DAY 1 – 22.6 km | 916m | 5h 49m | 6h 28m | Yari

Very straight forward. Easy hike along the main dirt road. Stayed at a guest house.

DAY 2 – 24.92 km | 657m | 5h 42m | 6h 44m | Yangar

Easy road walking until the bridge. After that it’s a hiking trail along the old dirt road. At one point you come back on the old dirt road which is maintained. Stick to the dirt road until you reach Yangar. A few kilometers before the hiking trail starts again and you can follow it all the way up to the main dort road. Easy hiking – stayed at a guest house.

DAY 3 – 24.93 km | 520m | 5h 41m | 6h 43m | Dharapuri

Straightforward road walking. Encountered one checkpoint they asked if we had a guide.

DAY 4 – 13.6 km | 1050m | 3h 37m | 5h 09m | Simikot

After clarifying the trail condition at our guest house we decided to take the route along the river not the road. It was a nice trail until you hit the old road. This turn into the new road and then joins the main road. After the pass it’s a easy hike down to Simikot.

DAY 5

Rest Day

DAY 6 – 23.08 km | 1.296m | 5h 45m | 7h 39m | Durpa

Following the main street down from Simikot is straightforward. After a small stop at a shop in the valley a new road goes up the mountain. Before the village it turns into a small and quite steep trail. For 700m it’s quite overgrown. There are no shops, guesthouse in Durpa – you could sleep at the school. The trail continues steep and plenty of water until the camp.

DAY 7 – 23.20 km | 1.774m | 7h 45m | 9h 23m | Lek Puma

The trail is clearly visible but quite steep. There would be a nice place to pitch a tent, but it is exposed as there are no trees. The final kilometers to the pass are easy. After that, it’s a steep downhill. Before Phucha, there is a nasty overgrown section, which was the old road. According to the locals, there are no shops or guesthouses in Phucha. The climb is steep, and then you hit a road. You leave the road before Kallas. There was nothing there, same as in Lek Kuti. We camped close to Lek Puma.

DAY 8 – 20.40 km | 457m | 5h 05m | 6h 07m | Piplang

Check the trail carefully. There are multiple good trails, and we took the wrong one. You can also walk via Lek Puma – we took the shortcut. Good trail – just steep. The last climb to Korka is steep; after that, it’s road all the way to Piplang. You can shortcut the switchbacks. We didn’t.

DAY 9 – 31.26 km | 1.815m | 6h 59m | 8h 15m | Rauli Khola

Good road all the way. You can shortcut multiple times. As we had bad weather, we stuck to the road. This is significantly longer. You can take the old road – marked as an alternative. We didn’t, as there was a lot of rain. Other than that, it’s all main road – straightforward.

DAY 10 – 32.20 km | 1.106m | 7h 42m | 8h 54m | Gamgadhi

The entire section can be walked on the road. As the road switchbacks are very wide, we decided to shortcut them using the trail. After that, it’s all road if you want. We took a few shortcuts again. I would recommend taking the new bridge for cars, as the trail to the suspension bridge is in bad shape and offers no benefit.

DAY 11

Rest Day

DAY 12 – 26.73 km | 1.146m | 6h 28m | 8h 07m | Magri Gaun

For the downhill from Gamgadhi, we took the trail shortcut – staying on the road would also have been possible. IMPORTANT: Construction on the new road destroyed a possible connection to get from the road to the trail. We had to take a huge detour. Check before you enter the section if it’s possible. If yes, follow the road/trail, as the detour is way longer and has more elevation gain.

DAY 13 – 26.98 km | 1.368m | 6h 38m | 8h 38m | Siraanchaur

Straightforward trail, good and clearly visible. Multiple hiking signs along the way.

DAY 14 – 14.95 km | 1.686m | 5h 17m | 5h 46m | Mugu

It starts steep and quite overgrown. There were 2 parties before us with mules, which cleared the way a bit. Overall a good, easy-to-follow trail, just overgrown from time to time until you are above the tree line. There is one section where you have to walk in the river for ~30 m. It’s shin-deep, low volume, and low speed. Just hug the stones – the trail is easy to spot after this section. Above the tree line, it’s easy.

DAY 15 – 15.44 km | 1.498m | 6h 35m | 8h 53m | Mugu

Good trail and easy pass. The downhill also has a good trail. There is one section that is a bit overgrown. The 2nd pass is nasty. Very steep and slippery on both sides. In the center, there are two sections that require your hands – but nothing extreme.

DAY 16 – 22.29 km | 1.550m | 7h 56m | 9h 39m | Bhijer

As the information here is quite poor, here is an attempt at an explanation: There is a trail on the southern side and on the northern side. The trail on the north is steep and has a few meters of elevation gain. There are 2 cliffs where you have to go above them if the water is too high; otherwise, you can take the trail close to the water. This is the more exhausting but safer option as you don’t have to ford the river – this route is also taken by tours with mules. The southern trail is easier and has way less elevation gain. BUT you have to cross at least 2 times – 4 if you have to go around the cliff. We took the northern trail. After that, it’s easy CC until a steep, stony part. Check the route in advance – it’s fairly straightforward. Stay above the cairns. The last meters of the Yala Bhanjyang Pass are slippery rock and mud. The downhill was easy. It’s mainly trail and CC [cross country].

DAY 17 – 16.25 km | 1.253m | 6h 32m | 8h 19m | Pho

The ascent is an easy trail. Steep, but continuous. The last part is still a trail, but with loose gravel. After the pass, it’s a good trail to the summit and all the way down to Pho.

DAY 18 – 16.24 km | 1.474m | 6h 00m | 7h 18m | Bhijer

All easy trail – straightforward.

DAY 19

Rest Day

DAY 20 – 20.19 km | 1.556m | 6h 53m | 8h 07m | Shey

All easy trail – straightforward. The climb/descent to Shey can be very muddy and slippery when it’s raining.

DAY 21 – 24.52 km | 1.079m | 8h 46m | 9h 33m | Phoksundo Lake

The trail up to the pass is easy and straightforward. The canyon has some improvised bridges. No guarantee that they will be there the whole time. If not present, you have to ford. The river is way wider than what can be seen on OSM, which leads to larger sections that are a mixture of a lot of fording and bushbashing, depending on where you ford.

DAY 22 – 10.58 km | 568m | 3h 07m | 3h 24m | Ringmo

Easy trail and straightforward.

DAY 23 – 19.74 km | 1.882m | 7h 05m | 8h 02m | Danigar

Easy trail and straightforward. One section with a very close call and a near-death experience due to rockfall.

DAY 25

Rest Day

DAY 26 – 26.68 km | 1.398m | 7h 10m | 7h 54m | Chap Chu

Straightforward — everything can be done on the road [I would recommend that]. We took a shortcut, but it wasn’t really worth it.

DAY 27 – 15.20 km | 455m | 3h 33m | 3h 39m | Chharka Bhot

Straightforward — everything is road. We just detoured slightly for the campsite.

DAY 28 – 31.06 km | 1.245m | 7h 37m | 8h 14m | Bheroi Khola

All road and straightforward. We only went on the trail to use a bridge and avoid fording, and then walked a few meters to the campsite.

DAY 29 – 17.26 km | 326m | 3h 56m | 4h 01m | Sangda

A short part of the road is in an absolutely catastrophic condition, which is why it’s marked as a hiking trail. There are also only mules. Aside from this section, it’s all great road.

DAY 30 – 27.98 km | 852m | 6h 22m | 6h 33m | Kāgbeni

All road walking. Straightforward.

DAY 31

Rest Day

DAY 32 – 12.76 km | 878m | 2h 59m | 4h 21m | Muktinath

All street straight forward. Took a trail as a shortcut. Slackpacking.

DAY 33

Rest day

DAY 34

Rest day

DAY 35

Rest day

DAY 36 – 8.21 km | 1.071m | 3h 11m | 5h 01m | Muktinath

All trail – straightforward. We had heaps of snow – we needed to wait until the night so we don’t sink in. We had a cyclone bringing snow. Therefore our GPS does not follow the trail 100% and we are way, way slower than normal.

DAY 37 – 9.86 km | 814m | 5h 01m | 7h 03m | High Camp

All trail – straightforward. We had heaps of snow – we needed to wait until the night so we don’t sink in. We had a cyclone bringing snow. Therefore our GPS does not follow the trail 100% and we are way, way slower than normal.

DAY 38 – 34.25 km | 400m | 7h 22m | 10h 23m | Lower pisang

All trail and street – straightforward. We had a cyclone bringing snow. Due to that, we are way, way slower than normal.

DAY 39 – 32.51 km | 565m | 6h 43m | 8h 38m | Dharapani

Straightforward all street. Needed to take one detour due to landslide – was trail.

DAY 40

Rest Day

DAY 41 – 15.99 km | 1.330m | 3h 59m | 4h 05m | Chauli Kharka

Mainly road. It turns into an old, abandoned road after the bridge. Still fast to hike. After the landslide, it’s all trail – straightforward.

DAY 42 – 11.34 km | 1.395m | 3h 40m | 3h 49m | High Camp

All straightforward, easy trail.

DAY 43 – 25.40 km | 1.159m | 7h 08m | 8h 49m |Samagaon

All trail, straightforward.

DAY 44 – 24.55 km | 569m | 5h 19m | 7h 26m | Ghap

All trail, straightforward.

DAY 45 – 28.66 km | 1.068m | 6h 16m | 7h 31m | Jagat

Easy, straightforward trail. After that, easy road walking.

DAY 46 – 13.51 km | 299m | 2h 42m | 2h 48m | Khorlabesi

Road walking

DAY 47

Rest day.

DAY 48 – 23.11 km | 1.714m | 5h 55m | 6h 29m | Kashigaun

Straightforward road. After the bridge, it’s an old road. Some parts are a bit overgrown, but very easy and fast to hike. You could also take the trail from Khorlabesi, but we wanted to take the old road – though this trail is apparently also maintained. The locals said there is also a trail apparently from Khanibesi – I can’t confirm or give details. At one point, the old road turns into an easily maintained trail. After that, it’s kind of a street. Not possible by jeep, but maybe by motorcycle. Definitely too good for a trail, so I marked it as a street.

DAY 49 – 36.67 km | 2.094m | 8h 51m | 9h 47m | Borang

Road out of the village. Then the tricky parts start. There are three options:

1. The north route (done by some other hikers one week before us) – apparently all trail.
2. The central Route – This is my route. Walking the old road as far as possible.
3. The south route – going via the Managi Bhaniyan pass.

TL;DR: I would recommend just following my GPX; it’s all the old road and easy to navigate with an easy incline.

Why not the other routes?

• My friend and I split. He took the north route, so there are two GPX trails available. The trail can be tricky to follow and see. The first 1 km is a bit of vegetation in the way. It is also steeper than the central route.
• The southern route is something I talked to the person who hiked/recorded it (thanks again!). He himself doesn’t recommend it. He also recommends the central route.
• The route from Wilderness Prime [Dave] is basically the central route. On the pass, he connects from the old road to the trail. My route also takes the road on the downhill.

Detailed Notes:

After the bridge, the old road starts (this street is no longer in use). Against what we have heard from local guides, it is not maintained by machinery. It is used by a few locals based on the tracks, and some plants were cut. Until 2000 m, there were quite a few leeches. You can take the old road or shortcuts until the junction where the north route starts. At this point, the quality of the old road gets worse. There are three parts where the trail is overgrown [Overgrown—not bush bashing, just plants hanging on the trail. Two of them are spiky and cause skin irritation]. Nothing horrible, just annoying.

At one part, the old road is a dead end due to a landslide, but they fixed it back in the day, so there is a switchback you have to take to continue on the old road. After this, the old road gets significantly better. It is very easy to hike until the old road ends and you hit a well-maintained hiking trail. It is basically all stairs from there to Khading.

After that, it’s straightforward trail or road.

DAY 50 – 13.18 km | 1.115m | 3h 39m | 3h 56m | Lawadun

Easy road walking.

DAY 51 – 25.61 km | 1.686m | 5h 56m | 6h 21m | Somdang

All road walking. Easy and straightforward. You can also take the trail and shortcut, which is 9 km shorter – same elevation, just steeper. Good trail, easy to follow.

DAY 52 – 13.42 km | 495m | 3h 32m | 3h 39m | Gatlang

All road walking. Easy and straightforward. You can also take the trail and shortcut, which is 9 km shorter – same elevation, just steeper. Good trail, easy to follow.

DAY 53 – 24.48 km | 1.227m | 5h 56m | 7h 49m | Thulo Syabru

Everything can be road walking, but it will again be significantly longer than taking the shortcuts. I shortcutted everything – it was all trail or stairs. Due to the flood damage, we had to take a detour as all bridges are destroyed. I’ll add the original route as an alternative.

DAY 54

Rest day.

DAY 55 – 14.24 km | 1.429m | 4h 23m | 4h 34m | Ghoda Tabela

Easy trail and straightforward.

DAY 56 – 15.31 km | 1.230m | 3h 59m | 4h 02m | Kyanjin Gompa

All trail and straightforward.