Oct 07 / Sat

Day Hike / Kathmandu Valley / Nepal

North Countryside Hike

1 day

Moderate

NRs. 4000

Our favorite end-of-monsoon hike is less slippery with little to no leeches. What begins with a short climb up to Kapan comes down on the lush ridge and onto the breezy farms along upper, cleaner bits of Bagmati River.

Overview

1 day Total Duration

13.5 km / 8.5 mi Total Distance

Budhanilkantha Trip Start Point

Thali Trip Finish Point

1746m (Helipad) Highest Point

+593m / -725m Elevation Gain and Loss

Moderate Difficulty Level

From the vantage point of Tarebhir/Helipad with plenty of nature to the flats of upper Bagmati River (it’s clean on that side!) with paddy fields and villages, enjoy the best of both worlds. We begin with a climb from the northern edge of Budhanilkantha and soon find ourselves walking through a peaceful trail in the midst of pine trees. The uphill is well rewarded with the viewpoint of Tarebhir, sporting great vistas of Kapan ridge which we soon follow. The windy ridge is adorned with sandy trails and prayer flags fluttering overhead. Past Gokarneswar, we take on flat trails all along the shores of Bagmati, surrounded by vast farms with imposing massifs of Shivapuri’s eastern flank and Nagarkot in front of us. A final climb then takes us to Champak Binayak temple, which gives us a fine look at the terrains we trod on and rivers we walked along.

Highlights

	Forests adjacent to Shivapuri National Park (we don't go inside) and nice rocky trails leading up to Helipad/Tarebhir
	Views from Helipad with the long ridge of Kapan in front and a wide panorama of the city around
	5km / 3.1mi of gradual downhill trails through pine trees on Kapan's ridge
	Weird, brutalist structures at Kapan's park, which includes the likes of a hollow pyramid, an observatory, an amphitheater and a Buddhist chhorten
	Walking along Bagmati River on all flats surrounded by farmlands all around
	Villages and farms of Jagadol and Gokarna
	The famous Hindu temple of Gokarneswor premises (Rs. 150 entry fees if you wish to visit the main temple) and Champak Binayak

Age Group	Price per person
18 y/o or above	NRs. 4000
17 y/o or below	NRs. 1000

See full price details

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Itinerary

Pickup Vehicle 1

TBA	Budhanilkantha Map Outside Park Village Resort gate, on main road
TBA	Galfutar Map At bus stand next to Shahid Gangalal Hospital
TBA	Maharajgunj Map Outside Cafe Joshi near Chundevi turning
TBA	Pani Pokhari Map Next to the Police academy, at Baluwatar turning
TBA	Lazimpat Map Outside Hotel Ambassador
TBA	Gairidhara Map Outside Michael Grills Restaurant
TBA	Naxal Nagpokhari Map Outside Nagpokhari gate, facing Palace wall

Pickup Vehicle 2

TBA	Jawalakhel Map Outside Fire Station / Sumeru City Hospital
TBA	Sanepa Chowk Map Outside Kyampa Cafe

8:30am	Reach trailhead; briefing and start hiking
Approx 11:30am	Lunch stop at 6km / 3.7mi mark
Approx 3:30pm	Finish hiking; brief stop in Thali for loo and refreshments
Approx 4:15pm	Drive back to city

Prices

Age Group	Price per person
18 y/o or above	NRs. 4000
17 y/o or below	NRs. 1000

Last day to sign up and pay: Friday 10am

Cancellation and Refund Policy

100% refund by Thursday 10am
50% refund from Thursday 10am to Friday 10am
No refund after Friday 10am

Payments are non-transferrable between people and across hikes as all costs will have incurred.

Includes

	Transportation Pick up from the city to start point (see Itinerary for details) Drop off from finish point back to the city
	Food Lunch sandwich (veg or chicken) Trail mix (peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, Gems, gummy bears, dried candy etc) Chocolate cookies from Lemon Tree Bakery Potato chips and cheese balls Hydration (water and electrolytes)
	Crew Lead guide (with first aid kit) Assistant guide, support guide and sweeper (all with first aid kit)
	Misc Government taxes

Excludes

Soda, tea/coffee and alcoholic beverages
Additional food
Travel Insurance

Important Details

Hiking format

Distance, duration and pace Hikes are generally between 12km (7.5mi) to 15km (9.3mi), depending on gradient and terrain. The total walking time with breaks will be 5 to 6hrs. The hikes are slow- to medium-paced, designed as a social day out in nature, rather than a fast-paced workout. We will be walking at a pace of ~2.75kmph / 1.7mph, accounting for breaks. The guide in front will set the pace. We need to ensure we move as a group and that nobody is left behind or worse, lost.

Trail Our hiking trails are thoroughly scouted and meticulously designed. There will be a good mix of farms, villages, culture, jungles and views on undulating trails. The guide team makes a final safety check on Thursday (reserving Friday as contingency to make any changes if needed), and clear any shady bits of trails of bushes and thorns, slippery pine needles, etc. Where the trail is steep, we make steps. We ensure the trails are as safe as they are fun.

Breaks There will be one lunch break (30 to 45mins), two loo/view/breath breaks (15mins each), and a few short pauses (2-5mins).

Loo When nature calls, we find a bush – at least in many cases. Shops and eateries can be scarce on the trails (your guide will let you know), but do carry toilet paper in case you need to do your business mid hike.

Finish point We generally stop at a nice cafe or resort, so you can unwind, buy a drink or two and use the loo. Based on what everybody prefers this leisure time can be between 30mins to 1hr.

Food

There’s one stop for lunch and a couple smaller ones for tea with a view. You’re welcome to purchase additional food from shops along the way. Please carry water with you (along with maybe energy bars etc). Your guide will let you know where shops are, and will carry extra drinking water as reserve.

Sandwich Sandwich from The Bell (previously called Godzilla sandwich).

Trail mix Calorie-packed condiments that include peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, chocolate, and titaura (dried fruit candy).

Chips/crisps Homemade chips from Patan

Choco cookies Delights from the Lemon Tree Bakery

Transportation

Type of vehicle All ground transportation is on reserved and private vehicles.

Pickup locations and schedule For convenience, we have several pick up locations (see Itinerary). Pickup schedule will be finalized and sent to you via WhatsApp on Friday night, around 8pm. (This is because we cannot make the schedule until sign ups are sealed.)

Drop off route While the drop off locations will be the same, the route might be different, depending on which ring road exit is taken.

Crew

We’re a bunch of trail rats who love to explore the outdoors. For several months since the trail races came to a halt, we’ve been scouting trails (more than we should) all over the valley, and indeed have found some really interesting ones. We’re eager to share this adventure with you in a safe, fun and organized manner. We’ll do our best to give you, your family and friends a great day out in the outdoors.

Pace guide At the front of the pack, the pace guide will – you guessed it – set the walking pace. Depending on the situation, this guide will also make calls for breaks and pauses, to close the gap between hikers. Again, this is a slow-medium hike, not to be confused with a workout. So please do not overtake the pace guide – to keep the group together and not to miss a turn.

Support guides They will be dotted in mid pack. Any time you need a hand or water or anything, they will be there for you.

Sweeper guide Sweeper guide will be right at the end, making sure everybody is accounted for.

Extra cash to carry

Expenses Please bring change if you’d like to purchase anything from shops along the way. Depending on the hike, we will likely finish at a cafe or resort where you can buy a drink, maybe two.

Tipping Tipping is optional. If you like the guides’ services, you are welcome to set aside a few hundred rupees as tips. This can be centrally collected and handed over before you get on the vehicle on the way back.

Checklist

All you need is a good pair of shoes. Rest are details.

•	Light trail shoes with good traction (no sandals or slippers)
•	Tee and a light jacket (mornings are cold)
•	Hiking shorts/pants
•	Water bottle
•	Rain jacket

•	Toilet paper
•	High spirits
•	Small backpack
•	Sunglasses with UV protection
•	Sunscreen
•	Hiking poles

Participants

Jennifer VanDever	Adult	Pani Pokhari	Chicken
Eric VanDever	Adult	Pani Pokhari	Chicken
Anne-Marie Bradley	Adult	Sanepa	Veg
Shruti Sharma	Adult	Gairidhara	Chicken
Hannah Brown	Adult	Sanepa
Tara Ealy	Adult	Sanepa
Veronique Gilbert	Adult	Sanepa
Jennifer Vettel	Adult	Sanepa	Chicken
Sabina Plesnar Kasca	Adult	Sanepa	Veg

Sign Up

1. Drop us a line

Send us a message using any of the methods below. Please also mention:

choice of sandwich (chicken or veg)
your pickup location (Budhanilkantha, Galfutar, Maharajgunj, Pani Pokhari, Lazimpat, Gairidhara, Nagpokhari, Sanepa or Jawalakhel)
any allergies you have
for group registrations we need names and details of each member, specifying if anyone is 17 y/o or younger

2. Clear Payments

Deadline to pay: Friday 10am (the day before hike). To confirm your spot, please clear all payments. For online app payments, please clearly mention names of all hikers you’re paying for (family members, friends, etc).

eSewa	9801151533
eSewa	Show QR
In-person	Please call 9801151533

See Prices section for cancellation and refund policies

3. Show up on time

That’s about it. Please show up on time with the required hiking gear. We don’t want to keep anyone waiting. The Itinerary section details all timings, including pickups and contact for the same. See you on the trails!

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North Countryside Hike

Overview

Highlights

Itinerary

Pickup Vehicle 1

Pickup Vehicle 2

Prices

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Includes

Transportation

Food

Crew

Misc

Excludes

Important Details

Hiking format

Food

Transportation

Crew

Extra cash to carry

Checklist

Participants

Group A

Sign Up

1. Drop us a line

2. Clear Payments

3. Show up on time

Join our WhatsApp Community