Bonus: Dhaulagiri Basecamp Trek

Introduction

Here are a few notes on a second trek in this general area. It is pretty easy to do but we did this in an entirely different way from the Guerrilla Trek. 

This was a camping trek and we carried almost all the food we needed for nine days. We bought all of our food (and gas canisters) in Pokhara, except for a few cups of tea and some biscuits. which we bought along the way. We camped either near a village or in the forest a little way off the track.

We encountered very few people and no other foreigners. Though we did get reports of a group ahead of us, we never saw them.

This walk is quite physically demanding, much more so than the Guerrilla Trek. You are carrying more and there are significant ascents and descents each day. However it is very rewarding and there are some lovely views and wonderful forest to walk in. There are good trails which are relatively easy to navigate, though sometimes it is worth waiting a little to ask at a trail junction if you are uncertain.

One of the highlights was the hot spring which we visited on the way out. As luck would have it one of the only times it rained was when we were in the pool and under the shelter of its roof. Definitely plan on a several hours there. There is a particularly fine but somewhat rickety bridge over a raging river to cross to get there.

Why do it?

• The route takes you up a splendid unspoilt valley to one (or several) of the basecamps used for Dhaulagiri. At 8,167 it is #7 in the world. 
• With the usual caveats there is no need for a guide or porters.
• At the time (April 2014) there were no Park Fees or TIMS card.
  Long may this state of affairs last!
• It is largely undeveloped in a satisfying way from a trekking point of view.
  In other words you can enjoy some self-sufficiency.
• The wonderful Hot Spring near the end. Just when you both need and deserve it. One of the best I have visited in Nepal.
• Relatively few other people do this. That alone is reason enough.
• It is a good physical workout. Plenty of steps up and down. Good for those thighs.

Logistics

These are very easy. Simply take a bus from Pokhara to Beni. We didn't leave till the afternoon, so it was late when we arrived in Beni. We stayed overnight and caught an early morning bus to Darbang. Finally after a bit of a wait, a third bus took us to Sibang. Though some may only take you as far as Takam.

On the way back there were some problems on the road of an indeterminate nature. So we walked out to Darbang having stayed in Takam for the last night. It was a fine place to stay.

You can't count on buying very much along the way, though the first and last nights were spent in a guesthouse of sorts, where we got a meal. We did get tea and biscuits a few times, which made for a nice break.

Gear

• In addition to your food and fuel supplies and the normal stuff you would carry on a trek, you will also need a tent, sleeping bag and a mattress. My tent is a Tarptent Contrail (750g) which was fine for two people. 
• For cooking I used a combination of gas (MSR Superfly) and wood (TrailDesigns Caldera Cone system). The latter didn't work especially well with slightly damp fuel and perhaps less oxygen, so I mostly used the gas.
• At over 3000m it is cool at night in April and at other seasons may be very cold. So you will doubtless choose a sleeping bag and clothing to suit.
  We found it pretty mild and had a little rain at times. We met some local girls on the trail wearing a big leaf on their heads. You may prefer to go the Goretex jacket route.

Navigation

In very simple terms you are walking up a valley the sides of which it would be very hard to climb. So how hard can the navigation be? Well a little bit harder than that makes it sound. 

A paper map is both useful and interesting, and the one for the Guerrilla trek covers this area, as do some of the Annapurna maps. You could almost go as far as Italian basecamp just with a list of place names and keep asking people, but I wouldn't recommend that approach. Certainly the full circuit is a much more serious undertaking. See Around Dhaulagiri Trek.

There was really no detail on my GPS map (from openstreetmap) so a GPS is of limited value except for recording what you did. I am afraid that I was conserving batteries so didn't record a track for you all. Sorry about that. When I go again I will try and record a track. Next time I hope to get as far as Hidden Valley but then return back out the same way, thus avoiding the costs of entering the ACAP area.

Duration

We took six moderate length days to walk from Sibang to our High camp. We then walked up to Italian Basecamp the following morning and started the walk down that same afternoon. We took three days to walk out. Add in the final morning out to Darbang and the afternoon bus back to Pokhara, where we arrived in time for afternoon chai and it was four days on the return trip.

If I did it again, and I might well, then I would like to take a few extra days of supplies and try and get as far as Hidden Valley. It would be nice to have time for a complete rest day there. Then return again by the same route to avoid entering the ACAP area in the Kali Gandaki valley.

This might need a porter to bring the extra food as far as Italian camp. I would consider leaving a food depot there to pick up on the way down. So the porter would carry nine days food (five plus one plus three) for six days and then return empty. If necessary he might be willing to carry a couple more to lighten the load in the first two days. Plus a bit of extra gas. At a kilo per person per day (and four 500g canisters) that would around 24 kilos, which is probably reasonable.

Anything else?

So now you have a reason to go, an idea of what to expect, some indication of what to take and a clue about how to get to the start. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Enjoy your trek!

Routes

Please see the photos of the map we used. There are three possible routes with some distances and times.

End points

There are three main start or end points: Beni, Sulichaur and Musikot. I'll deal with each of these in turn.

Beni is a starting point for a number of routes (including the Dhaulagiri Basecamp Trek described elsewhere on this blog). It is easy to get to by bus from Pokhara (it takes about 3-4 hours), and has places to stay and eat. 

It is also a common exit point for the Annapurna Circuit for those who are not going up to Ghorepani and continuing round to the Sanctuary. However its use for the Guerrilla trek (whether as a starting or ending point) requires dealing with the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR).

The DHR requires a permit which is not obtainable in Pokhara. Typically they don't try even a little bit to make things easy. So you need to get it in Kathmandu. I don't know the details of how or where that is done, but it will be doable somehow.

It costs 3000 NRs (according to the last account I heard), which means a trekker who is passing through in a couple of days pays the same as a hunter who is there for a much longer time and is actually hunting. This is not much of an encouragement to trekking. 

That cost (in addition to the usual doubts as to where the money goes) makes it seems both excessive and unwarranted. For this reason we skipped going in via Beni. 

Looking at the map it may just be possible to walk around it, but we didn't have time to explore that option. The alternative of trying to bypass the checkpoints is fraught with some difficulty due to poor information (both as to their location and alternative paths). So for now that goes in the too-hard basket.

Sulichaur was where we started. See Getting there in the Logistics section. It is not a bad little place (as these places go). There are one or two places to stay, places to eat and some shops for last minute supplies, though I wouldn't rely on them for anything mission critical.

Musikot (also called Khalanga) was where we ended. This is the district capital, and a town of some substance. It even boasts an airstrip but having seen the angle of the runway and given the disastrous history of aviation in Nepal I’d be disinclined to push my luck. You need all of that for the bus ride. See Getting away in the Logistics section.

Back in February the day I arrived in Pokhara yet another plane crashed into the hills to the west. This left that airline with only the last of some dozen planes it had been gifted back in the 50s and which it had gradually used up ever since. Probably a mixture of bad weather and poor maintenance.  

Having chosen a start and end point there are some variants within the paths connecting them, and there are of course different ways to break up the days. All will depend on the time you have available and the speed at which you are capable and willing to travel.

Our itinerary

We completed this in two weeks with just one rest day for a festival.

Day 00: Pokhara to Bhalubang by bus (via Butwal)
Day 01: Bhalubang to Sulichaur by bus. Walk to Lubang.
Day 02: Lubang to Jelbang. Jelbang to Jemthang.
Day 03: Jemthang to shelter on way up to pass (very short day due to illness).
Day 04: Hut to Thawang. Pass Bhangma cave. Cross Jaljala (3090m)
Day 05: Thawang to Lukum Cross Syaubari pass (2670m)
Day 06: Lukum to Upallo Sera. Cross Tila pass (3050m)
Day 07: Upallo Sera to Okhma (bridge construction site)
Day 08: Okhma to Archalgaon
Day 09: Archalgaon to Chargaon (Kharang)
Day 10: Festival day in Chargaon (Kharang)
Day 11: Chargaon to Pokhara
Day 12: Pokhara to unknown village
Day 13: Unknown village to Syarpu Lake
Day 14: Syarpu Lake to Musikot (Khalanga) via Gilbang

Note!

The Pokhara mentioned on the route is not the Pokhara city near Phewa lake in central Nepal - i.e. the one everyone knows. Instead it is a small and quite pleasant village. 

For reasons that I can’t quite fathom names get repeated frequently in Nepal. Possibly because they are simply descriptive of common features and the people who give them don't travel far. Tatopani (Hot Water) occurs wherever there is a Hot Spring. Dhaurali occurs often also and always seems to mean "the first (or last) pass on the trail".

Gear

Clothing

You will obviously need clothing suitable for the time of year you choose. When we went (April) it did not rain much, but it did get a little cool at night. During the day it was sunny and quite warm; some days were even hot.

I carried mostly Icebreaker wool layers, one synthetic T-shirt, soft shell pants and a Goretex shell jacket. A brimmed cap or hat for the sun is very useful as well as a warmer beanie for nighttime. I always have my ultra light down jacket with hood, which is also used as my pillow. 

Light footwear such as trail runners is quite sufficient. Several changes of socks. Possibly flip flops for non-hiking periods. However I didn't take them nor did I use my gloves. 

Sleeping stuff

Highly recommended. Sleeping bag (and if you have one a liner sheet), mattress (I use a Thermarest 3/4 length ultralite). Optionally consider a tent if its benefits to you are sufficient. I always have my piece of yellow closed-cell foam as a sitting pad.

Water purification

We carried Micropur tablets. The main benefit being they weigh nothing and work. We also had a Steripen. It is Magic! Drinkable water is ready instantly. This is very useful when water sources are some distance apart and you need to drink immediately, top up again and leave. Take spare batteries or consider the USB rechargeable model. 

Cooking gear

I carried my gas stove (MSR Superfly) and a couple of canisters (buy these in Pokhara as there are none available en route). Plus a titanium cup, titanium spoon and an Opinel knife. I also have a piece of heavy duty aluminium foil as a windbreak. 

Being able to boil water was very handy, though limited to making tea/hot chocolate and (noodle) soup. 

Other

• The usual First Aid kit and hygiene stuff. 

• Something to read apart from the map. I carry a Kindle. 

• Camera, spare batteries, SD cards

• Headlamp

• Swimming trunks and trek towel for the occasional bathe.

• Passport

Power

There was at least one option to recharge electronics but with a battery pack I didn't really need it. 

Cash

There is no alternative and best to have a stash of small bills. And hang on to change whenever possible, as it can be difficult to split even a 100 Rupee note. A budget of 1000 NRs a day was never exceeded and indeed the average was closer to 4-500 a day ($4-5). 

Logistics

There is not much to the logistics to this trek. It is very straightforward.

Getting there
We started in Pokhara. If you start in Kathmandu I'd suggest going to Pokhara anyway. From there we took a Lumbini tourist bus (it leaves early in the morning) and got off in Butwal. It passes through Tansen on the way. Quite a dramatic route, or if you prefer a route with some quite big drops off the side of the road.

From Butwal we walked no more than 300m up a side road that joined the main road at that point. There we hopped onto a bus to Bhaluwang. which left at virtually the same instant. I just had time to snaffle a bottle of water and a few samosas at a nearby stall.

Despite there being an evening bus onwards, but given the time of day (after 4pm) , we decided to stay overnight in Bhaluwang. There was a reasonable choice of places to sleep and places to eat. And some shops for a few extras.

The next morning a bus left (pretty much at the advertised time) at 8am for Sulichaur. This was our starting trailhead. There is a rough road already past this point, but we were keen to start walking. We started walking after some snacks, tea and a water refill at about 2pm.

Getting away
We walked out to Musikot (also known as Khalanga). The bus to Kathmandu (costing nearly 2000 NRs) left at 11am the next morning so we found a reasonable hotel room and made the most of the town. There were lots of shops and a good place for chai and samosas. It seemed like a major world city after the simplicity of the trail. 

The bus to Kathmandu took 24 hours and was, putting it mildly, slightly gruelling. The trip included several unscheduled stops, 3 or 4 punctures and a broken down logging truck blocking the road for a couple of hours. However we arrived alive with our luggage, and for that can be grateful. 

The bus deposited us on the ring road (I used my GPS to determine the closest point to our destination), and despite our fatigue we decided to walk into town. This took about 45 mins with each of us hoping to be the first to "spot a foreigner". Which we eventually did as we entered Freak Street.

An alternative
In Musikot the airstrip is at an alarming angle. Don't say you haven't been warned.

"Plan B" exits
There are a number of places where you could get some form of transport out early if necessary. See the Map. It will be slow and uncomfortable and not running to much of a schedule. But you will eventually get there. With luck!

When to go?
I have only done this once and that was in April. It was a good time; generally dry with pleasant temperatures. 

In Winter (say November-February) it might be clearer over the mountains but much cooler at night, which might require a warmer sleeping bag. Even in April, there was some snow on the trail, and you would very likely encounter more in the cooler months. At the very least it would be deeper on a couple of the passes, and I'd recommend heavier (or at least warmer) footwear as well.

During the monsoon (rather variable but let's say June to September) it would be greener, but obviously more likely to be wet - perhaps very wet at times. Transport can be both less certain and more hazardous. On the other hand there is a good chance of more festivals, though establishing the timing of these would be tricky at a distance.

There are no rivers where you have to wade, but higher river levels would rather spoil the hot bath I took near the village called Pokhara.

Information

Getting information on any trekking in Nepal is fraught with the problem of self-serving agencies, who pretend to offer “Tourist Information” but only want to sell stuff. The actual tourist office is not much use except perhaps for transport options. 

Reliable information comes mostly from meeting foreigners who have recently done a route. Or it comes from locals on the spot as long as they do not have an agenda. Mostly people are friendly and helpful, within the limits of your mutual language skills.

Hazards

Generally speaking this is not an especially hazardous undertaking, within the overall context of trekking in Nepal. I have mentioned Altitude Sickness (as a non-issue) elsewhere. Here are a few other things to be aware of.

Transport
Without doubt the highest level risk is the transport to and from the trek. Buses as well as planes are significantly more risky in a country with poor infrastructure, institutions and standards than they are in Europe or the US.

There is no useful advice that will keep you safe. Having a bit of food, water, and a book to read will keep you slightly less uncomfortable during the inevitable long unscheduled stops. Oh, and take advantage of every possible toilet break.

Off the trail
Once on the trail, there's much less that can go wrong except falling off it. At times the trail can be a little narrow so it's worth paying enough attention so that you don't plunge into a yawning abyss. Assuming you don't, then it's mainly a matter of looking after your health. 

Water
Step one is to take care of the water you drink (and drink lots of it). I have mentioned the magic SteriPen under Gear, but whatever water purification system you employ make sure to use it all the time. Or drink tea (chia in Nepali). 

The next rule is the usual one Don't put your fingers in your mouth.

First Aid and Pharmacy
Do carry an adequate First Aid Kit and Pharmacy. Most medicines and materials are readily available in Pokhara but specialty stuff for specific conditions will be obviously something you'd bring with you from home. There is nothing worth mentioning in the way of medical facilities in this region. 

Then there is the additional problem of what to carry in case a local needs some help, and what it is ethically reasonable to do and to provide. There is quite a good discussion of this in the Lonely Planet "Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya". The section on medical matters is disquieting but quite comprehensive.

Animals
We didn't see any dogs that were especially worrying but it is certainly worth paying attention to them. You'd probably be considered lucky rather than unlucky to encounter a leopard, and a snow leopard would be beyond fortunate. More likely you need to pay attention to a pushy mule going past and stay on the mountain side of the trail. We met no yaks as it is too low altitude for them.

Other people
Drunks are annoying but not much of a threat. There will doubtless be some bad guys somewhere, so travelling as two and not walking at night seem fairly sensible precautions. But compared to walking around many cities in the West it is pretty low risk stuff. It would be wise to hide out of sight if you do decide to camp. 

For women
Women travellers will be already exercising their usual precautions. Just bear in mind that the status of women in Nepal is towards the opposite end of the spectrum from (say) Iceland or Norway, but a bit above (say) Somalia perhaps. You will inevitably be the centre of attention, whether this is welcome or otherwise. There are plenty of women travellers who have written on this subject with more authority than I can. I'd be good for all of us to read them and learn.

Low door frames
Now we are talking about a real day to day risk. This is something that I never seem to remember in time. Short of wearing a cycling helmet you just need to duck a lot. Paradoxically this is probably much easier for people who are very tall, than for those of us who keep forgetting that we are considered tall in this country but not elsewhere. 

A friend of mine found himself getting 11 stitches across his forehead on his first day in Pokhara. Nasty!

Summary

Pluses

• No guide necessary
• No altitude issues
• No permits or TIMS card*
• Very cheap
• Unexplored, undeveloped and unspoilt
• Good clear paths
• Friendly and helpful people
• Cultural events
• Seeing life here as it is lived
• Lots of kids
• Lots of domestic animals
• Farming in full swing

* All this could change. See Post Annapurna disaster section

Minuses

• Very basic and repetitive food (in some ways this is also a plus)
• Very basic accommodation and often no toilet
• Very poor sleep at times (this might be a purely personal thing)
• Centre of attention all the time (especially for women)
• Trash everywhere!
• Little spectacular scenery (so don't expect snowy mountains all the time)
• Very dry so waterfalls not running
• Drunks seem to attach themselves like flies
• Actual flies

Navigation

There are not a lot of options here. In the whole of Pokhara (OK, in the whole of Lakeside in Pokhara) I only found two copies of the Map for this trek, one of which I bought. The map is your key tool and it contains some useful ancillary information.

My GPS map of Nepal (downloaded from garmin.openstreetmap.nl) was a total blank for this area, which gave it a certain feel. So I could record where I had been but not see any features whatsoever. 

I took a compass but never used it. The paths are generally clear and there are helpful people often enough along the way for guidance. After a few days you will develop a clearer idea of your speed relative to the suggested times on the map. 

Unless you are camping you will in any case be tied to the distances between places where you plan to find a home stay.

Introduction

What is this trek?
The “Guerrilla Trek” is not a single well-defined trail, but rather a personal selection from several routes of various lengths and difficulties lying in an area to the west of the Annapurna Circuit.

The name seems mostly a marketing term to give an attractively dangerous edge to an otherwise unknown and undeveloped (but quite benign) trek, bit it does of course come from an historical context. This region was a key area in which the Civil War that plagued Nepal for many years was played out. However it would be a mistake to imagine that this was going to be a walk through a war zone like Vietnam. There are no tunnels, bomb craters, burnt out tanks, decaying airfields or even (it would be hard to tell) bullet marks on walls. Instead what you find is bare subsistence farming in a desperately poor country held back further decades by conflict compounded by sub-optimal governance.

It is not yet clear how successful this new “trail” is going to be, but in general the (admittedly slightly cynical) advice is always “Do it now before it gets ruined”. The flip side of that is “If you are expecting comfort you have a few years (or perhaps decades) to wait”. 

Over a 30-year period I have done the Annapurna Circuit several times, and even though each has been enjoyable and indeed memorable in its own way, I can definitely say that the first time when it was least developed was undoubtedly the best experience. In terms of development this trek is roughly equivalent to the Annapurna Circuit circa 1980.

What to expect
Notwithstanding all the difficulties of life here, there is the minimum infrastructure needed: trails that are easy enough to follow, a few bridges in key places, some water taps, some rivers and several villages. Things are slowly evolving, as evidenced by the creeping arrival of roads. Evolving not necessarily for the better mind you, but changing nonetheless. 

The region is clearly not ready for mass tourism be that trekkers or anyone else. However a bit of extra money coming in, which also diversifies the local economy, would certainly be welcome. If this also brings with it some new ideas and provides the opportunity to develop infrastructure and local skills then so much the better. 

Possible negative impacts include more trash, distorting prices in the local economy, cultural insensitivities and fuel depletion.

Ways to lessen the impact

• Travel in a small group
  Two is perhaps ideal, while more than four starts to get a bit difficult
• Stay with local people
  Give them money even if they do not ask. It may be refused
• Eat local food, but carry some supplements
  Some basic resupply is possible along the way
• Carry your own fuel
  Gas canisters are probably the most convenient
• Carry out all your rubbish
  Trash along the sides of the trail and in villages is local. Let's not add to it!
• Purify your water
  We used a Steripen but pills and filters could also be used
• Interact respectfully with local people at all times
  This might include appropriate dress as well as behaviour when bathing
• If you need a porter use local people
  This helps keep the money local. They know more and be pleased to show you their home

The people
Above all the people are hospitable and helpful within the limits (on both sides) imposed by language and inexperience in dealing with people from such different cultural backgrounds. No one in the hills in Nepal just goes for a walk for exercise as we do. They have no need, life is already enough of a physical struggle. The trails are just the roads from one village to another, to a market, to a temple or to fetch loads of wood. They are however happy for you to appreciate and enjoy their country of which they have good reason to be proud.

The people here do not see many foreigners, so we are all ambassadors. How we behave and interact is important not just for ourselves but for all those that follow.

It’s pretty simple to behave respectfully towards people who almost invariably behave respectfully towards us. 

Drunks
It was a little more difficult dealing with the various drunks who attached themselves like flies in most villages. That required a little more finesse and at times some firmness. 

It is awkward when you need to rest and find a place to stay to have someone who is almost incapacitated by drink imposing themselves on your attention. And it is especially disappointing when that person then announces themselves as the Teacher for the village. What to do? Early warning, and avoidance is the best policy.

An incident
On one occasion I did have a minor run in with someone who I took to be an ex-Guerrilla cadre. He was very interested to know about us and in the normal course of events you tell people where you are going and where you are from with no hesitation. It is the usual course of a conversation on the trail. 

But this person who came up to us when we were quietly resting by a stream was more insistent. He wanted me to write down stuff that I was simply not prepared to do. It would have been wise to have written any old nonsense. However I felt tired, had been a bit unwell and was as a result easily irritated. So I simply took his scrap of paper, tore it into many small pieces and scattered it to the wind. I then told him to F*** off!

This was not quite the ideal approach. It was not good behaviour, and I am not proud of what I did. It was also foolish and in some circumstances could easily have been dangerous. In a cooler moment I would not have done this. However we all have our failings. Luckily he had no knife with which to cause us immediate harm, nor mobile phone with which to call up harassment further down the trail.

He can have had no legitimate reason for any information from us, and was probably going to do nothing with it. So much better to simply smile, fill in complete nonsense and send him away satisfied.

If you wish to prepare for this sort of event, consider keeping a few photocopies of fake ID to leave with people like this. It will look official and be completely valueless. It may also reduce your temper. In my case I hope this is a lesson learnt.

Guests of honour
I'd rather end this introduction on a positive note. So I'll just describe a little of the festival in Kharang. It was mentioned to us the night before when we arrived in the village and found our homestay. In the morning we helped them a little with the decorations over an arch at the entrance to the village.

The festival was to promote an "End Open Defecation" project, which aimed to establish in "Every Village, Every House, One Toilet" throughout the region. We had already seen considerable evidence of progress in the form of toilet construction in several villages we had passed. Apparently half of them in the area already have a toilet for every house. No mean achievement, and visible (literally) concrete evidence of a Nepali Governmental project delivering tangible positive health outcomes.

Later that morning we walked down to the school where the crowds were gathering, though it was still a little early for the musicians. There were also some late arrivals who had walked some hours from outlying villages. We wandered in the crowd trying to keep a low profile (hard when you are a head taller than most people) and also do some discrete people watching.

After a while some officials arrived with some ceremony, and the first musicians filed in playing heartily. We were spotted and immediately offered garlands and tikka on our foreheads. I was invited to sit up on the podium and later found myself having to "dance" in company (and I use the term loosely) in front of a audience of some 300 people. Luckily it is not an especially taxing activity, in contrast to the rather trickier peacock dance which we also witnessed.

The speeches lasted quite a long time and various awards were presented. It is possibly quite a rare chance to address such a wide gathering and explain what is happening so I guess one can excuse their length. Eventually we were back to the music, played on some fairly quaint instruments (one man had a small drum attached to his forehead) and more dancing. We did a short parade around the area with some chanting of slogans along the lines of "One house, one toilet in every village". It was a good lesson in understanding the level of development in this area. 

It was therefore amusing to note the number of smartphones in evidence which were recording every facet of the event for posterity, including (and I am somewhat reluctant to contemplate this) my own rather modest contribution to the dancing. 

We were made so very welcome with such grace and charm. Thank you to the villagers and the visitors alike. A memorable day.

Altitude sickness

It would probably be foolish to say one cannot get altitude sickness on this trek, but you would certainly have to be remarkably sensitive to feel any effects below 3000m. And this trek doesn’t go much above that. 

Additionally it does not stay at even those modest altitudes for any length of time, so it is always possible to sleep at a lower level than the day’s high point. 

If you already know you are highly susceptible, then I’d consider asking yourself why on earth you are trekking in Nepal at all. In any case it is always sensible to ensure you have enough time, and not to rush.

Accommodation

Home stay

We slept every night except one in a house. The exception being a small shelter when one of us was sick and we couldn’t make it over the pass. 

In the houses we sometimes got a room to ourselves, sometimes we were on the floor with the family and sundry animals (and insects). It was good to have a mattress and a sleeping bag, though not absolutely essential if you are prepared to rough it and risk some uncomfortable nights. Sometimes we had a mattress and a quilt. You’d have to be very weight averse to take absolutely nothing with you.

The first thing that you need to do when you arrive in the village where you hope to spend the night is find a place to stay. Given our limited language skills this was mostly conducted with gesture, though it took us a while to get this right. Place your hands flat on your ears and lean your head over to indicate sleeping. If you place both hands together (as we did initially) it looks to Nepalis rather like a weird greeting (Namaste). 

Sometimes people will ask you to come to their house, at other times my daughter would approach a group of women and ask them herself. Ultimately we were always successful. Patience and a ready smile will get you through.

Camping

We didn’t take a tent, and didn’t really need one. A camping trip would have been a very different experience. My tent is only about 750g so this would not be a significant weight issue (given that I already had cooking gear and a mattress) more a change of style. 

We would have been both more independent, more secluded, but also less in contact with people and would have missed seeing how they lived. I’m not sure about the relative safety aspects. I doubt that there are many wild animals (large cats or bears) that would be a personal threat but certainly there might be a few creatures out there who would be interested in your food. In these situations I usually hang food up between two trees (assuming there are trees) using a long cord. 

On the plus side it vastly increases your flexibility and might even encourage you to go a bit further afield and off trail for a nice viewpoint in the morning. There are safety issues. Humans being the major threat, and I’d be very cautious about when and where I did this. Basically I’d either do it publicly within the protection of a household, or be well out of sight when I go off trail to find a spot for the night.

Food

Unless you are planning a porter supported trek, you’ll be eating locally along the way, as we did. We supplemented this with food bought in Pokhara and a few things we were able to buy en route.

In a home stay you eat what you are given and you are grateful for it. Especially given that this region is generally rather poor in food resources. It will be simple (if repetitive) but for some breakfast can be a little challenging. It makes sense to supplement your diet with some extras, most especially food for midday meals, snacks and hot drinks which might not be available when and where you need them. 

There are a few shops but with a rather limited range of food that you can both carry and consume without cooking. Biscuits and packet noodles being the main items. However there are some healthy options. Things like Powa (beaten rice) and roasted hemp seeds which are both nutritious and delicious. You may need to get the hemp seeds roasted in a house, though my favourite chai shop in Pokhara will also do it for me.

As well as a half a dozen shops we did encounter some places that, somewhat generously, you could call restaurants. You just have to make do with whatever they have, which isn’t much and is rarely very healthy. There will be no menu. On the other hand it is authentic, if fried packet noodles can be so called.

Overall it is a matter of simply forcing in sufficient calories without getting sick and hanging on long enough to get back to the relative luxury of Kathmandu or Pokhara. When all else fails there is boiled rice and sometimes bananas.

The extra food I carried consisted of: 

• Cashew nuts, Almonds
• Dried fruit (figs, raisins, prunes)
• Biscuits
• Cheese (first few days only)
• Beaten rice (Powa)
• Packet noodles, “Bombay Mix”
• Tea bags, Powdered Milk, Chai Spices and Jagri (raw sugar)
• Fresh ginger (when I could get it)
• Garlic

Map III

Additional information from the map

Work in Progress

Map II

Map sections for Dhaulagiri Basecamp trek

Work in Progress

Photos II

A selection of photos from Dhaulagiri Basecamp trek

Packing food supplies in Pokhara

View on the approach to Mudi

Just a small peak seen from Mudi

On the trail - second day morning

Zigzags upwards

Mule train near our tent in Boghara

Campsite at Dobankharka

Through the forest

Strange (but apparently edible) leaves

Fungi on tree trunk

Rough track up the valley

Ridge on Dhaulagiri seen from Italian Basecamp

Evidence of serious avalanche damage

Rickety bridge over the river

View from above the Hot Springs

Working up a sweat at the hot pool

An amazing section of path

Simple village

Village fields


It's an uncomfortable ride for some chickens

Looking back with gratitude on a wonderful trek

Photos I

A selection of photos from the Guerrilla Trek

Village house and garage with parking for three cows

Corn drying in the early sun

The fields of Jelbang

The house where we stayed near Jemthang

Our overnight shelter

View from the first pass

Descending on snow on the northern side of the pass

Approaching the temple at Bujuthan

View from the Jaljala

Flowers were abundant high up

Descending towards Thawang

Window in Thawang

Inexplicable I

Inexplicable II

A wall of somewhat dubious role models

Beautifully stacked wood

Village window with hunting scene

View from our room in Lukum in the early morning

Lukum village with kids

It is a long climb to the pass

And a long way down on the other side

Approaching Taka

This was less bad than it looks

Chicken delivery boys

Kids assembled to watch us bathe

Girls working in the water driven flour mill

We stayed in a hut beside the bridge under construction

Female porters carrying steel roofing sheets

Resting on stone benches made for porters

Construction work in Dimurgaira

Mule train approaching

Path on the north side of the valley near Archalgaon

Sisne (5000m) in the early morning

Our hostess preparing decorations for the festival

The kitchen was a bit smokey at times

Welcoming archway at entrance to Kharabang

The peacock dance was a highlight

The boys in the first band

As ever the speeches were interminable

The boys in the second band

Chickens in a basket

Peaceful village scene

Pounding rice

Netball game across the river

Bee hive

Grinding stones

The girls of the family where we stayed

Sadly litter is everywhere and it's all local

Village fields near Syapru lake