Three Kunda Ruby Valley Trek

Your flight to Kathmandu will be full of exciting and scenic flight as you can see the panoramic view of the Himalayan Range which will add curiosity in your mind about Nepal and its natural beauty. Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, a representative from Adventure Mission Nepal (AMN) will greet you in typical style with garland and assist you to the hotel.

You will have a half day sightseeing in the Kathmandu valley as Kathmandu valley is popular as the “City of Temples”. We will take you to some of these ancient temples and Palaces and the rest of the day you can do last moment shopping for the trek by consulting with your guide.

We will be taking a local bus early in the morning or a private four-wheeler to drive from Kathmandu to Bhalche Gaon that takes almost 5/6 hrs to reach. This is also the gateway to the Langtang Valley at the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Langtang Rivers. We drive past the mesmerizing scenic beauty through Trishuli Bazaar and Betrawati makes your driving a pleasure indeed. Narrow and bit adventurous zigzag road along with some amazing landscape make a good drive at the start of the trek. You have the option to start the trek on the same day but after a slightly rough ride, it is best advised that we spend the night at Bhalche that will also give you time to acclimatize.

After breakfast, we will trek a bit uphill and have a breathtaking view of Bhalche village. The trek continues passing through the high tropical jungle and the surrounding landscape. After arriving in Thulo Kharka, we will stop for lunch. After lunch, the trek continues to Rupchet where you will find a beautiful campsite and yak hut.

After breakfast, we will trek all the way to Singla Pass. At this point, you can have a glimpse of almost 270 degrees panoramic mountain views of Langtang ranges, Ganesh Himal ranges, Mt. Manaslu ranges and a few Annapurna ranges. Capture this moment and then the trek continues to Mojyat Kharka wherein monsoon and sometimes in spring also shepherd keeps their cattle like goat, sheep, cows and buffalo too but its seasonal. After crossing the dense jungle and walking for about 5-6 hours in the main jungle, we will finally reach Pangsang Pass. This is an adventure walking through a varied flora and fauna. But it is advised that you have a local guide or an expert person to help you navigate; otherwise, there is a chance that you may get lost in these environs. You should carry a Compass, good trek map (TAAN and GHTDC made map will be very useful) and dry fruit with you. This is highly recommended unless you have a pack lunch from Rupchet.

We will be descending to Tipling, a large village that hosts two Buddhist gompas and also a Protestant and Catholic church. Along a ridge top to the east is a Gomba and cremation ground for both Buddhists and Christians lined with colorful flags. Being a predominant Tamang village it is a beautiful showcase for the Tamang culture. From here we will descend to cross the Adha Khola on a box bridge and climb to the sister villages of Shertung and Chalish, regally overlooking the fertile river valley and abundant fields.

Chalish is inhabited primarily by Gurung, Ghale and Kami. There used to be Newar people but most of them have migrated to Kathmandu city. The hospitable people of this area have unique customs and craftsmanship and traditional dances, including a hospitable welcome dance, Ghatu Dance, Dohori is also popular with call and response between male and female participants, a type of courtship ritual, complemented by folk music. Some dances depend on the time of year and take place during festivals including the Maruni Dance during Dasai and Tihar, Hai Nelo Dance of Tihar, and the Ghatu (Ghasiri Dance) that occurs during Chandi Purnima in the Nepali month of Chaitra.

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the locals and trek down to Khar Khola and then trek gently up to Pasabar Danda taking about an hour walk. We will come across the Tribeni river (the place where three rivers intersect and Hindus and both Buddhist believe as a holy river site) just down in the valley where Lord Shiva's statue with little one stoned shrine has been built. Especially during the Makar Sankranti festival, locals gather here and celebrate by singing, dancing and meeting friends and relatives as well as neighbors village kith and kin.

From Pasabar Danda, we trek gently uphill and reach Kalbarang (just the small Kharka name but no village at all). The trek will continue up the hill edge walk and through a dense jungle (there is a chance that rocks might fall from the top of the hill due to an inhabitant of wildlife so careful walking with your trek guide or helper is highly recommended). Finally, we will reach Hindung village where a large population of Tamang community resides. It is a Tamang village of around 550 inhabitants. Crystals and rubies are found in areas to the north and Yarchagumba are hunted, too, in the surrounding highlands.

The trail continues steeply with occasional jaw-dropping views of the snowy peaks. Continue through seasonal grazing areas to eventually drop into an immense green meadow and a splendid campsite known as Nojet Kharka.

A climb to the ridge to the northeast, Dobra Danda, is rewarded with supreme views of the towering Ganesh Himal. The mesmerizing sight is unforgettable. Two small lakes shimmer below at the foot of the Himalaya. Kalo Kunda (black lake) has waters that mirror the awe-inspiring surroundings and the smaller Seto Kunda (white lake) has a seasonal pasture nearby. These lakes are said to have mystical powers that will bless visitors but anybody who misbehaves will be punished with poor weather and difficult travels.

You can enjoy the scenic beauty of the surroundings early in the morning which is the best time to view them. We can have breakfast and then trek all the way down the hill to cross a river (no bridge). In winter this river will be a mere stream but in summer you will have to be careful as it will be dangerous to cross unless you have a big team with special river crossing equipment. After crossing the river, we will walk for about 3 ½ hours uphill and finally get to Kharaka where only the option of staying is camping as there is no village and no tea house at all. It is an isolated campsite from where you will see Ganesh Himal (Yangri – 7245m), just 3 Kms away. Nice, cool/cold, quiet and amazing jungle camp right on the hilltop but you may encounter wildlife so group trek is recommended.

After having our breakfast, we will visit Ganesh Himal Basecamp (try) and then the trek continues towards Ganesh Kunda which is another holy and secret lake of the area, wherein September hundreds of Jhakri (shamans) get together and along with the locals participate and celebrate. Ruby mines are found in this area and it is also home to a variety of precious herbs.

We trek all the way down to Nheber Gaon. Have a bit of rest, enjoy looking around the village sites, take lunch and then the trek continues along the river bank and after a walk through the dense jungle, we will finally arrive in Tatopani (hot spring). It has a bathing pool and 3 taps. Here you can relax and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit.

The trail onward follows stone steps built by Kadoorie Agri Aid Association and British Gurkhas of Nepal. Both organizations are active in this area and responsible for building many water taps, bridges and improved trails. Pass through Tir on the way to Racyat and Kapur villages. We will have lunch in Kapur gaon and then trek down to Ankhu Khola; cross a box suspension bridge and finally arrive in Lapa gaon. It is one of the biggest villages in this region and has a huge community of Tamang people. Lapa gaon is home to beautiful Tamang culture and occasionally you will be shown their culture through performances.

Steeply up the hill to the west in a tall, blue pine forest with rambling rhododendron is Magne Goth, and nearby is a large boulder, that shines red and is the place where this precious gem is found and extracted.

After breakfast, we will trek to Tinsure Danda, passing through the beautiful alpine jungle, rhododendron forest and dense mix jungle. It is beautiful and scenic to trek but there is no human inhabitation here. After walking 5-6 hours walking, we will finally arrive in Tinsure Danda which is known as Queen of Hills for the tremendous mountain views that it provides. We will camp at the viewpoint.

Trek from Tinsure to Ganga Jamuna is another amazing landscape walk. Walking through a small dense jungle; passing by local villages having mix cultures and hilly paddy terraces make you're walking an amazing experience. It has beautiful open views of the areas and nice and easy walking a day. Ganga Jamuna is the place where thousands of Hindus and Buddhist pilgrimages visit on special occasion. However Janai Purnima and Makar Sankranti festival sees a large number of devotees here. People have a strong belief that Ganga Jamuna, names of the twin sisters, fulfills your desire if you go and ask in the temple. After visiting Ganga Jamuna, we will trek to Salangkot and stay the night at the village site camp or at a local house.

Today is the concluding day of our trek. From Salangkot we will have private 4WD drive till Dhading Besi, the drive is full of scenic and fills with adventurous in a dirt road. From Dhading Besi the road is well paved until we reach Kathmandu. While driving we can see the magnificent view of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and other snow-capped peaks. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

Although today is a spare day, you can visit some of the heritage sites of Kathmandu like Durbar squares and temples. Also, you can spend your time by going to massage or spa center to get relief from tiredness of trek. Similarly, you can explore the market area for the last moment souvenir shopping from Nepal to your friends, relatives and friends.

You can depart from Kathmandu to your home country or extend the trip and head for another trip within or outside Nepal