Humla Limi Valley Trek

Arrival at Kathmandu International airport. Be received, welcomed & assisted by our representative from Himalayan Trekkers & transfer you to your respected hotel.

We board a plane to reach Nepalgunj situated in South Western Nepal, in the lowlands of Terai. This is a flat land area with a majority of Hindus and Muslim community. Nepalgunj is hot and humid most of the year. You can spend the evening strolling around the Market which is crowded but yet interesting.

After breakfast, we board the aircraft to fly to the Simikot airport. As you step out of the aircraft you witness a different world. Simikot lies in the midst of Himalaya and is headquarter of the Humla district. Simikot airport also serves as the starting point of the trek/drive to the Famous Kailash/Manasarovar.

After walking for an hour we cross a small 3000m high pass and go down one more hour to Majgaon. Majgaon has a mixed population of Hindus and Buddhist. We further go down as the trail goes greener at this lower altitude. After walking for about 4 hours we reach Dharapuri.

We have a short day to walk today as we only walk for 3 hours before reaching Kermi. So we can have a late start after exploring the Dharapuri village in the morning. We start following the trail along the mighty Karnali where we see the fields of barley, buckwheat, rice and potatoes.

Kermi has the majority of Buddhist people and its major attractions are Laikyo Gompa and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa, both are about half an hour walk from our campsite. Overnight at Camp.

After a warm breakfast, we walk for 2 hours and cross the Sali River. On the bank of the river, there is a small settlement with a few tea shops. We walk further on a high trail through the pine forest and the clear Karnali River below the cliff. On the way, we encounter a lot of Mule caravans.

Usually, the caravan leaders are the local villagers moving from one place to another for barter and trade. In 4 hours we reach the Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery of Nyingmapa lineage with about 135 monks living in. further 45 minutes of walk leads us to Yalbang our overnight camp.

We leave the village of Karnali River again and pass the little village of Yangar. The path is mostly “Nepali Flat”. At some parts, the path is spectacularly carved out of the rocks, and you find yourself walking in a kind of three-sided tunnel. You’ll notice that the environment is changing as it is getting rockier and the big pine trees make way for smaller bushes.

In 4 hours we are at Muchu. If you want to further walk for an hour we can camp at Tumkot rather than Mucha. Although Muchu doesn’t lie in the main trail it is an interesting village and the famous Dhungkar Choezom Monastery lies in this village. So depending on how tired you are on a particular day we can camp as per that.

We have so steep climb at the beginning of the day. The landscape gets more rocky and desolate. The few trees left are low junipers. A little bit of walk goes through an under-construction road. We will walk past the village of ani Palwang where we stop for lunch. In another couple of hours, we reach Yari for the camping but if you wish to continue for one more hour we can reach Thado Dunga.

This is the longest day and one of the most physically demanding as we cross the Nara La. The view is very much similar to the Tibetan landscape so is very enriching. We reach Tado Dunga from where the trail becomes steeper. A further walk of a couple of hours leads to the Nara la pass but it is visible from distance.

The pass has a pile of stone as people believe adding stones to the pile brings good luck, prayer flags, and a panoramic view of the Tibetan plateau. From the pass is a hard and steep descent to Hilsa. You have the choice of Homestay but we recommend camping as homestays may not be available in peak tourist season.

Today we walk for about 5 hours before reaching Manepeme. You leave Hilsa, crossing a big iron bridge. At the other side of the river, a small, slightly difficult trail winds its way over a slope, until it connects with a larger trail high on the slope.

This trail follows the Karnali River in an eastern direction up till Manepeme. The path climbs gradually with a few steep ups and downs. You walk in a dramatic landscape of bare, steep rocks in amazing colors.

Note on Accommodation: There are no settlements between Hilsa and till. Manepeme is a small flat area close to the trail and close to a water source where it is possible to camp.

After starting the day in 2 hours we reach Ya Yip Phuk cave which was used by Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo (985-1055 A.D.), a famous translator of Buddhist scriptures for meditation. His activities were crucial to the revival of cultural exchange between Tibet and India, paving the way for the so-called second dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet.

The trail is green and rocky at times. We climb 30 minutes to Lamka La from where you can see Til and its white monasteries. We walk downhill for another one and a half hours before reaching the Chorten gate, which is the entrance to the village of Till. This village has a big Tibetan influence which can be seen in the lifestyle, buildings and the clothes of the locals. Overnight at camp.

Today we have a 3 hours easy walk to the village of Halji. The path follows the Limi River upstream and it is relatively flat walking. The trail offers a nice view and in addition, you can see some local animals including the snow leopard if you are lucky enough.

Upon reaching Halji we see the Richening Gompa, built in the 14th Century. This is the central attraction of the Limi Valley because of its religious importance.

We follow the trail along the Limi Khola and in 4 hours we reach Jang, the last village in the Limi Valley. It’s very special to be in such a secluded place where the Tibetan culture still continues relatively untouched, as far from the modern-day world as you can be.

We are departing from the Limi Valley today and its authentic Tibetan villages with their friendly people. There is no settlement en route before we reach Kermi and we will be walking through the very isolated area.

The trail is windy in the second half and requires a slow pace. We end up in Talung after 4 hours. Overnight at Camp.

This is another long day comprising a high pass, the Nyalu la. The climb is difficult because of ice and snow. After reaching the top of the pass we can witness Tibet and Humla. Two of the most fascinating peaks you can see from Nyalu la are Mt. Kailash (6714 m) and Mount Saipal (7031 m).

We go down from the pass to the Lake Selma Tso at 4630 meters then go down until we cross the Sali River. Overnight at Shinjungma.

This is the first time in 1 week that we go below 3000m. It’s a pleasant walk through pine and birch forests and along the beautiful Sali River with rocks towering on both sides of the trail.

The trail meets the Karnali River again and turns east towards Kermi village. In Kermi you can relax your tired muscles in the hot springs, a great reward for your efforts in the last days!

We walk through a pleasant trail in the first half. Walking past Majgaon we climb about 2 hours and reach the 3000-meter high pass. After 30 more minutes of going, we reach down back to Simikot. Overnight at Simikot.

Early morning you fly back to Nepalgunj and onwards to Kathmandu.

We depart you towards the airport and bid farewell. We hope to see you again and again!