In Myagdi, reaching the Dhaulagiri Base Camp in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-7 requires a risky journey, during which travelers must hang onto ropes for safety. To cross the steep cliffs at Kokhebhir and Dhaulagiri Viewpoint Hill, visitors must rely on ropes and bundles of straw. According to Tara Garbuja Pun, a tourism entrepreneur from Pokhara who recently visited the base camp, travelers must hold ropes for about 50 meters at Kokhebhir and 100 meters at Dhaulagiri Viewpoint to continue their journey.
He stated, “It is possible to reach Sugurthala in four hours by vehicle via the road built by a hydropower project along the Beni-Chimkhola-Ghyasikharka-Rahughat route. However, due to the lack of a trekking trail at Kokhebhir and Dhaulagiri Viewpoint, tourists have been unable to reach the Dhaulagiri Base Camp.”
Garbuja mentioned that constructing a proper trekking trail at these two points and building temporary or permanent suspension bridges over some parts of the Rahughat River would make the Dhaulagiri Base Camp more accessible and transform it into a new tourist destination.
A team led by Lalit Garbuja, an Indian Army officer from Chimkhola, along with officials from Mandali Youth Club, tourism entrepreneurs, and journalists, visited the 4,050-meter-high base camp in late January.
Garbuja added that if five suspension bridges are built over the Rahughat River, the base camp could be reached within six hours of trekking from Sugurthala. The team has also recommended the local representatives install trekking signs, trails, and bridges.
The Dhaulagiri Base Camp’s major attraction is the up-close view of the Dhaulagiri peak, along with Sun Waterfall, Nilibarah Lake, and Kalibarah Lake. Every April-May, locals use this route to reach the base camp for the Yarsagumba (caterpillar fungus) collection.
The Ministry of Tourism initiated the construction of an 18 km trekking trail from Sasaldhara to the base camp in 2022/23, completing it in 2023/24. However, cliffs were left out during the survey, preventing the complete development of a trekking route, said Thak Prasad Paija (Rim), Ward Chairman of Raghuganga-7.
“We have requested additional funds from the provincial and federal governments. If we can build a safer trail at the steepest cliffs, it will increase the number of tourists to the Icefall Trail and Base Camp,” he said.
According to Chairman Paija, the Gandaki Provincial Government has allocated NRs. 2 million and the Nepal Tourism Board has allocated NRs. 500,000 for the Kalibarah-Dhaulagiri Icefall Trail construction this year.
After the Beni-Jomsom road was built, the Dhaulagiri Icefall Trail was identified and studied in 2011 under the leadership of the then Myagdi District Development Committee.
The 122 km Icefall Trail passes through Piple, Bhagwati, Begkhola, Dagnam, Chimkhola, Kuinemangale, Dobang, and other high-altitude ridges before reaching Lete in Mustang. A detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted to the provincial and federal governments for infrastructure development, said Raghuganga Rural Municipality Chairman Bhav Bahadur Bhandari.
The Icefall Trail includes several tourist spots, such as Dhaulagiri Base Camp, Nilibarah Lake, Kalibarah Lake, and Sowan Dhuri. Travelers can also witness wildlife like Danphe (Himalayan Monal), Monal, Kalij, Musk Deer, Himalayan Tahr, Ghoral, and Snow Leopards, said Gam Pun from Chimkhola.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation has designated the Ruise Danda to Dhaulagiri Icefall route as a new tourism destination for development. However, due to a lack of infrastructure and proper management, the route is not yet fully operational.
While the construction of a trekking trail from Sasaldhara to the base camp has begun, there is still work to be done to upgrade and mark the traditional path from the base camp via Kalibarah to Mustang’s Lete. Similarly, the trail from Bhagwati’s Ruise to Pachetadhuri, Soban Dhuri, Los Dhuri, Dahbuki, Fedi, and Sugurthala to Sasaldhara needs proper steps and upgrades.
