'The insanely beautiful Nar Phu Valley trekking'

Helena Nijs
Aug 2
6 min read

Hey dear reader!

Well, I'm back from "the trek"! And what a trek! I'm happy to tell you all about this amazing experience.

Day 1: Finally, it was time! Up to 'Nar Phu Valley'. Before leaving Kathmandu for Koto by jeep, we picked up Jacobyn at the airport around nine o'clock. Just after lunch, our car broke down. Not unexpected, because the jeep made a rattling noise from the start. There we were, spotless 😀. The group's atmosphere was great from the start! Paula spontaneously gave a yoga class, so pleasant along the road! We ended up driving back four and a half hours later. After a hellish drive in the dark, we arrived in Jagat at eleven o'clock at night. We didn't make it to Koto. It was too dark to see the beautiful surroundings. Clearly nestled between the mountains and next to a river, judging by the noise. The houses I could see were colorful. One of them looked exactly like the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. Anyway, bed was calling!

Day 2: Our alarm clock, Ganesh (the guide), was already knocking on the door at five o'clock. Due to the car breakdown, we lost a lot of time. About three hours later, we reached Koto, a village situated at an altitude of 2,600 meters. Okay, time had come to get down to business. With our backpacks on, we hiked between the mountains, along the river, through the forest, and absorbed the scent of pine trees. Wonderful, that fresh air! Here and there, a waterfall appeared out of nowhere. I didn't know where to look first, the beautiful scenery was so overwhelming. Most people who live here are of Tibetan descent. In the 1960s, they moved to Nepal to build a better life.

Everyone was in good form, enjoying the beautiful surroundings. To prevent altitude sickness, we drank plenty of water, tea, and minerals, and walked more slowly. Hee hee, I had to take a step back. The last two hours were intense and seemed to drag on forever. That day was quite long and challenging. But, around 6:30 PM, we finally arrived in Meta, a hamlet situated at an altitude of 3,560 meters. Hee hee, we had nine hours under our belts. Near the stove in the cozy teahouse (Chomcho Guva) where we stayed that night, we all enjoyed our well-deserved dinner. Wow, and it tasted great! What a phenomenal first day; I thoroughly enjoyed it. Healthy and exhausted, we crawled into our sleeping bags shortly after.

Day 3 : Since we had to continue our trek, Ganesh woke us early again. At ten past seven, we were on the slopes! That morning was beautiful and sunny: to our left, we could see the white peaks of Annapurna and to our right and in front of us, the magnificent Himalayas. Because it was so clear, I could see almost every detail. The silence and tranquility overwhelmed me; only the wind whistled through my ears. I forgot all existence and was completely immersed in the purity of nature. A union between man and nature. And the slowness slowed me down from the speed of life. Insignificant, that's how I felt.

We enjoyed our lunch overlooking a chain of mountains! Less than ten minutes later, we were delighted to witness the spectacle and thunder of an avalanche. Miraculously, just then, a beautiful eagle with a wingspan of two and a half meters flew overhead. Wow, that was cool!

Lonneke was really struggling with the altitude; she had to drag herself forward. And she did! Amazing! Feeling like this and still having hours to go is anything but pleasant.

This second day wasn't easy, but it was so unique. Daylight was still dwindling as we arrived in Phu. This beautiful, authentic village is situated at an altitude of 4,100 meters. Feeling satisfied, we went to bed early.

Day 4: a day to recover and acclimatize. Mmm, sleep in a bit longer and laze around a bit. The altitude and the two long hikes were getting to everyone. We were all ready for a break. Ganesh took us to the top of breathtaking Phu. Phu was originally built specifically to protect the entire village from the wind. In this place, time stood still: the houses were made of mud, the comfort and luxury we know in the Western world were far removed. To us, life here seemed incredibly hard. This existence was barely bearable. Every year from December to April, the villagers have to move to a lower location. Life in Phu is then impossible because the water freezes.

The highest point of Phu was covered in tall grasses. A perfect setting for taking photos, enjoying the glorious sunshine, the peace, and the dazzling view.

Maurice and I climbed up to the Tasilakang Gompa Monastery. As luck would have it, we just happened to encounter a Tibetan monk. He told us that this magnificent structure has stood here for over fifteen hundred years. It was currently undergoing renovations, and we were given a sneak peek. Wow, this monastery was a riot of color, both inside and out. On our descent to our Phu Cottage Guesthouse, we saw a woman crushing cow dung on a stone. They were being dried and then burned in the stove. The view from our terrace was once again stunningly beautiful. As darkness fell, the cold became unbearable, and we had to go inside. The atmosphere was certainly cozy.

Day 5, Friday the 13th: according to our superstitions, an unlucky day! There was no sign of that here. At ten past seven in the morning, we were back on track. We walked a bit back towards Meta. Our pace was good. We all radiated happiness. We took two breaks: one for tea and the other for lunch. Nineteen kilometers later, we arrived at Nar Phedi Gompa. Wow, our sleeping quarters were in a monastery. Nepalese boys aged 8 to 15 come here to become monks. In the mountains, night and the cold quickly set in. So we were soon seated in the cozy dining hall. Hearing music, I ran outside out of curiosity. Ganesh grabbed me to show me something unique. There they were, those little monks: they recited mantras with discipline, with a small live concert after each prayer. Each had a different musical instrument. And the smallest among them, in turn, struck a large, colorful gong. Impressive: it gave me goosebumps, a lump in my throat, a tear of joy, and my body automatically went into meditation. A moment of authenticity, gratitude, and incredibly moving! As I write this, my hair is standing on end (again) with emotion. And the highlight was yet to come! Anyway, my evening couldn't have been better.

Day 6: I was awakened by the young monks, already busy with their prayers. After breakfast, we were invited to join them. Around eight o'clock, we put on our backpacks, and off we went. That day we hiked downhill to 4238 m. In Nar, another typical hamlet, we stayed half a day and half a night. Upon arrival, we enjoyed the wonderful sunshine on the terrace where we slept. To stretch our bodies, we practiced a few yoga poses. This felt incredibly good: how could it be otherwise with Paula, our experienced yoga teacher and trekking guide? Afterwards, we strolled around Nar. The goats, horses, and cows roamed freely. Apparently, people, nature, and animals are still closely linked here. Our dinner was served early because Sunday was supposed to be "the day"! We were supposed to leave at 3:30 in the morning (or rather, the middle of the night)! Oh my, this was so exciting!

Sunday, October 15th: "The event of the trek"! Up to Kang La Pass, 5,320 meters high. Wow, getting up that day wasn't easy. Breakfast was crucial to reaching this peak. Everyone was focused on their own! Up, up, up was the only way... and that was no picnic. My breath got shorter, and for a moment, I felt nauseous. Luckily, once the sun peeked out from behind the white splendor, it was over.

This landscape was magical! Suddenly, I was on top of the world! Imagine that! All of us were filled with adrenaline and euphoria. INSANE! What an extraordinary feeling! We took a few more photos and returned to our normal breathing altitude.

Honestly, the climb was much easier than the descent. Jeez, that long gravel road was a struggle. That descent seemed to take forever. Ugh, my calves were burning up, and I wished the trip was over. I had an intense feeling of satisfaction upon arriving in Nagwal. Hee hee, at the Royal Nyeshyang Hotel, we were recovering from our conquest. We all took the time to wash ourselves thoroughly, enjoyed a beautiful view from our terrace, and a delicious dinner.

Day 7: Our last day of trekking! A three-hour hike to Lower Pisang to hop in the jeep and drive back to civilization. It was hilarious in that jeep. I dangled like the car's mirror. Man, were we glad to have reached our final destination. In Besisahar, under the fluorescent lights of the restaurant, we ate dinner. We stayed there overnight before leaving for Pokhara the next morning.

Day 8: For a change, we had a great bus ride. It took six hours for 106 km. My Nepal adventure seemed endless. Pokhara and a good shower, here we come!

Thank you Paula ( Wanderworld.nl ), Lonneke, Jacobyn, Maurice, Ganesh, and Subash for this unique, unforgettable experience. I couldn't have wished for a nicer, crazier, sweeter, or better group than you! You all were amazing 💖! Lots of love 💖 and go bananas on the Dhaulagiri trek!