The Poon Hill trek is without doubt one of the best routes within the Annapurna Sanctuary which explains its rising recognition. It’s an incredible path to stroll for inexperienced hikers and for many who need to get a style of trekking in Nepal. The trek may be finished in Three or Four days. The route is well-marked, and there are various guesthouses and eating places on the way in which. The Poon Hill is a good path to do as an acclimatization trek earlier than trying one of many tougher routes just like the Annapurna Circuit trek or the Annapurna Base Camp trek.
Poon Hill trek route overview
- Distance – 40 km/25 mi
- Time – 3-Four days
- Permits – TIMS card and Annapurna Sanctuary allow required
- Information – may be finished independently, with a information/porter, or in a bunch
- Start line – Nayapul, 2 hours by bus from Pokhara
- Ending level – Ghandruk
- Highest level – Poon Hill peak (3131 m)
- Complete ascent – 3000 m
- Complete descent – 1996 m
- Common price – US$25 per particular person per day
- Lodging – guesthouses
- Meals – Nepali, Chinese language, and Western meals
How lengthy is the Poon Hill trek?
The full distance of the Poon Hill trek is 40 km/25 mi. You want 3-Four days on common to finish the route.
How troublesome is the Poon Hill trek?
The Poon Hill trek is a average hike that doesn’t require any mountaineering experience. It’s one of many best multi-day treks within the Annapurna area. Poon Hill continues to be a bodily demanding trek due to the 3000-meter ascent that you just sort out over 2 days. It’s a great path to do as an acclimatization hike earlier than trying one of many tougher treks within the area.
Insurance coverage for the trek
The Poon Hill trek is a average altitude hike that entails exhausting lengthy ascents and harmful steep descents, more often than not the route goes by means of distant areas. Getting injured or evacuated from distant areas may be very expensive. When making use of on your climbing allow insurance coverage is required. Once you fill out types to get permits they ask you to offer the identify and telephone variety of your insurance coverage firm.
Learn the way a lot the insurance coverage for the Poon Hill trek prices!
World Nomads journey insurance coverage has been designed by vacationers for vacationers, with protection for greater than 150 actions in addition to emergency medical, misplaced baggage, journey cancellation and extra.
The place does the trek begin?
The most well-liked means of strolling the Poon Hill trek is beginning in Nayapul and ending in Ghandruk (we walked it this fashion). The full ascent for the route is 3000 m and the whole descent is 1996 m.
You can do it in the other way; beginning in Ghandruk and ending in Nayapul. In the event you achieve this you’ll get much less ascent (2000 m) and extra descent (3000 m) in comparison with the Nayapul – Ghandruk route. There are jeeps and buses from/to Pokhara from each villages. If it rains rather a lot the street from Ghandruk will get very muddy and there may be no buses to Pokhara from there.
You possibly can stroll to Kimche from Ghandruk then (Four km further and 300 m extra down) or all the way in which to Kande by means of Australian Camp (plus 16 km and various up and down further).
Do I would like a information for the Poon Hill trek?
A brief reply isn’t any. The Poon Hill trek may be finished independently. It’s a self-guided hike. You are able to do it with a tour if you would like. It could be a good suggestion in case you’re an inexperienced hiker or touring solo or simply don’t really feel like doing all of the planning and reserving your self. General the Poon Hill trek itinerary is way simpler to plan than the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary or the Annapurna Circuit trek itinerary.
Poon Hill trek excursions
In the event you don’t need to be part of a bunch tour however don’t really feel assured sufficient to stroll alone you possibly can rent a information or a porter. We personally by no means used a information in Nepal however met vacationers who did. One of the simplest ways of discovering a great dependable information is thru one of many trekking companies in Pokhara or Kathmandu. The common value is US$20 per day for a porter and US$25 per day for a information. You can share one information/porter between a few individuals.
What’s the lodging like on the trek?
We have been stunned with the services of guesthouses on the route in comparison with what we bought on the Everest Base Camp trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek was nearly a luxurious route. Virtually each guesthouse on the route has wi-fi, a sizzling water bathe, and electrical energy. More often than not they don’t cost you further for utilizing any of those services in contrast to on another trekking routes. You don’t have to fret about being offline, not showering, or not having the ability to cost your gadgets. You possibly can even get actual Espresso in some villages on the route.
Like on most trekking routes in Nepal, you pay little or no for lodging in case you eat dinner and breakfast at your guesthouse. Meals is the primary supply of earnings for locals dwelling alongside the Poon Hill trek. In the event you don’t eat at your visitor home you’ll pay on your room two or thrice extra. The typical value for a double room with a shared rest room is round NPR 500/US$4.
Ghorepani Poon Hill trek price
Our whole price range breakdown for Four days, per particular person
- TIMS card – NPR 2000/US$15
- Annapurna Sanctuary allow – NPR 3000/US$23
- Lodging – NPR 800/US$6 (Three nights)
- Transport – NPR 1700/US$13
- Meals – NPR 5 000/US$38
Complete – NPR 12 500/US$95 for Four days or NPR 3125/US$23 per particular person per day. The price of the Poon Hill trek is considerably decrease than the price of the Everest Base Camp trek.
Lodging on the trek may be very low-cost about NPR 400-500/US$3-Four relying on the season and the services. In the event you’re one particular person they often cost NPR 300/US$2 per room.
A meal on the Poon Hill trek prices between NPR 400/US$Three and NPR 600/US$5 per particular person relying on what you order. Meat dishes are costlier. Greens and eggs are cheaper. A cup of tea is about 100/US$1. A pot of sizzling water (1l) – NPR 150/US$1. An enormous plate of pasta or rice – NPR 600/US$4,5. The costliest factor to purchase on the trek is cool drinks. For a small bottle of Coke or juice, you’ll pay NPR 400/US$3. Meals costs are about 30-40% increased than in Pokhara. General, the meals on the Poon Hill trek is much like the meals on the Everest Base Camp trek.
Water on the trek. We had our LifeStraw bottles and used faucet water for consuming. You’ll find water faucets alongside the route. Having some kind of water purification system will prevent some huge cash on the Poon Hill trek. Plus, it’s good for the setting. One liter of consuming water prices round NPR 100/US$1 relying on the place. You’ll want not less than 2l of water per particular person a day in case you purchase it each time you possibly can add NPR 200/US$2 pp. to your each day price range.
Transport is reasonable in Nepal particularly in case you take native buses. Jeeps are two to a few occasions costlier however extra snug and sooner. A bus from Pokhara to Nayapul prices NPR 400/US$Three pp., a bus from Ghandruk to Pokhara NPR 600/US$4,5, and a bus from Kande to Pokhara – NPR 250/US$2.
Money on the Poon Hill trek. I’d recommend having NPR 3000/US$25 per particular person per day. It needs to be sufficient to pay for lodging, meals, and transport, and to purchase snacks, cool drinks, candies, and souvenirs on the route. It’s higher to carry sufficient money. There are a few ATMs on the trek however they’re typically not working or are out of cash.
Permits and TIMS for the Poon Hill trek
Like for every other trek contained in the sanctuary, it’s essential get a allow and a TIMS card. Each may be obtained on the Vacationer Info Middle in Pokhara or Kathmandu. The workplaces are open Mon to Fri, and Solar from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Saturdays. The associated fee is NPR 5000/US$38.
To get the TIMS card and the Annapurna Sanctuary allow you will have your passport, insurance coverage, Four pictures, and a contact particular person in Nepal (we often give our lodge particulars).
To get the TIMS card;
- First, fill out the shape that you just get on the counter (identify, insurance coverage quantity, passport particulars, handle in Nepal, contact data, and many others.)
- Second, take a photograph. Within the Pokhra Workplace, you don’t must carry your individual pictures they take them proper there without cost. Four passport-size pictures.
- Third, give the crammed type, and a couple of pictures and pay NRP 2000/US$15 pp. paid solely in money in Nepalese Rupee on the counter.
- Forth, get your TIMS.
To get the Annapurna Sanctuary Allow;
- First, after getting your TIMS card get a brand new type
- Second, fill within the type
- Third, hand the crammed type, your passport, 2 pictures, and NRP 3000/US$23 pp. paid solely in money in Nepalese Rupee on the counter.
- Forth, get your allow.
The TIMS card and the allow are legitimate just for a single entry to Annapurna Sanctuary Park. Each time you exit it you’ll want a brand new TIMS card and a brand new allow to enter the park once more. In the event you’re planning on doing a number of hikes contained in the sanctuary it’s cheaper to remain contained in the park.
When is the perfect time to go to Poon Hill?
The spring of March and April and the autumn months of October and November is the perfect time to go to Poon Hill. These months are fairly dry and heat. Mountain climbing throughout the monsoon season between Could and September just isn’t really useful because of the excessive danger of landslides and floods. The winter months of December, January, and February are the driest and the coldest months of the 12 months. The elevation on the Poon Hill trek just isn’t that prime it’s unlikely that you just’ll get quite a lot of snow even in winter.
Find out how to get to Poon Hill?
The trek begins in Nayapul, a small city 40 km from Pokhara. Buses to Nayapul go away all through the day from the bus terminal in Pokhara. The journey takes 2-Three hours. The value is NPR 300/US$2 pp. To get to the bus terminal from Lakeside you possibly can take a taxi. A taxi prices NPR 300/US$2.
The place to remain in Pokhara?
Pokhara is a a lot better place to remain than Kathmandu we by no means spend greater than 1 or 2 days in Kathmandu and attempt to get away from there as quickly as attainable. There are lots of nice things to do in Pokhara.
Lakeside is the primary touristy space of Pokhara it’s stuffed with accommodations, visitor homes, eating places, bars, and many others. right here you’ll find lodging on any price range from low-cost homestays to fancy spa accommodations.
Our Poon Hill trek itinerary – Four days
Day 1. Nayapul – Ulleri, 12 km/7,Four mi
Route: Nayapul (1000m) – Birethanti (1025m) – Hile – Ulleri (2000m)
- Start line – Nayapul
- Ending level – Ulleri
- Distance – 12 km/7,Four mi
- Time – 3h30min.
- Complete ascent – 1092 m
- Complete descent – 125 m
A bus journey from Pokhara to Nayapul took over 2 hours to get to Nayapul. To get to the path, first, you stroll by means of Nayapul, throughout the bridge to Birethanti (one other village). Simply as you stroll out of the village there would be the first checkpoint.
About 500 m away there may be the second checkpoint the place you present your TIMS card, it will get stamped and so they write down your identify. One other 300 m and the third checkpoint the place you present your Annapurna Nationwide park allow, they once more write down your identify and tear the underside a part of your allow.
The primary half of the stroll is on the filth street with only a few automobiles primarily jeeps driving vacationers to Hile, the furthermost level you will get by automotive on the Poon Hill trek. Some individuals take a jeep and a few stroll. We walked this half, it wasn’t very powerful, simply barely uphill. After about 9 km you attain Hile. It’s a pleasant village with many guesthouses, cafes, and eating places. As an possibility, if it’s late otherwise you’re drained you possibly can keep there for an evening.
For the primary 9 km, you mainly stroll on a regular basis previous small outlets and native meals locations getting water or meals received’t be an issue. There are lots of water faucets on the way in which in case you use a filter you’ll have the ability to refill your bottle alongside the trek.
The second half from Hile to Ulleri is the powerful half with a really steep and lengthy ascent. To start with, you even stroll just a little bit down however the final 2 km to Ulleri is a really steep ascent. Make sure that to refill your water in Hile there received’t be many locations after it. The ascent takes about 2 hours and it’s fairly tiring.
Challenges
- Lengthy and steep ascend from Hile to Ulleri, about 800 m up
Highlights
- Stunning surroundings on the way in which to Hile
- Nice views of the mountain vary and the encircling space from Ulleri
Day 2. Ulleri – Ghorepani, eight km/5 mi
Route: Ulleri (2000m) – Banthanti (2210m) – Nangethani (2430m) – Ghorepani (2780m)
- Start line – Ulleri
- Ending level – Ghorepani
- Distance – eight km/5 mi
- Time – 2h34min.
- Complete ascent – 837 m
- Complete descent – 90 m
It’s a quick strolling day you possibly can take your time within the morning, sleep late, have breakfast, and slowly begin strolling. The path goes by means of the forest, previous many waterfalls, small rivers, and villages with eating places and guesthouses. There are many locations to cease for meals, and tea and to refill water. You don’t have to hold quite a lot of water with you from Ulleri.
To start with, in Ulleri, there’s a steep ascent all the way in which to the highest of the mountain. Many of the day you stroll up generally progressively and generally fairly steep and hard.
On the entrance to Ghorepani, there’s a checkpoint the place they verify your Annapurna Sanctuary allow. There are two Ghorepani villages; Decrease Ghorepani and Ghorepani, they’re about 10 min. and 100 m aside. First, you get to Decrease Ghorepani from there you go up the steps to Ghorepani.
We stayed at Decrease Ghorepani. Most individuals went to Ghorepani. It was good to cease at Decrease Ghorepani and keep away from the crowds. We have been solely Four individuals in our guesthouse. You possibly can stroll to Poon Hill from each villages, the paths be part of within the center on the entrance to Poon Hill. In Ghorepani, it was not very chilly however undoubtedly extra windy and chilly than in Ulleri.
Challenges
- Strolling uphill a lot of the day, 837 m elevation achieve.
Highlights
- Stunning forest
- Many waterfalls on the way in which
- Good views over the realm
Day 3. Ghorepani – Poon Hill – Ghorepani – Ghandruk, 19,Three km/12 mi
Route: Ghorepani – Poon Hill – Ghorepani – Tadapani – Ghandruk
Half 1. Dawn on the highest of Poon Hill, Three km/1,eight mi
Route: Ghorepani (2780m) – Poon Hill (3200m) – Ghorepani (2780m)
- Start line – Decrease Ghorepani at 5.20
- Ending level – Decrease Ghorepani at 7.00
- Complete distance – Three km/1,eight mi
- Time – 1h30min.; 40 min. up, 30 min. down, 30 min. on the highest
- Complete ascent – 387 m
- Complete descent – 387 m
Watching the dawn from the highest of Poon Hill is the spotlight of the trek. It takes about 45 min. to get to the highest of Poon Hill from Ghorepani. It is a steep ascent all the way in which, to the highest. In the event you begin at Decrease Ghorepani your whole ascent and descent will likely be just a little bit greater than from Ghorepani. The path is simple to observe. There are often many individuals strolling up. We took solely water, headlamps, and cameras with us. The remainder of our stuff we left in our guesthouse. Take cash with you to pay the doorway payment to Poon Hill (NPR 200 pp.).
You’re not allowed to carry sizzling water, tea, or espresso to the highest. The wonderful for that’s NPR 2000/US$15. They promote sizzling drinks on the highest for 2-Three occasions greater than down within the village.
The dawn was stunning we have been fortunate with the climate. The sky was clear and we may see the solar rising from behind the mountains. Simply after we began strolling down it bought cloudy and began snowing. The descent wasn’t a lot sooner than the ascent. The path was partly lined in snow/ice we didn’t have climbing poles and have been actually struggling on the way in which down.
What to take to the summit
- Headlamp – you begin strolling within the pitch darkish
- Water
- Gloves – make positive you gown heat sufficient it will get fairly chilly on the high ready for the solar to return.
- Beanie
- Digicam/GoPro/Cellphone
- Cash 200 pp. entrance payment, plus further to purchase tea/espresso on the highest
- Mountain climbing poles – will likely be fairly useful particularly on the way in which down
The dawn from the highest was stunning. It’s undoubtedly value an early wake-up and the climb. In the event you don’t like getting up early you possibly can go to the highest of Poon Hill within the afternoon. In a means, it’s nicer as a result of in contrast to within the morning, there will likely be no individuals on the highest.
Half 2. Ghorepani to Ghandruk, 16,Three km/10 mi
- Start line – Ghorepani
- Ending level – Ghandruk
- Distance – 16,Three km/10 mi
- Time – 5 hours
- Complete ascent – 683 m
- Complete descent – 1394 m
The primary a part of the stroll was fairly powerful from Ghorepani we went up (round 300 m) over the move. The climb was tiring however it wasn’t essentially the most troublesome a part of the stroll. From the highest, for the subsequent hour, we walked within the snow largely downhill and it was fairly troublesome as we weren’t ready for that we didn’t have crampons or climbing poles. Strolling down on snowy/icy floor was very sluggish.
On the way in which between Ghorepani and Tadapani, there are 5 small villages the place you possibly can cease for lunch, relaxation, or get water. Tadapani is about 10 km away from Ghorepani it took us greater than Three hours to stroll it. Many of the means was downhill however there was one steep uphill simply earlier than Tadapani, about 200 m up, the final ascent for the day.
In the event you really feel drained you possibly can keep in Tadapani there are a number of guesthouses and eating places. The views from the village are very good. We learn that the views from Ghandruk village have been really spectacular and determined to maintain strolling. It’s about 6 km extra to Ghandruk.
The second a part of the stroll from Tadapani to Ghandruk was simple, primarily downhill. The trek goes by means of the attractive forest. It went rapidly. Ghandruk is kind of an enormous place in comparison with the opposite stops on the Poon Hill trek. There are lots of guesthouses and eating places and a few small outlets with restricted provides.
Challenges
- Early get up for the dawn
- A steep ascent and descent on the highest of Poon Hill
- Stroll over Deurali Go
- A few steep ascends and descends on the way in which from Ghorepani to Tadapani.
Highlights
- Dawn on the highest of Poon Hill
- Stunning views of snow peaks on the way in which to Tadapani
- Good forest stroll from Tadapani to Ghandruk
The Poon Hill trek may be included within the Annapurna Base Camp trek itinerary which begins in Ghorepani. Or mixed with the Mardi Himal trek (as we did) that begins in Landruk which is about 2 hours stroll (largely downhill) from Ghandruk.
Day 4. Bus Ghandruk – Pokhara, Three hours/stroll Ghandruk – Australian Camp
We didn’t do that half as a result of the subsequent day from Ghandruk we walked to Landruk the place we began the Mardi Himal trek. There are a number of choices for ending the Poon Hill trek. The primary is to take a bus/jeep from Ghandruk to Pokhara. the second is to stroll from Ghandruk to Kimche and from there take a bus to Pokhara. And the third is to stroll all the way in which to Kande and from there take a bus to Pokhara.
Find out how to get again to Pokhara?
There are direct jeeps and buses from Ghandruk to Pokhara. It takes between 2 and three hours to get again by bus. A jeep is quicker, 1h30min. The value of the bus is round NPR 500/US$Four pp. A jeep prices NPR 1000/US$eight pp. In the event you’re two or extra individuals you possibly can negotiate the value per particular person.
What to pack for the Poon Hill trek?
It’s a 4-day trek with staying in tea homes so attempt to pack mild to make the stroll simpler particularly in case you’re not planning to make use of a porter. Our packing checklist for the Poon Hill trek was much like the Everest Base Camp packing checklist. You’ll find quite a lot of particulars and knowledge on our gear for Nepal in that submit.
Beneficial books and guidebooks
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The gorgeous half of Stingy Nomads, liable for all our land adventures (climbing, climbing, strolling the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves strolling since she was a baby, she prefers to stroll 1000 km with a backpack somewhat than to do a 10 000 km street journey (truly any street journey). Alya is an enormous fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Each time we go away she desperately misses our canine Chile.
