Day 7: Panauti to Phulchoki
7:00 am – 4:00 pm (Saturday. April 17, 2010)
26
The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the source of all movement.
Thus the Master travels all day
without leaving home.
However splendid the views,
she stays serenely in herself.
Why should the lord of the country
flit about like a fool?
If you let yourself be blown to and fro,
you lose touch with your root.
If you let restlessness move you,
you lose touch with who you are.
Map of trail from Panauti to Phulchoki (Click to enlarge)
The bus from Panauti to Parkhachour leaves at 7:00 am. The road is along a narrow river valley of Bebar Khola. It is a pleasant 45 minutes ride through fields and traditional villages. After disembarking at Parkhalchour, take the dirt road that forks out to the left at Parkhalchour bus stop. After around 15 minutes of walking leave the road and take the ridge trail to the left. The entire trek will be a ridge walk on a well defines trail from here on until Phulchoki.
The trail passes through villages and after around half an hour you come to 2049m (see map). Just before this point is the last hut. Be sure to refill you water bottles here. At 2049m there is a grassy trail that diverges to the right. Keep going straight along the ridge. Here the direction changes from SW to SSW. It is a pretty steep climb for sometime from here but it levels out soon enough only to climb steeply again before 2369m (see map). From here it is a joyride for the most part of the trek. The trail follows the eastern ridge of Phulchoki from here. It passes through beautiful rhododendron forest and steep grasslands to the left (southern slope). After around half an hour there is a spot marked by small stone smeared with vermillion. At this almost pagan worship spot, the trail forks. The right one goes to Phulchoki. It climbs down for a short distance only to catch the ridge again. If you are going downhill for more than 10 minutes chances are you are on the woodcutter trail that goes down into the ravine below. From here it is a steep climb for around half an hour to Phulchoki. This trail passes through a rocky area and just past the rocky area, the trail meets the dirt road from Godaveri. Taking left here should get you to the top of Phulchoki in 10 minutes. There are a small shrine dedicated to Goddess Phulchoki here, a huge telecommunication tower and an army barrack. The walk from Parkhalchour to Phulchoki takes around 4 hours.
Forest of Phulchoki
Shrine dedicated to Goddess Phulchoki at the peak
Telecommunication tower at Phulchoki peak
Phulchoki is the highest hill on the Kathmandu Valley rim and the forests around it is hands down the most beautiful and diverse forest in the valley. It has been declared an “Important Bird Area” by Bid Life International. On a good day it is not surprising to come across around 70 species of birds here. Some of the celebrities include Spiny Babbler (endemic to Nepal), Blue-naped Pitta, Crested Serpent Eagle, Long-billed Thrush, Pied Thrush, Cutia. Griffon sightings are not uncommon from the peak and Black Eagle is very commonly seen above the forest canopy. Barking deer, Hoarybellied Himalayan Squirrel and Rhesus Macaque are commonly sighted. Himalayan Yellow-throated Marten and Common Leopard are seen infrequently. Common Giant Flying Squirrel and Binturong is also reported from this area. Credit has to be given the Naudhara Community forest User Group for the sustainable conservation of this area.
From the top of Phulchoki you have to walk down the dirt road. Around half an hour down this road there is a flat section of road with a small pond to the right. It is not a bad place to camp. The trail to this area from the top has been closed for years now as there are minefields around this area.
"Minefields Danger"- A huge tract of forest below Phulchoki peak is a minefield (April 2009)
However another hour down the road at the 7km to Phulchoki milestone there is a small shed and a flat place right next to it which is much better for camping
Another option is to walk down to Godaveri for camp or lodge. One doesn’t need to walk along the road to get to Godaveri. Past the shed be on a lookout for a well used trail that forks out to the right where the electricity cable intersects the road. This trail ends up at the Naudhara temple area in about an hour. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Phulchoki, a small pond and 9 water spouts there. (Hence the name Naudhara)
The Phulchoki hut at 7km to Phulchoki milestone
Indian Pipistrelle at Phulchoki hut
The temple dedicated to Goddess Phulchoki at Naudhara, Godaveri
Naudhara (Nine water spouts), Godaveri (May 2010)
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Personal Notes:
Busride from Panauti to Parkhalchour. Good road devoid of traffic. Narrow River Valley. Ride around an hour. Start walking at around 8. Head SW up a steep ridge with Phulchoki Khola to the right. Takes half hour to leave the habitation and get into the forest. Some diverging trails but if one keeps to the ridge one is on the correct trail. Head westwards on the major ridge to the east of Phulchoki. Trail littered with rhododendron petals. Trail is gentle. Major bifurcation at a place with stones smeared with vermillion powder. Right one is the correct trail. A middle-aged man heading down shows us this trail. Reach Phulchoki around 12:45. Overcast by now. Minefields still not cleared. Theft under control in Godaveri. Played table tennis at the army camp. Around 150 Xavierian on a hiking trip. Get down to the hut at the 7 km to Phukchoki mark around 3. Jay arrives at 5:00p with momos and water. Bats in the shed. Good fire from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Rain during the night. A lot of nocturnal activity outside the tent. Monkeys present too. Black Eagle. Good day.
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