What is Meant by a Remote Trek?
Unlike regular treks, remote treks need a bit more preparation and an adventurous spirit to undertake them. Remote treks are in areas which are less visited than some of the main trekking trails. By their very nature they are untouched areas off-the-beaten-track and filled with wonderous flora and fauna.
Some remote trek areas may even be limited in how many trekkers can visit there each year, and all of them require special permits from the Government of Nepal. They also require trekkers to enter with a professional guide – to protect both the environment and ensure the safety of trekkers.
With regards to accommodation, some treks have teahouses for accommodation while the majority require the trekkers to camp and carry their own food.
By their very nature, they are more expensive than the popular and heavily trekked areas, but the rewards are huge.
Like most treks in Nepal, all the remote ones require a good level of general fitness. Therefore, get some hiking done at home if you can or spend more time in the gym before leaving home!
To help you decide if you would like to do a remote trek, and which one would suit you best, I am listing out five remote treks which are among my favourite, and I would be interested to hear back from you if you do one, or have done one, of these treks!
Manaslu Circuit Trek
This is a 14-day trek reaching an altitude of 5,167m The best time to visit is spring and autumn (March to May and September to December).
As it is in a restricted area you will need what they call a Restricted Area Permit as well as a Manaslu Conservation Area Permit and a TIMS Card. You will also need to be accompanied by a professional, licensed, trekking guide because, as I said earlier, you will be in a restricted area.
Accommodation
Although there are some teahouses (simple trekking lodges) in this area, some areas on the trek do not have accommodation so it is wise to carry camping gear and food with you. Naturally, your guide will explain it to you before you set off and you can make plans accordingly. Where there are teahouses, expect very basic conditions with limited power (for charging your electronics for example), and hot water.
What You Will See and Experience on this Trek
This is one of the less expensive remote treks but still gives you the experience of trekking in the wilderness with fewer trekkers on the trails.
The trek takes you through the Manaslu Conservation Area to the eighth-highest mountain in the world – Mount Manaslu. This giant of a mountain sits among many other mountains, including the Annapurna range in the west and Ganesh Himal in the east. One of the highlights of the trek is the Larky La Pass at 5,167m. From here you can see the most spectacular views of Manaslu as well as a glacial cirque created by several mountains including Himlung Himal, Gyaji Kang and Cheo Himal. The pass also brings you within a stone's throw of the Tibetan border. With a very early – and I mean early like 3 am – start trekkers often require micro-crampons to cross this snowy and icy land.
Before you get to the awesome high mountains, you get to meet the locals, mainly of Tibetan descent and experience life in their villages and visit a gompa (Buddhist temple). The lowland areas of the trek have hot weather enabling villagers to grow terraced fields of rice and millet. The Budhi Gandaki River runs through the area with its clear blue waters and mighty waterfalls. If you haven’t experienced walking over suspension bridges, now is your opportunity.
Being a conservation area, you would expect plenty of wildlife. While this is Snow Leopard country its very hard to spot these secretive animals. More likely are Himalayan Tahrs, which are sort of hairy goats with large curly horns, Himalayan Pika, a small mammal, and the Himalayan Marmots.
Kanchenjunga Trek
Kanchenjunga trek is a 21-day challenging trek that reaches an altitude of 5,143m (16,873ft) and is best undertaken in March to May or October to December.
This restricted area requires you to have a Restricted Area Permit. You will need to be accompanied by a professional, trained trekking guide and there is a minimum number of two trekkers required for the trek.
Accommodation
Due to the location, this was a camping trek. So full camping gear was required, along with a kitchen tent and food for the duration. Thanks to the local tea house, now the trek can be done as a tea house trek.
This area has recently been included in the Great Himalayan Trail so there are some teahouses coming up. With COVID, these probably haven’t been open for some time, so it is good to talk with your guide regarding the latest state of play. But camping is much more adventurous anyway!
What You Will See and Experience on this Trek
Kanchenjunga lies in far eastern Nepal which borders Sikkim in India. The area was closed to trekkers until the mid-1980s and today it retains its feeling of entering a different world. This is the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area with its unique flora and fauna.
This trek takes you to both the north and south base camps of Kanchenjunga which are Oktang and Pangpema. One interesting fact is that until the mid-1800s it was thought Kanchenjunga was the highest mountain in the world. Yes, at 8,586m it is pretty high – the third highest in the world, as we now know. Some other mountains you will see on this trek are in fact subsidiary summits of Kanchenjunga. Namely, Yalung Kang (8,505m) is the main one. There are also many mountains over 7,000m as well as numerous ones over 6,000m. The closest mountains on this trek are Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Everest and Lhotse. So, if it's the mountains you are after, you have a lot to identify and remember!
Where there are mountains there are glacial lakes and glaciers. Two of the main glaciers, Kanchenjunga and Yalung, flow into the Tamor River – a beast of the river. There are plenty of other rivers and waterfalls to see on the route.
The trek starts at lower altitudes where you will see fields and villages. It actually passes through the tea-growing area of Nepal too. As you ascend the insights into people's lives become more interesting. The main ethnic groups in this area are Gurung, Rai and Limbu who are Buddhist. It is possible to visit Ramtang and Oktang Monasteries to soak up the meditative, relaxing atmosphere.
Another amazing highlight of this trek is crossing passes over 4,000m and hiking through the diverse flora and fauna of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. In fact, the list of mountains and experiences on this trek just goes on, and on making it a favourite with those who have already done it.
Upper Mustang Trek
This 14-day trek reaches a height of 3,800m, (12,729ft) and is best visited between March and December. Since it is in the rain shadow this is one of the few treks that can be done during the monsoon (June – August) season too. During November to December, there may be a shortage of accommodation as many local people go down to lower areas, often Pokhara, to avoid the winter snows.
It is in a restricted area so again the Restricted Area Permit applies along with the TACAP. And once again a properly trained and licensed guide is required.
Accommodation
This is a teahouse trek although in the lower areas, Jomson and Kagbeni for example, you can get very comfortable guest houses. The food in these lower villages is exceptional too as they have a large number of trekkers coming through annually.
What You Will See and Experience on this Trek
This trek is very different from what you will see in a lot of the other trekking areas. The upper part of Mustang is a dry landscape of cliffs with areas of walled fields and kitchen gardens.
This area is also known as the Last Forbidden Kingdom of Nepal and was only opened up to trekkers in 1992. Unfortunately, in more recent times there has not been a king sitting in the palace in Lo-Manthang, banned when Nepal became a federal republic. The former king does however still play a prominent and respected role in the area.
This trek begins at Jomson, after flying in from Pokhara. Or you can take a bus or jeep from Pokhara to Jomson. Moving on from the busy market town of Jomson to Kagbeni you get the feeling of entering a land that time forgot. Some of the villages are wonderful to see – like Kagbeni itself with its enclosed streets, and the walled city of Lo Manthang, the centre of the Lo Kingdom and home of the past Lo Kings. This is part of the old salt-caravan route, and you will still see a few caravans of mules on the trails.
Aside from the dry landscape, apple orchards, fields of buckwheat and barley, and white-painted houses, there are the mountains. Nilgiri, Tilicho, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Bhrikuti Peak are just some you will see on this trek.
This is a strong Buddhist area, and this is reflected by some of the festivals that take place here such as Tiji and Yartung. Interestingly enough, lower down in Mustang there is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site of Muktinath Temple with its eternal flame and significant water spouts.
Another very interesting point on this trek is a visit to Chhoser where there are the Jhong Caves known as Sky Caves. These are huge caves built high into the side of the cliffs. No one really knows what they were for but perhaps they were burial chambers, places of meditation and monasteries. It certainly is a challenge to get into the caves are there are no visible points of entry or stairs built into the cliffs in order to reach them. One of the many mysteries of Nepal.
Upper Dolpo Trek
This 24-day trek takes you to an altitude of 5,670m and to a restricted area not often visited by trekkers. This is another challenging trek through areas which require RAP and TACAP permits and to be led by a qualified and licensed guide. The high altitude and long walking hours make it particularly challenging, but I think the rewards are worth it, not least the fact that it is unlikely your friends will have heard of the area, let alone been there! The best time to go here is April and May and October and November.
Accommodation
This is a full camping trek. Your trekking agent will provide porters and cooks to transport the equipment and mix up good, hearty meals. Bring whatever luxury items you think you might miss such as some chocolate or, decanted plastic, or a bottle of good spirits! This will be an amazing three weeks in the wilderness following the ancient trans-Himalayan traders’ trails.
What You Will See and Experience on this Trek
If you have never seen the late 1990s film Himalaya (called Caravan when shown in Nepal) by French photographer and film director, Eric Valli, I suggest you try to get a copy. This is Upper Dolpo at its best! If you have watched this film, then I don’t need to write anymore here!
But in case you haven’t… this is a trek into one of the least developed areas of Nepal where the people still live as they have for generations. What is really interesting is that it's one of the few places where you can see the Bon religion. This is similar, yet different, from Buddhism and both are very much present in Upper Dolpo. Visiting some of the monasteries is one of the highlights of this trek as is meeting locals who practise both religions and customs.
Another highlight is the beautiful She Phoksundo Lake with its turquoise water and surrounding precarious trails dug into the cliff sides. Most people spend some time exploring the lake area before trekking on (the next day) to Shey Gompa which is yet another experience – interacting with monks and perhaps taking part in a puja (prayer ritual). There are plenty of gompas to visit and much evidence of the Buddhist and Bon cultures to enjoy including prayer flags, and mani walls (stone walls with prayers carved into them).
Wildlife in this pretty barren place includes Goral, Thar, Himalayan Blue Sheep and even, if you are extremely lucky, the rare White Leopards.
Mountains tower overhead including Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Kanjiroba (6,883m). The holiest mountain in the region is Crystal Mountain which is found near Shey Gompa.
This trek involves two flights – one from Kathmandu to Nepalganj in the western Terai (lowland) area of the country, and then from Nepalganj to Jhupal in Dolpo. It is also possible to go by road to Nepalganj but that is an all-day or overnight journey. If you have time, however, exploring the very different, Indian-feeling Nepalganj might add some extra spice to your adventure. But, if you don’t have time, Upper Dolpo is amazing enough to stand alone!
Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek
This strenuous trek takes 18 days at a top altitude of 5,360m into the Hidden Valley in the Annapurna Region. An Annapurna Conservation Permit and a TIMS card is required for this trek. The days are relatively long on this trek and the altitude is high for most of the time with a couple of passes to climb, but it is a beautiful trekking route taking in different landscapes and peoples. The best time to do this trek is May, September, October and November.
Accommodation
This is a camping trek where everything will be provided by your trekking agent, including porters and food, tents and the basics (toilet tents!). Camping with the mountains all around you is an experience itself and the campsites used in this trek have been researched for the best locations, such as Dhaulagiri Base Camp which is situated on a glacier.
What You Will See and Experience on this Trek
This is a trek that touches different areas including the Annapurna Circuit Trek area, Jomson to Muktinath trekking area, and lower mustang. You can say it is a trek with much diversity in landscapes and people. Rhododendron forests with their bright red blooms (in spring), oak forests, raging rivers, and tilled fields are just some of the landscapes this trek passes through. As well as more rugged and stony trails.
Then there are the mountains. Majestic is hardly the word for the Annapurna Range: Mt Tukuche, Mt Dhaulagiri I, II, III, V, and dozens of other mountains on display. Those passes that need to be crossed consist of the French Pass (5,320m), Dhampus Pass (5,200m) and Thapa Pass (5,150m), which do make it a challenging, breathtaking, yet awe-inspiring trek.
There are several ways to reach the start of this trek including flying from Pokhara to Jomson or driving to Beni either from Pokhara or from Kathmandu. What would be an appropriate end to this trek would be a few days to relax in Pokhara by the side of its famous lake.
Out of the Ordinary
All these five treks are very different, yet all are in remote areas of Nepal, some areas with restrictions as to how many people can visit each year. They are perfect for adventurous trekkers, although maybe a bit too hard for beginners, and certainly are out of the ordinary.
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