Trekking · Ghorepani & Poon Hill
Climb the Ulleri steps to Ghorepani
The classic approach to Poon Hill: a long stone staircase up to the Magar village of Ulleri, then forest through Banthanti and Nangethanti to Ghorepani, climbing well over 1,000 m from the valley floor in a long day or a day and a half.
From Tikhedhunga, near the bottom of the climb, the trail crosses the Bhurungdi Khola and starts up. The Ulleri steps are famous among trekkers: a steep stone staircase that goes on and on up the hillside, built and repaired by villagers, used by mules, schoolchildren and porters as well as walkers. Take it slowly; pace matters more than speed.
Ulleri, at about 2,000 m, is a Magar village of terraced fields, slate-roofed houses and lodges with views back down the valley and up to Annapurna South. Many walkers stop for lunch or the night. Above, the trail enters forest of oak and rhododendron, passing Banthanti and Nangethanti with their tea houses and streams.
Roads now reach Ulleri and beyond, and many trekkers drive past the lower steps. If you have the legs, walk them anyway: it is the way the village has always been reached. Arrive in Ghorepani by mid-afternoon to rest before Poon Hill.
Good for
Questions
How many steps are there to Ulleri?
Trekkers often quote a figure in the thousands, but we know of no reliable count, and roads and repairs have changed the route. What matters is that the climb from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri is a long, steep stone staircase of roughly 500 m of ascent. Allow 2–3 hours at a steady pace with rests.
Can I skip the Ulleri steps by jeep?
Yes. Roads now reach Ulleri and in dry conditions further up towards Banthanti, so jeeps from Pokhara can cut much of the climb. This turns the Poon Hill loop into three nights more easily. Road conditions vary with season and repairs, and some sections close in the monsoon. Your agency will advise on the current road head.
How hard is the walk from Ulleri to Ghorepani?
It is a moderate climb of roughly 850 m over 4–5 hours, mostly on stone steps and forest path, with tea houses on the way. It is steady rather than steep compared with the Ulleri steps. Walk at a pace where you can still talk, and drink water. Ghorepani at 2,874 m is cold at night.
Also in Ghorepani & Poon Hill
More ways to spend the day
NatureDawn climb to Poon Hill
Climb about 340 m by headlamp from Ghorepani to the 3,210 m viewpoint of Poon Hill and watch sunrise strike …
NatureRhododendron ridge from Ghorepani to Tadapani
After Poon Hill, follow the ridge east to Deurali at about 3,100 m and descend through some of Nepal's densest …
FoodA teahouse evening in Ghorepani
Teahouse life at its liveliest: a lodge dining room at 2,874 m around a warm stove, dal bhat refills, Gurung …