Genuine Reviews on :

Guerrilla Trek

  Nepal , Off the Beaten Path Trek

Duration

17 Days

Tour Type

Trekking/Hiking

Group Size

2+

Accomodation

Tent/Home stay

Meal

B.L.D.

Max. Altitiude

3200 M

Best Season

Through Out The Year

Departure from

Kathmandu

Hightlight

  • Easy trails leading to the origin of the decade-long Guerrilla Warfare in Nepal
  • Knowledge about the Maoists’ Revolution (1996 -2006)
  • Flora and fauna in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve
  • Amazing vistas of Mt. Annapurna (8,091m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Mt. Manaslu (8,163m), Gurja Himal (7,193m), Putha Himal (7,246m), Sisne Himal (5,911m) and Churen Mountain Range
  • Ethnic groups being the Kham Magar dominant
  • Homestay facilities, cultural shows of the Magar Communities

Overview

Guerrilla Trek is a newly introduce trekking trail to promote war tourism in Nepal. This trek was formally inaugurate by the then Maoists’ Commander Prachanda on 2nd October 2012. Since then, this trek has been a matter of curiosity for many trekkers visiting Nepal.

Guerrilla trekking trails covers for about 274 kilometers of Myagdi, Baglung, Rukum and Rolpa districts. These were the most sensitive zones during the revolution. Many people lost their lives while all of them have been victims of cruel war.

The Guerrilla War of Nepal ran for about 10 years from 1996 to 2006. During the decade-long conflict, nearly 17,000 Nepalese: civilians, rebels and security personnel, lost their lives. Despite its irreparable loss of lives and property, it has now become a reliable source of income to the local people of this region.

Guerrilla trek has opened up a good chance of economic progress to the victims of the war. They have been involved in tourism industry as per their knowledge. The majority of the villages on the Guerrilla trekking route are of the Kham Magar community. These people are really simple-minded and hard-working.

Some homestay sites are open and run by these people to earn their livelihood. They provide you basic facilities of food and accommodation. Likewise, the cultural shows are performed in the evening to entertain the trekkers in their vicinity. This has benefitted them economically and helped them conserve their culture and tradition at the same time.

Walking through the rugged trails along the dense pine, and rhododendron forests, you have the wonderful sights of the Himalayas. Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Mt. Manaslu (8,163 m) are the eight-thousanders seen during this trek. The Lesser Himalayas like Gurja Himal (7,193 m), Putha Himal (7,246 m), Sisne Himal (5,911 m) and Churen Mountain Range also come to your sight.

Guerrilla Trek Itinerary

Basically, the trek itinerary could have been design base on a few important factors. The duration of trekking per day, acclimatization day and the route you want to follow. As Guerrilla trekking is an easy trek in Nepal, you don’t need any acclimatization day.

Guerrilla trek itinerary ranges from 13 days to 27 days, which is enough for you to witness the cultural and natural fragrance of this region. 13 days’ itinerary is best fit for those having a short holiday, yet want to explore the base of the Guerrilla warfare in Nepal.

Besides this, 27 days package is an opportunity to have a leisurely visit of the origin of the Maoists’ Revolution. It lets you visit all the prime locations like the Maoists’ base camps, hideouts and secret trails.

Guerrilla Trek Map

Guerrilla trek starts from Beni, of Myagdi and moves ahead through Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. Moving ahead, it takes you to Rolpa via some parts of Baglung and Rukum.

It leads you through the ethnic villages of Mid-Western Nepal of mixed communities being the Magar people dominant. As these districts had been the main bases during the Maoists’ Revolution happen between 1996 and 2006.

By witnessing the splendid views of Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), you continue the journey. You will also have the distant view of the Himalayas as far as Mt. Manaslu (8,163 m).

Guerrilla trek map encompasses the newly developed trekking trails of mid-Nepal that passes along the dense pine, fir, oak and rhododendron forests. Finally, you end up the trip in Sulichaur of Rolpa, the origin of the Guerrilla Warfare in Nepal.

On the other hand, you can also start this trek right from Sulichaur. To begin from here, you will drive from Butwal after visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Finally, the trek ends up at Beni, the gateway to Upper Dolpo trek.

No matter, where you begin this historically important section of Nepalese tourism, you will have the wonderful vistas of the Himalayas and amazing landscapes. You will also sight Gurja Himal (7,193 m), Putha Himal (7,246 m), Sisne Himal (5,911 m) and many  more.

Guerrilla Trek Difficulty

Guerrilla trek is comparatively easy type of trek as the trails move along the medium elevation. Although it has been a newly introduce trek in Nepal, the number of trekkers are growing these days.

The historical background of this trail attracts thousands of travelers every year. Guerrilla trek difficulty is justified by the condition of teahouses, trails and trekking hours. Being the new Nepal trekking region, teahouses provide the basic facilities of food and accommodation.

Although you spend the nights in the places above 2,500 m, there is not much threat of altitude sickness. You have to walk along the rugged trails for about 5 hours. The trekking trails go past the dense forests of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

Due to the lack of participation of the local community people and concerned authorities, the trails are not in proper condition. In some sections, newly constructed roads have disturbed the trekkers. The traditional trails are destroyed on the one hand and on the other, the road is dusty as well.

Guerrilla Trek Permits

You should have two permits for doing the historical Guerrilla trek. They are TIMS Card and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Entry Permit. For your kind of information, this permit for Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Entry is not for shooting the games!

TIMS Card have been receive from Nepal Tourism Board offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Guerrilla trek is a free individual trekking (FIT) region, therefore, even a solo trekker can be do this trek.

If you are doing this trek with a registered trekking guide, you have to pay USD 10 for the TIMS Card. On the other side, if you are an independent trekker, the cost is USD 20.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Entry Permit would be issue only by the office of the reserve at Dhorpatan. You need to pay USD 30 for permit.

Itinerary

The mediator of NTR receives you at the Tribhuvan International Airport and relocates to the hotel. After becoming fresh, you can visit Thamel independently.

You can either fly or drive to Pokhara from Kathmandu. Flying takes hardly 25 minutes while driving along the Prithvi Highway takes around 6 hours. Flight cost is higher than the roadway transportation. The choice is yours after all!

Upon reaching in Pokhara, you can visit the top touristic centers like the Phewa Lake, Lakeside, Devi’s Fall and many more. Even the nightlife of the Lake City Pokhara is something worthy of experiencing!

There is direct bus services from Kathmandu to Beni, which is the gateway to Upper Dolpo trek via Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. However, most of the trekkers spend a night in Pokhara and move further to Beni. The drive is incredible as you have the astounding view of diverse terrains and the mountain peaks.

Enjoying the mesmerizing view of Gurja Himal (7,193m), you will move along the gravelled road. Crossing Darbang Village, you will finally reach Takam.

Having a magnificent view of Annapurna (8,091m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167m) Mountain Ranges, you carry your trip ahead. You will meet many people who have witnessed the decade-long Maoists’ Revolution. You can talk to the local people who will tell you lots of stories about the Maoists war. At the end of the day, you reach Lamsung.

Today, you follow a rocky trail that passes along the lush forests of pine and oak trees. You might also sight some musk deer on the way! The magnificent view of the Dhaulagiri range conjoining the Chure range accompanies you throughout the travel. You end up the trekking at Gurjaghat.

By leaving the settlement areas behind, you will walk past a Tibetan Refugee Camp. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve is the only conservation area in Nepal where the licensed hunters can shoot games in the specified time.

While trekking along this conservation area,  you will come to see many species of animals and birds. The common species of animals found here are Himalayan black bear, ghoral, Himalayan thar and many more. You set up a tented camp in the hunting reserve premises.

Following the rough rocky trail, you will move towards Nishi Dhor, a haven for different species of birds for the night rest. You will sight some Danphes, Nepal’s national bird in the lush forests.

If you make Guerrilla trek in monsoon, you can spot some temporary cowsheds for seasonal cattle settlement. You can also see some species of wildlife like Himalayan black bear, Himalayan thar, etc while moving ahead.

From Nishi Dhor, by leaving Baglung, you enter into Rukum. Rukum used to be one of the main guerrilla (Maoists) base camps amidst the dense forests. You walk past some Magar villages which used to be the hideouts of the Maoists during the guerrilla warfare.

You also see the housing style, lifestyle, culture and tradition of the Magar ethnicity here. Apart from this, you will experience the captivating sight of the Dhaulagiri Massif glittering on the sunshine.

By leaving the traditional Magar and Dalit villages, you speed up towards today’s destination. Rukum is also called the ‘district having 52 ponds and 53 hillocks.’ It is famous for unspoiled natural beauty and authentic pastoral cultural diversity.

This district has a great prospect of tourism provided the Government develops infrastructures of tourism En route, you witness the mesmerizing outlook of the Dhaulagiri Massif, Putha Himal (7,246m), Sisne Himal (5,911m) and other snowy peaks.

By following the rugged trail, you walk past the rustic villages Rukum and enter into Rolpa district. You will end up the trek at Thabang, located in Rolpa.  Thabang was the origin of Maoists revolution in 1996. During the emergency period (2002-2006), the army helicopter bombarded in Thabang and caused a huge destruction of people and property. On the way, you will walk past the forests of fir, pine and birch trees inhabiting species of wildlife.

Today’s destination is Jaljale where you can reach by crossing the dense forests of fir, pine and rhododendron. While moving further, you have the astounding sight of Dhaulagiri Massif, Gurja Himal, Putha Himal and Chure Mountain Range. At Jaljale, you spend the night at a homestay or a tented camp.

Today, you descend through the mixed ethnic villages maintaining cultural diversity. While walking further  downhill, you see the 360-degree view of Api Himal (7,132m) and Saipal Himal (7,031m).

Today is the last day of walking along the rugged trail of historic Guerrilla trek. From Jelbang, you trek up to Sulichau that used one of the Maoists Base Camps during the insurgency period.

 

Sulichaur that has many restaurants owned by the relatives of the former Maoists. You can talk with them to find out the stories about the Guerrilla war and its impacts on their lives. You can easily understand the war sentiments and the dark side of the war, which is always cruel.

After breakfast, you begin the roadway travel to Kathmandu. On the way, you come to cross some beautiful places like Swargadwari, the Rapti River, Kapilvastu and Chitwan.

 

As the duration of the journey from Rolpa to Kathmandu is quite longer, you catch a private jeep or a public bus early in the morning. After you arrive in Kathmandu, you will be transferred to the hotel.

As the  travel from Rolpa to Kathmandu takes quite longer time, i.e. more than 13 hours. You had better take a rest today in Kathmandu. During the daytime, explore the World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley. The tour guide takes you around Patan Durbar Square, the Monkey Temple, Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddhanath Stupa.

 

In the evening, the agency organizes farewell dinner at a cultural restaurant around Thamel. Enjoy the typical Nepali food items with the entertainment of the cultural shows.

The representative of the company takes you to the Kathmandu Airport as per the flight schedule.

FAQ's

We recommend you to do Guerrilla trek for a few reasons. Firstly, it is a war tourism product of Nepal introduced only from October 2012. You get to know the history of the Guerrilla War led by the Maoists Rebellions between 1996 and 2006. Secondly, this is an easy trekking taking you around Myagdi, Baglung, Rukum and Rolpa. You have the glimpses of various animals and birds in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. It is the only conservation center in Nepal where the licensed hunters can shoot the specified animals by taking the permission from the concerned authorities.

This trek rewards you with the amazing view of three of the eight-thousanders of Nepal: Mt. Annapurna (8,091m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Mt. Manaslu (8,163m). Similarly, you will have the captivating sight of Gurja Himal (7,193m), Putha Himal (7,246m), Sisne Himal (5,911m) and Churen Mountain Range.

Guerrilla trek is an easy trek that you can do all times of the year. The trekking trail doesn’t lie much higher, so there is not much chance for altitude sickness. However, the best time for Guerrilla trekking is spring and autumn. Making this trek in spring and autumn, you can witness the clear view of the amazing landscapes and snow-capped peaks. As the greatest festivals of this region fall in autumn, you get a chance to participate in them.

Yes, you can. As it is not a restricted area trekking region, even a solo trekker in Nepal can do this trek. Nonetheless, we advise you to book an organized trekking via a local tour operator located in Kathmandu or Pokhara. The local tour operator provides you the professional guide, porter or guide cum porter. They will help you in case of emergency like altitude sickness or accidents. As an independent trekker, you may miss the right trail to enjoy the beauties of this trek.

Among the best local tour operators, Nepal Trekking Routes is opened and run by a person who has spent nearly 15 years in Nepalese tourism.  We have been organizing tour and trekking packages in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet since our inception and our success rate is 100%. We are always ready to help you find the right trip package at the most reasonable cost.

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