Round Dhaulagiri Trek

Namaste! And welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting on arrival at the exit gate of Kathmandu airport. Our staff will welcome you and pick you to your accommodated hotel. Please seek our company palmplate to find our staff at the main exit gate of the airport. Rest of the day you can relax at the hotel or short evening walk around local market on your own as per your wish.

A well deserved rest day at cosy of hotel after a long tiring flight. This day, one can move around nearby local market to purchase or hire trekking equipment that is necessary for the trekking like sleeping bags, walking sticks etc, exchange currency as requirement or simply walk around in the local market or Kathmandu Durbar squire nearby with small entrance fee as per your preference on your own. Evening at the hotel lobby there will be pre-trip briefing in which you will be introduced with your trekking guide and explained about your trip in short, instruction for safety etc.

Leaving Kathmandu behind early this morning, journey to the enchanting Nepalese town of Pokhara by fly. Pokhara enjoys a delightful setting on a lake beneath the snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna range, making it an excellent place to relax and contemplate what lies ahead. Pokhara is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet. This afternoon you’ll have your trek briefing and preparation. There are also plenty of cafes where you can put your feet up and enjoy international cuisine, while the main street is full of shops and stalls selling a wide range of Nepali and Tibetan souvenirs. If you need to hire some extra trekking gear, then there are numerous shops available offering everything you could possibly need.

We drive from Pokhara via Baaglung to Beni, which will take around 4 hours. From Beni we change to a local vehicle for around 2½ hours (depending on the condition of the surface) of off road driving to Darbang.

From Darbang we cross the Myagdi Khola River. This initial part of the trek is prone to landslips, so we may find that we encounter some rough diversions. Our route heads steeply uphill before the path becomes easier as it approaches Dharapani. From here the mountains of Putali and Ghurja which are part of the Dhaulagiri massif are visible. Our overnight will be at Sibang.

From Sibang the path follows above the river before descending for about 2 hours to the point where the Myagdi Khola meets the Dar Khola. Ascending for another 2 hours on the other side of the Dar Khola, we go to Mudi and from where we can enjoy magnificent views of Dhaulagiri (8167m) and Manapati (6380m).

Dropping back downhill again, this time to the Muri Khola, we climb up through forest over a ridge. At a junction there is a fork in the path. The lower path is shorter by about 2 hours, but does involve a steep, exposed section which has some rope handrails on the more exposed sections. After this, the path becomes less technically difficult, but ascends steeply to Bagar. This is the final village on our trek before we reach the Kali Gandaki Valley on the other side of the French Pass.

Beyond Bagar the path undulates through forest, which has slippy, wet sections and another steep technical section. We may see monkeys and honey collectors in the forest. Before. We will lunch in the forest en-route, and then continue to finally reach the forest clearing that is Doban, dominated by Kambon (6570m) and Dhaulagiri IV (7661m).

Our journey today continues through forest, and takes us soon across the Kunaban Khola, before continuing to follow the Myagdi Khola towards a wooden bridge that we cross before ascending to overnight at Chaur Bag Khola Camp.

The valley widens and we continue on the right bank of the Chauiban Khola though rhodedendron forest and then moraine to the Italian Base Camp at 3660m, where the valley narrows again. The route can be difficult through the moraine, and we may fix a rope to help with the passage for ourselves and the porters. Extra care may be need if the area is affected by snow or ice. We then pass through the Swiss and French Base Camps before ascending to our camp at the Japanese Camp. From here, Dhaulagiri I and Tsaurabong Peak (6395m) and their glaciers dominate our view.

This is the first of 2 essential days for acclimatisation during this trek. A walk to gain some height, and then returning to the same altitude for a second night at the same altitude will put us in good stead for the next altitude gain to Dhaualgiri Base Camp.

A tough day of walking over the morain of the Chhonbardan Glacier. Dhualagiri I (8172m), II (7751mm), III (7715m) and V (7618m) are all visible from our camp, as is the icefall which is between Dhaulagiri and Tukuche Peak (6920m).

Our second acclimatisation day will help us to prepare for the ascent of the French Pass.

We cross the moraine and climb up above the Chhondarban Glacier. As we follow the ablation valley on the approach the French Pass, the snow slopes are not technically difficult. The Pass is usually reached around 4-5 hours after leaving Dhaulagiri Base Camp. From the pass we can see Tashi Kang, Tukuche Peak, the Mukut Himal mountains and of course, Dhaulagiri I. The descent is gentle, across snow slops to our camp in the Hidden Valley, which was only discovered a few decades ago. We need to carry plenty of water today as there won’t be opportunity to refill.

We have allocated a contingency day in case of problems with the weather or acclimatisation, to be used at the leader’s discretion. It could be used to break up the descent from Dhampus Pass, staying overnight at Alu Bari on the way down, allowing more time in Marpha.

We cross the Dhampus Pass, which is almost the height of the French Pass, before a long descent to Yak Kharka. Still carrying axes and crampons, we may well have to use them today. Our long descent, which is sometimes steep and rocky, is rewarded with views of the Annapurnas and Nilgiri as well as Tukuche Peak. We will also see Tilicho, Jomson and the striking semi-desert landscape towards the Mustang region.

A big descent day, for which trekking poles are strongly recommended! We descend for around 2 hours before Dhaulagiri I reappears from a ridge viewpoint. Alubari is a seasonal settlement, and then we continue downhill steeply to Marpha. We are now ion the Annapurna Circuit, and will no doubt feel rather shell-shocked by the sight of so many trekkers and tea housees. Marpha is a beautiful unusually clean white-washed village. There are many Tibetan craft shops here, as well as apple orchards – the apples are used for the famous Marpha brandy. From here it is a short walk to Jomson, and the end of our trek where no doubt we celebrate with a well-earned local brandy.

From Jomson the mountain flight back to Kathmandu is one of the most impressive flights in the world. Following the course south of the Kali Gandaki down what is called the world’s deepest gorge, the tiny twin otters fly between the 8000m peaks of Dhaulagiri on the right, and Annapurna on the left. Returning to Pokhara, we have time to enjoy a well-earned shower and meal in one of Pokhara’s many excellent restaurants.

We fly back (probably in the afternoon) to Kathmandu and transferred to our group hotel. The rest of the day is free, and any time in the morning can be spent continuing to enjoy Pokhara.

We say 'Namaste' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. For your final departure, our staff will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Kathmandu airport approximately 3 hours prior to your international flight time.