What will we do when we grow up?: 5 Days on the Siklis Trek: Part 1

If you want to trek in Nepal and don’t want to go to Everest Base Camp or do 14 to 17 days of trekking 6 to 8 hours a day, trekking in the Siklis area might be for you. My trek was for 5 days, a total of 72 km in length, and started at 1100 meters, went 3095 meters at the highest, and ended at 600 meters.

The trek was fully supported so we walked with day packs and everything else was carried for us by porters. Our group of 7 clients was supported by a trek leader and 2 assistants; a cook and 4 assistants; and 11 porters. Everything except walking was done for us. Every meal was hot, even lunches along the trail. Our tents were setup and our none day pack gear inside when we arrived at the campsite each afternoon. There also was a dining tent with table and chairs and a ‘biffy’ tent for us. The cooking was usually done in a stone shelter at the campsites. Usually water was available close by, but at the high campsite, Tara Top, the porters had to hike 30 minutes to get water.

Our day started about sunrise, 7AM, with a cup of hot tea and basin of hot water for washing. We had breakfast about 7:30, eggs, bacon, local vegetables and potatoes, and sometimes pancakes, and Always plenty of coffee or tea and ALWAYS more than we could eat. About 8:15 or 8:30 we’d start our trekking. We’d cover 12 to 15 km each day with the first 2 days being uphill, and the last 3 being downhill. By 2PM or so we’d be done for the day and at the next campsite. All very doable!

The trek started a short drive from Pokhara, the same town where the Annapurna 14 to 17 day treks start and end. The Annapurna treks are from teahouse to teahouse so are very different than our supported camping trek. But first some encounters and experiences from Bandipur to our trek start…

It is rice planting time on the farming terraces which include flooding fields, plowing rows, and transplanting the rice from the nursery plots to the prepared fields.

WHAT??? Two white guys in the field?? Our van was stopped for traffic so Marcel and I ‘helped out’ in a close by field.

I’m not sure how much we helped…but we were good entertainment for everyone!

During lunch in Pokhara we had a great view of the mountains

and after dinner we were treated to Nepalese folk dancing, music and traditional dress.

The next morning I was up early and had a view of the surrounding town, lake and mountains from the hotel roof. An early morning martial arts group was practicing and boats were setting off to the local shrine on the lake.

Day 1 of the trek we meet everyone at breakfast. Usually the porters and kitchen helpers would be farmers earning some money during a slow time in the fields. But since it is a very busy planting time, our support group is mostly college students on break.

Everyone and all our gear fit into the bus for the 40 minute drive to our trek starting point at Lamakhet.

We start off our trek through terraced fields in the land of the Gurang people along the Mardikhola River.

We walk along the terrace walls through wheat fields and small villages.

Since it is a school break, the kids greet us and walk with us for a short distance.

Sometimes we see villagers hand threshing the rice after it has dried.

The corn crop is growing well and will be harvested before the monsoons begin.

As we climb out of the valley we get a nice view of the countryside.

One of our porters catches up to us with his heavy load and quickly disappears on the trail ahead of us.

The trail we are traveling on has been developed over the centuries by the porters and village people before there were roads. The trail itself is usually 2 to 4+ feet wide and is tiled with flat rocks or rock steps and walls when we are going up or down slope which is often.

Handy rock protrusions are built into any wall we need to climb over.

In one of my valley overview shots I saw a very green circular area in a field (see center of picture).

What is that I asked?
What is your guess?
(Answer to follow….)

On the first two days of our trek we saw many neatly stacked piles of cut wood.

At one of the stacks we met the village wood cutter who showed us how he made very uniform bundles

which were then carried down to the village by all the villagers.

Along the trail are shrines for the safety of the travelers and local people. These are always respected by all who pass by.

I am still amazed at the amount of work it took to build the terraced fields and the trail we are walking on. Each village does its part to maintain and add to these.

The villages we pass above the valley floor are much more compact than those along the river valley.

Every square foot of flat space has been created from the mountainside.

Now that we are transitioning from terraced fields to forest trails, we are introduced to a fellow traveler, the leach! Be diligent; check your shoes, socks and lower legs for them. As we stop for a break we can see them on the wet leafy/grassy parts of the trail.

I recognize the advantage of sticking to the drier or rocky parts of the trail. But, the good news is leaches don’t eat much if you do miss one.

The campsites we use were established at regular intervals for rest stops at night. An exception to this is the Tara Top site that was developed recently for trekkers because of its great views. (Our fellow trekker, Tara, is pointing out that site where we will camp tomorrow.)

At these campsites, every group of trekkers is greeted by local villagers when they set up camp. Every matter of drink, snacks, and local handicrafts are available.