A challenging trek around the world's seventh highest peak via the remote French Col & Hidden Valley at 8167m Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. Its name in Nepali means the 'White Mountain' and its first ascent in 1960 by Kurt Diemberger's Swiss-Austrian expedition made it one of the last of the 8000 meter peaks to be climbed. Situated to the west of the Annapurna massif, it is a familiar sight to trekkers on the popular Annapurna Circuit who will have seen the mountain's dramatic eastern aspect, either from the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki, or from the popular vantage point of Poon Hill.
Members of Maurice Herzog's Annapurna expedition in 1950 pioneered the Route around Dhaulagiri via the legendary French Col and Hidden Valley. The trek passes through scenery of remarkable variety and contrast. Close to Pokhara where we begin, the landscape is of lush rice fields and large well-populated villages. From Beni the Myagdi Khola is followed first west and then north along increasingly wild and precipitous paths to the isolated settlement of Boghara. As we penetrate deeper into the Dhaulagiri Himal, forests of dense sub-tropical vegetation merge slowly into fir and spruce as the tree line is reached below the enormous West Face of Dhaulagiri I.The way to French Col (5360m) and the Hidden Valley continues up through the chaotic glacial rubble of the Chonbardan Glacier via Dhaulagiri base camp (4750m). From here the impressive North Face of Dhaulagiri I is revealed in all its glory, while to the west the peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7751m) III (7715m) and V (7618m) complete a truly Himalayan panorama.North of French Col, in a desolate region high on the Tibetan plateau, laid the remote Hidden Valley. Accessible only via high passes and bounded to the north by the once-forbidden lands of Mukut Himal and Dolpo Region, this valley remains utterly devoid of human influence. Climbing out of the Hidden Valley we cross the Dhampus pass (5250m) which affords outstanding views of the Annapurna range from Nilgiri (7061m) and Tilicho (7134m) in the north right the way along the range to Fang (7847m) and Annapurna I, itself. In the valley below, the villages of Marpha and Tatopani await, providing welcome comforts on the trek back to Pokhara.The remote and wild landscape that characterises Dhaulagiri's rugged western slopes makes this trek a relatively arduous undertaking quite unlike most other trekking routes in Nepal. Although we pass through a few villages in the earlier part of the trek there are no teashops, settlement until we reach Marpha on day 17 and many of our campsites are in isolated positions. But for those who relish a challenge this is undoubtedly one of Nepal's finest mountain walking excursions.

Tour Days :	26 Days.
Difficulty :	Challenging
Trekking Option :	Camping Only.
Season :	Mid Sept to Nov, Mid February to May.

Outline Itinerary
Day 01 : Arrive in Kathmandu; meet our office Staff who will greet you garlands of Marigold, Transfer to Hotel.

Day 02 : A free day to explore this lively and exotic city, O/nt at Hotel.

Day 03 : Fly to Pokhara, Meet the Guide at Airport then drive to Beni, O/nt at Camp.

Day 04 : Trek Beni to Babi chour (950m/7hrs) O/nt at Camp
Trekking along the Myagdi river following an easy level path. We leave
behind the bustle of Beni and trek through a delightful patchwork of small Villages with cultivated fields, lush-green with their seasonal crop of rice. We pass through Tatopani with its hot springs and then cross the river on a Suspension bridge to Simichor. We continue following the Myagdi Khola Through Shiman and Talkot until a final short climb brings us to Babi Chour .

Day 05 : Trek Babi Chour to Dharapani (1113m/7hrs),O/nt at Camp.
From Babichor climb up through terraced fields and follow a gently
ascending path before returning back to the level of the river. The route now generally follows the course of the Myagdi Khola all the way to the large village of Darbang We press on to Phedi at the foot of a steep grassy hill and ascend unrelenting switch backs up to the prosperous village of Dharapani,

Day 06 : Trek Dharapani to Muri ( 1519m/6-7hrs),O/nt at Camp.
From Dharapani we trek through the villages of Takum and Sibang with their fertile cultivated fields. We then descend to the Gatti Khola and cross this to reach the delightful village of Phalai Gaon. The houses here are beautifully maintained, the upper storey all being painted white whilst the ground level is ochre, reflecting the mud plaster construction used here. Descending for some distance we cross the Dhara Khola on a suspension bridge and climb Steadily to the village of Muri inhabited by Magar peoples. Both Dhaulagiri I (8167m) and Gurja Himal (7193m) can be seen clearly from here.

Day 07 : Trek Muri to Boghara( 1900m/6-7hrs), O/nt at Camp. we trek through paddy fields to the Dhora Khola . The path then climbs up a mountainside entering a region of pine forest before we reach the village of Jagapani. There are fine views of the mountains ahead of us including Jirbang (6062m), but the narrow gorge of the Myagdi Khola prevents the highest summits from being seen. Leaving Jagapani we climb up onto an exceptionally steep hillside and follow a small narrow path, which cuts across this in a sensational position high above the deep river gorge. Careful footwork is required on this section, but there is never any technical difficulty. Eventually we reach Boghara, the highest village on this side of the range. There are only a handful of houses here and we camp in the small school playing field.

Day 08 : Trek Boghara to Dobang (2718m/6-7hrs),Camp
Leaving habitation behind we climb up a steep open hillside and turning the corner to look up theMyagdi Khola valley we get our first view of Dhaulagiri V (7616m). The path then enters a thickly forested region comprised of mixed deciduous Woodland with occasional bamboo thickets. All views of the mountains are Lost as we pass through this gloomy area. Several small clearings offer the only glimpse of blue sky and mountains ahead. We pass through the small kharka at Lipshe and continue to Dobang with its pleasant camping grounds Set in a leafy glade.

Day 09 : Trek Dobang to Chartare (2820m/6-7hrs) Camp.
The path continues through the dense forest which gradually changes from mixed deciduous to pine. As we climb higher the gaps in the forest cover become ever more frequent and we get fleeting glimpses of the huge west wall of Dhaulagiri I. We are now following the course of the Myagdi Khola at river level and have to cross the occasional tributary stream flowing into this. Eventually we arrive at the delightful campsite at Chartare adjacent to a clear mountain stream.

Day 10 : Trek Chartare to Pakaban (3647m/6-7hrs) Camp.
From Chartare the path goes back briefly into the forest before emerging into a wild and rugged mountain environment. In places we are trekking adjacent to the mighty Myagdi Khola on a path which meanders through huge piles of glacial debris and moraine. As we climb higher, the path improves and we pass through more forested areas. We cross the CHORIBAN Khola and can look back south towards the brilliant white outline of the peak of Manapati (6380m). Across the valley lie Dhaulagiri V and III, whilst to the east rises the huge West Face of Dhaulagiri I. We pass through an area known as the Italian Camp and continue to PAKABON, a delightful meadow generally Regarded as the main base camp for expedition teams tackling the West Face. This stupendous wall now rises above us for nearly 5000 m, making this a truly stunning,

Day 11 : An acclimatization day at Pakabon and a chance to rest after seven straight days of continuous tough trekking, Camp.

Day 12 : Trek Pakaban to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4200m/4-5hrs) Camp We cross an area of terminal moraines and head for the snout of the Chonbardan Glacier. Finding the best way onto the glacier can take a little time as the route will change from year to year depending on the state of the glacier. This dry glacier is exceptionally rough with giant unstable blocks and tottering piles of choss littering its surface. There are many crevasses, but as this is a dry glacier they are all clearly defined and do not present any great difficulty. The trek from Pakabon to Dhaulagiri Base Camp can be accomplished in one long day but more likely we will break the trek with an intermediate camp on the glacier.

Day 13 : Trek to High Camp Camp at 4700m. At certain times in both the
pre-monsoon and post-monsoon climbing season there will be expedition teams camped here, but later in the Autumn we may have the place to ourselves. The views of Dhaulagiri's huge chaotic icefall descending from the north-west col and the entire sweep of the North Face are right in front of us whilst to the West lie the peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7749m), Dhaulagri III (7713m) & Dhaulagiri V (7616m). An awesome scene indeed.

Day 14 : Today we trek between French Col and Dhampus Pass (5000m/4-5hrs), Camp.In the morning we should wake to clear blue skies and an awesome panorama of peaks looking right down the Chonbardan Glacier. To the north lies French Col (5360m), which for years had a reputation as being a difficult pass to cross. Actually it is very straight forward, the route from Base Camp heading up an easy slope of gravel or snow directly to the Col. From the crest of the pass we can gaze across the huge expanse of the arid and desolate Hidden Valley, whilst to our south the views of Dhaulagiri I are outstanding. We also see Sita Chuchura, Mukut Himal and Tukuche Peak. From the pass
we descend into the valley and camp mid-way between French Col and
Dhampus Pass at an altitude of over 5000 metres.

Day 15 : Trek to Yak Kharka( 4000m/ 7-8hrs).Camp.
After a cold night we pack up our camp and trek up to the Dhampus Pass (5249m). The path ascends very gradually but at this altitude we will be moving slowly. When we reach the pass a tremendous panorama opens up across the Kali Gandaki valley to the peaks of the Annapurna range. Directly in front of us lies Nilgiri and Tilicho Peak whilst to the right we can see the main Annapurna group. After a final glance back into the Hidden Valley we begin the huge descent into the Kali Gandaki gorge following a stony path down the hillside to a small clearing known as Yak Kharka. There are a few caves here and a small area where we can camp.

Day 16 : Trek to Marpha( 2675m/5-6 hrs), Camp.
We continue descending steeply down and can see habitation in the valley below. As we get lower the path becomes steeper until there appears no sensible way to progress. Here we must traverse across the hillside until we join another gentler path which leads more easily to the valley floor. We emerge in the apple orchards of the delightful Thakali village of Marpha The cobbled streets and beautifully maintained white-washed houses of the village are set amongst prolific apple orchards, the legacy of a pioneering agricultural project in the early 1980's. The result is that Marpha is now famous for its fiery apple brandy, cider and superb apple pie. We head straight for one of the
comfortable village lodges where cold beers and soft drinks await us

Day 17 : Trek to Lete, Camp.
We continue to follow the increasingly narrow Kali Gandaki gorge to the
delightful village of Tukuche with its large Gompa. Beyond this we trek on a narrow path through verdant forests to Kalopani where we have fine views of Annapurna I (8091m) and Fang (7647m). A short distance further on is the village of Lete, our stop for the night.

Day 18 : Lete to Tatopani at 1100m,Camp.
We descend steeply down through dense forest to Ghasa and enter the narrowest and deepest part of the gorge. The Kali Gandaki is one of the deepest river valleys in the world and although we are aware of the presence of high mountains around us, we are unable to see any at this point in the trek. We emerge into a wider part of the valley and reach the large and prosperous village of Tatopani (1160m) with its hot springs and bathing pools. Tatopani is, by international repute, one of the most developed villages on the Annapurna trail.

Day 20 : Trek to Ghorepani (2700m/ 7-8hrs) Camp.
We cross the river via a suspension bridge and leave the Kali Gandaki behind. We then have a very long and continuous climb up towards the Deorlai La (2834m), a gain in altitude of nearly 1700 meters. With clear weather we are constantly rewarded with superb views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Nilgiri and Hiunchuli. Continue trek to Ghorepani

Day 21 : Ghorepani to Pokhara.Hotel. BB Plan.
Above Ghorepani is the famous Poon Hill, one of the finest mountain viewpoints in the whole of Nepal. Normal practice is to make a dawn ascent, and whilst this is by no means obligatory the views are certainly at their best first thing in the morning. Dhaulagiri is most conspicuous, its huge eastern flank rising in a tremendous sweep above the Kali Gandaki, whilst in the other direction we look across the Annapurna range. After taking numerous photographs we return to Ghorepani for a mid-morning breakfast before continuing our trek down through magnificent forests of oak and rhododendron to Birethanti (1050m). A few minutes below this village our private vehicles will be waiting for us here and we drive to Pokhara Hotel.

Day 22 : A free day in Pokhara at leisure visit the lake, River Gorge,water fall and you can viewthe Long Himalayan Range north of Pokhara Including Dhaulagiri 1.There are plenty of fine restaurant offers fine cakes and pies as well as other Varity of delicious dishes. BB Plan.

Day 23 : Drive or fly to Kathmandu.
Day 24 Day at leisure, and explore the ancient palace, Temples in Kathmandu, buy the souvenir Nepalese handicraft, Hotel BB Plan.

Day 25 : Transfer to Airport.

Price Feature In US$ Each Person
Standard Tour Package Cost