Dhaulagiri Circuit: Through The Hidden Valley

Day by Day Route Descriptions:-

1. Kathmandu to Pokhara

2. Local bus to Kusma ( or Baglung - see note below ).
Walk along road to Khanyagar. Camp on terraces beyond village.

3. Continue up-valley alongside the Kali Gandaki river.
Cross suspension bridge to west bank and continue to Beni.
Camp about 3/4hr. beyond Beni on grassy flats beside school.

4. Proceed up Myagdi Khola valley crossing/ re-crossing river.
Lunch at Babichar.
Camp in grounds of school at Darbang.

5. Continue alongside river to Phedi. Climb steeply to ridgetop for fine view
of the Gurja Himal.
Proceed to picturesque village of Darapani.
Continue to Sibang and camp in field near school.

6. Contour round terraced hillside to river. Climb up and around spur to Muri.
Camp on terrace above school. ( 1/2 day )
View across valley to Dhaulagiri I.

7. Descend through terraces to river. Climb up and around spur.
Continue into Myagdi Khola valley. Climb above farms for lunch.
A long, rising traverse is followed by a steep climb to cross a spur.
Descend to village of Baghara.
Camp at school or on terraces below.

8. Proceed up the narrow valley alongside and above the river.
View ahead of Mt.Manipati - an outlier of Dhaulagiri I.
Enter dense forest/ jungle. Lunch at Lipshe - a clearing in the forest.
Continue up through forest/ jungle and camp in other clearing/ kharka
of Dobang.

9. Continue up-valley through jungle.
Cross sidestream and then across to eastern bank of Myagdi Khola on
rudimentary bridges. Lunch in small clearing/ kharka above river.
Proceed through forest to reach camping place amongst tall pine trees
before a sidestream.

10. Continue up-valley through forest. Emerge into open scrub beneath the
West Face of Dhaulagiri I and the opposing heights of Mt.Tsaurabong and
the satellite peaks of Dhaulagiris II, III and V.
Proceed beyond tree-line to Italian Base Camp above moraine wall. ( 1/2 day )

11. Descend cleft/ gully in moraine wall and cross glacier.
Re-ascend moraine wall on far side.
Traverse along grassy slopes and camp on terrace above river. ( 1/2 day )

12. Proceed into narrow gorge/ canyon between high rock precipices and
alongside river.
Continue onto rugged, undulating moraines of Chonbarden Glacier.
There is a badly crevassed zone before reaching the flatter, upper part
of the glacier - ice-axes/ rope may be required.
A long, hard day with considerable altitude gain before reaching the
main expedition base camp situated on rocky moraine opposite
Tukuche Peak and directly beneath the "Little Eiger" face of
Dhaulagiri I. There is a splendid view down the glacier to the great wall
formed by Dhaulagiris II, III and V.

13. Rest day/ acclimatization

14. Proceed up snow-covered moraine. Climb onto and continue along ridge.
Traverse across a wide snow basin and ascend to French Pass beneath
Mt.Sita Chuchura and Tukuche Peak.
Spectacular views of Dhaulagiri I.
Descend into Hidden Valley - a broad, flat plateau surrounded by snow peaks.
Camp near stream. ( 1/2 day )

15. Contour round beneath lower slopes of Tukuche Peak and ascend easy angled
snow slopes to Thapa Pass.
View from col across to the Annapurna Himal and Nilgiri Peaks.
Descend and camp at gravel flats of Kalopani beneath Thapa Peak.

16. Ascent of Thapa Peak:

Climb above camp on scree/ snow slopes and make
a rising traverse to rock ridge. Easy scramble to summit ( c6000m ) for an
excellent viewpoint:- across to Tukuche Peak, across Kali Gandaki Valley to
Annapurna Himal ( Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Fang ), Tilicho Peak,
Nilgiri Peaks, down to Thapa Pass, Hidden Valley, French Pass and
Mt.Sita Chuchura and Dhaulagiris II, III, V.

17. Descend easy slopes to Yak Kharka. ( 1/2 day )
Good views across to Nilgiri Peaks and down into Kali Gandaki Valley.

18. Long, steep, winding descent to Marpha. ( 1/2 day ).

Note: The trek can be started from the airport/ roadhead at Baglung.