Hiking itinerary Kalinchowk Hike
Kalinchowk Hike (5 nights, 6 days)
Day one: Trek to Lungurpa Duration: 4 hrs trek. The first part of our trek is flat and in about 20 minutes we reach the Sunkosi temple and the little bazaar at the junction of the two rivers, Sunkosi and Bhotekosi. We cross the Sunkosi on an awesome suspension bridge and start climbing through a mix of jungle and terraced fields to the village of Duskun, mostly inhabited by Chhetri people.
From the top of Duskum the trail becomes much easier and we soon arrive at Patle, the first Gurung village on our trek. We continue climbing to Bungathali, another Gurung village where we will have another tea stop. A final 45 minutes of almost flat walking takes us to the Gurung village of Lungurpa where we will camp tonight.
Day two: Trek to Nangapa Duration: 6 hrs trek. After breakfast in the morning we continue our trek, downhill at first to Thurkote, which is more like a number of villages connected along a ridge rather than one village. From here we make a little climb up across the ridge then descend through the village of Latu. Latu has a mix of Thami and Chhetri people and it is a fascinating place to study the unique architecture of different ethnic groups. From Latu we descend to the headwaters of the Sunkosi River, which we cross on another great suspension bridge before climbing steeply to Tungthali, a settlement of Thami people.
After lunch we climb to the top of the village and from here the trail skirts around the hill through Ghorthali village and down to another bridge at Lazim Khola. Leaving the valley behind, we climb for the last time today and come up to Nangapa, a Tamang and Sherpa village, where we will camp at the school.
Day three: Trek to Kyi Dorje Duration: 5 hrs trek. This morning we have a big climb ahead of us! We start climbing right from the word go to the little village above the school, Mandanda. We continue climbing steadily, seeing more and more signs of Buddhist culture, as we get higher with mani walls and stupas along the trail.
We come to the Sherpa village of Tenasa and from here the trail contours for a while but after we cross a little bridge the climb starts for real… For about an hour it is steep uphill till we come to the Sherpa village of Dolangsa. From here we have another 20 minutes to reach their little Gompa (monastery), set above the village, where we will have lunch and check out the view!
After lunch and a well-earned rest we climb for another couple of hours to a little herders’ camp at Kyi Dorje just below the ridgeline. At Kyi Dorje there is a little cheese and butter factory and we might have the chance to take a look at how things are made here! We make camp here for the night and enjoy the great views back down the valley where we came from.
Day four: Trek to Kurikharka Duration: 7 hrs trek. Today is not for the fainthearted or people with vertigo! We have one of Nepal’s greatest ridge line walks ahead of us… From Kyi Dorje it is an hour’s climb to reach the ridge and we will break camp early to get up there, as you will be rewarded with stunning mountain views.
For the next four to five hours it is up and down (and even flat sometimes!) along the top of this knife-edge ridge, with amazing views down the valley we came up and towards the high mountains on the other side. We will have a packed lunch along the ridge as it is hard for the kitchen crew to find water up here to cook us lunch.
We reach Kalinchowk (3790m), the Kali temple, set on a rocky spire with incredible 360-degree views, by early afternoon. Kalinchowk is like a floating island isolated from its neighbours with magnificent views to the north of Lapchi Kang, Mani Himal, Gaurishankar, Tibet, Langtang Himal and, to the south, the Mahabarat Range flattening out into the Northern Indian Plain. Kalinchowk is truly a jewel, a little visited wonder, whose peak is full of holy metal tridents pointing up to heaven like something from a fairy tale. After taking in the views for a while we descend steeply to Kurikharka our overnight camp.
Day 5: Into Sherpa country Duration: 4 hrs trek. After breakfast we trek down through rhododendron and oak forest with spectacular views of the forested hillsides dotted with Sherpa villages. By mid afternoon we reach Charikot, a little hill town at 2000 meters. We spend the night here in a very comfortable little resort (they always have cold beer in the fridge and have delicious food to spoil us with!) with stunning mountain views on clear days.
Day 6: We return to Kahmandu or The Last Resort by car of mini bus
Kalinchowk Hike (5 nights, 6 days)
Day one: Trek to Lungurpa Duration: 4 hrs trek. The first part of our trek is flat and in about 20 minutes we reach the Sunkosi temple and the little bazaar at the junction of the two rivers, Sunkosi and Bhotekosi. We cross the Sunkosi on an awesome suspension bridge and start climbing through a mix of jungle and terraced fields to the village of Duskun, mostly inhabited by Chhetri people. From the top of Duskum the trail becomes much easier and we soon arrive at Patle, the first Gurung village on our trek. We continue climbing to Bungathali, another Gurung village where we will have another tea stop. A final 45 minutes of almost flat walking takes us to the Gurung village of Lungurpa where we will camp tonight.
Day two: Trek to Nangapa Duration: 6 hrs trek. After breakfast in the morning we continue our trek, downhill at first to Thurkote, which is more like a number of villages connected along a ridge rather than one village. From here we make a little climb up across the ridge then descend through the village of Latu. Latu has a mix of Thami and Chhetri people and it is a fascinating place to study the unique architecture of different ethnic groups. From Latu we descend to the headwaters of the Sunkosi River, which we cross on another great suspension bridge before climbing steeply to Tungthali, a settlement of Thami people.
After lunch we climb to the top of the village and from here the trail skirts around the hill through Ghorthali village and down to another bridge at Lazim Khola. Leaving the valley behind, we climb for the last time today and come up to Nangapa, a Tamang and Sherpa village, where we will camp at the school.
Day three: Trek to Kyi Dorje Duration: 5 hrs trek. This morning we have a big climb ahead of us! We start climbing right from the word go to the little village above the school, Mandanda. We continue climbing steadily, seeing more and more signs of Buddhist culture, as we get higher with mani walls and stupas along the trail.
We come to the Sherpa village of Tenasa and from here the trail contours for a while but after we cross a little bridge the climb starts for real… For about an hour it is steep uphill till we come to the Sherpa village of Dolangsa. From here we have another 20 minutes to reach their little Gompa (monastery), set above the village, where we will have lunch and check out the view!
After lunch and a well-earned rest we climb for another couple of hours to a little herders’ camp at Kyi Dorje just below the ridgeline. At Kyi Dorje there is a little cheese and butter factory and we might have the chance to take a look at how things are made here! We make camp here for the night and enjoy the great views back down the valley where we came from.
Day four: Trek to Kurikharka Duration: 7 hrs trek. Today is not for the fainthearted or people with vertigo! We have one of Nepal’s greatest ridge line walks ahead of us… From Kyi Dorje it is an hour’s climb to reach the ridge and we will break camp early to get up there, as you will be rewarded with stunning mountain views.
For the next four to five hours it is up and down (and even flat sometimes!) along the top of this knife-edge ridge, with amazing views down the valley we came up and towards the high mountains on the other side. We will have a packed lunch along the ridge as it is hard for the kitchen crew to find water up here to cook us lunch.
We reach Kalinchowk (3790m), the Kali temple, set on a rocky spire with incredible 360-degree views, by early afternoon. Kalinchowk is like a floating island isolated from its neighbours with magnificent views to the north of Lapchi Kang, Mani Himal, Gaurishankar, Tibet, Langtang Himal and, to the south, the Mahabarat Range flattening out into the Northern Indian Plain. Kalinchowk is truly a jewel, a little visited wonder, whose peak is full of holy metal tridents pointing up to heaven like something from a fairy tale. After taking in the views for a while we descend steeply to Kurikharka our overnight camp.
Day 5: Into Sherpa country Duration: 4 hrs trek. After breakfast we trek down through rhododendron and oak forest with spectacular views of the forested hillsides dotted with Sherpa villages. By mid afternoon we reach Charikot, a little hill town at 2000 meters. We spend the night here in a very comfortable little resort (they always have cold beer in the fridge and have delicious food to spoil us with!) with stunning mountain views on clear days.
Day 6: We return to Kahmandu or The Last Resort by car of mini bus