Ridge walk from Sarangkot to old Kaskikot

After sunrise, most people drive down. Instead, follow the ridge west. A dirt road and footpaths run through maize and millet terraces, past houses with marigolds by the door and dogs asleep in the sun. Phewa Lake lies on your left, the Annapurnas on your right, and the Peace Pagoda shows white on its hill across the water. The road and paths are used by villagers, buses and the occasional jeep, so stay alert at bends.

Kaskikot was the seat of Kaski, one of the Chaubisi rajya, the twenty-four small kingdoms of the western hills, and the district still carries its name. The kings ruled Pokhara's valley from here until the Gorkha state absorbed Kaski in 1786. Little dramatic survives to the untrained eye; what you get is the position, a hilltop commanding the valley, and the reason forts were built on these ridges. Your guide can tell you which ridges were held by which small states, and how the Gorkha army moved through these hills.

Allow about two hours one way at a gentle pace with tea stops. From Kaskikot you can take a jeep or taxi back to Pokhara along the road, or continue down to the lakeshore at Pame and catch a boat or taxi to Lakeside. Bring water and sun protection: much of the ridge is unshaded. Small shops in the villages along the ridge sell tea, biscuits and soft drinks, and some families serve simple dal bhat if you ask.