Nepal Trek and Trail Run: The Adventure of a Lifetime

November 7: Arrive in Kathmandu to be picked up by our private vehicle and transferred to our host hotel. Check into your hotel. The hotel that you will be staying at in Kathmandu is a full service 4 star hotel. Your breakfast is included. All hotels while staying in Nepal are based on double occupancy. If you would like your own room, please let us know and we can make arrangements for an additional fee. We will have a pre-race/trek meeting for all participants at the hotel on this day.

November 8: This will be a day to get your bearings, meet your fellow trekkers, and get rid of any jet lag you may be experiencing. In the morning, we will tour the Himalayan Cataract Project Tilanganga Eye Center, the non-profit recipient of a portion of the proceeds from our Nepal Trek & Trail Run. We will also take a walking tour of Kathmandu's famous Durbar Square, have lunch and the rest of the afternoon free. We will have a welcome dinner in the evening, which is included and kicks off the adventure.

November 9: We will have a tour of the Kathmandu valley with John Oliva, and Amanda Daflos your Western guides, and our local Nepalese tour guide. We will visit some of the famous temples in the area and learn about the rich history of this region.

November 10: Our trip takes on a guided tour of the ancient cities of Baktapur and Patan, where we will see the off-the-beaten-path areas and visit the handicraft factories.

November 11: Take a spectacular short mountain flight to Pokhara, the largest town in central Nepal. Check into our hotel by Pokhara’s well-known lake – Phewa Tal. We will have a variety of optional activities available in Pokhara, such as visiting a Tibetan Refugee camp and Buddhist monetary. Pokhara is known for its quaint restaurants along the lakeside, as well as its spectacular skyline view of the country’s mountain ranges.

QUICK FACT: This is a relatively low-altitude trek and trail run. The run itself is mostly downhill — from an elevation of 9000 ft. to 6400 ft. And the maximum altitude of the trek is 10,500 ft.

November 12: We will take a private, chartered bus to our trek starting point (about two hours), Naya Pul (elev. 3,600 ft.). We will then trek along the Bhurungdi Khola river to Tirkhedhunga, (5,200 ft.). This trek takes us through the large town of Birethanti, large bamboo forests, rice fields and past a large waterfall. One of our favorite parts of this segment is talking with the school children along the trail on their way to school.

A TYPICAL DAY … IF THERE IS SUCH A THING.
Each day will differ slightly, as we will be in different areas of this region of Nepal. We encourage you to be flexible and always ready for an unexpected adventure. But, typically, we rise early with the sun at about 6:00 a.m. A cup of hot tea will be brought to your tent door, followed by hot water for washing/shaving. You will then pack your own gear into your duffel bag and the staff will take down the tents and load all gear onto porters/yaks/ ponies depending on which area we are trekking.

Breakfast is served at the table with fresh eggs, toast, cereal, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Your water bottles will be collected for filtered and boiled water. All water used for cooking and drinking is purified by our camp staff either by boiling or by the use of Iodine. (At high altitudes, Iodine is safer than boiling since water boils at lower temperatures.) You will be provided with hot washing water each morning to use for taking a sponge bath inside your tent. Rivers are great for washing clothes with biodegradable soap on longer treks. You will also be provided with hand washing water before each meal. Some trekkers enjoy washing their hair in the rivers like the locals.

After breakfast, we will usually walk 2 – 3 hours or longer until reaching a lunch spot with more stunning views of the Himalayas. Please feel free to set your own pace and stop to talk to villagers or take photographs. It is always advisable, however, to keep in sight of one of your guides.

You will carry a light day-pack containing your water bottle, camera, an extra sweater, sunglasses, a rain coat or wind breaker, and snacks. Porters or pack animals will carry all of the heavy gear.

Lunch is usually by the river or perhaps on a ridge near a village for the best possible views. Since our Nepalese trekking staff are “fast walkers,” the cooks go ahead to prepare a light lunch of vegetable curry, cheese, bread, and fruit. The menus are always varied and delicious.

After lunch, we continue walking and aim to reach our camp site by 4:00 p.m. Upon arrival at camp, hot tea and cookies/biscuits are well deserved! There is usually time to explore villages or temples in the area. Or you may want to find a private spot to sit down and write down your experiences.

Dinner is served in the early evening and most appreciated since trekking works up an appetite. The food is tasty and nutritious -- similar to Indian food, but not quite as spicy. We use fresh vegetables and fruits that are bought in the local villages. Our trained cooks will surprise you with delicious Indian, Nepali, and Continental cuisine.

In the evening, there is time to sit around camp to swap stories, sing and dance with the Nepalese and relax. If requested, more hot water can be brought to your tent for a wash or you may want to try a refreshing wash by the river if near by. A hot shower will have to wait until Kathmandu, but you will be amazed at how a sponge bath works!

Camping on our trips is considered “luxurious camping.“ Your tent is set up and taken down for you by our staff. Thick sleeping pads are provided for your comfort. All tents while staying in Nepal are based on double occupancy. If you would like your own tent, please let us know and we can make arrangements for an additional fee.

The staff will dig a latrine a short distance from the camp and set up a small tent around it for privacy. While on the trail, you will soon adapt in finding a private spot in the bushes when nature calls.

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November 13: We will make a steep climb up the “endless” stone staircase – said to have more than 3300 steps! As we ascend, the majestic peaks of the Annapurna range become visible beyond the green hills. We will go through the village of Ulleri and wind our way through deep forests to the hillside village of Banthanti (7,500 ft.).

November 14: This day will take us through some incredible rhododendron forests to Ghorapani (9,000 ft.), with spectacular views of the entire Annapurna range, and the near 10,000 ft. shear vertical face of Dhaulagiri.

November 15: We will begin this day early, with the spectacular sunrise excursion to Poon Hill -- one of the highlights of this trip -- with unbelievable views of countless peaks reaching over 20,000 feet. Some of the peaks we will see are the famous Machhapuchhare (Nepali translation: Fishtail, because that is what it looks like from above) and the peaks of the Annapurna mountain range. The half marathon participants will have an afternoon to rest and relax before the race while their family members and friends make the descent to Tadapani (Nepali translation: Far from water) and camp there for the night (8,300 ft.). Tadapani is perched atop a ridge overlooking the deep valleys below reaching as far as the Indian border.

November 16: RACE DAY!! From from Ghorapani (9,000 ft., Nepali translation: Horse water) to Ghandrunk (6400 ft.). This non-technical trail run is almost completely downhill! You will begin the descent through dense and beautiful Rhododendron forests, then through a cool, dense and mossy green jungle.

Racers will meet their families and celebrate their accomplishment in Ghandruk. (6,400ft). All runners will receive gifts from our sponsors and are invited to our celebration dinner that evening.

November 17: We’ll take this opportunity to rest for a day in Ghandruk, there will be time to relax, an optional day hike, a visit to the Buddhist monastery or visit the museum. Ghandruk is a large Gurung village set on a steep, terraced hillside at an elevation of 6,400 feet. There is a rock quarry near Ghandruk where we will see porters carrying flat slabs of stone on their backs. The stone slabs are used to make hut roofs in nearby villages.

November 18: From Ghandruk, we will continue down the valley through rice and millet terraces, seeing first hand how the Nepalese work in their fields. We will reach the bottom of the valley where the trail follows the river to Naya Pul. There, we will take a chartered bus back to the village of Pokhara where we will spend the night in a hotel.

November 19: Relax, explore and enjoy the village of Pokhara, take an optional paragliding flight, or paddle a boat out on the lake if you like. We will have our post trek /run celebration dinner and another night in a hotel.

November 20: Fly back to Kathmandu in the morning, with time in the afternoon for shopping and sightseeing.

November 21: This will be a free day in Kathmandu for shopping and exploring the narrow streets and markets. We will also have our farewell Dinner in the evening.

TOTAL COST (not including airfare) for this trip is $2995/person (including the run) and just $2895 for non-runners.