Api Himal Base Camp: Exploring a hidden treasure of far-west Nepal

Which is that one place which comes to your mind when you think of trekking? Is it Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi, or Everest Base Camp? There are many places in Nepal that are yet to be explored. A beautiful trekking destination which has not gained much popularity, even among people who love to be in the lap of mountains, is Api Himal Base Camp Trek in the far-western region of Nepal.

This trekking route doesn’t have a long history. It was officially made accessible to the public only in 2020.

Though Api Himal Base Camp Trek is one of the shortest trekking destinations, it offers breathtaking sights, rocky mountain terrain, amazing food, pristine free-flowing river, steep gorges, and unique local culture. 

We got an offer to explore this off-beat trekking destination, and without a second thought we packed our bags and bid adieu to Kathmandu.

We traveled on a bus for around 30 hours, enjoying the magical forests, beautiful landscapes, and sceneries of Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, and Darchula, to reach the Api Himal Base Camp in Darchula, situated in the remotest part of Nepal. 

We spent the first night on the bus and stayed at a hotel in Gokuleshwor of Darchula on the second. The next day, after indulging in a typical Nepali breakfast, we took a jeep at around 6: 30 am and headed towards Makarigaad.

We traveled in the four-wheeler for almost four hours along a perilous stretch of road.

After reaching Makarigaad, we had Nepali food—dal, bhat, tarkari with chicken—for lunch. I have never tasted such scrumptious food on the trekking route so far. We started heading towards Khandeshwori Village, our home for the night. 

After climbing around 4,000 stairs, we reached the top of the hill from where we got a glimpse of a traditional village high up. We didn’t find a source of water on the way to the village. Finally, we reached Makarikot and found a tap. We were exhausted and at the same time excited to reach Naupata Homestay in Khandeshwori Village, where we were going to spend our third night. 

We were so taken by the natural beauty of the surrounding that we didn’t even realize that we had walked for two hours to reach the village. We saw many eye-pleasing varieties of flowers everywhere in the village. There were traditional mud houses with clay stone roofing with maize laid out on it to dry.

A mothers’ group clad in traditional attire came to welcome us. They offered us flowers and tika and performed the traditional folk dance. Our team members couldn’t stop themselves and started dancing with them, donning traditional dresses.

The next day, as we were leaving, the owner of the homestay packed us some parathas and fried corn for lunch. She didn’t even charge us for it. Her kindness and love made us feel at home, creating a sense of belonging in that remote corner of Nepal.

We left the homestay at around eight in the morning and headed towards Siti. After walking through well-trodden trails for some time, we crossed a suspension bridge over the Chaulani river. The sounds of the water felt melodic and meditative.

The excitement turned into fear when we found out we had to climb uphill through a narrow trail. After walking for around half an hour through a steep trail, we reached Ghusa.

We were given cucumbers with the paste of salt and chilies by a woman and her grandson in Ghusa which helped us unwind and recharge ourselves to reach Nali, where we had pre-ordered lunch. After having lunch at Nali and resting for some time, we reached Siti in the evening. 

Our next destination was Dhauliodar. We started hiking early in the morning, had breakfast at Khayakot, and moved towards Chirchire to have lunch. Enjoying picturesque views of alpine forest and vegetation, grasslands, flora and fauna, green pastures and mystic region with Chaulani river flowing on our side, we reached Dhauliodar in the evening.

Unfortunately, there was only a tea house which had only mattresses and sleeping bags. The night was chilly and we couldn’t sleep properly. The next day, after walking for around an hour and a half, we reached Api Himal Base Camp.

We were rewarded with views of snow-capped mountains and sounds of nature. The moment was surreal. Words can’t describe how we felt at that moment. 

We took a lot of photos and videos. After that, we walked for two hours to reach the main attraction of the Api Nampa Base Camp, holy Kalidhunga Lake that lies at an altitude of 4,100 meters from sea level. The view was stunning and awe-inspiring. It had a calming effect on us. We felt like we had stepped into a fairytale world.

Though we wanted to stay there for hours enjoying the beauty of the lake, scenery, music of nature and the mountains, we had to return to the Base Camp as we had already planned to spend that night at Chirchire. The next day we reached Gokuleshwor at around 10 pm and headed back to Kathmandu.

Situated at an altitude of 7,132 meters from sea level, Mt Api is the highest mountain in Yoka Pahar Gurans Himalayan region. Api Nampa Conservation Area has been protecting this hidden treasure of the far-west Nepal bordering India to the west and Tibet to the north.

The trek offers spectacular views of Mt Api (7,132 meters), Mt Kapchuli (6,850 meters), Mt Rajama (6,537 meters), Mt Thado Dhunga Tuppa (5,368 meters) and the Api Himalayan ranges.

The trek can be completed in nine days. March to May and September to November are the best months for trekking to Api Himal Base Camp. The cost comes around to Rs 15, 000-20,000 per person.

Despite the challenges and its remoteness, we would highly recommend this adventure to those looking for an authentic Nepali experience.