Nepal Impact Expedition

Today, we fly to the western side of Nepal from Kathmandu. It is about a1 hour flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. Situated along the Nepal-India border, Nepalgunj is culturally rich with a confluence of both Hindu and Muslim culture. We shall stay in hotels and continue with the story night sessions to hear from all the participants on their life journeys. There will be a gear check as well to ensure you are well equipped for the trek. 
 

After breakfast, we will catch another flight to reach the small town of Juphal. It will take about 45 minutes to reach to Juphal with a scenic view of mountains. From Juphal, a short 2-3 hrs walk from the airstrip takes us to our first overnight camp at Dunai village. Our first day on the trail begins with an hour of downhill hiking through the village below the airstrip, then leading through the terraced fields to the Bheri River and the narrow gorge taking 2-3 hours to camp at Dunai. Here we have ample time for a leisure walk around the village. We shall be staying in camps for the night. 

Today is the first long day of trek that leads through multiple glacial streams and then moves along a main river that runs through a maginificent gorge. The valley is lined with pine trees and we will be walking on an old trek path built above the river. After a long day of trekking , we come to Tarakot where colorful terraced fields greets us. Tarakot is an old fortress town built by the local people.  The village stands on a hillock to the south of a glacial river which at one time supervised collection of tolls for the trading caravans. Our overnight camp will be by the river on the edge of a grassy plateau with a trees scattered around. 

From Tarakot, we continue to follow the main trail for an hour till and then do a quick climb to reach the top of the ridge line. Post the break, we shall continue along the valley with beautiful scenic views of the valley along the vegetation trail to Laina Odar. We will be having lunch at the village and then camp for the day after the long trek in the valley. 

As we move forward, our route mostly follows the river, leading us up and down on uneven trails. The temperature will rise, and the trek will become tougher as we ascend . Along the way of our journey, we will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the breathtaking views of the river and waterfalls. Just after starting, we will hit a steep patch of dirt and uneven path following which the trek will become smoother.

The trail today goes all the way uphill from Nawar Pani in a wide gorge alongside the Trape river. We will cross the river multiple times, and along the trail, we can encounter mules, horses, and yaks as they use as transportation. And we may have a chance to see some wildlife such as Musk deer and Himalayan Thar. After walking for several more hours, we reach the village of Dho Tarap which is surrounded by an irregular stone wall. In this valley both Bon Po and Chaiba religious sects reside together. Tarap is also inhabited by a few Tibetans and mostly Magars who have lived here for many generations.

Today is the rest day at Dho Tarap. We can spend the day visiting nearby monasteries. Dho Tarap is situated at 400 meters and during today’s short walks, we also get a chance to get acquainted with the local culture. The Dolpo people wear homespun clothing that is sometimes dyed a maroon color and they favor Tibetan style somba or dhocha (boots with upturned toes) for footwear. Both men and women often wear religious amulets and strings of coral, amber, and turquoise. The people of the region are both Bon Po and Nyingmapa (Buddhist sects). 

After a good relaxing day at Dho Tarap, it is time to pack our bags and begin our trek back into the valley and solar power the monastery. From the village, the trek goes down to the campsite used by the local herders. We will rest for a small time and take a last look at the magnificent mountain peaks before we walk along the glacial streams to reach the base location at Nawarpani. The Trek will be faster this time as we go downhill. It would take us roughly 5.5 - 6 hours to reach Nawarpani.

Today will be a long day of trekking and we shall take a route along the river streams, with patches where the trek goes up and down. It will be a long trek back from Nawarpani to BaijiBara and we will reach by late afternoon after 7-8 hours of trek. This village houses the monastery that will be electrified by our expedition team. The Monastery also known as Yungdrung Shugtsal Bon Gonpa has been recently renovated. It is a very popular monastery among the villagers sof Dolpo region. As stated in Buddhist mythology, a group of Tibetan monks migrated to Baijibara of Upper Dolpo in the 12th century. Shortly after arriving there, those monks started mediation and were enlightened with mystical power. Since then, followers of the Bon religion assemble in Baijibara every year on the occasion of Bhadau Purnima (Full Moon). The monastery doesn't have adequate lighting and as there is always a need for Monks to pray in the monastery even in the winters, a solar powered electricity with adequate lighting would really help. 

Today is going to be a very special day. Our team will bring light to this centuries old remotest monastery, ending eons of darkness that it was immersed in for ages. After breakfast, the Team shall get started to set up the solar panels and do the final touches. The Monastery would be solar powered today with the help of GHE engineers and Expedition members. The installed grid will then be inaugurated by the villagers or the monks  in the evening during which we shall have a celebratory dinner with the villagers. 

After having solar powered the centuries old monastery and having celebrated with the villagers, its time to head back. The trek meanders through mountains that rise higher and steeper with the ridges intersecting each other. Most of the route sticks along the glacial river streams and the journey will be fun with stories of the impact created in the Monastery.

Today will be a slowly paced day with the team moving from Dharapani to Dunai where the trekking ends finally. At Dunai, we will transfer to vehicles and head for an hour to reach the small village town of Juphal. 

Today will be a long day, but will involve flying instead of trekking. We shall take the first flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj and then take the connecting flight to Kathmandu. We plan to reach Kathmandu by the late afternoon and will check-in to the hotels. Given the hectic schedule, it will be rest day with no activities planned for the evening. 

"The mighty mountains beckoned and we answered the call“
It’s time to say our farewell all around and make our way back to the airport with the GHE Team Leaders who will assure your safe departure!