Khair Lake and Khopra Ridge Trek

Our morning begins with transport from Pokhara to Nayapul and Bhirethati at 1,100 m, where we organize our packs and meet our support staff. We follow a steady trail alongside terraced fields and cascading waterfalls, completing a four-hour walk to reach our overnight stop at Tirkhedhunga village at 1,445 m.

Today we tackle a sustained climb up stone staircases through dense oak and rhododendron forests, passing Ulleri before entering higher ridgelines. After roughly six hours of steady ascent, we arrive at Ghorepani village at 2,885 m, where we settle into our lodge for the evening.

We make a pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill to watch the sunrise over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges before returning for breakfast. Afterward, we pack our gear and descend along a quieter trail leading away from the main tourist paths toward the settlement of Sauta at 2,210 m over five hours.

Our route today takes us deeper into forested valleys and isolated hill slopes with few other travelers around. We walk for about five hours, gaining elevation gradually until we reach the small pasture settlement of Chistibung at 3,130 m for our night in a local lodge.

A steady four-hour pull brings us out of the tree line and onto the open alpine meadows of Khopra Ridge at 3,870 m. We spend the afternoon resting and taking in the sweeping views across the deep gorge of the Kali Gandaki river toward Dhaulagiri.

We set off early from our ridge camp for our highest objective, hiking upward across rocky terrain to reach the sacred glacial waters of Khair Lake at 4,620 m. After taking time to absorb the silent mountain amphitheatre beneath VaraShikar, we retrace our steps back to Khopra Ridge for our second overnight.

Leaving our high camp behind, we retrace part of our route through alpine pastures before branching off toward the forested ridges leading to Dobato. This five-hour walk brings us to our lodge at 3,420 m, positioned amidst damp mossy trees and quiet clearings.

We descend further through thick timber and cross small streams, arriving first at Tadapani before continuing down toward the large Gurung village of Ghandruk at 1,930 m. Our six-hour walk concludes amidst stone houses, narrow alleyways, and terraced hillsides.

Our final morning involves a short walk down to the roadside where our vehicle waits to drive us back to Pokhara. We complete our trip with a transfer to our hotel near the shores of Phewa Lake after a five-hour combined journey.