The New Bucketlist Trek in Nepal - The Khopra Ridge Trek

If you thought one of the bucket list treks to do in Nepal was the Annapurna Base Camp trek, then I have news for you. It is not. It is the new Khopra Ridge Trek.  

The Khopra Ridge Trek.

Our Trek Leader, Himanshu Thapa, who went on this trek has this to say. “Annapurna Base Camp is nothing compared to the views on this trek.” Himanshu would know. Being a Nepali himself and having done the ABC treks many times, he knows what to expect. The Khopra Ridge Trek has turned out to be a stunner!

You see 23 big mountains from the Khopra Ridge

Out of which 3 are amongst the 14 highest mountains in the world – Mt Manaslu (8th highest), Mt Annapurna I (9th highest) and Mt Dhaulagiri I (7th highest)! But that’s not the full picture. You see the Annapurna massif at an arm’s distance (even closer than on the ABC trek). You see the Mt Machapuchare as glorious as ever. You see Mt Nilgiri North and South. There’s Mt Himchuli, Mt Ganga Purna, it’s endless!

Let’s not forget Mt Dhaulagiri. It is right in front of you!

The Khopra Ridge trek is not just a ridge walk. That would be underestimating it. Simply put, it is a walkthrough on one of the rarest big mountain views of Nepal.

Look at these pictures below for instance. The red line is the ridge you’ll be walking on. Look at the proximity of the big mountains around.

Great views from inside tea houses.

Himanshu was chuckling when he said this, “You see great views from even inside your tea house. Just like any other trek in Nepal, the Khopra Ridge trek has tea houses all along the trail, where you stay for the night. They’re almost luxurious compared to other treks where you camp.”

Additional highlights

Well, there’s a lot of talking points here. We take a deviation to Khayer Lake. It is small hidden lake. But getting there is like a spiritual experience. The locals revere the lake.

If you thought the Grand Canyon was full of deep gorges, on this tek you see the deepest gorge in the world — Kali Gandaki. It separates the summits of the Dhaulagiri range from the Annapurna range.

I am not going to guarantee it, but there’s a very high chance of walking above a bed of clouds. If you’re lucky, seeing the sun set above it.

I don’t know if it is right for me to say this about a favourite trek of ours, the Annapurna Base Camp, but the ABC is full of steps to climb and descend. After a while, it hurts to your knees. On the Khopra Ridge, it is a usual mountain trail. It has its ups and downs and challenges, but not the crazy steps of ABC.

For us Khopra Ridge has turned out to be the best off-beat trek in Nepal. We know what it means to trek in a crowded trail in Nepal. The Khopra Ridge is a godsend in that respect. No maddening crowd on this trail.

What to expect on the trek

• This is an 8 day trek. It starts from Syauli Bazar, a short drive from Pokhara (Same base as Annapurna Base Camp).
• It is a moderate-difficult trek. There are sections with tough ascents, nothing technical, just endurance-testing.
• You cover more than 8 km almost every day of the trek.
• The highest point on the trek is 15,640 ft (4,767 m). For adrenaline junkies, the altitude is a lot!
• We would recommend it for those who already have some high altitude trek experience, and not for beginners, unless you’re really fit!
• The trek doesn’t involve camping anywhere. You stay at tea houses.

When are we running the trek?

We have opened two dates in April. Considering the rhododendron forests will be in bloom during April, the forests are going to be a pleasure to walk on! Not to forget the crisp, clear April views of the big mountains.

We’ll be taking 2 small teams of just 10 people each. So sign up quickly if you’d like to be one of the first few Indiahikes trekkers to be on this trail. 🙂

Find the dates here.

Drop in a comment if you have questions about the trek. We’ll write back to you!