Pikey Peak Trek – 9 Days

The day will begin with an exhausting (8–9 hour) trip from Kathmandu to Dhap. You will begin the trip from a ridgeline south of Dhap, and as you move closer to Sigane, themountains that you will learn to know very well—the peaks of the NumburHimal part of the Himalayan Range—come into view.

For the first few hours, the Sigane path follows a road that is being construction. Japre (2920 m/9580 ft) is the first village you come to and is positioned over a deep valley with beautiful views of Everest and NumburHimal. This is your overnight destination, where there is a charming tiny stupa and gompa.

After Japre, the trail climbs up to a grassy ridge at Bhulbhule. There’s a single lodge with no name and nice views of the Everest range from here. Soon after Bhulbhule, the trail splits and you’ll turn right to Pikey Peak. You’ll pass some old yak houses and a long mani stone wall. The trail then contours the hillside below TaklungDanda and goes through a beautiful forested trail.

Along a level trail, there are numerous rhododendrons, which, if you hike in the spring, you can view in blossom. It takes roughly two hours to get to Pikey Peak base camp once you’ve left the forest. The top, at 4065 m/13336 ft, can be reached from here after a brief ascent. It’s best to ascend to the summit in the morning to see the sunrise, unless the evening is extraordinarily clear.

You’ll hike up a steady, prayer-flag-lined trail to the peak starting early in the morning. The panoramas are magnificent! You’ll be rewarded with expansive vistas of the Himalayas, from Kanchenjunga to Annapurna, if the weather is clear.

Following a ridgeline that begins level before becoming steeper as you enter the forest, you will arrive in JaseBhanjyang, where breakfast is waiting, from the summit of Pikey Peak. You’ll continue your descent to Loding after breakfast, a journey that includes some incline through the forest. You can choose from a few simple yet charming options for lodging in Loding.

After waking up, you’ll descend the slope to JaseBhanjyang for breakfast. There are a several possibilities for the descent to Junbesi after leaving there. The most likely is a magnificent detour that descends steeply through breathtaking old growth forest to Taktor after leaving the ridge shortly after Jase. The Everest Base Camp trail from Jiri crosses this path. From here, the tea houses are a little more developed, and you might run into a few new travelers.

A beautiful track takes you to Junbesi in a couple of hours from Taktor. At a height of 2675 meters/8776 feet, the historic Sherpa settlement of Junbesi is considered to be the origin of Sherpa culture and architecture. The Solukhumbu is regarded as a holy valley by the Sherpas. Buddhism thrives in this isolated region of Nepal that borders Tibet, and there are many Buddhist monasteries along the journey.

Start your journey to Taksindu this morning. At the bottom of the town, cross the river, then walk through the jungle to Salung, where, weather permitting, you can see Mount Everest (8848 m/29,028 ft), Chamlang (7319 m/2,4012ft), and Makalu (8481 m/27,824 ft). Beautiful views may be seen down to Phaplu and over the valley to Chiwong Monastery.

Follow the trail as it contours and descends to a brook before a brief ascent into Ringmo, a town renowned for its apple orchards and unique apple products such apple rakshi (alcohol), cider, and apple pie. After a brief descent to the Taksindu Monastery and your lodging, there is one last short ascent to Taksindu La, where there are once more stunning mountain vistas. The 1946-built Taksindu Monastery is typically open in the morning or late in the day. If you come, kindly remember to leave a donation.

Take a lovely forest path that leads to Phaplu today instead of staying on the main trekking route. The ChiwongGompa, built on a rock above the valley, is another destination that may be reached by hiking up. The Mani Rimdu festival is celebrated magnificently at this 1923-founded monastery every autumn. As you descend into Phaplu, stop at your welcoming tea house to celebrate the end of a wonderful walk.

Today, we say goodbye to the mountains and get back into our car to head down to the Kathmandu Valley. After a long drive, we transport you to any hotel in Kathmandu, where you have the rest of the evening to unwind.

10 hours or so of driving time