towards Dhaulagiri Base Camp on a gradual uphill trail. The trail is often snow-covered and icy, therefore we will use our crampons and continue towards our destination. The trail offers arresting views of Dhaulagiri Mountain Ranges. We reached Dhaulagiri Base Camp quite early in the day. We stayed overnight at Dhaulagiri Base Camp in a tented facility.
Day 15: Acclimatization Day at Dhaulagiri Base Camp

The trail being lengthy and strenuous as well as high altitude demands us to take frequent acclimatization days. We take yet another rest day as we come close to our ultimate destination of peak climbing, the Dhampus peak. Tomorrow, we will be crossing a high altitude Pass; therefore this rest day plays a vital role in our physical and mental strength. This region offers breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri (8,176m), Dhaulagiri II (7,751m), Dhaulagiri IV (7,618m), Tukuche Peak (6,290m), and many others.
Day 16: Trek from Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Hidden Valley (5,050m) via French Pass (5,360m) – 9 hours

We begin our trek early and follow the trail that crosses over to the left side of the upper Chonbarden glacier. The trail is steep uphill. We pass the lateral moraine ridge with amazing views of Dhaulagiri I and Tukuche Peak. The uphill path continues as we head towards the crossing of French Pass located at 5,360 meters above sea level. The top of the pass offers stunning views of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, Mukut Himal, Sita Chuchura, Tashi Kang and other high altitude peaks in the region. Then our trail starts descending leading us to the Hidden Valley. We stayed overnight at Hidden Valley.
Day 17: Trek from Hidden Valley to Dhampus Peak Base Camp (5,100m) – 6hrs

From here onwards, our trail heads through harsh alpine vegetation and breathtaking views of surrounding high peaks towards the Dhampus Peak Base Camp. After hiking up for about 6 hours we arrive at Dhampus Peak Base Camp area where we locate a suitable place to set up our camps. We arrange all our tents and stay overnight in Dhampus Peak Base Camp.
Day 18: Acclimatization Day at Dhampus Peak Base Camp

Today is the final acclimatization day taken before summiting the Dhampus Peak. It is very important at this point of our journey to be absolutely fit and fine both physically and mentally. This day is more considered as the final preparation day for climbing to the top of Dhampus Peak. We will make necessary checks on our climbing gears and discuss all the plans for the upcoming days of the trip.
Day 19: Trek from Dhampus Peak Base Camp to High Camp (5,600m) – 4hrs

After a proper rest day at Dhampus Peak Base Camp, our team continues to follow the trail that ascends gradually through and over glaciated mountain passes to finally arrive at the High Camp. It is a very short hike that we make today compared to other days of our journey. We try to be as much less exhausted as we can for the big day of peak climbing that will take place tomorrow. We set up our tents in the High Camp area and stayed overnight there.
Day 20: Summit Dhampus Peak (6,012m) and Trek back to Base Camp – 9 hrs

The day that all of us have been desperately waiting for is finally here. At this point of our trip, we would be completely equipped with all necessary gears and well acclimatized to the high altitude conditions. Starting very early in the morning is common practice on peak climbing day, as it gets quite nasty and windy during midday at the peak. By that time we need to start retracing towards the base camp. We strive for a final steep climb to reach the top of Dhampus Peak. The peak in return rewards us with the mesmerizing views of Annapurna I, Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri South and North, Tilicho Peak, Tukuche Peak and other snow-capped peaks. We spend the one-time experience kind of hours at the peak and start retracing towards our base camp. We stayed overnight at the Base Camp.
Day 21: Trek from Dhampus Peak Base Camp to Yak Kharka (3,680m) via Dhampus Pass (5,240m) – 8 hrs

After achieving the feat of successfully climbing the Dhampus Peak, we are motivated to the highest level and the excitement is next level. The kind of motivation we are at makes it a cup of tea for us to cross the high altitude Dhampus Pass at 5,240m. After crossing the pass we make a steep descent to enter into the Kali Gandaki Valley which is the world’s deepest gorge. We descend further down until we arrive at Yak Kharka. We stayed overnight at Yak Kharka.
Day 22: Trek from Yak Kharka to Jomsom (2,670m) – 6 hrs

This is the last trekking day of our trip. We start from Yak Kharka and descend to reach the village Marpha, which is quite famous for Apples. Marpha is also popularly known as Apple Garden. From here, the trail is fairly easy to Jomsom. We stayed overnight at Jomsom.
Day 23: Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara

To reach Pokhara we can also continue trekking but this will add a whole lot of trekking days in our trip. Therefore, to make things simpler, we catch a flight to Pokhara from Jomsom and enjoy the whole day in Pokhara chilling around lakes and enjoying the beauty of the place.
Day 24: Fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu

We can either drive back or fly back to Kathmandu. If you choose to take a cheaper option, driving would be preferential. But it takes a lot of time to drive. A 30 minute flight seems to be a good option. We can reach Kathmandu early and rest. There will be a farewell dinner program in Kathmandu.

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COST

TRIP INFO

TREK OVERVIEW

Trek Duration : 24 Days
Difficulty : Very Strenuous
Highest Elevation : 6,012m (Dhampus Peak)
Accommodation : Teahouses(Lodges)/Tented Camps
Transportation : By land/By Air
Group Size : 4-16 pax
Best Season : Spring (March-May) and Autumn (Sept.-Nov.))
Walk Duration : 7 hours Daily (Average)
Trek Cost :

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Explore Italian Base Camp
Explore Glacier Camp
Explore Dhaulagiri Base Camp
Climb the Dhampus Peak
Learn some technical climbing in real
Trek across high altitude passes; French Pass and Dhampus Pass
Trek along the deepest Gorge in the world, Kali Gandaki Gorge
Witness mesmerizing views of snow-capped mountain peaks of the Annapurna Region
Fly a thrilling flight on a small plane from Jomsom to Pokhara
Enjoy the scenic flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu
Explore the serenity of Pokhara

WHAT IS INCLUDED

1. For both international and domestic flights: Airport transfer.
2. Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
3. Drive from Pokhara to Beni
4. Flight from Jomsom to Pokhara
5. Flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu
6. Luxurious hotel accommodations in Kathmandu
7. Variety of meal choices during the trek.
8. Boiled water during the trek.
9. Luxurious accommodation at a teahouse in the trek route.
10. Welcome and farewell dinner with cultural program.
11. All necessary permits.
12. 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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