Limi Valley Trek from Simikot

Fly Nepalgunj to Simikot

The morning flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot, about forty-five minutes, crosses ridge after ridge of the Karnali hills before landing on the airstrip that runs along the ridge top. Simikot, the headquarters of Humla district, sits at about 2,910 m. We complete the restricted area permit check, meet the crew and pack animals, and take the afternoon gently, walking through the bazaar and to the viewpoint above town. A first night in a simple lodge.

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Simikot to Dharapuri

We climb briefly over the ridge behind Simikot and then descend through pine forest toward the Karnali. The trail passes Thakuri and Chhetri villages where families grow wheat, barley and buckwheat on narrow terraces, and mule caravans carry rice and fuel north. Dharapuri, at about 2,300 m, lies above the river among walnut and apricot trees. Camp in a field by the village. The crew sets up the kitchen tent first, and tea is ready before your tent is.

Dharapuri to Kermi

An easy day up the Karnali valley to Kermi, the first village where you see the change from Hindu to Buddhist culture: prayer flags, mani stones and Tibetan faces. Kermi is known for its hot springs, about half an hour's walk from the village, a welcome bath after two days on the trail. In the evening the crew may buy local potatoes and buckwheat for dinner. Camp at about 2,670 m.

Kermi to Yalbang

The trail climbs over a small pass with views of the Karnali gorge, through pine forest and past barley fields, to Yalbang. Above the village stands Namkha Khyung Dzong, one of the largest monasteries in Humla, home to a community of Nyingma monks. If the monks are at prayer in the afternoon, we sit quietly at the back of the assembly hall. Camp at about 3,020 m, with the sound of the river below.

Yalbang to Tumkot

We follow the Karnali upstream on a trail cut into the cliffs, crossing side streams and passing the village of Muchu with its flat-roofed stone houses. The valley narrows and dries out as you move north into the rain shadow. Tumkot sits above the river, with a small monastery on the hillside. In this stretch the new Karnali Corridor road sometimes runs close to the trail; our guide takes the footpath wherever it survives.

Tumkot to Yari

A long climb out of the valley floor to Yari, the last village before the Nara La, at about 3,663 m. The landscape is now high desert: bare slopes, juniper bushes, mani walls and the occasional herd of goats and yaks. In the afternoon you may see trading caravans resting at Yari before or after the pass. We camp and rest for tomorrow's crossing; drink well and walk slowly. The crew checks the pack animals' loads for the pass.

Over the Nara La to Hilsa

We start early for the climb to the Nara La, about 4,560 m, marked by cairns and prayer flags. On a clear morning the view north looks across the Karnali to the brown hills of Tibet. The descent is long and steep to Hilsa, the border village on the Karnali at about 3,647 m, opposite the Chinese side of the crossing where pilgrims head for Mount Kailash. We camp near the village, the northern end of the Karnali walk.

Hilsa to Manepeme

We cross the river and turn west on a trail that climbs high above the Karnali gorge toward the Limi valley. The path is narrow in places, cut into cliffs, with long drops to the river, and our crew leads the pack animals carefully. Manepeme is a camping place below a cliff with old meditation caves, at about 3,990 m, on the traditional route between Limi and the border. Blue sheep are often seen on the slopes above.

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Manepeme to Til

The trail continues high above the gorge, crossing a ridge with views back to the mountains of Tibet, then drops into the Limi valley at Til, the first of its three villages, at about 4,000 m. Til's houses are stacked up the hillside around its monastery, with fields of barley and buckwheat below. Villagers will invite you to their roofs to watch the evening. Camp in the village fields. Ask before you photograph people or the monastery.

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Til to Halji

An easy walk down the valley to Halji, the largest village in Limi, at about 3,660 m. Its centre is the Rinchenling monastery, a whitewashed and red complex whose oldest parts are centuries old. Local tradition links its founding to the great translator Rinchen Zangpo, who built temples across western Tibet around the turn of the first millennium. We arrive by lunch and spend the afternoon in the village. The monastery fee goes to the village.

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A day in Halji

A rest and acclimatisation day. In the morning we visit Rinchenling with a lama or caretaker, who unlocks the inner chapels and shows the old statues and murals. In the afternoon walk through the lanes of tightly packed stone houses, where women weave on backstrap looms and families stack firewood and dung on the rooftops for winter. Limi people speak a Tibetan dialect and trade with Purang across the border. Evening tea with a family if invited.

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Halji to Jang

We follow the Limi river west to Jang, the third and highest of the villages, at about 3,930 m, on the edge of open pastures that lead toward the Nyalu La. On the way there are hot springs by the river, known simply as Tatopani, and we stop for a soak. Jang has its own small monastery and fields of barley that ripen in late August and September. In summer, herding families move with their yaks to camps higher up the valley.

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Jang to Talung

A long, quiet day up the Talung valley, away from villages. The trail follows the river through wide grazing land where you may pass yak herders' tents in summer. Blue sheep, marmots and lammergeiers are common, and the area is snow leopard country, though they are almost never seen. Camp at Talung, about 4,370 m, the highest camp of the trek. Expect a very cold night; the crew will have hot water bottles ready.

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Over the Nyalu La to Shinjungma

The big day. We start before dawn and climb to the Nyalu La, about 4,949 m, the highest point of the trek. From the top you look back over the Limi ranges, and on a clear day to the snow peaks of western Tibet, with Saipal Himal to the south. A small glacial lake lies below the pass. The descent is long and steep into the Salli Khola valley to Shinjungma, a camping place at about 3,620 m among the first trees.

Down the Salli Khola to Kermi

We follow the Salli Khola down through forest of pine and birch, with streams and meadows along the way, and rejoin the Karnali trail at Kermi. The change in the air is clear: warmer, greener, with crops and villages again. In the evening there is time for one last soak in the Kermi hot springs, and the crew prepares a farewell dinner with whatever fresh food the village can offer.

Kermi to Simikot

A long last day back down the Karnali valley past Dharapuri and up the steep final climb to Simikot. It is the same trail as the first days, but you see it differently now, after the high valleys. In Simikot we stay in a lodge, settle the crew's tips and celebrate in the evening. The guide confirms seats on the next morning's flight to Nepalgunj. If the lodge has hot water, it is your first proper shower in two weeks.

The story of Simikot →

Fly Simikot to Nepalgunj

The morning flight from Simikot to Nepalgunj takes about forty-five minutes. In Nepalgunj you can connect to an afternoon flight to Kathmandu or rest a night in the heat of the plain. Flights from Simikot are often delayed by weather, so we keep a spare day before any international departure. If the flight is cancelled, you stay another night in Simikot. Bring snacks; the airport has little food. Nepalgunj has good hotels for a night of rest.