The GHT Humla section follows the ancient salt trading and pilgrimage route to the border of Nepal and China, crossing the Nara La pass (4620 m).  You walk through a variety of stunning landscapes, ranging from green pastures with below the wild flowing river to barren rocks, reminding to the Tibetan plateau. You pass small Hindu and Buddhist villages. Due to its remote location, Humla is still an “off the beaten trek destination”. Especially in spring and summer you see few other tourists.

• Days

  8 to Hilsa (6 trekking days)

  Max Altitude

  4620 m

  Difficulty

  Moderate/Hard

• Season

  -

  Start

  -

  Finish

  -

• Type

  Teahouse/homestay/Camping (it is recommended to take a tent)

• Permits Needed

  Humla Trekking Permit

Itinerary

• Day 01 Fly to Nepalgunj To get to Humla, generally you have to fly to Nepalgunj first. Nepalgunj is a steaming hot city in South Western Nepal, in the lowlands of Terai, close to the Indian border, which is just 8 km away. Culturally the area more resemble India than upland Nepal. Take a cycle rikshaw for a ride in town. You pass the hustle and bustle of the bazaar and see horse carts full of colorful people going to or coming from the Indian border. The Bageshowri temple is one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples and is worth a visit as well.
• Day 2 Flight Nepalgunj-Simikot (2950 m) It’s a 45 minutes flight to Simikot over steep mountain ridges with beautiful views of snow-capped mountains. Simikot airport is a blacktopped airstrip amidst the mountains, which guarantees a spectacular landing. Stepping out of the plane, you enter in a completely different world. From a hot city in the plains, you arrive in a small mountain village, situated in the midst of the Himalayas, breathing in crispy cold air.It is possible to start walking immediately to Dharapuri, but it is worthwhile staying in Simikot and wander around the village. Simikot is a small, mostly Hindu village. You see people weaving at small looms at their backyards. As Simikot is situated at an altitude of almost 3000 meters, it is wise to take it easy today to give your body the chance to acclimatize.Simikot has one hotel, a few guesthouses and campsites.
• Day 3 Simikot to Dharapuri (2300 m) 4 hrs The trek starts with a short climb of about an hour to a little pass (approximately 3150m). After the pass it’s a steep decent of about 1 hour to Majgaon, passing through pine forests. Along the way, you meet local Hindu and Buddhist people in their traditional dress with their pack animals, or carrying their heavy loads all the way up the steep trail themselves. After Majgoaon, the trail is going down more gradually, and at some parts even going up: this is what they call Nepali flat. You will notice that the landscape is a lot greener at this lower altitude.Accommodation: In Dharapuri you can camp or stay in one of the 2 (very) basic local guesthouses.
• Day 4 Dharapuri to Kermi (2670 m) 3 hrs It is a rather short walk today. The trail follows the Karnali River, sometimes high on the slope, with the river far below you and sometimes almost level with it. The river finds its way through narrow gorges with impressive high rocky slopes. You walk along fields with mainly barley, buckwheat, rice and potatoes.In the afternoon you can relax your muscles in one of the two natural hot springs close to the village. It’s a 30 minute walk, passing Kermi village. Kermi is a small agricultural village and is the first completely Buddhist village on the trail. From Kermi onwards, all the villages are Buddhist. There are two interesting Buddhist monasteries close to Kermi: Laikyo Gompa, a few hundred years old, is about 45 minutes from the campsite and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa, less than half a century old, is about 30 minutes from the campsite. Both are still seldom visited by tourists. In Kermi there is a small clinic funded and managed by Nepal Trust (www.nepaltrust.org ), which you can visit as well.At night you fall asleep with the sounds of jackals and hyenas in the distance.Accommodation: 45 minutes before Kermi is Dadakermi. There is a small guesthouse here, which can be a nice stop for lunch or a cup of tea as well. Just before Kermi, you will find a campsite with a beautiful view over the mountains.
• Day 5 Kermi to Yalbang (3020 m) 5 hrs The trail is flat and slightly uphill, passing alongside fields planted with barley and buckwheat. Beautiful lizards are sunning on the rocks. After about 2 hours you cross a small pass, after which it is a short steep descend till a big iron suspension bridge over the Sali River. Here you find a few teashops where you could stop for tea or lunch. The walk goes through beautiful pine forests now, with below you the emerald green Karnali river.Once and a while you meet caravans of mules and dzopa´s (a crossbreed of yak and cow). These are mostly villagers from Simikot and the Nyinba Valley, to the east of Simikot. They are going to (or are coming back from) Taklakot, just across the border with Tibet, to buy goods for trading or for personal use.In and around Yalbang there are so many interesting things to see that it is easy to spend an extra day here.Above the village there is a beautiful monastery: the Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery. You notice you are getting near the monastery by a huge stone, with a Tibetan mantra carved on it. The Namkha Khyung Dzong is the biggest monastery in the region, with around 130 monks living there. It belongs to the Nyingmapa lineage, the oldest Buddhist lineage, which is founded by Guru Ringpoche, an important magician of the 7th century. Inside the monastery you can see a big statue of Sakyamuni Buddha and some smaller statues, among which a statue of Guru Rinpoche. The monastery has a school and a clinic, which you can visit as well. A Buddhist monk will be happy to show you around, after which you will be invited for tea upstairs. At 7 am and 4 pm there is a daily puja (a Buddhist prayer ceremony) that you can attend (please remain silent and sit down along one of the side walls, behind the monks).In Yalbang is a Children Hostel, run by the Himalayan Children Society. Children from the surrounding villages go to school in Yalbang. As the school would be too far to walk to each day, without the hostel children from these villages wouldn’t be able to go to school. The owner is happy to show you around.In Yalbang there is another small clinic, funded and managed by Nepal Trust, which you can visit as well.At night you fall asleep again with the sound of jackals and hyenas.Accommodation: Just before Yalbang there is one (very) basic guesthouse with one common sleeping room: Singapore Hotel. In Yalbang there are 3 campsites (one run by the Children’s Hostel, one run by the school and another run by the Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery).
• Day 6 Yalbang to Muchu (3120 m) 4 hrs or Tumkot (3380 m) 5 hrs Leaving Yalbang, the path goes high above the Karnali River again and passes the little village of Yangar. The path is mostly “Nepali Flat”. At some parts the path is spectacularly carved out of the rocks, and you find yourself walking in a kind of three-sided tunnel.You’ll notice that the environment is changing as it is getting more rocky and the big pine trees make way for smaller bushes. You cross the Karnali River by a big wooden suspension bridge. The path climbs high above the Karnali River and goes along the upper site of a deep gorge. You see the emerald green Karnali River far below you. Along the way you may meet big flocks of sheep carrying salt, an old trade still existing today.Sometimes you see big, kind of army tents. These are temporary restaurants and shops, which can be a nice place for a tea, noodle soup or just to refill your stock of snacks, like coconut biscuits.After 3 to 4 hours, you arrive in the charming village of Muchu.Accommodation: If you want to stay a night with the locals, it’s possible here! You can stay with a very friendly family in a homestay, ask for Sitar Tshering Lama and Dege LamaFrom here it’s an hour walking to Tumkot. Actually, the main trail doesn’t pass through Tumkot Village, but through some small teahouses and a campsite. The actual village is some 20 minutes south of the trail. Close to the campsite and village lies a very interesting monastery of the Sakya lineage, the Dhungkar Choezom Monastery, one of the most important Sakya monasteries in the Tibetan region.The monastery lies on a hill, it’s a 20-30 minutes climb to get there. It is the only Sakya Monastery in Humla, and one of the few monasteries of this lineage in Nepal. If the caretaker is around, he is very happy to show visitors around. His enthusiastic explanations show how committed he is with the fate of the monastery. Unfortunately the beautiful wall paintings are in desperate need of renovation. For more info about this monastery see:http://www.buddhistview.com/site/epage/2978_225.htmAccommodation: there are a few teahouses, which mainly cater to local people, but sometimes tourists sleep here as well. Close to Tumkot there is a campsite.
• Day 7 Tumkot to Yari (3700 m) or Thado Dunga (3750 m) 5 hrs The trail climbs slowly but steadily, with a few steep climbs in between. Pretty soon after leaving Tumkot, you can see the landscape changing: it’s getting more and more rocky and desolate. The few trees left are low junipers. Part of the trail goes over the dirt road that is being built at the moment. It is still uncertain when and if the road will ever be finished. You cross the small village Pani Palwang, consisting of a couple of teahouses along the road, which makes a nice place for a cup of tea or a lunch break. It’s another 1 ½ hour to Yari or Thado Dunga, just after Yari.Accommodation: In both Yari as Thado Dunga there are teahouses, which mainly cater to local people, but sometimes tourists sleep here as well. Close to these villages it is also possible to camp.
• Day 8 Yari to Hilsa (3720 m), crossing the Nara La (4620 m) 6 hrs A tough day lies ahead of you, as today you cross the Nara La pass at 4620 meter. It’s a long and tiring climb, but the views are your reward! As the trail climbs, the landscape gets more desolate. Trees disappear completely and the landscape looks more and more like Tibet. Sometimes you meet big caravans of mules, dzopa or yaks. The bigger yaks are an especially impressive sight. You pass a few teahouses at Tado Dunga; from here the trail becomes steeper. It’s still 2 hours climbing to the pass, if there happens to be snow it will take a bit longer. At about half an hour from the pass you cross a few big tents (tent hotels, serving foods and drinks). You can see the Nara La pass in the distance, but due to the altitude it is still a hard climb to get there. You recognize the pass by the pile of stones (it brings good luck to add one!) and the strings of Tibetan prayer flags, carrying the prayers far away with the strong wind.You have breathtaking views ahead into Tibet and back towards Yari far below. At the other side of the pass, it looks like you are in Tibet. You are surrounded by barren mountains in brown, copper, ash and dark yellow colors. From the pass it’s a long descent to Hilsa, close to the border with Tibet. You can choose to take the longer dirt road or a steep shortcut down.Accommodation: In Hilsa there are a couple of simple guesthouses where you can stay. Of course you can also pitch your tents, just behind the village.
• Day 9 cross border and proceed to Lake Manasarovar and Mt Kailash or return to Simikot