The 6 day Poon Hill trek through Annapurna Conservation Area in Nepal. An adventure in the Himalayan foothills.
Poon Hill Trek, Annapurna Conservation Area
It’s likely you’ve never heard of Poon Hill…nor had I until the Bhandari brothers invited us over to Nepal to try an ‘easy’ trek in the Himalayan foothills!
Day 1 Poon Hill Trek: Nayapul to Hile
A few things became clear as the day progressed… especially Nepalese terms of phrase such as easy = challenging; hill = up to 6000 mt approx; mountain = 7000 mt+; walk = strenuous hike; flat route = up and downhill; steps = steep climb up +3500 stone steps; only 20 minutes = around an hour’s stiff trail; sunrise view of the peaks = 4am wake-up and 90 min upwards route in the pitch black up a freezing mountainside (sorry, hill)…you get the idea?
Saying that, I wouldn’t have missed this adventure for the world!!!
Our alarm went off at 6am. Juan and I picked up our backpacks, had a quick milk coffee and met Padam Bhandari outside the Kathmandu hotel for a rickety rickshaw ride to the bus station. Nepali Padam is an expert mountain guide at Nepal Adventure Point.
The journey aboard a tourist bus to the lakeside city of Pokhara along the dusty highway was an insight into daily Nepalese life. The brightly coloured buildings and wayside stalls of the Kathmandu Valley gave way to fabulous rural scenery as the road followed the mighty Trishuli River gorge. A couple of pit stops along the way to grab some fresh fruit or coffee and go to the toilet (yes, Asian style – just imagine you’re squatting behind a bush).
It was raining in Pokhara as it often does, very heavy showers that are welcome in the tropical heat.
Annapurna Conservation Area
Next morning we were driven to Nayapul, a rural village in the hills at 1070m above sea level. The setting was picturesque, as it is throughout the Annapurna region, with gaily painted very modest homes, friendly villagers in traditional Nepali clothing, lots of small stalls selling mainly fruit or hiking gear, and the occasional stray dog who always accompanies you until you leave.
The trek starts from here, down by the Modi Khola River. We left Nayapul over a hanging metal bridge which the cheeky local kiddies were enthusiastically jumping on to make it sway! The wide stony trail was easy, slightly uphill for the first part of the way following the river and suitable for jeeps too.
To enter the Annapurna Conservation Area you do need to get the ACAP and TIMS trekker permits beforehand and show both passes at the control points.
Hile village
We took a short trail up to Hile (pronounced ‘hilly’), a tiny Gurung village which turns out to be the ancestral home of the Gurkhas, the fearless Nepalese soldiers of the British Army.
Our guide had booked an overnight in the ‘See You Lodge’, one of the cleanest and most welcoming guesthouses we were to see. Double rooms are basic but the beds are comfortable, toilets and showers are in separate cubicles along the corridor, but they have hot water so this was fine.
The friendly owner spoke little English but his small grandson Nitesh Gurung told us that a great grandfather had served in the British Gurkha Army in Italy, and that his uncle is an officer in England.
We were a group of four trekkers (Juan and I, and another couple, Alex and Simone) accompanied by Padam our expert Himalayan mountain guide. Prakash the young porter was carrying our gear (couple of basic changes of clothes, minimum of toiletries and pyjamas).
I carried a daypack with my water bottle, rain mac just in case, and camera, etc., but had left my laptop and rest of the luggage back at the hotel in Pokhara.
For dinner we had our first Dal Bhat, a typical Nepalese dish of spicy lentil sauce, white rice and a variety of accompaniments which I love, although like most eateries there’s a choice of curry or pizza too.
Simone ordered a glass of potent Raksi, homemade Nepali wine, but none of us could drink it so we settled for a spiced Masala tea instead. Beer is an overpriced luxury in the mountains and meat in short supply so this was the ultimate healthy adventure, with loads of fresh air and exercise, veggie food and no alcohol!
Today we had walked for around four hours and ascended some 500m.
Day 2 Poon Hill Trek: Hile – Ulleri Hill – Ghorepani
Up at first light for breakfast, we left Hile village (at 1500m above sea level) in the early morning sunshine and walked through the beautiful countryside, crossing the waters of the Modi Khola River rushing down from the Annapurna Base Camp on the usual rope bridge.
Ulleri Hill
The challenging ascent up Ulleri Hill (2070m) starts near here. We climbed a total of 3767 steps that wind up a scenic track that is used by villagers to get from place to place, the only transport being the hardy little ponies used to carry supplies.
October to December is one of the best times of year weather wise to enjoy Nepal but this autumn it was hotter than usual for this strenuous hike! Somewhere along the way, at some point around a corner, I looked up and suddenly saw one of the Himalayan mountain peaks rising up in the distance, an incredible sight, you really can’t imagine how high they are.
We stopped for lunch at one of the blue painted ‘tea houses’ near Ulleri village, and ate some typical Dal Bhat. Although you can walk the Poon Hill trail alone, it really is worth having a good friendly guide alongside.
This was the peak season but Padam from Nepal Adventure Point had pre-booked the lodges are (this is simple accommodation but some are nicer than others) so we didn’t have to worry about finding a room each night. He knows which tea lodges serve the best lunch and gave us an expert running commentary on the trek, the mountains, wildlife and way of life in Nepal generally, always with a touch of humor and smile on his face (even when I lagged behind!).
The trail was flatter for a while, winding through endless green forests which are bright with Rhododendron blooms in the springtime. This part of the walk was quiet and peaceful with few hikers around.
Ghorepani village
After another uphill stretch we reached Ghorepani (2775m) late afternoon, the little village that lies under Poon Hill. The lodge was full of hikers on the same mission as us, to see Poon Hill at sunrise. The guides and porters had to sleep in the dining room that night!
After dinner, we had a beer, a well deserved treat. Today we had walked some seven to eight hours, mainly upwards… and the best was yet to come!
For information on treks and activities in Nepal contact BB Bhandari at Nepal Adventure Point.
Poon Hill Trek – Related Posts
Continue reading about our amazing Poon Hill trek
Nepal Poon Hill trek – Ghorepani to Tadapani
Poon Hill Summit – Tadapani – Ghandruk
I didn’t realize how excited I would be to get up at 4 am! I threw on some warm clothes, my hiking boots and headlamp and then began the walk up from Ghorepani to Poon Hill, to see the sunrise over the Himalayas.
- Kathmandu – Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square – First stop on our around the world trip!
- Kathmandu – Patan City and Swayambhu Temple
- Kathmandu – Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple
- Poon Hill Trek part 1 Nayapul – Hile – Ulleri – Ghorepani
- Poon Hill Trek part 2 Poon Hill Summit – Tadapani – Ghandruk
- Poon Hill Trek part 3 Landruk – Tolka – Dhampus
- Pokhara Lake
- Chitwan National Park
- Diwali Festival of Lights in Kathmandu
- 12-day Nepal Itinerary – Kathmandu Diwali Festival and Himalayan Trek
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