Day by Day itinerary GHT Lower Trail

Dhorpatan Trek: Beni to Dunai Long version, including walking directions

Introduction This section brings you into a complete no-man’s-land, with spectacular desolate landscapes. The views of the Himalaya are amazing, especially from the Jalja La (3386 m), from where you can see a whole range of mountains. Especially the Dhaulagiri (8167 m) and Gurja Himal (7193 m) are very close. Dhorpatan Wildlife reserve is a beautiful, rough area, which until now has only been discovered by hunters, hunting for blue sheep which are quite abundant here. For about 3 days you don’t encounter any settlements, till the Jang La (4519 m) brings you into Dolpa. Days: 11 Difficulty: Moderate/Hard Maximum elevation: 4519 m Type: Teahouse/homestay/camping (indispensible to bring your own tent and cooking gear) Permits needed: Trekking Permit Lower Dolpa (US$ 10 per week) and TIMS

Itinerary Note: Walking times are estimated walking times excluding breaks and will differ from person to person. Day 1 Kathmandu-Beni (9 hr bus ride) or Pokhara-Beni (4 hr bus ride) Day 2 Beni (850 m)-Darbang (1100 m) 6 ½ hrs Day 3 Darbang (1105 m)-Lamsung (2160 m) 8 hrs Day 4 Lamsung (2160 m)- Chhentung( 2950 m) via Jalja La (3386 m) 8 hrs Day 5 Chhentung( 2950 m)-Thakur (3309) via 2 passes (3691 m and 4160 m) 9 ½ hrs Day 6 Thakur (3309 m)-Guibang (2768 m) 7 hrs Day 7 Guibang (2768 m)-Campsite Sen Khola (3979 m) 7 hrs Day 8 Campsite Sen Khola (3996 m)-Campsite Purpang, Saure Khola (4065 m) 5 hrs Day 9 Campsite Purpang, Saure Khola (4065 m)-Dunai (2096 m) via Jang La (4519 m) 10 hrs Day 10 Dunai (2096 m)- Juphal 3 hrs Day 11 Flight Juphal-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu

Day 1 Kathmandu-Beni (9 hr bus ride) or Pokhara-Beni (4 hr bus ride) You can get to Beni by bus from Kathmandu (about 9 hrs) or Pokhara (about 4 hrs). Beni is a busy bazaar town and headquarters of Magdi district. There are plenty of hotels here, along the road and more inside the town. Besides you find lots of shops in Beni to buy supplies for your trek. Day 2 Beni (850 m)-Darbang (1100 m) 6 ½ hrs Strange enough of this stretch of the GHT there is no GHT map available (yet), at the moment the map to use for this section is the Dhaulagiri Circuit map. It is quite a long distance from Beni to Darbang, about 26 km, but as it is almost flat walking all day long, it is not difficult to make the distance. You are following the Myagdi Khola (River) upstream all day long. Leave Beni, following the road out of town in southwestern direction. Just out of Beni is a bridge over the Myagdi Khola, cross this bridge and go right and up after crossing. You are walking on a dirt road now. After about 10 minutes there is a Y-junction, take the right road going flat. You are walking through beautiful fields. After another 20 min you pass the village of Bagarpath (832 m). 15 min after passing the village, there is a Y, go right here, which is flat walking. After another 5 min you pass the village of Dudekhola/Khobre (849 m) and after ½ hour the village of Surkemela (875 m). Take a small path right of the dirt road, going down into the fields. After 2 min there is a Y, take the right going down to the river. You are walking on the grassland left of the river. You pass a big school (869 m) and a big tree with a resting place. Go right here, on a small path into the forest. After a few minutes, the trail comes out of the forsest again and passes now very close to the river. After about 10 you cross a small suspension bridge and walk into the village of Singha (882 m). After a few hundred meters you arrive at a T-junction, where you go left. At the watertap you go right, and climb back to the dirt road. It is about ½ hour more to Tatopani (915). Tatopani means hot water, so it was to no surprise to see hotsprings here. The hotsprings are holy here, and it was quite crowded with pilgrims, taking a bath. Tatopani has a few small restaurants. Besides there is one hotel, Hotel Sherchan (16 rooms; tel 993692013). After Tatopani, you continue walking on the dirtroad following the Myagdi Khola, passing villages like Simanchalk (969 m ½ hr), Tara Ket (976 m; another ½ hr) and Babiyachaur 981 m; another ½ hr). In Babiyachaur, you arrive at a T-junction, go left here for the scenic route at the other side of the river, or go right for the quicker route on the road. Walking on the road, you pass a few more villages: Lampata (1009 m, 10 min), Ranabhan (1037 m; 20 min), Naya Bazar 1027 m; 5 min), Sasadara (1031, )5 mi), Ratadunga (1029 m; 20 min), Tolbang 1088 m 10 min) and Dharakarka (1075 m; 25 min). Along the way you have beautiful view of the Myagdi Khola Valley. Darbang (1105 m) is quite a big, and buzy bazaar town. You can find 8 (small and basic) hotels here: Surakshya Guesthouse (biggest one, with 11 rooms, of which 2 with attached bathroom; tel 065-680163, 9746707725, 9745042183), Dhovan Hotel (4 roooms; 10 beds, 9741069116), Tara Hotel, Shijal Hotel, Shilpa Hotel, Himal Hotel, Thaleali Hotel, Rainbow Hotel.

Day 3 Darbang (1105 m)-Lamsung (2160 m) 8 hrs This is a full day again, with arrival around 6 pm. You can choose to sleep earlier along the way, like in Phaliyagaon. Leave Darbang crossing the suspension bridge over the Myagdi Khola at the end of the town (1081 m). After crossing, go right. You are walking on a small trail, following the Myagdi Khola (which is at your right hand) in northern direction. After about ½ hour you pass the small village of Phedi (1100 m). Phedi has a small restaurant. After Phedi the trail changes into a dirt road. 5 min after Phedi you cross the suspension bridge over a tributary of the Myagdi Khola (or cross the river stone hopping). Follow the dirt road going up. After about 5 min take a small trail at the right side of the dirt road going up. You are climbing up the hill quite steeply now. After 10 min, there is a Y-junction, go left here. After another 2 min, at a resting place, there is another Y, again go left (and up) here. Suddenly the Dhaulagiri (8167 m) comes in sight. After a few minutes the trail crosses the dirt road. After 1 min there is another Y, again, go left and up. You continue going up steeply, till you reach the dirt road again, which you follow going up. With good weather, you have stunning views of the Dhaulagiri range and the Gurja Himal (7193 m) . About 1 ½ hour after crossing the suspension bridge, you reach at the village of Dharapani (1540 m). Go left here and walk into the village. Dharapani is a beautiful, spread out mountain village with beautiful views of the Gurja Himal. After about 20 min you reach at the end of the village. There is another Y-junction here , go left/up. The trail starts climbing steeply again, and you can see the small pass you have to go to in front of you. The climb goes through a harsh, rocky area, while as you look back, you see Dharapani, surrounded by terraces. About 45 min after the end of Dharapani you reach at the small pass (1739 m). With a bit of luck, the fruit seller is there, and you can refill your energy with some bananas, apples or grapes. The trail goes down gradually. After about 5 min there is a Y-junction. Left is a stairs going up, don’t takes these, follow the right trail going flat at first and then down. After about 15 min you arrive in Tarkam (1650 m). At the entrance of the village is a small hotel, Namuna Hotel (2 rooms, 9847732879; 9741143469). At the end of Tarkam is another hotel, Dharba Tara shop and lodging. Besides there are a couple of restaurants, where you can eat a tasty dahl bath. The trail is going down and flat now. After about 15 min there is another Y-junction, go straight and flat here (don’t take the stairs going down). The trail is gradually climbing, going along the fields, with a beautiful view of Tarkam. After about 20 min you rech a reast place, just before it, a trail goes up; don’t take that trail. After about 5 min you reach the village of Sibang (1734 m). After about 10 min, in the village, there is a stairs going left. Don’t take these stairs, continue walking through the village, After about ½ hour you reach another small village, Macchim (1938 m). The villages on the way have a interesting mix of people: Hindu Chhetri, Magar and Dalit. After another 5 min you reach the highest point (1970 m; not a pass). For the first 5 min the trail goes flat. Afte r5 min there is a Y-junction, take the right going down by stairs. After a short ½ hr you reach the village Phaliyagaon (1855 m) which has one simple guesthouse: Hotel Jaljala. It is another 20 min to the village of Muna (1853 m). 5 min after Muna, you can choose between 3 trails, take the middle one, which is also the bigger trail. After another short ½ hr you cross a small suspension bridge over a tributary of the Myagdi Khola (1876 m). From here it is another 10 min to a

wooden suspension bridge (1871 m) over the Myagdi Khola. After crossing the trail keeps on following the river, which is now at your left hand. The trail goes up steeply at times and is going through a rocky landscape, with some groups of trees (among which a few rhododendrons). After another short ½ hour you reach at the last suspension bridge (1950 m) of today (in bad condition). Next to it is a beautiful waterfall. The trail continues climbing up and after about 45 min you reach the village of Lamsung (2160 m). You can find 2 basic, small hotels here, Hotel Himalaya and Hotel Malika. Day 4 Lamsung (2160 m)- Chhentung( 2950 m) via Jalja La (3386 m) 8 hrs This is a beautiful walk which almost completely goes through the forest. It is quite a long stretch to do in one day, 22.90 km, especially because it involves a 4 hour climb to the Jalja La (pass; 3386 m). You can choose to camp or (in case of a small group) stay overnight in Ghurjaghat (3047), 1 ½ hours before Chhentung( 2950 m) There are almost no villages along the way (only just after Lamsung), so you need to bring a packed lunch. Besides bring plenty of water, as on the climb and pass is no water available. Only about 40 min after the pass you will be able to find water (from the stream). You walk out of Lamsung, following a trail above the fields in western direction. The trail follows a small river, which flows below the fields (left of the trail), the Chirphire River. After a few minutes there is a Y-junction, take the right trail going flat (the left trail is going to the river). After about 20 min you cross a small suspension bridge (2195 m). The trail keeps on following the river upstream and after 5 minutes arrives at the settlement of Chirphire (2204 m). You cross a small concrete bridge and then take the stairs going up. Here the climb to the Jalja La starts. After about 10 min, just before a resting place, go left on the stairs that go up behind the resting place. After about 15 min you arrive at a small settlement, Mareni (2367 m). You find a small lodge (4 rooms) with campsite here: Raju Hotel and Shop. The owner, Raju Thapa arranges trekkings in Dhaulagiri and Dolpa as well. Phone: 9746703557. He works together with Tila Ram (same phone number). You are climbing up through beautiful rhododendron forests. After about 1 ¾ hr you pass an open field, which offers great views over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Range (2984 m). From here it is a bit over an hour to the pass, Jalja La (3386 m) (just before the Jalja La is a resting place, there is a Y-junction here, take the left trail towards the little house in the distance). The views from the pass are even better than from the previous viewpoint, and arguably even better than from Poon Hill. You can see a whole range of mountains, and especially the Dhaulagiri (8167 m) and Gurja Himal (7193 m) are very close. Here an overview of the mountains you can see: Dhaulagiri I and II, Gurja Himal, Butterfly Peak, 3 summits of Nilgiri, Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Machapucchre. After the pass it is a flat and easy walk, through beautiful pine forests. After about 45 min (and 5 min after a wooden bridge) there is a Y-junction, take the left going down. The trail is following a small river now, the Ghurjaghat Khola. It passes a dead forest, that has caught fire. Unfortunately the damage is huge, you are walking for almost an hour through this burnt forest.

From the pass it is about 3 hours to Ghurjaghat (3047 m), a small settlements which mainly functions as grazing lands for the cattle. After Ghurjaghat you pass 2 wooden bridges, after which there is a Y-junction, go left here. After about ½ hr you get to an open area with many trails, stick to the right here. After another 10 min the trail arrives at the river, which you have to cross either stone hopping or wading (2979 m). After crossing the river, it takes about ½ hr to the tiny settlement of Kaldegothe (2940 m). From Kaldegothe it is only 15 min to Chhentung (2950 m). There are two local restaurants in Chhentung: Apple Hotel, which has 2 triple sleeping rooms (no mattress) and a place without a name, where 5 double rooms are being built at the time of writing (March 2012). In this place, you can camp as well. Day 5 Chhentung( 2950 m)-Thakur (3309) via 2 passes (3691 m and 4160 m) 9 ½ hrs This is a very long day. It is an alternative to the route via Dhorpatan, which takes 2 days. Both ways are going through the Dhorpatan National Park. Both for the way via Dhorpatan as for this way, it is recommended to take a local guide from Chhentung or from Raju Hotel described above, who knows the way, as the trail is difficult to find at some places, and you are walking in nomansland so getting lost can be tricky. Leave Chhentung taking the trail up in the village (from the guesthouse which currently has no name). At the end you see a signpost “Way to reserve”, this is the way via Dhorpatan. If you take the shortcut way, described here, don’t take this trail, instead go right. You enter the forest, and after about 20 min you cross a wooden bridge, from which the trail climbs in about 2 hours to the Chhentung pass (3691 m). From the pass you have nice views, but not as good as from the Jalja La. After the pass the trail goes flat at first and then gradually down in western direction. You are walking in bold mountain landscape, looking out over bold, rocky mountains, bushes and pine trees. About ½ hr after the pass, just after a small shed, there is a Y-junction, take the left (smaller) trail, going high up on the slope. The trail goes flat for a while, passing another shed. After about another hour, it starts climbing again to a second pass. The climb takes about 1 to 1 ½ hour. From the pass (4160 m) the trail goes flat for a while, making a kind of u turn. Where the trail get less clear, you have to go left, and down. You will come to a river, which you have to follow. Go up at the left side of the river. You have to arrive to a large path, going on the top of a slope. From here it is about 1 ½ hour descending through the forest to the tiny settlement of Thakur (3309). Thakur is only inhabited during mid spring-till mid autumn. Day 6 Thakur (3309 m)-Guibang (2768 m) 7 hrs From today onwards, the trail is on the GHT map again of Himalayan Map House (Dolpo and Mugu map), although the trail is a bit different than the green trail indicated on the map. Today is a day with quite a lot of ups and downs. The trail goes almost entirely through beautiful pine and oak forests, with some rhododendrons. Now and then you pass a small village. The villages are inhabited by Magar people, mostly Magar Pun.

From Thakur the trail descends through pine forest, to the Ghusiun Khola (river), which you cross by a suspension bridge (2817 m; 1 hour). The bridge is the border between Myagdi and Rukum districts. Rukum is one of the poorest districts in Nepal, and you can see that passing the villages. Especially health care is almost not existent. Shortly after crossing the bridge, you pass the tiny settlement of Ghusiun (2853 m). The trail climbs up for a bit over an hour till the highest point (3262 m) after which the trail is more or less Nepali flat, with some steeps descends and climbs till Khaimdada (3136 m; 1 hr). In Khaimdada is a small local restaurant, that serves dahl bath. Just before it you will notice a heli pad and sometimes a campsite. This is for trophy hunting, in fact blue sheep hunting expeditions. Each year a limited number of blue sheep are allowed to be hunted. Foreign tourists are prepared to pay huge sums of money for hunting blue sheep. From Khaimdada the trail goes down through the forest about an hour to Jarlung (2707 m), which has a school for the surrounding villages. It descends further to a wooden bridge (2452 m; 30 min). After crossing the bridge you have to climb steeply for a few minutes and go down again to Tatopani (2408 m; 15 min). Here you find small hotsprings just right in front of the trail. In Tatopani you cross a small wooden bridge again (2425 m) and climb up steeply. After about 15 min there is a Y-junction, go right here. You climb for about ½ hour till 2540 m, after which the trail is Nepali flat. After about 20 min you reach the small village of Him (2571 m). Just after Him there are 2 Y-junctions, at both take the left trail going up. After a few minutes you arrive at terraces, go right here and pass the terraces. After another 5 min there is a small resting place, go right here and continue in the forest. The trail climbs steeply for about 15 min till you are high on a slope, with the Pelma Khola (river) far below you. After this it goes flat for a while before descending again to a small wooden bridge (2633 m) over a stream. After crossing it climbs for a bit, after which it goes Nepali flat, till you climb to the village of Guibang (2768 m). In Guibang are no real guesthouses or restaurants, but if you camp in the village you can use one of the houses to eat. Day 7 Guibang (2768 m)-Campsite Sen Khola (3979 m) 7 hrs Today you really going into no-man’s-land and you walk most of the day in a completely deserted, spectacular high altitude landscape. Climb the hill behind Guibang in northwestern direction. After about ½ hr you cross a small stream, just after this is a Y-junction, take the left going up. After another 50 min, at around 3275 m, you arrive at a T-junction; go left here. After another 10 minutes you arrive in Dule. Dule is also called Dule Bazar, as almost all houses (about 6) are or used as a guesthouse or as a shop. There are 3 guesthouses: Himalayan View (2 double bed rooms), Dule Basecamp (1 big room, 3 beds and lots of space for mattresses), Mountain Guesthouse (also 1 big room without any beds, they have plans to make several rooms). From Dule it takes 2 to 3 days to go to Dunai in Dolpa. To get into Dolpa you have to cross a high pass, the Jang La, 4535 m. Between Dule and Dunai in Dolpa is nothing, not any village or settlement. So Dule is the last chance to buy extra food. Besides, only about 3 hours after leaving Dule you cross a stream where you can refill your water, so it is wise to leave Dule with about 2 liters of water.

The climb continues on the hill behind the village, going through the forest at first, but this soon changes into high altitude landscape: grass, bold rocks and at times snow. In about 2 hours you reach a small pass at 3931 m. After the pass the trail follows the Sen Khola (river) upstream. At first the trail goes down steeply, which can be slippery when there is snow. After a 45 min to an hour, when the trail gets closer to the river (at about 3700 m), it starts to climb again gradually, following the Sen Khola (river). You are walking in a beautiful, completely deserted high altitude landscape. About 2 to 2 ½ hours after crossing the pass, you pass a few walls, which actually is a campsite, the walls can be used as a kitchen. There is a large flat area and water at hand, so this is a good place to camp (3940 m). 15 min ahead is another flat area where you can camp (3979 m). Day 8 Campsite Sen Khola (3996 m)-Campsite Purpang, Saure Khola (4065 m) 5 hrs A relatively short day today, but because of the altitude it is to be recommended not to cross the pass on this day. From the campsite the trail goes up steeply in western direction for the first 1 ½ hours. After this it climbs up more gradually for another hour min till an altitude of just over 4500 m. Due to the altitude it is quite hard climbing, but the landscape around you is spectacular. You find yourself surrounded by bold and snowcapped mountains, and the chance is there you are walking in the snow as well. The trail descends gradually, in northwestern direction. After about 2 hours you reach the Saure Khola (river; 4019 m), which you cross. It is a short climb of about 10 min to a campsite. There are a few walls that are built as a cooking place. From the campsite you have a nice view over the mountains and the trail you just came from. Day 9 Campsite Purpang, Saure Khola (4065 m)-Dunai (2096 m) via Jang La (4519 m) 10 hrs This is a tough and very long day! The total distance is about 24 km, crossing 2 passes above 4000 m and descending about 2500 m. Fully organized camping group can camp half way during the descend to Dunai, which is recommended. Before arriving at the “real pass”, you cross a lower pass at 4346 m, which is about 1 to 1 ½ hour climbing. You are walking through a beautiful, completely deserted landscape. There is a good chance that there is snow, which makes the landscape even more spectacular. After crossing the first pass the trail goes flat for a while, after which it descends gradually to 4294 m (45 min). From this point you have to climb steeply for about 45 min to the real pass, the Jang La at 4519 m. Crossing the pass, you are entering Dolpa, as the pass is the border between Rukum and Dolpa District. You have a beautiful view on the deserted landscape in front of you and the snowcapped Himalaya at the horizon, among which the famous Kanjirowa (6883 m) in the far west. After the pass the trail is descending gradually. There are several small trails, take the trail that is leading in NW direction. After about 1 to 1 ½ hours you reach a small stream, the first water refill opportunity after leaving camp (from now onwards there are plenty of refill possibilities). You also see the first trees appearing again. A thin forest at first, but soon you find yourself walking through beautiful pine forests. When there is snow, the trail is a bit difficult to find at some parts, but on a whole it keeps on going in NW direction. About 3 hours after crossing the pass (at about 3550 m) you should arrive at a meadow, which you have to climb up (for 15 min). From the top of the meadow you can see the Thuli Beri River, which is flowing through Dunai, far below in the distance. After about one hour, there is a Y-junction (at 3230 m), where you

have to go left. You keep on descending through beautiful, lush forest. At a certain moment you can see Dunai lying below you, an encouraging sight. About 1 ½ hour after the previous Yjunction there is another junction, where you can choose between a trail going right and flat and one going left and down. Take the trail which is going down. The trail is going down steeply, which can be a bit difficult at times, because of many small loose stones. After about one hour you reach a wooden bridge (2257 m) over the Thuli Beri River. Go right (north) after crossing. You are following the river downstream, walking left of the river (you pass a small hydropower). It is easy, quite flat walking now. After 1 to ½ hour you reach Dunai (2096 m). Dunai is the headquarters of Dolpa district. It has a few basic hotels and one campsite (see: http://www.thegreathimalayatrail.org/3163/accommodation-in-dolpa/). The only hot shower in town is in the small homestay run by Ravindra Shahi, next to Blue Sheep Inn (guests of Blue Sheep Inn can use the shower as well). Besides there are many shops; there is even a trekking store, where both tourists and agents can find almost everything they need for their trek (Cload Goats Trekking Store). From Juphal/Dunai you can walk several beautiful treks, like the Dolpa Circuit Trek, a 12 day trek with which you cross to passes over 5000 m, or the Inner Dolpo Trek which takes you to Shey Gompa, the spiritual heart of Dolpo. Detailed information you can find on the Great Himalaya Trail website: http://www.thegreathimalayatrail.org/trail-sections/dolpa/trek-this-section/. Day 10 Dunai (2096 m)- Juphal 3 hrs Dunai is quite a large village, of about 2,500 people, more or less half Hindu and half Buddhist. In the morning you have plenty of time to look around, as the walk to Juphal is only about 3 hours. Up the hill, there is a Buddhist monastery, the Dolpa Kendriya Gompa, which is worth a visit. It is situated at the slope at the other site of the river, overlooking Dunai. The monastery belongs to the Nyingmapa lineage, the oldest Buddhism linege and was built in 1998. There is only one monk/lama. If he is there, he will be happy to open the monastery for you and show you around. Inside the gompa you can observe a beautiful statue of Sakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Buddha), the Kengyur (the holy scriptures of Buddhism) and big thankas (Buddhist paintings on cotton). There is a small daily puja (prayer ceremony) from 6-7 am and from 6-7 pm. A bit further away from Dunai, at the same slope, you can find the Dolpo Bon School and Hostel. Bon or Bonpo is related to Buddhism, but it is a lot older than Buddhism and goes back thousands of years. The religion was founded more than 18,000 years ago by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab Miwo. It is believed that Dolpa used to be the centre of the Bon kingdom, called Zhang Zhung, a big and powerful kingdom in present Western and Northwestern Tibet and surroundings, as in Dolpa you can still find a big concentration of Bonpo practioners. In the 7th Century Zhang Zhung was defeated by the Buddhist kingdom of Tibet, and Bonpo disappeared almost completely. However many Bon traditions were absorbed into Tibetan culture. Bonpo has more animistic aspects than Buddhism. For outsiders it is difficult to see the difference between Bonpo and Buddhism, but one small but important detail is that you have to cross their shrines, like mani walls (low walls with loose stones with Buddhist mantra’s carved on it) and chortens anti clockwise, while according to Buddhist custom, you pass them clockwise.

Besides the normal teachings that children receive at common schools, the Bon School educates children in the Bonpo religion, Tibetan culture and Tibetan language. The school offers education to poor and orphaned children in the district from Bonpo background. As the children come from different, far away villages, there is a hostal as well. Currently there are 26 children in the school, divided into 5 different classes. Unfortunately at present the school faces a lack of funds, due to which the children receive classes in a big tent. They are hoping for new funds to build a descent school building. At regular schools, Tibetan language is not given, nor Tibetan culture and Bon religion. The school therefore helps to maintain an millennium old culture. The school and hostal make a very interesting visit which gives you a chance to learn more about Bonpo. One of the teachers will be happy to show you around and give you explanations about the Bonpo religion and culture. Besides the Hostal, there is a beautiful stupa with holds a century old footprint of an important lama. A Bonpo gompa is being built here as well. It takes about 3 hours to Juphal (2475 m), following the dirt road, that so far is practically only used by “vehicles with one horsepower”. It is easy, rather flat walking. After about 1 hour you pass a big suspension bridge, which takes you to Suligad and further north to Phokundo Lake. It is another 15 min to the small settlement of Rupgad (2064 m) and after another ½ hour Kalagauda (2035 m). Shortly after Kalagauda you leave the dirt road on a trail leading up the mountain to your left. It is more or less an hour climbing to Juphal. Juphal has an airport with flights to Nepalgunj and Surkhet in Southwest Nepal. Nepalgunj has daily flights to Kathmandu (4 flights a day). Besides there are buses to Kathmandu (about 15 hours drive). Flights from Surkhet to Kathmandu are less regular, but it is only 3 hours drive from Surkhet to Nepalgunj. Day 11 Flight Juphal-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu Early in the morning you fly to Nepalgunj. Especially the first part of the flight through the mountain valleys is spectacular. Later in the day, you fly back to Kathmandu.