SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

SURVIVAL OF THE
FITTEST - POKHARA
SURVIVAL OF THE
FITTEST - POKHARA
This new and exciting Quest takes you on a journey
that is less frequently visited by international trekkers
than other regions in Nepal. Its a little paradise that
takes you across the calming Lake Phewa, trekking to
the Panchase peak, rafting down the pristine Kali Gandaki river, an adrenaline fueled day of mountain biking
and exploring the cities of Pokhara and Kathmandu.
Read on to discover the adventure that awaits you!
INTRODUCTION
We have built the trip around the concept of experiencing a good
well rounded Nepal Himalaya trip but keeping your time constraints
in mind. You will be able to experience a variety of activities: you will
be able to go white water rafting down the pristine rivers, experience
an adrenaline fueled day of mountain biking, explore the city of Pokhara and see the magnificent mountains of the Annapurna Panorama.
The area we have chosen for you is Pokhara which is Nepal’s
second city, but is a far cry from the hustle and pollution of
Kathmandu. It is located roughly in the centre of Nepal and is
surrounded by the Annapurna Himalaya range that has three of the
World's ten highest mountains. These are Annapurna 1, Dhaulagiri
and Manaslu. It is also home to the stunning Machapuchare (fishtail)
mountain.
The trip will take rafting and mountain biking, as well as on a short 2
day trek into some of the most beautiful parts of the Nepal Himalaya.
Panchase peak (2,500m) is your goal, with unreal views of the Annapurna range almost within touching distance. After your trek, there
is plenty of time to relax in Pokhara and explore the stunning medieval Capital of Kathmandu.
We will be with you with our guides for the duration of the trip
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THE ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu, Fly Pokhara and relax
We will meet you at the international airport when you arrive and
transfer you to the domestic airport and your flight to Pokhara.
This is a stunning half hour flight along the Himalayan Range, see
four out of the world’s fourteen giant mountains over 8000m;
Daulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu and Shishapangma, before landing in Pokhara. An experience not to be missed!
You will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel and the rest
of the day is free to relax or to explore this charming lakeside
town, with its abundance of things to do, regardless of whether
you are in an adventurous or relaxed frame of mind: visit one of
the Tibetan refugee villages that dot the area, where Tibetan carpets and other handicrafts are available; hire a bike and cycle
along the lakeside; you can try your hand at tandem paraglide
with a professional pilot, an ultralight flight, or even take a ride on
the new zipline!
Of course it is also lovely to just relax and take in the surroundings in one of the many lakeside cafes. Lunch is free to choose
the food of your choice – Please ask us if you would like some
guide to restaurants/cafes as we can give some good recommendations for great places. In the afternoon you will meet your there
guide and have a trip briefing at your hotel and then your guide
will take you out for a big welcome dinner!
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Day 2: Boat across Lake Phewa, Trek to Bumdi [1520m]
From Pokhara, a short boat trip across the beautiful Phewa Lake
will take you to the start of the trek. The first climb through the forest will take you up to the steps leading to the World Peace Pagoda. This Buddhist stupa is one of over 80 Peace Pagodas
worldwide, built in an attempt to unite people from all over the
world and promote world peace. As well as being an impressive
sight in itself, from this vantage point you also get stunning views
over mountains, Phewa Lake and the city below. After a chance
to wander round this truly peaceful stupa, you continue down
through the forest on small walking trails, before climbing back
up to join an open jeep trail snaking round the hill, which will take
you through the village of Lukum Swara. The final climb of today
takes you up to Bumdi village, home to Gurung and Brahman
people, where you will spend the night and can learn more about
these cultures.
Day 3: Trek to Panchase Bhanjyang [2065m]
After a short climb to really wake you up, the track continues
through beautiful forest where you can see mountains regularly
peeking out between the trees. Today is a great day for nature lovers, as the path winds amongst diverse trees and plants and you
can hear the birds above – you may even catch a glimpse of a
monkey! Emerging from the trees briefly at Thulunchour you then
continue under the cover of the forest until the path joins a dirt
road, from which you can see panoramic views of the mountains.
These include the Annapurnas, Lamjung, Gangapurna and
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Machhapuchhare (Fishtail) as well as three peaks over 8,000m:
Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manalsu, in the distance. Continuing
along the jeep trail takes you gently uphill to Panchase Bhanjyang. Similar to last night’s stay, this village is home to Gurung and
Brahman people.
Day 4: Trek to Bhadaure [1670m]
This morning you climb the stone steps up to Panchase peak at
almost 2,500m, the highest point of your trek. From here you will
again be rewarded with stunning views over the mountains, and
there is the option of getting up extra early to ascend to this point
in time for sunrise! After catching your breath and taking in your
surroundings, you descend down the far side of the hill to Alldanda. This afternoon consists of a gentle walk down to your
campsite, with regular views of the mountains above and villages
below. Tonight you stay just above the town of Bhadaure, where
you can experience a mix of cultures as there are a range of residents including Gurung, Kami and Brahman.
Day 5: Ride to Kusma
Today we get on the bikes for a full day of on road and off road
mountain biking. We start with a little climb out of Bhadaure on a
lovely little jeep trail. We stray on this jeep trail for the next 6 km
after which we join the main Pokhara to Mustang road. Though
this is a big road there is hardly any traffic and the ride from here
down to the bottom of the valley at Naya Pul is an amazing downhill. We will stop for lunch at Naya Pul before continuing onwards
to Kusma, where we finish our ride and check into our hotel for
the night. Time for a shower and maybe a little repack before we
start the rafting tomorrow.
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Day 6 & 7: Rafting the Kali Gandaki
In the morning we walk from our hotel down to our put in point below Kusma. Here we meet our rafting team, have a safety briefing
and then start rafting. The Kali Gandaki river has carved out one
of the deepest gorges in the world as it tumbles down from the
Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. It borrows its name from the
goddess Kali, who is considered the Divine Mother but also a destroyer and, true to its name, this river is a source of life but the
wild water can also cause destruction. You will experience some
wild and adrenaline pumping rapids that are going to make your
heart race.
This rafting trip is one of the 'must do things' in Nepal, giving you
an awesome experience of white water thrills, plus seeing Nepal’s
nature and culture at its best, while allowing some time to relax
around the campfire on a white sandy beach. We finish rafting at
Mirmi mid-afternoon on the 2nd day, say goodbye to our awesome crew and then drive 1 hour off road to where we meet the
main highway from Butwal to Pokhara. Another hour takes us to
the lovely hill town of Tansen, here we check into our hotel.
Day 8: Drive back to Pokhara, Afternoon free for activities
We have the option to get up early this morning to go and see the
sunrise over a seriously huge Himalayan panorama before breakfast and our onward drive. The drive to Tansen from Pokhara is
seriously beautiful and winds its way up over a couple of small
passes and then drops back down into the valleys. We will have
a local lunch on the way and arrive in Pokhara in the early afternoon, with the rest of the afternoon being free to relax, shop or ex-
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plore. In the evening we will meet up at the hotel to go out for a
final dinner to celebrate our awesome adventure together.
Day 9: Fly to Kathmandu, depart for home
This morning we are free to relax or explore town a little and do
some last minute gift shopping for those back home (or for yourself!) before we take you to the airport for that stunning half hour
flight back to Kathmandu. On landing we will transfer you to the
tourist hub of town, Thamel, where you can have something to
eat, hit the shops or just take in life on the street as you enjoy a
drink on a café terrace. When it is time to go for your homeward
flight we will transfer you to the international airport and bid your
farewell, for now…we hope to see you again soon in the Himalayas!
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WHAT TO EXPECT
Food - Food will be prepared in the teahouses and on river camps
and will be international in nature. Pastas, potatoes, meat and vegetables. Breakfasts will include eggs in different ways, cereals, teas
and coffees. The food and drinks will be clean and well prepared,
giving us all the energy we’ll need for our trip.
Accommodation - In Kathmandu and Pokhara we’ll be in well-run,
clean hotels, with en-suite bathrooms, in-room TVs, 24 hour hot water and power and laundry facilities. Rooms will be on a twin-share
basis. We will be staying in tea houses, which are small family run
homes that have been converted for tourists, on a twin share basis,
and with separate shared toilets and eating areas.
Gear - We will provide all participants with a full kit list that is provided separately. This is a highly recommended list of important
items that will make your journey with us comfortable, as well as
safe. Please refer to the list for full details.
Trekking Assistance - we will be accompanied by a full compliment
of porters and guides who will be ensuring our safety and helping us
with our excess luggage. Rafting days will see us carrying nothing
on our person, with food and drinks provided by our guides. Our
gear will be provided to us at the end of each day, ensuring that it
stays safe and dry during the day.
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INCLUSIONS
EXCLUSIONS
- Accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- International flights to and from Kathmandu
- All domestic transportation
- Meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara (allow USD 10-15 per meal)
- All meals and accommodation outside of Kathmandu and
Pokhara
- Carbonated and alcoholic drinks
- Fully qualified guides
- Tips
- All adventure activities
- Travel and medical Insurance (covering rescues)
- Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, etc.
- Rescue and early departure from the trip
- Personal gear
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PRICE AND OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Price - The price for the whole adventure discussed so far comes to:
4,995 AED / $1,430 per person. Please ask for single supplement charges.
Please contact us at info@mountainquests.com or at
+971 4 368 2687 / +971 50 644 9130 for more information, or to book.
www.mountainquests.com
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ABOUT MOUNTAIN QUESTS
Based on the philosophy of ‘Live, Don’t Exist’, Mountain Quests was
set up in April, 2011 by Matt Farr whose passion for mountain climbing led him to Nepal on a regular basis to conquer the majestic
peaks of the Himalayas. After years of successfully putting his climbing skills to the test all over the world, including a two week adventure in the Alps climbing seven mountains in 12 days, Mountain
Quests was born.
With offices in both Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Kathmandu in Nepal, Mountain Quests is in full control of its operations,
logistics, safety and security to offer clients options of both tailormade trips and pre-arranged itineraries.
The essence of every trip is a culturally rich and diverse travel experience that will appeal to people seeking a unique adventure or looking to push physical and emotional boundaries.
The types of trip vary to accommodate different abilities and include
hiking, trekking, expeditions, mountain biking as well as extreme pursuits including survival trips and adventure sports such as bungee
jumping and paragliding. The core destination of Nepal make up the
portfolio with the addition of Northern India planned towards the end
of 2015.
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