Pikey Peak & Dundhkunda Trek

Trip Details

Destination: Nepal

Overview
Detail Itinerary

About Trip

The Pikey Peak & Dudh Kunda Trek provides an opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful views in Nepal in an easily accessible location without the need for flights: we start/finish with a drive in a private jeep to Dhap and back from Phaplu. The trail is far less popular, and therefore less crowded, than signature treks like ABC, ACT and EBC, and is thus perfect for clients who appreciate a peaceful and serene environment. The maximum altitude (4561m at Dudh Kunda, or 4067m at Pikey Peak I for those omitting the lake) is also considerably lower than ACT and EBC, thus being attractive to people who do not wish to go to extreme altitude.

The scenery, views, flora and fauna along the trail are all outstanding, ensuring an unforgettable feast for the eyes, while the Buddhist monasteries of Thupten Chöling & Chiwang provide food for the soul.

The trek has various options for shortening/extending, for example, by cutting Dudh Kunda, or spending an extra rest day in the delightful village of Junbesi. Just tell us your requirements!

Trip Highlights

• Unrivalled view of 8000-ers, especially from Pikey Peak

• Sunset & the Sea of Clouds from Base Camp

• Sunrise view from the summit of Pikey Peak

• Stunning Dudh Kunda & the nearby glaciers

• Tibetan Buddhism at Thupten Chöling & Chiwang Monasteries

• Gentian spangled meadows

Outline Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotel
Day 02: Trip briefing and shopping for equipment
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Dhap by private jeep 7-8 hrs. (2932m)
Day 04: Trek to Jhapre 5-6 hrs. (2820m)
Day 05: Trek to Pikey Peak Base Camp 6-7 hrs. (3640m)
Day 06: Trek to the summit of Pikey Peak I (4067m); then down to Kanden 7-8 hrs. (3736m)
Day 07: Trek to Junbesi 3-4 hrs. (2700m)
Day 08: Trek to Taksindu 6-7 hrs. (3130m)
Day 09: Trek to Saharsbeni 7-8 hrs. (3835m)
Day 10: Trek to Dudh Kund (4561m) and back to Saharsbeni 8-9 hrs.
Day 11: Trek to Ringmu 6-7 hrs. (2720m)
Day 12: Trek to Phaplu 5-6 hrs. (2469m)
Day 13: Drive from Phaplu to Kathmandu by private jeep 8-9 hrs.
Day 14: Kathmandu sightseeing & farewell dinner
Day 15: Transfer to airport for departure flight

Day 01Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotelYou will be welcomed at the airport by a company representative and taken to your downtown Kathmandu Hotel. Depending on the length of your flight and your arrival time, it may be possible to sample some of the delights of the tourist hub of Thamel on foot, otherwise you can take it easy and catch up on sleep.
Day 02Trip briefing and shopping for equipmentAfter a relaxing breakfast, you will have a trip briefing and a check on your equipment. There will be ample opportunities to buy any missing items and to stock up on personal things like candies and snacks. Time permitting, it may also be possible to explore the old market area of Asan Tolle with its central Annapurna Shrine and baffling array of goods on sale.
Day 03Drive Kathmandu to Dhap by private jeep 7-8 hrs. (2932m)Today we drive by private jeep from Kathmandu to Dhap in the Solukhumbu region. The black-topped road follows the Sunkoshi River and joins the Tama Koshi River to form the formidable Koshi River We have lunch at Ghurmi, before continuing our journey up through many settlements, including Okhaldhunga, before arriving in Dhap, where we will stay overnight before starting our trek.
Day 04Trek to Jhapre 5-6 hrs. (2820m) It is good to get up early this morning—and why not every morning? —in order to admire the fabulous view at sunrise. After breakfast, we follow the Pattale ridgeline and, as we are nearing Sigane, we will start to get amazing panoramas of the Number Himal range. The trail is easy to walk, in spite of the numerous ups and downs, twists and turns, until we arrive at our destination, Jhapre, situated at the top of a deep valley. Once again, we have incredible mountain views, which we can enjoy to the full before dinner.
Day 05Trek to Pikey Peak Base Camp 6-7 hrs. (3640m)Our trail from Jhapre today ascends gently towards Bhulbhule, after which it becomes steeper, climbing through Lhamuje's rhododendron forests and passing small farmsteads. After Lhamuje, the trail opens up again, with grasslands where we may be lucky enough to see yaks grazing. After passing some abandoned yak herders’ cottages, the trail then curves around the hillside beneath Taklung Danda, going along a lovely woodland track lined with rhododendrons. Finally, we reach Pikey Peak Base Camp. Here it is sometimes possible to see the ‘Sea of Clouds’ phenomenon at sunset, as the clouds cluster in the valley below the guesthouses. Better get an early night, in readiness for the early start on the next day!
Day 06Trek to the summit of Pikey Peak I (4067m); then down to Kanden 7-8 hrs. (3736m) We should be ready to leave the Base Camp at the crack of dawn in order to make the slow, 400m ascent to the summit of Pikey Peak I (4067m) in time for sunrise. In optimal weather conditions, the view from here stretches from Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the west, all the way to Kanchenjunga (8586m) on the border of Sikkim in the east. When we add to these Everest (8849m), Annapurna I (8091m), Manaslu (8163m), Cho Oyu (8188m), Makalu (8485m) and Lhotse (8516m), then you can see why this view, embracing so many so-called ‘8000-ers’, is reputed to have been Sir Edmond Hillary’s favourite in Nepal. Nearer at hand, we can see Numbur (6958m) and Karyolung Peak (6511m).
It can be chilly up here if the wind is blowing, otherwise we can enjoy some snacks and hot drinks from our flasks at leisure, before taking our final photographs and heading downwards.
Later in the day, the Jasmane Bhanjyang (3549m) provides another view point, before we drop down even further to our overnight accommodation in either Kande (3736m) or Lamjura La (3530m).
Day 07Trek to Junbesi 3-4 hrs. (2700m)We have an easy morning trek to the lovely village of Junbesi, where we will check into our guest house and have lunch. Junbesi is a Sherpa village, with its own unique culture and traditions. In the afternoon, you can either rest and enjoy wandering around the village, or possibly walk up the valley of the Junbesi Khola to visit Thupten Chöling retreat community and monastery established by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche in the 1960s. After fleeing his own monastery of Rongpuk, Tibet, in 1959, right after the Chinese invasion, Trulshik Rinpoche at first settled in the Khumbu region, still hoping it might possible to return to Rombuk. Finally, in 1968, Rinpoche built Thupten Chöling on donated land. However, as he still believed that he and his followers would return to Tibet in the near future, the monastery was not built to last. After it began to deteriorate in the 1990s, it was rebuilt as a more permanent structure. In 2011 Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, who was one of the main teachers of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, passed away. Over 900 monks and nuns, 80% of whom are Tibetan refugees, still live at Thupten Chöling.
Day 08Trek to Taksindu 6-7 hrs. (3130m)Today, we start the second leg of our trek and begin the 3-day gradual ascent to Dudh Kunda, climbing just over 400m over all to Taksindu, the home to several ethnic groups including Sherpa, Rai, and Tamang. The Taksindu La Pass, also known as Taksindu Monastery Viewpoint (3071m), offers panoramic views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest and Lhotse. At the heart of this community is Taksindu Monastery, a Sherpa Buddhist monastery, established by the monks from Tengboche on the trail up to Everest. The monastery sits on the divide between Solu and Khumbu, and is the residence of 60 monks and nuns as well as 20 lay people, and functions as the primary religious institution for the surrounding community.
Day 09Trek to Saharsbeni 7-8 hrs. (3835m)This is the second day of our gradual ascent to Dudh Kunda, with a 700m altitude gain over all. This section of the trail is relatively unknown to Western trekkers, being primarily the path for Hindu pilgrims to follow to the holy lake. We will therefore take a picnic lunch and should stock up on snacks before leaving Taksindu. Accommodation in Saharsbeni is basic, but the location is unforgettable!
Day 10Trek to Dudh Kund (4561m) and back to Saharsbeni 8-9 hrs.Today you have the option of either resting in Saharsbeni (3835m) or challenging the 700m+ ascent to Dudh Kunda, located in the lap of Numbur (6958m), a glaciated mountain which forms part of the Rolwaling Himal range. ‘Dudh Kunda’ literally means ‘Milky Lake’, although it is said to only appear milky in the holy month of August, looking somewhat dark and brooding for the rest of the year. It is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, thus making it a powerful pilgrimage place for Hindus. En route to Dudh Kunda, and off to the right, is Kalo Pokhari (Black Pond). According to local tradition, people should not visit or even look at this lake before reaching Dudh Kunda itself. From here, we can see mesmerizing mountain views including Numbur and Mt. Karyolung (6511m). We will take time to rest, take photos and enjoy our packed lunch before retracing our steps back to Saharsbeni.
Day 11Trek to Ringmu 6-7 hrs. (2720m)Today we retrace our steps down to Ringmu, a little beyond Taksindu. It is a small Sherpa village dotted with apple, apricot, and peach orchards. All Sherpa people have their origins in Kham, previously a region of northeastern Tibet, which has now been integrated in to China. Some 500 years ago, they migrated to the sacred Khumbu Valley leading to Everest, and made their home there, before spreading to form a considerable diaspora in most of the adjoining regions.
Day 12Trek to Phaplu 5-6 hrs. (2469m)This is the last day of our trek, the highlight probably being a visit to Chiwang Monastery, founded in 1923 by the late Sangey Lama. The biggest Tibetan Buddhist religious festival of the Ngyingma School, Mani Rimdu, is performed at Chiwong Monastery every Autumn, normally in the gracious presence of His Holiness Trulshig Rinpoche. We spend our final evening in the region in the bustling little town of Phaplu, a transit point for trekkers. It also has a small airport, with regular but infrequent flights to Kathmandu.
Day 13Drive from Phaplu to Kathmandu by private jeep 8-9 hrs. After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast, we set off by our private jeep once more, gradually leaving the mountains behind, and returning in the mid-late afternoon to the bustling world of the Kathmandu Valley. After settling in, you are at leisure to relax after your trek.
Day 14Kathmandu sightseeing & farewell dinnerToday is a chance to explore some of Kathmandu’s best-loved sights, like the sacred Buddhist stupas of Swayambunath and Boudhanath. And, of course, there will be opportunities for shopping for souvenirs for yourself, family and friends. In the evening, you will have a farewell dinner with your guide and the MD of Search Treks & Expedition, who will present you with a certificate of achievement for reaching your target, either Pikey Peak or Dudh Kunda, depending on your ultimate objective.
Day 15Transfer to airport for departure flightToday is a chance to explore some of Kathmandu’s best-loved sights, like the sacred Buddhist stupas of Swayambunath and Boudhanath. And, of course, there will be opportunities for shopping for souvenirs for yourself, family and friends. In the evening, you will have a farewell dinner with your guide and the MD of Search Treks & Expedition, who will present you with a certificate of achievement for reaching your target, either Pikey Peak or Dudh Kunda, depending on your ultimate objective.