Ghorepani Poonhill trekking trail is the easiest one of the Annapurna region in Nepal and best for the people who have limited time but a high desire to watch awesome mountain ranges along with sunrise and sunset colors painting it.
The trail to Poonhill goes through terraced slopes, beautiful ethnic villages, awesome waterfalls as well as rhododendron forests. Poonhill, the highest point of the trail with the altitude of 3210 m, is the best place to have mesmerizing views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. It offers the panoramic views of Annapurna South, Annapurna Fang, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchchhre, etc. When the colors of the rising sun hit those mountains, you feel the worth of every step it took to get there.
Before starting the trek, most trekkers spend few days in Pokhara - the closest town to the Annapurna Himalayan Range, which is around 200 km far from the capital city Kathmandu. There are numerous ways to reach Pokhara - Flight or Tourist buses or local buses or micro-buses or reserved vehicles. Traveling on the highway takes 5-6 hours to reach Pokhara, taking a flight takes just 30 minutes.
Pokhara is a city of lakes and those lakes are the mirror to the Himalaya. It is the tourism capital of Nepal and the base for trekkers undertaking the trekking through the Annapurna Conservation Area. The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest mountains in the world — Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu — are within 25–60 km aerial distance of the Pokhara city. Pokhara will overwhelm you more as you walk along the shores of the Fewa and Begnash lake where you see the reflection of a spectacular panoramic view of the Annapurna Massif. Colorful wooden boats are other attractions.
As we were starting our trek from Nayapul we took the local bus to get there. From Pokhara, you can take a taxi or bus to Nayapul. Buses to Nayapul operate from Baglung bus park and take 2-3 hours to reach there. Taxis can be faster but will cost almost 10 times than the bus. Due to reconstruction of the Pokhara-Nayapul highway crossing that ~40 km road section feels a bit tricky. We started our trekking from Nayapul.
From Nayapul we started downhill and plain trail in the opposite to Modi river until the ACAP board which suggested Ghorepani to the left is reached. The uphill trail began from Birethanti, paved stone steps for a few minutes then the motor-able road (which goes till Ulleri; You can also book the vehicle from Nayapul). We kept on walking on the trail crossing a few small human settlements named Ramghai, Sudame, and Hile. As we got near to Hile, we started climbing through the stone stairs leading to Tikhedunga.
After awesome Nepali lunch in Tikhedunga, we continued the crazy stone stairs. From Tikhedhunga it is a steep climb to Ulleri completely through stone steps. But the surrounding sceneries were more than awesome.
On a clear day, you can also enjoy the mesmerizing view of the lofty peaks - Annapurna South and Hiuchuli. The rain kept on visiting us time and again the whole day denying the mountain views.
As we spent that night in Ghorepani, we became ready for the early morning trek from Ghorepani to Poonhill to view the sunrise and spectacular Himalayan range. We started the short trek to Poon Hill at around 5 AM. We got out of the hotel room and looked at the sky and got the awesome view of twinkling stars. Steep ascent to Poon Hill (3,210 m) took a bit more than half an hour. While ascending, high peaks of the mountain ranges rise beneath the night sky. With the half moonlight, they were recognizable. Sun was yet to rise.
Poonhill is a place for an incredible view of the sunrise over the Himalayas. The mountain resembling the tail of a fish is one of the beautiful mountains of Nepal, and its called Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). Standing at the height of 6,993m it is considered sacred by the locals linking it with Lord Shiva and restricting the climb. The views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain range just before sunrise were beyond the imagination. Along with us, travelers from different countries on the hill were happy to get clear weather despite heavy rain the previous night.
“The Dhaulagiri massif in Nepal extends 120 km from the Kaligandaki River west to the Bheri. Mt. Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m) is the seventh highest mountain in the world.”
After awesome morning, most visitors left the place but we were glued to the beauty of the place for some more minutes. While getting down, I literally couldn’t help myself from stopping every few steps to take another photo.
“Machhapuchchhre - meaning 'fishtail' is one of the best mountains in the Annapurna Himalayan range. It is off-limit to climbers to preserve its shape and beauty. Machhapuchchhre is also believed to be a sacred mountain, associated with the Hindu god Shiva.”
Trekking to Poonhill during the Rhododendron blooming season is the best time than other months. Rhododendron trek enables you to explore the different species of rhododendron. Because of the enchanting beauty of rhododendron flowers along with majestic mountains makes this one of the most romantic treks in your life. Enchanting beauty of rhododendron flowers, you also get the stunning glimpse of beautiful white-capped peaks that makes your journey blissful.
“Annapurna South, another beauty of the Annapurna range is 7,219 m (23,684 ft) tall.”
The best time for rhododendron trek is March and April when the rhododendron forest is in their full glory. With all the fun in the downhill trail, we reached the highway to Pokhara in the late afternoon. The surroundings were still shining along with our minds.
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1. Kathmandu to Pokhara (Drive)
Day 2. Pokhara to Naya Pool (Drive) to Tikhe Dhunga to Ghorepani
Day 3. Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Ghorepani to Tatopani to Baglung (Drive)
Day 4. Baglung to Pokhara to Kathmandu. (Drive)
See you on the next trip :)