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!