Day 13: Ranipauwa to Kagbeni
Approximate Trekking Time: 2- 3 hrs.
Distance: 9.3k / 5.8 miles
Overnight Elevation: 2800m/9,186ft.
After our pizza and pancake breakfasts, we packed up and were on our way to Kagbeni. In hindsight, we should have made the hike back up to the Muktinath temple/shrine complex. An important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists, we read that the religious site was certainly worth a visit, so make time to explore a bit before heading out of the area.
The day brought crystal clear skies and Nilgiri North was visible from our guesthouse balcony and for a bit on our walk along the road through Ranipauwa. Along the road, vendors had set up their stands – each selling identical wares – prayers beads, bracelets, necklaces, singing bowls, hats, gloves, yak-hair scarves, and other small trinkets. It was as if they had each purchased the same “Nepal Roadside Souvenir Stand Sale Kit” (all made in China). I kid, but it may be true… who knows.
We continued past the vendors and down the road (sadly back in the land of roads, and horns…) toward Jharkot. Here we took a side “Pilgrim Trail” through the village, passing by the kani and gompa (monastery) as it wound its way through small alleys and by homes with traditional flat roofs, where chopped wood and hay dried in the sun.
After our stroll through Jharkot, we rejoined the road. Due to new road construction, much of the route to Kagbeni is along the road. There is a long way to Kagbeni (via Purang and Jhong), which is supposedly very picturesque and beautiful, but about twice as long (~6-7hrs) as the shorter route, which involves a combination of road and trail. To access the longer route, head back up the road/trail to you came in on yesterday, back toward the Muktinah temple. Along the trail there is a sign toward Kagbeni, where this trail starts. Because we did not take this route we can’t verify it, so make sure to consult locals and maps to make sure of the route to Kagbeni from here.
For the shorter route, mostly via the road, if you didn’t stay on the main road through Jharkot, rejoin it here. The landscape on this side of the pass is starkly different from the south side of the pass, with similar scenery to deserts of the American southwest. The climate is dry with only scrubby short vegetation and many of the surrounding hills and mountains look like nothing more than giant piles of sand. It was a different kind of beauty.
We hiked along the dry dusty road through Khingar, which at one time had supposedly been lush with meadows and fruit trees; however, road construction has hidden much of this beauty. Reportedly, beyond Khingar, there should eventually be a trail that cuts down through the Jhong Valley; however, we never found an entrance to this trail. It may be worth inquiring with locals in Khingar regarding the trail route to Kagbeni.
In our haste to find a trail, we did for a short time join the wrong trail, thankfully righting ourselves before it veered toward Jomsom and away from Kagbeni. Entering Kagbeni (2800m/9,186ft.) via the road, we eventually were able to join up with the Annapurna Circuit trail markers at the south end of town.
While some travelers bypass Kagbeni, heading straight for Jomsom (where many end their circuit adventure), Kagbeni is one of the more atmospheric villages on the circuit, and definitely worth a stop. An oasis of lush green fields in the middle of an otherwise dry landscape, Kagbeni is the the unofficial entrance to the Mustang region, north of which special permits are needed for travel. Guesthouses and shops are tucked among narrow stone-paved alleys with close- packed homes, ancient stupas, a hillside gompa, and… the main attraction… a carved pre-Buddhist grandfather “meme” protector figure, complete with erect wooden phallus, including clay balls and yak hair pubes to complete the look. Worth searching out.
Among the stone alleyways is “Yac Donalds”, a stone guesthouse and restaurant, complete with red and yellow window and door trim, with interior décor to suit. While we originally stopped by merely to check out and take photos of the kitschy McDonalds imitation, upon further inspection, it had a bright dining room and bedrooms and with claims of hot showers (verified by another traveler, and later ourselves) and Wi-Fi, we decided to stay there as well. They also had a very good menu and Shawn took advantage of the opportunity to get a Yac Donalds burger meal deal (okay, it wasn’t called that, but it was a full burger meal with fries, and certainly a deal).
It’s also worth offering a word of warning here. I would not suggest ordering any local dishes unless you know exactly what you are getting into and are willing to eat whatever comes on the plate. I made a critical error here, ordering a local dish that mentioned yak and potato curry, which sounded delicious, and had some brief mention of buckwheat in the description. What arrived on my plate was huge blob of buckwheat, the consistency somewhere between a very thick oatmeal and paste, and a very small bowl of the yak and potato curry. Not a consistency that I could stomach, Shawn took one for the team and ate almost all of it, making the buckwheat slightly more palatable by spreading the curry over the top of it. Meanwhile, I ate his delicious clay-pot fired rice and yak meal (the same meal I’d eaten for lunch, which he was keen to try for dinner). Clearing our dishes, the cook came out, excited to ask whether we liked the local dish. Shawn obliged, telling him he thought it was very good. He then promptly ordered a beer as a reward to himself for finishing it. I promised I would never order a local dish again without knowing exactly what it was.
