Khori Himal Trek

You arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,400 m) and are met by our representative for the transfer to your hotel in Thamel.

Your guide runs the pre-trek briefing. The Khori Himal trek — often called the Kori Danda trek — is one of the newest routes in the Annapurna region and one of the quietest. It climbs from the large Gurung village of Sikles to a ridge at 3,850 m facing the Annapurna wall, and because the trail was only developed recently it sees very few trekkers.

The route is short and moderate, topping out below 4,000 m, but it involves a substantial climb on the middle day. Nights on the ridge are cold and the lodges are simple. Your guide checks your kit and answers any questions before the trip. The rest of the day is free to rest or explore Thamel. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After breakfast we leave the Kathmandu Valley on the Prithvi Highway and drive west to Pokhara (822 m), following the Trishuli River through its gorge for much of the 200 km.

The journey fills most of the day. It is an easy way to watch middle-hill Nepal go by — terraced fields stacked up impossibly steep slopes, roadside towns, suspension footbridges, and rafting groups on the green water below. We break for lunch at a riverside restaurant.

Pokhara (822 m) appears in the late afternoon on the shore of Phewa Lake, with the Annapurna massif standing directly behind the town. Look north-east along the range: the ridge you will stand on in three days sits below Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal, on the far side of the Madi valley. Overnight in Pokhara.

A drive of around three hours north-east from Pokhara, following the Madi Khola valley into country that most visitors to the region never see.

The road climbs steadily on rough surface through terraced farmland and small settlements, with the Annapurnas appearing and disappearing behind ridgelines. The last section is slow going and steep.

Sikles (1,980 m) is one of the largest and oldest Gurung villages in Nepal — several hundred slate-roofed stone houses stacked in tiers up a steep hillside, with paved lanes and stone staircases connecting them. It has a strong Gurkha soldiering tradition, and the village retains a real sense of its own history: there is a small museum, and the terraces around it have been farmed for centuries. Arriving in the afternoon leaves time to walk the lanes. Overnight in Sikles.

The first walking day, climbing around 720 m through farmland and forest above the village.

The trail leaves Sikles by stone staircase and climbs through the terraces above the village — millet, maize and buckwheat, worked by hand — before entering forest. The woodland here is oak and rhododendron, thick with moss, and the path is narrow and clearly little used.

As you gain height the views open back down the Madi valley and across to the Annapurna wall. This is part of the Annapurna Conservation Area and the forest is well protected; langur monkeys are common, and the birdlife is excellent.

Tasha (2,700 m) is a small seasonal settlement of herders' huts and a simple lodge in a clearing, used by Sikles families grazing livestock in summer. It is a quiet, slightly rough-and-ready overnight, and that is very much the character of this trek. Overnight in Tasha.

The big day, climbing around 1,150 m to the highest point of the trek.

The trail continues up through rhododendron forest, which thins steadily as you gain height into dwarf rhododendron and juniper scrub, and then gives out entirely onto open grassy ridge. The climb is sustained rather than technical, but the altitude makes the final hour hard work.

Kori Danda (3,850 m) is a broad grassy crest with a basic lodge and a viewing point, and the panorama is the whole reason the trail exists. Directly north stands the Annapurna wall at close range: Annapurna II (7,937 m), Annapurna IV (7,525 m), Lamjung Himal (6,983 m) and Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), with Manaslu (8,163 m) visible to the east on a clear day.

Because so few people come here, you may well have the ridge to yourselves at sunset. It is cold and exposed after dark. Overnight at Kori Danda.

Be up before dawn. Sunrise from Kori Danda — the Annapurna wall lighting up peak by peak across an empty ridge — is the best moment of the trek, and you will almost certainly have it to yourself.

After a leisurely breakfast, and time to walk along the crest for different angles, we begin the descent. The trail drops back off the open ridge into the juniper and dwarf rhododendron, then into the forest proper.

Losing 1,150 m in a day is hard on the knees, and the path is rooty and uneven in places, so poles are worth using. The compensation is that the air thickens noticeably with every hour and the temperature climbs.

Tasha (2,700 m) is reached in the early afternoon, which leaves a genuinely relaxed rest of the day among the herders' huts and grazing pastures. Overnight in Tasha.

An easy final walking morning, descending around 720 m back to the village.

The trail drops through the moss-hung oak and rhododendron forest, with views opening back down the Madi valley as the trees thin. Lower down it re-enters the terraced farmland above Sikles — millet and maize fields worked by hand, with buffalo and goats grazing the margins.

The descent into Sikles (1,980 m) comes down the stone staircases into the top of the village. Arriving around midday leaves the whole afternoon to explore properly: Sikles is one of the largest traditional Gurung settlements in Nepal, and its tiers of slate-roofed houses, paved lanes and small museum reward a slow wander. The village has a long Gurkha soldiering history and people are generally happy to talk about it. Overnight in Sikles.

A last morning in the village before the drive out — worth an early walk through the lanes when the light is good and Sikles is going about its ordinary business.

The jeep then descends the rough road down the Madi Khola valley, retracing the route in. It is steep and slow for the first hour, then improves as the valley widens. The Annapurnas appear behind you at intervals, and by now you can name most of them.

The drive to Pokhara (822 m) takes around three hours, arriving around midday. That leaves the whole afternoon free by the lake — a hot shower, a long lunch, and perhaps a boat across Phewa Lake or a walk to the World Peace Pagoda. Overnight in Pokhara.

An unhurried morning by the lake. If you are awake at dawn, the sunrise view of Annapurna and Machhapuchhre from the lakeside is worth stepping out for — with the ridge you stood on now identifiable off to the right.

We then drive east on the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu (1,400 m), following the Trishuli river back through its gorge country. It is a full day on the road with a lunch stop, arriving in the capital in the late afternoon.

After transferring to your hotel the evening is free — a hot shower, a proper meal, and last-minute shopping in Thamel, which is a few minutes' walk from most hotels. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Your final day in Nepal. If your flight leaves later in the day there is time for one more part of the Kathmandu Valley — Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Swayambhunath are all a short drive from Thamel and each worth an hour.

Our representative will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport around three hours before your scheduled departure.

The Khori Himal trek is one of the quietest routes in the Annapurna region — a genuine Gurung village, a forested ridge climb, and a viewpoint at 3,850 m facing Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal that you are likely to have entirely to yourself. If you enjoyed the emptiness, the Lamjung Himal and Mohare Danda routes cover similar ground. Safe travels.