Api-Saipal Himal Trek

Itinerary

SHORT ITINERARY

• Day 01 :  Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (152m/499ft), Flying Distance: 366km, Duration- 1 hour.

• Day 02 : Flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot (2,910m/9,547ft), Flying Distance: 208km, Duration- 50 minutes, and trek to Dharapuri (2,310m/7,579ft), Walking Duration: 4 hours.

• Day 03 : Trek from Dharapuri to Kermi (2,670m/8,760ft), Walking Duration: 6 hours.

• Day 04 : Trek from Kermi to Yalbang (3,020m/9,908ft), Walking Duration: 5 to 6 hours. 

• Day 05 : Trek from Yalbang to Chala (3,690m/12,106ft), Walking Duration: 6 to 7 hours.

• Day 06 : Trek from Chala to Karang Khola/ Labuk Depsa (4,000m/13,123ft), Walking Duration: 6 hours.

• Day 07 : Trek from Karang Khola to Base Camp (4,250m/13,944ft), Walking Duration: 6 to 7 hours.

• Day 08 : Rest Day at Base Camp.

• Day 09 : Trek from Base Camp to Karang Khola (4,000m/13,123ft), Walking Duration: 6 hours.

• Day 10 : Trek from Karang Khola to Yalbang/ Salle Khola (3,020m/9,908ft), Walking Duration: 7 hours. 

• Day 11 : Trek from Yalbang to Dharapuri (2,310m/7,579ft), Walking Duration: 7 to 8 hours.

• Day 12 : Trek from Dharapuri to Simikot (2,910m/9,547ft), Walking Duration: 4 hours.

• Day 13 : Fly back to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj (152m/499ft), Flying Duration: 1 hrs 45 minutes flight.

DETAIL ITINERARY

• Day 01 : Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (150m) - 1 hrs flight. Our trekking guide will receive you at your hotel for our domestic flight. We will be flying to Nepalgunj in south-west Nepal. Nepalgunj is considered as the gateway to the far west and is famous for adventure treks to Dolpa and Jumla region. Overnight at the hotel inclusive breakfast.
   
• Day 02 : Flight to Simikot (45 minutes flight) and trek to Dharapuri (2310m) - 4 hrs walk. After breakfast early in the morning, we will take the 50 min flight to Simikot on a tiny airplane. Upon arriving at Simikot airport, we will officially start our trek by heading to Dharapuri. We will go through pine forests walking on a rough and rocky trail, passing Gwalekhor, Syada, and crossing a suspension bridge over the Karnali River before reaching the Dharapuri. We will stay overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 03 : Trek to Kermi (2670m) - 6 hrs walk. We continue our trek moving towards our next destination, Kermi. Following the trail along the banks of Humla Karnali River, we will come across beautiful waterfalls and visit the famous Buddhist monasteries: Lakiyo Gompa; and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa. After a visit to these monasteries, we will come across a hot spring and stop to take a dip before we reach Kermi. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 04 : Trek to Yalbang (3020m) - 5 hrs walk. After breakfast, we leave Kermi and move trek to our next destination Yalbang. En route, we can enjoy the dramatic scene of the high Himalayan landscapes. We will be walking along with the buckwheat and paddy fields, then through a pine forest. First, we cross Okharthala and cross a bridge over the Salli River and continue west towards Yalbang. After reaching Yalbang, we can visit the Namkh Kyung Dzong monastery which houses statues of Guru Rinpoche and Lord Buddha. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 05 : Trek to Chala (3690m) - 6 hrs walk.After breakfast, we set-off for Chala heading north. En route, we can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and see the wonderful peaks in Sumjum and Saipal Himal ranges.We can also find a few teahouses along the trail. We arrive Chala after a short descent from Syakup Langa. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 06 : Trek to Karang Khola/ Labuk Depsa (4000m) - 6 hrs walk.After breakfast, we head for Karang Khola; our next destination. We will follow the trail along the Kalungba River, seeing the beautiful Karang Valley. As we continue ahead, we also see the Saipal ranges and Karang Taal along our way. We will also get to catch the glimpses of North Saipal Glacier as well. The final part of our trail is through a lush forest before we arrive at the settlement of Karang Khola. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 07 : Trek to Base Camp (4250m).We continue our trek moving towards the Saipal Base Camp following a trail that gets steep and icy. So we ought to be cautious and follow the guidelines of our guide. Upon reaching the base camp, we can enjoy the picturesque views of Api (7132m), Saipal (7031m), Nandadevi (7817m), and surrounding peaks like Chuli (6730m) which also offers a mesmerizing display. The rest of the scenery from the Base Camp also includes Saipal Glacier, Nunekhara Glacier, and Humla Danda. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 08 : Rest Day. We will spend another day at the Base Camp exploring around the Base Camp. To get more amazing views of the mountain ranges, we can hike up to the nearby vantage points with the help of our guide. We need to be careful and follow our guide as the terrain here is snow and ice-covered most of the time that can get tricky at times.
  Overnight stay at the Base Camp at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 09 : Trek back to Karang Khola (4000m). After breakfast, we trace our way back the trail descending down to the banks of Karang Khola. Enjoying the alternative view of the Karang Region, our trek continues along with lush pasture land. We can also choose to take a short visit to Karang Tal before we further continue our trek to the settlement fo Karang Khola. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 10 : Trek back to Yalbang/ Salle Khola (3020m).The trail today is easy as we descend to Yalbang. We will trek along the isolated trails that offer remarkable scenery of surrounding landscapes. En route, we will walk along the Puiya River before concluding the trek for the day. Once we reach Yalbang, we can explore the village inhabited by Thakuri and Bhotia community. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 11 : Trek back to Dharapuri (2310m). We continue our journey, heading back to Dharapuri. The trail gently descends to vegetation and settlement areas inhabited by indigenous people. Once refreshed, we can go explore the lifestyle and unique culture of Jhakri, Thakuri, and Bhotia community. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 12 : Trek back to Simikot (2910m). Today is the last day of our trek. We retrace our way back to Simikot after our breakfast. Upon reaching Simikot, we can explore many unique stupas, monasteries, and many other places in this town.
  Herein, the cultures and practices are unique and one-of-a-kinds. Overnight at a tented camp on full board meals.
   
• Day 13 : Fly back to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj (1400m) - 1 hrs 45 minutes flight.It was a wonderful time in the mountains! We will take an early morning flight to Nepalgunj. We will further take another flight from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu and celebrate our final dinner together with the crew. Overnight at a hotel inclusive dinner and breafast.