Tent Peak (Tharpu Chuli) Climbing  - 18 Days

A Himalayan Glacier representative will pick us up from the airport and drop us off at our hotel. After checking in, we can take a rest or tour the Thamel area which is a popular tourist hub. We try out Nepalese cuisine in the evening at a welcome dinner held in our honor. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We visit Himalayan Glacier’s office in the afternoon and meet our climbing leaders as well as fellow participants. At our meeting, we discuss about what we can look forward to on our trip and get our set of climbing equipment checked. If the climbing leaders decide that the climbing gears we are going to use on our trip are not in perfect condition, we might need to get new ones in Kathmandu. We rest in the evening and pack for the next day’s journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We set off for Pokhara early in the morning on a tourist bus. Our journey will mostly be along the Trishuli River. Pokhara is popularly dubbed as “the lake city” owing to the large number of lakes the city boasts. In addition, the views of the Himalayan peaks from Pokhara are astounding. We can explore the Fewa Lake during the late afternoon and enjoy a boat ride on its serene waters. Overnight in Pokhara.

We drive for about an hour to reach Naya Pul from where we start our trek. Upon reaching Birethanti, we trek uphill on the trail to Ghandruk enjoying panoramic views of the mountains. We pass by beautiful villages and admire the rural lifestyle of western Nepal. We cross the suspension bridge over Khumnu Khola and finally reach Ghandruk. From the village, we get a good view of Machapuchhre, Annaurna South, and Hiunchuli mountians.  Overnight in Ghandruk.

We climb for an hour up to Ghandrukkot and then a steep descent takes us to the Kimron Khola. After another steep ascent from Kimron Khola, we walk about an hour on an easy trail. Then we take a steep climb continuing up to Chhomrong. Towering above the village is the mighty peak of Annapurna South with Machhapuchhre facing it across the valley. Chhomrong is a beautiful village located on the lap of the giant Annapurna massive. Overnight in Chhomrong.

The trail moves along the Modi Khola leaving behind inhabited foothills. We cross a suspension bridge over Chhomrong Khola and reach Sinuwa after walking for a while. From here, our path is on a relatively flat trail. We pass through a thick rhododendron forest up to Khuldighar.  Then we descend on steep stone steps into lush bamboo and rhododendron forests, finally reaching Dobhan. Overnight in Dobhan.

From Dobhan we walk on a trail alongside Modi Khola. We pass through Himalaya hotel and Hinku Cave before reaching Deurali. On today’s short trip we also have to walk on a small section which is prone to avalanche. The short trek will allow us to acclimatize to the high altitude and prepare for the next day’s trip. Overnight in Deurali.

After about a half an hour walk from Deurali, we will find ourselves in the middle of a river bed surrounded by giant snow-covered mountains. The hike to Machhapuchre Base Camp is somewhat strenuous but the unfolding views of the majestic Machhapuchre is certainly worth it.  We enjoy looking at Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gangapurna and, of course, the Fishtail or Machhapuchhare itself. Overnight in Machhapuchre Base Camp.

There will be a short briefing today. Our climbing leader will talk about what we can look forward to during the Tent Peak climbing. There will also be a basic training on peak climbing techniques and the best ways to utilize the climbing gears such as ice axe, climbing boot, harness, jumar, and to go up and down using ropes. Additionally, we also learn about knots and gears.  Himalayan Glacier believes that the training will help boost our confidence ensuring a successful summit of the Tent Peak. We can spend the rest of the afternoon going for short hikes nearby and resting. Overnight at Machhapurchre Base Camp.

We move ahead on a trail alongside the Modi Khola. After walking for some time, we see the South Annapurna Glacier to our right. The trail from the glacier leads up to the base camp of Annapurna South. However, we move straight ahead and cross a bridge and continue further up until we reach the Cave camp. Overnight in Cave Camp.

We ascend on a steep trail to the Tent Peak (Tharpu Chuli) High Camp. We are most likely to use fix rope and helmet while climbing today. We ascend on a 50-60 degree steep path for around 2-3 hours and walk on a glacier of 30 degrees. From the high camp we get panoramic views of Hiunchuli (6441m), Annapurna South (7229m), Annapurna I (8091m), Machapuchhre and others. After setting up the high camp, we spend the remainder of the day discovering the surrounding areas and preparing for the summit.

We begin our journey to the summit around 2-3 am in the morning. We walk on a wall rock for around 2 hours and then we walk on flat snow for around an hour. Next, we climb on a steep slope of 70 degrees (100m). Then we walk on a flat trail for around 30 minutes and reach the summit of Tent Peak/ Tharpu Chuli. We climb on fix ropes to reach the final summit. After conquering Tharpu Chuli, we return by the same route to the high camp. Overnight in High Camp.

From the high camp of Tent peak we descend to Machapuchhre base camp. We use the same trail that we had used previously. After reaching Machapuchhre base camp, we take a much needed rest. Overnight in Machapuchhre base camp.

From the base camp we descend on the same trail we used coming up to Bamboo. We can enjoy views of waterfalls and pass through forests soaking in great views of Machapuchhre and Hiunchuli mountains. Overnight in Bamboo.

From Bamboo we ascend to Kuldi Ghar and then to Sinuwa on a sharp trail. We follow the stone steps that lead to Lower Chomrong. Then we ascend on the thousand stone steps that will take us to Upper Chomrong. From Chomrong we descend to Jhinu Danda. While here we can relax on a natural hot spring which is only 15 minutes away from where we are staying. Overnight in Jhinu Danda.

We begin our trek after breakfast and walk on a trail nearby the Modi Khola. We stop for lunch in Kyumi village. After lunch we trek to Syauli bazaar and then down to Birethanti. From Birethanti, we trek for about an hour’s trek and reach Naya Pul. The trek ends at Naya Pul. From Naya Pul we take a vehicle and reach Pokhara in about an hour. Overnight in Pokhara.

After breakfast, we start our drive back to Kathmandu. Most of our trip will be alongside the Trishuli River. After reaching Kathmandu, we can a take rest or catch up on last minute souvenir shopping. We attend a farewell dinner hosted to celebrate our successful climb of the Tent Peak, also known as Tharpu Chuli, in Nepal. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our Tent Peak/Tharpu Chuli Climbing trip ends today. A company representative will come to pick us up from our hotel three hours before our scheduled flight time. He/she will drop us off at the airport.