Abi's 5 day Poon Hill Trek

Why Trek?

I decided that as Nepal is famous for its trekking and I had the time, I would be foolish not to try a little trek. I'd read and heard such amazing things about what Nepal has to offer in terms of wildlife and views on its many popular routes. I selected the Poon Hill Circuit which in 5 days gives you a great insight into the different terains Nepal has to offer as well as being  sufficiently challenging to get your heart racing, sweat dripping and legs aching!

So I took the tourist bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara at 7.30am which arrived at 2.30pm. I checked into my hotel and then spent some time getting some last minute bits, finding somewhere for dinner and packing my small bag.

Day 1:
Pokhara - Nayapul - Ulleri (2,050m): From Pokhara, the drive to Nayapool takes about an hour in a jeep, then the trek begins from here. After a short walk along the banks of Modi River, we reached Birethani. There were lots of small teahouses along the route. After crossing a village, we climbed to Hille where we stopped for a lovely Dhal Bhat lunch and then on to Tikhedhunga. We then took a very steep ascent up to Ulleri, a large Magar village, which was rather challenging and involved climbing up over 4000 steps!! Today we walked for around 6 hours before our overnight stay at Ulleri.

Day 2:
Ulleri - Ghorepani (2,750m): 4 - 5 hrs From Ulleri, the trail is a gentle ascent and we passed through rhododendron and oak forests to reach Banthanti where we stopped for tea. We then kept walking for a few nore hours to make it to Ghorepani which is popular for the Poonhill hike as it presents a spectacular view of the sunrise and a superb panoramic view of the mountain ranges.

Day 3:
Ghorepani - Poon Hill - Tadapani (2,700m): 5 - 6 hrs Today's journey began with an early morning (5am) short but tough hike to Poonhill, the best viewpoint in the trail and unmistakably a photographer's paradise - I was very snap happy for the whole time I was there!!!. A 45 min walk took us to the top of the hill which is at a height of 3210m. We returned back to Ghorepani for breakfast and then moved onto Deurali after a steep and strenuous climb. The walk after that is an easy jungle route where we came across lots of wildlife including  monkeys and Langurs. We started to descend in order to reach Tadapani, our stay for the night.

Day 4:
Tadapani –Hot spring  (2,170m):  After an early breakfast at Tadapani, we moved down gradually along forests of rhododendrons, cross the Kimsung River and ascend to reach a Gurung village called Gurjung. From here, a straight uphill climb took us to Chhomrong a beautiful village where we stopped for tea before then continuing for another hour to reach Jhinu Danda. Here is where there is a famous natural hot spring renowned for its relaxing atmosphere and its ability to soothe your aching muscles as well as cure diseases. The hot spring was a  30 min walk from the hotel but it was very much worth it, we stayed there in the hot water for hours! It was such a beautiful place, I just kept wanting to pinch myself!!

Day 5:
Hot Spring to Birethanti and drive to Pokhara. From Jhinu, we took the trail down to Modi Khola with magnificent views of Fish Tail and the Annapurna range. The walk continues through the banks of Modi Khola until we reached Birethanti, from where the trek started and where we caught our bus back to Pokhara.

My Trekking Experience :
I organised my trek through 'Happily every after hostel' where we stayed in Kathmandu. They have their own organisation (Green Valley Nepal) and were able to source me a fantastic female guide which put Gary's mind at ease. The package included my transport to Pokhara, all my accomodation and food the trekking permits, the guide and her expenses etc. I definately didnt do it the cheapest way but I was happy with what I paid (350usd). It definitely wet my appetite for trekking and I'd love to come back and do some more possibly longer and more challenging treks!

**Pics to follow**