INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
at 6am. The journey is at least eight
hours, and you’ll reach Tatopani from
Beni by dark. Tickets do not need to
be purchased in advance. For those
traveling from Pokhara first, buses to
Beni depart regularly from Prithvi Chowk
or Baglung Bus Park, about a three-
hour ride. From Beni, local taxis are
available for the two-hour ride to “Dana”
or ”Burung” Tatopani (elevation 1190
metres), which should not be confused
with “Singha” Tatopani. The route follows
the southwestern side of the traditional
Annapurna Circuit route to Jomson and
Muktinath. A number of trekkers’ lodges
are available in Tatopani Bazaar, all
close to the roadside hot springs. For
those seeking a more rustic experience,
a local homestay is available on the
opposite side of the river, just before
reaching the local hotsprings on foot.
One should enjoy the wonderful healing
power of hot springs in the evening to
work out the kinks from the long road
travel.
The Shortcut to
Kopra Danda
by Michael D. Smith
Kopra Danda is a ridge with magnificent views. Photo: Michael D. Smith.
“Visiting the
waterfall on the
walk back down
to Tatopani from
Narchyang is
a magnificent
way to complete
the counter
clockwise
loop. It’s often
considered to
be the most
spectacular
waterfall on
the Annapurna
Circuit.”
Trekkers in Nepal who don’t have the
luxury of time—or the luxury of a budget
that allows them to charter a helicopter
deep into the mountains—have many
options for shorter Himalayan treks
that get right into the mountains and
off the beaten path. However, finding
information on these can be challenging,
as most trekking and tour agencies
promote the same, popular routes.
While those popular routes are
recommendable, one side-effect is that
most tourist dollars only benefit hotel
owners and restaurateurs along those
routes, rather than providing meaningful
economic benefit to rural households is
lesser-visited areas. Even places less
than a day’s walk from the popular treks
may rarely get visitors, despite having
the key elements that travelers in rural
Nepal seek: warm and friendly people,
charming rural homesteads, natural
beauty, a feeling of remoteness, and
stunning mountain views that lift one’s
mind and spirit beyond life’s ordinary
concerns.
One such short trek that can be
accomplished
from
Kathmandu
and back in a week or less is the
Paudwar to Kopra Danda (Ridge) Trek.
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www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
Typically, Kopra Ridge (3660 metres) is
approached from the southeast as the
last portion of the Myagdi Community
Trek originating in Beni, or the
Annapurna Dhaulagiri Community Trail,
originating farther to the southeast.
However, by traveling directly to
Tatopani from Kathmandu, one can get
to the uniquely epic view point at Kopra
Danda in just a few days.
Day 1: Kathmandu to “Dana” Tatopani
Bazaar, Myagdi District
Day 2: Tatopani to Paudwar Village
Day 3: Paudwar Village to Kopra
Danda
Day 4: Kopra Danda to Narshyang or
Paudwar
Day 5: Narshyang or Paudwar to
Tatopani Bazaar
Day 6: Tatopani Bazaar to Pokhara
Day 7: Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 1: Those pressed for time who
cannot make an overnight stop
in Pokhara or Beni can catch an
early morning minibus to Beni from
Kathmandu Ring Road, outside Balaju,
Day 2: If you are not already on the
Narshyang side of the Kali Gandaki,
anyone in Tatopani can point out the
way to cross the river, either at the
suspension bridge or at the steel
bridge. After the bridge, the trail turns
right, passes the local hot springs, and
ascends for a four to five-hour climb to
the scenic traditional Magar village of
Paudwar.
Paudwar (elevation 2000 metres) has
exceptional stonework. The labyrinthine
paths, winding staircases, and attractive
houses are some of the best surviving
examples of Nepali stonework. Many
houses are at least 80 years old (built
since the major earthquake of 1934),
and utilise a unique system of seismic-
resistant wooden locks and pins that
bind the tops of walls to beams. The
people of Paudwar are well-known
for being friendly and industrious, and
one can arrange a local homestay by
inquiring at the Paudwar Secondary
School. Otherwise, the Dhaulagiri
Lodge is quite homely, with a good
menu. Cheese is available at the local
cooperative cheese factory.
Day 3: The six-hour walk from Paudwar
village to Kopra Danda (3660 metres)
begins with a steep climb through cow
pasture and bamboo forest, then wraps
around the hillside into the Jarbhang
Valley, uninhabited except for a buffalo
camp and local teahouse at Loreni,
about two hours above Paudwar.
From Loreni, the trail enters a old-
growth rhododendron forest, which
explodes with large red, pink, purple,
and white rhododendron blossoms
This waterfall is considered the most spectacular on the Annapurna Circuit. Photo: Michael D. Smith.
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
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