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Showing posts with label dhaulagiri circuit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dhaulagiri circuit. Show all posts

Friday 22 May 2020

The 10 best camping treks in Nepal

It is still possible to get away from the crowded trekking trails in Nepal by selecting a camping trek that travels into a remote region of the country. 

The Mountain Company has many years of experience in organising camping treks in Nepal and I have personally led many of these so have firsthand knowledge of the trails.

Camping treks are more expensive due to a larger number of trek crew such as cooks to prepare the meals and porters to carry group kit like tents. There is also a requirement for additional trekking permits such as in Restricted Areas and for mountaineering peaks. Whereas treks in the Everest and Annapurna regions will be less expensive due to the food and accommodation being provided by a teahouse lodge.

Our choice of the 10 best camping treks in Nepal are listed below.  You can click on the links through to The Mountain Company website for the photos, itinerary Google maps, YouTube videos and other practical information. 




                
















Please get in contact with us if you are interested in joining one of these groups or would like any further information.

Trek on!

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk




Wednesday 28 December 2011

Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit (Nepal) led by Dom Rudd in October 2011

Our Dhaulagiri Circuit in October 2011 was the fifth time The Mountain Company had organised this trek, I led our first one in May 2008 then Gary Pfisterer led in October 2009, myself again in October 2010 and followed by Lee Farmer in April 2011. This time the leader for our Dhaulagiri Circuit group was Dom Rudd (International Mountain Leader) for more information on his background and experience.

The advantage of having organised this trek several times before is that we have developed cumulative experience and knowledge that our new leaders can tap into. They will have access to all previous trip reports sent to us by each leader after completion of the trek as well as the detailed Trek Leader’s notes written by us with information for each day such as timings, points of interest and any risks to be aware of along the way. 

The group arrived to Kathmandu on October 8th, from our experience running this trek it is best to start after the first week of October to allow time for monsoon to wind down as Myagdi Valley is particularly wet place due to its north-south orientation. Clouds travel up from the south on plains of India and then at end of valley are blocked and forced to rise by Dhaulagiri resulting in high levels of precipitation. This timing worked well as on this trek there was very little rain during this trek as they approached Italian Base Camp.

Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri 7th highest in world at 8,167m

Our acclimatisation schedule for Dhaulagiri Circuit is conservative with two nights at Italian Base Camp at 3,660m, two nights at Glacier Camp at 4,200m and two nights at Dhaulagiri Base Camp at 4,700m. This itinerary worked well for the group and felt well acclimatised to safely cross French Pass into Hidden Valley. Some snow fell at Dhaulagiri Base Camp during evening of October 20th however the day for walking to Hidden Valley on 22nd dawned clear, crisp and cold. Dom was up early this morning to check the weather and conditions and made the decision to proceed as planned.

There was fresh snow on the trail slowing progress although the weather was good with bright sunshine and the view from the approach to French Pass back to Dhaulagiri was spectacular. Just after crossing French Pass the cloud rolled in and wind picked up causing snow to drift across the path filling footprints with soft windblown snow. The first group arrived to camp in Hidden Valley at 4pm and second group only 40 minutes behind, everyone was glad to see that camp was set up with all tents erected and a cup of tea served shortly after their arrival!

Photo: Dhaulagiri Base Camp

Our Dhaulagiri Circuit itinerary has two nights in Hidden Valley whereas most other operators only have one night here as they are not properly acclimatised so need to get down in altitude as soon as possible. Feedback from most people in our groups is that they like having a spare day in Hidden Valley as is one of the highlights of this trek. This is not only so that they can they have a well-deserved lie in after a long day crossing French Pass and wait for the sun to warm up before having breakfast but also give them a chance to explore and enjoy this beautiful valley. Some of the group attended an ecole de glace organised by Dom showing them the basic techniques for using crampons and ice axe for self arrest.

Everyone enjoyed their rest day in Hidden Valley and felt rested for the final leg of the trek crossing Dhampus Pass and descending into Kali Gandaki Valley. On October 24th the group left camp at 7.40am on a very cold morning, it took the group two hours to reach the summit of Dhampus walking on snow in good condition with no ice. There was very little snow coming down from the pass and then everyone made good progress on the snowy traverse taking four hours before making the descent to Yak Kharka and down to Alu Bari camp. This year crampons were not required for this day’s walk from Hidden Valley however it is essential to bring in day pack as sometimes there are sections of ice. In fact the traverse tends to be icier in May as our groups have always needed to use crampons at this time of year whereas in October it is usually fine without crampons. This group made good time with last members arrived to Alu Bari at 3.15pm.

On the next day the walk down to Marpha village was spectacular and on arrival the group visited the monastery and after a glass of apple juice continued to Jomsom. After handing out tips to the crew the group had a special dinner of fresh chicken, roasted potatoes and a tasty cake cooked by Saila to celebrate the end of the trek. The next day the flight to Pokhara flew on schedule at 9.15am with spectacular views over to Dhaulagiri and down the Kali Gandaki gorge, then on arrival to Pokhara the group flew back to Kathmandu.

Photo: Chonbarden gorge

The group had a final dinner at Kilroy’s restaurant in Kathmandu and by chance I was around as just got back from my Lunana Snowman trek in Bhutan so I came along too, it was great to meet everyone and hear how the trek went and get feedback from the group.

I would like to thank Dom for doing a superb job leading this group. The local crew worked hard throughout this challenging trek so thanks to Lhakpa Rita Sherpa (Sirdar), Saila Tamang (cook) and Sherpas: Prem, Sangram and Sonam as well as of course all of the porters.

The Mountain Company is organising two Dhaulagiri Circuit treks in 2012, the first one in April will be led by Jill Lawson and second trek will be in October. Please get in touch with us soon if you would like to join one of these groups.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit in April 2011 led by Lee Farmer

Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri see from French Pass

In April this year The Mountain Company organised our fourth trek around Dhaulagiri Circuit. I led our first Dhaulagiri Circuit group in May 2008 then Gary Pfisterer was the leader in October 2009 and I led another group in October 2010. I have copied the links below to previous trip reports written on this blog:


In April we had nine people in our Dhaulagiri Circuit group and this trip was led by Lee Farmer and their Nepalese Sirdar was Jhire Rai. Lee is an Everest summitter and also a qualified International Mountain Leader.
Everyone arrived to Kathmandu on April 24th then flew to Pokhara on 25th to start the walk that afternoon after meeting the crew and having lunch in Beni. At this time of year the first few days are always hot and humid however of course the temperatures cool off at higher altitudes. We have chosen the best time in the Spring season for this trek, by starting in the last week of April means that the group will cross Dhampus pass on May 7th and French pass on May 9th. From our experience this is the optimal time to increase chances of crossing these high passes as weather is usually settled and temperatures warmer compared to March and April.
As it turned out this group experienced good weather and conditions for both days crossing French and Dhampus passes. As is usual in Spring the trail over Dhampus pass is icier and more slippery than in October, Lee decided that the group should put on crampons below Dhampus Pass and kept them on for all of the snow traverse to above Yak Kharka. In fact there was even one section of fixed rope on descent of Dhampus pass placed by a Czech team climbing on Dhampus Peak who kindly allowed our group to use for extra safety and security. This contrasts to when I led this trek in October last year when we put on crampons at top of Dhampus pass however most people took them off again shortly afterwards as were not really required for extra security on the traverse. It is essential that everyone in the group (and also crew and porters) bring crampons then make the decision whether to put them on while on trek.
We have received good feedback from the group about this trek, as explained in our Trip Dossier this is a tough and challenging trek however it is an achievable objective for fit hill walkers. One of the reasons we send a western leader for Dhaulagiri Circuit is to provide training and instruction on basic mountaineering skills as most people booked onto this trek have never used crampons and ice axe beforehand.
Lee gave an "Ecole De Glace" training session at Dhaulagiri Base Camp where he showed the group how to fix crampons to their boots properly and then demonstrated techniques for walking with crampons such as duck walking, front pointing and hybrid style. Then Lee discussed the use of an ice axe by demonstrating self belay and self arrest. After this demonstration everyone had a chance to practice these techniques. From discussion the group after this session everyone felt confident they had the right skills to safely cross the high passes on the Dhaulagiri Circuit.
This was the first time that Lee had completed the Dhaulagiri Circuit trek and his comments on the trek were as follows:
"I thoroughly enjoyed this trek- high and wild. It was a great immersion into a more remote part of Nepal. It was good working with the team I had and all worked very hard. Tulsi and Prashant in Kathmandu were excellent and very organised and the sherpa team of cooks and porters were very good and I particularly liked working with the Sirdar Jhire Rai."
As ever I would like to thank the trek crew for their work on this trek as we would not be able to visit this amazing area of Nepal without them! Of course thanks also to the leaders Lee Farmer and Jhire Rai.
The Mountain Company is organising Dhaulagiri Circuit trek in October 2011 and also April 2012 please get in touch if you would like to join one of these departures. Our October 2011 trek is now guaranteed to run and there is currently availability, this trip will be led by Dom Rudd. Our April 2012 Dhaulagiri Circuit trek will be led by regular Mountain Co leader Alan Ward.
Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Thursday 20 January 2011

The Mountain Company's camping treks guaranteed to run in 2011

Photo: Mount Makalu at 8,462m

The Mountain Company has the following camping treks already guaranteed to run in 2011: Dhaulagiri Circuit in April, Makalu to Everest in April, Lunana Snowman in September/ October, Mera Peak in late October and Kanchenjunga Circuit in November.

Dhaulagiri Circuit trek starting on April 24th 2011 will be led by Lee Farmer. The Mountain Company has successfully organised this challenging trek on three previous occasions and over the years has developed a good knowledge and understanding of this itinerary. If interested in this trek I suggest you read our Trip Reports on our website

Makalu to Everest starting on April 23rd will be led by Roland Hunter. This is a reconnaissance trek exploring this remote region of Nepal crossing three high Himalayan passes: Sherpani at 6,135m, West Col at 6,143m and Amphu Laptsa at 5,850m. We have a strong Sherpa team coming with us on this expedition who have completed this challenging trek many times before. There are currently only two places available in this group.

Lunana Snowman trek in Bhutan starting on September 23rd 2011 will be led by Roland Hunter, he knows this trek well having led a group who successfully completed this trek in 2008. The daily permit fees in Bhutan are scheduled to rise by 25% in 2012 so if you are thinking of doing Lunana Snowman than you should do it in 2011! If you are interested in this trek I suggest you read our Trip Report from Snowman in 2008.

Kanchenjunga Circuit trek starting on November 2nd 2011 will be led by Gary Pfisterer, he knows Kanchenjunga very well after having led three expeditions to climb this mountain from both the North and South sides. His late wife Ginette Harrison was the first woman to successfully climb to the summit of Kanchenjunga and survive the descent.

Mera Peak expedition starting on October 30th 2011 will be led by Roland Hunter, this is his sixth expedition to this mountain and is looking forward to his sixth summit! For more information on these previous expeditions please take a look at our trek report page on The Mountain Co website

We are also very close to getting enough people signed up for Stok Kangri in July, K2 & Gondogoro La in August, Dhaulagiri Circuit in October and Mera Peak in October. Please get in touch with us soon if you are interested in joining one of these camping groups later this year.

The Mountain Company
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Thursday 28 October 2010

Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit in October 2010

Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri as seen from French Pass

Our Dhaulagiri Circuit group arrived back to Kathmandu yesterday with everyone successfully completing this trek known as one of the most challenging (non mountaineering) in Nepal. This is the third Dhaulagiri Circuit trek that the Mountain Company has organised and the second one that I have personally led. In October 2009 Gary Pfisterer led our Dhaulagiri Circuit trek and I first completed this trek with a group in May 2008.

It was interesting to see the differences in the conditions and weather between my two treks around Dhaulagiri one in late Spring season and the other in Autumn. As is typical in May one generally gets clear mornings then cloud tends to build from mid morning then clears off again in the evening. However in October once the stable post monsoon weather has set in with high pressure across the Himalaya then one can have blue skis and views all day, this is the weather we experienced this October crossing French and Dhampus Passes. Although the weather is more stable in October the advantage of going in May there is likely to be fewer other trekkers around and also you will see mountaineering expeditions at Dhaulagiri Base Camp.

However this year there was a heavy monsoon that extended into October, and as a result we had several rainy afternoons and evenings while walking up Myagdi valley. In fact this valley is known as being wet as the orientation is north to south with clouds travelling up from India then collide with Dhaulagiri at the top of the valley causing high levels of precipitation. The Myagdi valley is clearly a rainy place with sub tropical forest up to Sallighari camp.

Once crossing French Pass into Hidden Valley one enters an area affected by the rain shadow of Dhaulagiri with sparse vegetation comprising isolated patches of moss and grass. Like Dolpo further to the west it is only during the monsoon season from June to September that this area gets significant amounts of rain and at this time yaks are brought up to graze in Hidden Valley.

The condition of Dhampus Pass was far easier to cross this October compared to May with a well established trail in snow with no icey sections and in fact in the end most of the group did not need to use their crampons and ice axes. However when I crossed Dhampus Pass in May there were several icey sections on the traverse after descending from the summit of the pass and with these conditions crampons were essential for trekkers and of course for all of the crew.

The other main difference I noticed compared to May 2008 was the improvement in the trail, in particular the path before Boghara village has now cut into the rock whereas before there was just a fixed rope to help climb over a rock slab! Beyond this village there are several other sections of the path that have been widened making the walk easier than before. The other challenging section is the descent down the lateral moraine from Italian Camp down onto the glacier, for the first time a trail has been cut into the moraine however we still felt a rope was necessary to secure the safe passage of the group and porters. Also several of the old log bridges have been replaced with well constructed cantilever bridges, in fact it is now possible to use mules to carry loads all of the way to Italian Base Camp.

I was surprised that most other groups on the Dhaulagiri Circuit were still ascending way too fast and breaking all of the rules of acclimatisation with most other people we met complaining of headaches and other symptoms of altitude sickness. Of course one has to consider the entire trekking team including the health of all of the porters and kitchen crew as they are the ones working hard at these altitudes! The main consideration on this trek is the risk of someone getting serious altitude sickness in Hidden Valley, if this happens then one has to ascend either French or Dhampus pass in order to descend in altitude.

Our acclimatisation schedule seemed to well by spending two nights at Italian Camp (3,660m), two nights at Glacier Camp (4,200m) and two nights at Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,700m) then we crossed French Pass into Hidden Valley where we also spent two nights. For most people the highlight of the trek was the day exploring Hidden Valley and spending two nights here would not have been possible if the group and crew were not sufficiently acclimatised- click here for photos of our day walk in Hidden Valley.

Our October 2010 group were very lucky as the weather cleared on the morning before we walked into Hidden Valley staying sunny and clear for the rest of the trek, we experienced classic Autumn trekking with superb views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Nilgiri, Dhampus Peak and Tukuche- click here for photos of Dhaulagiri Circuit trek from October 2010

Congratulations and well done to everyone in our October group for completing this trek! My view is that in spite of the improvements in the trail and construction of new bridges Dhaulagiri Circuit is still one of the hardest treks in Nepal and careful planning and preparations are required to ensure the safety and well being of the group and trek crew.

The Mountain Company is organising two Dhaulagiri Circuit treks in 2011, one starting in late April and the second departure starting in mid October, please get in touch if you are interested in joining one of these groups.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Photos of day walk in Hidden Valley on Dhaulagiri Circuit trek

Our 2010 Dhaulagiri Circuit group spent two nights camping in Hidden Valley and luckily there was far less snow compared to when Gary's group stayed there in October last year. As a result there were a number of options for day walks to explore the area, most of the group decided to walk down Hidden Valley whereas I had my eye on a ridge overlooking camp on the western side (see red arrow indicating this ridge in photos below).

As hopefully the photos show, this is a really good walk with superb views over to the Nilgiri and Annapurna ranges also back to Dhaulagiri and French Pass as well as looking down Hidden Valley. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to find an easily walkable viewpoint in Hidden Valley, we plan to incorporate this walk into our Dhaulagiri Circuit itinerary for April and May 2011 departures.

Photo: ridge on western side of Hidden Valley
Photo: as above
Photo: Hidden Valley camp
Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri and French Pass
Photo: Mount Tukuche
Photo: view from top of ridge looking down Hidden Valley
Photo: view from top of ridge over to Nilgiris and Annapurna
Photo: view down into Hidden Valley
Photo: top of the ridge
Photo: view east from the ridge

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Photos of Dhaulagiri Circuit trek in October 2010

I have just got back to Kathmandu after leading our Dhaulagiri Circuit trek, as you can see from the photos below we had good weather and superb views for the days crossing both French and Dhampus passes. I will write a full Trip Report shortly on this blog with more details about the trek and changes experienced since I first walked this route in May 2008.

Photo: View of Sibang village with Dhaulagiri range behind
Photo: Farmhouse in Muri village
Photo: Nepali boy near Boghara village
Photo: trail along Myagdi valley
Photo: walking in Chonbarden gorge
Photo: Chonbarden gorge
Photo: group near Glacier camp on Chonbarden glacier
Photo: icefall on Tukuche Peak
Photo: lateral moraine ridge leading to French Pass
Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri as seen from French Pass
Photo: Prayer flags on French Pass
Photo: descending French Pass
Photo: Hidden Valley
Photo: Hidden Valley camp with Dhampus Peak and Pass behind
Photo: summit of Dhampus Pass
Photo: Tukuche Peak from Dhampus Pass
Photo: snow traverse after Dhampus Pass
Photo: further along traverse with Nilgiris range behind
Photo: looking down to Kali Gandaki valley after traverse
Photo: view of Nilgiri range from Alu Bari camp

Saturday 27 March 2010

Good to be back in Kathmandu!

Photo: Thamel in Kathmandu

As usual it is good to be back in Kathmandu, the weather is sunny and warm so it is looking like a good start to the Spring trekking and mountaineering season. Climbers on Annapurna are taking advantage of these good conditions and are making good progress on the mountain currently fixing ropes between Camp Two and Three.
There have been several changes announced recently over the trekking permits for Nepal (called Trekkers Information Management System or TIMS). There are now two types: firstly organised group trekkers will be issued a blue TIMS card costing US$10 and secondly independent trekkers will be issued a green TIMS card costing US$20. TIMS cards will be checked while on trek so it is important you have these otherwise you might be returned to Kathmandu! The new TIMS rules are effective from April 1st 2010.
I read an interesting article this morning from the New York Times, the piece discusses the Annapurna Circuit and the impact of the new road on this classic trail. At The Mountain Company we have been aware for a long time of this issue, we have been working hard developing our portfolio of treks to visit remote regions to avoid the ever increasing road construction in the hills of Nepal.
If you are looking for a trek with similar landscape and characteristics of the Annapurna Circuit you could consider the Manaslu Circuit to the east of the Annapurna Circuit. This trek starts at Arughat and finishes at Besishar the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit. Or for a more challenging alternative you could trek the Dhaulagiri Circuit that joins the Annapurna Circuit at Marpha however we then fly out from Jomsom so avoiding most of the road.
If you are looking to get away from the roads and busy trails then you should think about walking along the new Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT"), we are organising two sections of GHT firstly Upper Dolpo to Jomsom in April 2010 and Makalu BC to Khumbu in April 2011. Please get in touch with The Mountain Company if you are interested in joining one of these groups.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Thursday 29 October 2009

Our October '09 group successfully complete Dhaulagiri Circuit

The Mountain Company's Dhaulagiri Circuit group safely arrived back to Kathmandu yesterday after successfully crossing both French and Dhampus passes from Dhaulagiri Base Camp over to Jomsom. Congratulations to all thirteen members of the group and thanks to the group leaders Gary Pfisterer and Jhire Rai. A full trek report will follow shortly.
Roland Hunter will lead our Dhaulagiri Circuit group in October 2010 please get in touch if you are interested in coming along.

Friday 23 January 2009

Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit May '08 led by Roland Hunter

Roland led a reconnaissance trek around the Dhaulagiri Circuit in late April 2008. We wrote briefly about this trek in our Blog post TMC pre-monsoon ‘08, however since then we have received a lot of interest with people asking for more information. Therefore, we are now writing a full Trip Report that hopefully will answer some of these questions about the Dhaulagiri Circuit trek. This trek has the reputation for being one of the most difficult in Nepal.

Photo: terraced fields near Muri village

Having completed the Dhaulagiri Circuit with a group last year I thought that it was one of the best that I have done in the Himalayas.
This trek visits a remote area where there are few other trekkers, this is becoming increasingly rare in Nepal these days. At the beginning of the trek the trail passes through beautiful Gurung villages with views of the Dhaulagiri massif, then above these villages it follows a rough trail to the Italian BC. Above Italian BC the trek is a an alpine experience walking along moraine covered glaciers to the main Dhaulalgiri BC then over the French pass to the beautiful Hidden Valley. The toughest day is crossing the Dhampus pass, with a long traverse on icy slopes before finally descending to Marpha and the busy trails of the Annapurna Circuit.

Photo: villagers threshing wheat
Photo: Chonbarden gorge

I have discussed the main challenges of the Dhaulagiri Circuit and the ways we organise this trek to minimise these risks: 
1) Lack of sufficient acclimatisation as a result of a rapid ascent between Italian BC (3,660m) and Dhaulagiri BC (4,700m) and from there to Hidden Valley (5,050m). Most trekking groups on “standard” itineraries go from Italian BC to Dhaulagiri BC in one day, this is a 1000m increase in altitude is significantly more than the recommended increase in altitude gain per day of 300 to 500m! The Mountain Company has developed our itinerary to include two extra nights between Italian and Dhaulagiri BC. 

First of all we spend two nights at Italian BC then move up to spend the night at French BC at 3,870m (placement of the camp is important as there is some risk of rockfall). The next day we move to Glacier camp and spend the night at 4,200m, then continue to the main Dhaulagiri BC the following day. In the Hidden Valley one camps at over 5,000m, if anyone gets altitude sickness you are in a potentially serious situation because you can only get to a lower altitude by climbing up over high passes. To minimise the risk of altitude sickness in the Hidden Valley we recommend groups spend three nights at Dhaulagiri BC, this combined with the cumulative benefits of trekking slowly from Italian BC means people should be well acclimatised for the Hidden Valley. However, it is important that the leader carefully monitors the trekkers and crew and to turn people back if not sufficiently acclimatised. 

2) Sadly there are still porters and crew working on the Dhaulagiri Circuit.trek with inadequate equipment. On many other treks in Nepal the crew can find shelter along the way so can survive without the right gear (of course still not right), however on the Dhaulagiri Circuit there are no porter shelters above Italian BC. It is essential they are provided with porter tents, walking boots, sunglasses, down (insulated) jackets, wind & waterproof jackets & trousers, gloves, hats etc. This is the regular gear recommended by the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) in their five guidelines for all treks, take a look at their website at http://www.ippg.net/guidelines In addition to this equipment it is critical for all porters to be issued with crampons. After the descent from Dhampus pass there is a long traverse for over 3 hours on snow and ice slopes. From previous experience the Nepalese made crampons are not sufficient so at The Mountain Company we provide Edelrid 6 point crampons to all of our trek crew
Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri
Photo: Hidden Valley
Photo: approaching Dhampus pass

3) There is a risk of the French or Dhampus pass being blocked by snow and impassable for a trekking party. You can minimise this risk by selecting the optimal time of year to undertake this trek. In my view there are two times of year when you have a reasonable chance of completing this trek: late April and mid October. There are advantages & disadvantage of both of these dates, during the pre monsoon season the temperatures are warmer meaning the night in the Hidden Valley will be more comfortable for trekkers & crew. More importantly it means that the snowline is higher and with the ground temperature warmer any fresh snow is likely to melt off quite fast. 

In post monsoon season, by the time you cross the passes in/out of Hidden Valley the temperatures will be dropping as winter approaches. If there are early storms the snows will most likely block the passes for a while. The main advantage of post monsoon is that the weather tends to be more stable with better views of the mountains and normally settled sunny conditions. 

In the pre monsoon season there is often haze lower down and at higher altitudes clouds usually build up each day followed by afternoon convective precipitation. However the clouds usually clear over night to reveal blue skies by the morning. Also there are likely to be more groups undertaking this trek in the post monsoon season so there will be other trekkers around, however it will be much quieter than most of the other trekking destinations in Nepal. In May ’08 during the whole trek we only met one other group of 5 or so people along the way and then a few expeditions at BC.

4) If you have only been trekking in the Everest or Annapurna regions with their well constructed trails and bridges then you will find the Dhaulagiri Circuit trail far more challenging! There is one section before Boghara village where the trail is very exposed with rope to pull yourself up a rock slab! However, it is possible to walk around this difficult section by taking a high route on a spur above but even here the trail is exposed and could be slippery on a wet day. 

 After Italian BC there is a very steep section down the lateral moraine onto the glacier. It is best to fix some rope at this point to secure the descent especially for the porters. There are a number of other sections where the trail crosses landslide zones. Due to the low numbers of trekkers and locals walking the trail it is unlikely repairs would be made very quickly after a fresh slide. You should be prepared for adventurous scrambling as well as having a rope handy just in case required! From Boghara village the bridges are of a basic construction often a just tree trunk over a river.

In summary.... without doubt Dhaulagiri Circuit is one of the great Himalayan treks. Hopefully this trip report explains the main challenges involved and the way The Mountain Company organises the planning and logistics to increase the chance of safely completing the trek. George, one of the members of our trek last year, summarises his experience on the Dhaulalgiri Circuit: "Dhaulagiri was great. The days from arrival at base camp, over Hidden Valley, and down to Marpha were outstanding and I will always remember them. Thanks very much for arranging it. It was all quite an adventure." George Muir, Dhaulagiri Circuit May 2008

The Mountain Company is planning to organise Dhaulagiri Circuit in October 2010 with Roland leading the trek again. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in joining this trek or if you have any questions.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

The Mountain Company