Tent Peak Climbing

As you land at Kathmandu Airport (Tribhuvan International Airport), finish your custom formalities (visa, etc.) and get to the airport waiting terminal, you will find our representative waiting to greet you. He/she will be holding Touching the void sign board with your name. You will be then transferred to your respective hotel in our private vehicle.

We organize a guided tour to four of the historical and spiritual sites in Kathmandu which are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites to provide you an insight on the history, religious significance, architecture, and culture of prosperous Kathmandu. Durbar Square is a complex of historic palaces, courtyards and temples, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, used to be the seat of the ancient Malla kings of Kathmandu. An intriguing piece here is the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages. Scared Hindu Temple of Pasupatinath dates back many hundreds of years and makes it one of the most important Shiva locations across the Indian subcontinent. Besides being a place of worship, it is also the most important cremation site for the Hindus in Nepal. Swayambhunath, popularly known as Monkey temple due to abundance of monkey found in the shrine area is a 2000 years old stupa situated on a hillock. It is world’s most glorious Buddhist shrine and its main temple is capped by a pinnacle of copper gilt and is painted on the four sides with all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. Next come Bouddhanath which is a Buddhist shrine and one of the large Stupas in the world.

We set off for Pokhara after breakfast. Driving today is adventurous and pleasant as it winds down hugging the mountain side through terraced fields. Following the side of Mahesh River we come to the Trishuli River. We follow Trisuli River side all the way up to Mugling where Trisuli River confluences with the Marshyangdi River. After crossing a bridge over Marshyangdi River we head further west to Pokhara. If you are on the right pane of your vehicle the journey today provides plenty of opportunity to view cultivated terraced fields, rivers, streams, green valleys, rocky gorges, farmlands and typical rural life of Nepal. We take lunch break in a restaurant along the way.

Actual Tent Peak Climbing trip starts today after an hour’s drive to Naya Pul (42 km drive) in a public car/jeep through the prosperous village of Lumle. We start walking and we reach a large and flourishing town of Birethanti situated on the confluence of the Modi and Burundi Khola. We follow the main street going through bamboo forests and pass through a large waterfall and swimming fissure. Further we trek ahead, the path climbs gradually up the side of the valley taking us to Tikhedhunga

Today is going to be a challenging day as you have to conquer 3300 stone stairs. First, the trail crosses a stream on a suspension bridge. We climb through the steep stone staircase to Ulleri, a large village at 2080m inhabited mostly by Magar ethnicity. Past the village of Ulleri, the trail climbs gently through meadows, cultivated fields and rhododendron forests. Further, after one hour’s gradual walk from Ulleri we come across two beautiful streams. If you are a keen birdwatcher, there is good chance of spotting different kinds of redstarts, varieties of kingfishers, dippers, forktails along the river, and magpies, treepies, parakeets, tits, many kinds of warblers, barbets, etc., around the cultivated areas. We further make a short climb to Nangethanti where we have our lunch. From Nangethanti we will climb to Ghorepani at 2850m

We get up early at dawn today as we have to reach Poon Hill before sunrise so that we do not miss the magical moment. It is a wonderful experience watching first ray of sun over the mountains. This is one of the best mountain vistas and is well worth the effort taken to climb to Poon Hill (45 minutes climb). Himalayan view from Poon Hill is indescribable when the rising sun’s rays gradually strikes the Himalayan giants including Dhaulagiri range, Annapurna South, Tukuche, Manaslu, Fishtail, and so many others. We spend some time picturing at Poonhill and return to Ghorepani, have a hot breakfast, and continue our trek to Tadapani through rhododendron forest.

The trail starts descending off from Tadapani going down for about 4 KM at a loss of 2700 ft (823m). It wines through large and beautiful Rhododendron trees. We reach a stream (Kyumnu Khola) and cross the suspension bridge over it. Note that you cannot buy bottled water after here but boiled water is available in the teahouses along the route to buy. The trail opens climbing up to Gurjung Village and terraced fields. We have our lunch of the day at Gurjung village. A few more miles of uphill and downhill trek past waterfall and suspension bridge we reach our destination for today, Chhomrong which is a beautiful village located on the lap of the Annapurna range. The Fish Tail Mountain seems gorgeous from the beautiful Chhomrong Village.

Today we follow Modi Khola valley/gorge. Leaving Chhomrong we descend 150m on a stone staircase and cross Chhomrong Khola on a suspension bridge. Then we climb out of the side valley through the tiny settlement of Tilche through the forests of bamboo, rhododendron and oak. We climb further on a rocky trail to Sinuwa. Then we climb for about an hour through rhododendron forest up to a small waterfall. We can spot Langur monkeys in the forest. After a short undulation, we descend through long and steep stone staircase to Bamboo. We now find mixed vegetation of Bamboo and rhododendron. After a short less steep walk, we reach Dovan

Day begins with the climb through bamboo forests and we walk today enjoying all the elements of nature at its best – the valleys, the rivers, the flowers, rickety bridges, broken stone steps and many more. Deurali is at the foot of the Modi Himal and Machhapuchhare, one of the most famous mountains in the Himalayas. We will reach Deurali at lunch time. You may prefer to continue to Machhapuchhare Base Camp if you are feeling good and there is no signs altitude on you. But overnight stay at Deurali is scheduled to ensure the gradual acclimatization.

Today is the day for trek to Annapurna Base Camp. At Annapurna Base Camp, we are surrounded by Himalayan massifs. The sanctuary boasts of a vibrant view as there is nothing to block the 360-degree panorama including compelling views of the Machhapuchhre, Annapurna I, Annapurna south, Hiunchuli and so many other peaks. We can walk to the cairns at the edge of the moraine, and walk along this ridge for good views of Annapurna I and the glacier. The rest of the day we can spend relaxing and enjoying the view. In a clear day Machhapuchhre is great at sunset.

We follow the trail leading to Tent peak high camp. Struggling against the glaciated mountain passes, we finally reach our target destination. There are other options for those who not wish to climb. Hiking from camp can be quite pleasurable and adventurous. Sightseeing exotic ecosystem and breathtaking vistas of Himalayan peaks of Nepal can be equally satisfying.

Early in the morning we begin our ascent of the peak. After strenuous ascent, we finally scale the summit of Tent Peak. From an altitude of 5600meters, we savor mesmerizing views of Annapurna range. Tucking this success under our belt, we return to Annapurna Base Camp. Overnight at guesthouse

We wake up early to enjoy sunrise over the Himalayas. The peaks are lit golden by the sunlight. Take your time to snap as much pictures as you want. After breakfast, we retrace our steps back to Bamboo. Today’s trek is downhill so it shouldn’t be very difficult although you should take care of your shaky legs. Enjoy playing with the crystal clear torrential glacier water pounding through huge boulders.

We continue our detour from Bamboo through the trail that took us days to go up. In this direction, towards Chhomrong, the trail first climbs steeply along stone steps or irregular rocks with occasional sections of a gentler incline. At the top you can see Chhomrong straight across the valley. The trail then plunges down more endless stairs to the Chhomrong River below. Once across the river the trail heads up an alternate route through rice fields before meeting up with the main trail, a stone staircase that climbs to Chhomrong

Early morning we can enjoy the view of Sunrise, Annapurna South, Himchuli, Machhapurchre & landscape. After breakfast, we sadly this is the last day of hiking, but it is still very enjoyable. We walk through a lot of forest. We also can see views of the Annapurna Himalayan ranges. During this part of the walking we pass many local villages which are interesting to see. It is about 5 hours walking to Phedi. Take 2 hours easy downhill walk to Phedi where the road links to Pokhara. It is simply half an hour drive to Pokhara from Phedi. Afternoon relaxing or shopping on your own in Pokhara.

Drive back to Kathmandu. After a mysterious tour we will return to our capital Kathmandu for relaxing and shopping for friends and family and for sure reviewing our journey. Overnight at hotel,

Approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight a representative from Touching the void will take you to the airport.