In the light of the morning sun, one can be interviewed together on the ‘Farping-Champadevi-Bhashmasur-Chandragiri Hiking’ route, taking a first-hand experience of the highest peaks of Everest, including Ganesh Himal, Annapurna, Langtang and Gaurishankar Himal / Mountains. Where you can feel like shining like silver during the day, you can look at the golden light again at twilight.
Not only this, the beauty of Phulchowki to the east, Nagarkot, Kalinchok to the northeast, Shivpuri, Kakani and Nagarjuna hills to the north and Dakshinkali, Fakhel, Daman and Chitlang hills to the south can be enjoyed by playing hide and seek with white clouds.
One of the most important and scenic hiking routes
If you are a nature lover and are interested in hiking, one of the most famous and scenic hiking routes near the Kathmandu Valley, which stretches to the south of the Kathmandu Valley, from Champadevi at an altitude of 2278 m above sea level to Bhasmasur hill at an altitude of 2500 m. Experiencing the ups and downs of the Chandragiri mountain range at high altitudes will be a memorable journey of a lifetime.
If you are a nature lover and are interested in hiking, one of the most famous and scenic hiking routes near the Kathmandu Valley, which stretches to the south of the Kathmandu Valley, from Champadevi at an altitude of 2278 m above sea level to Bhasmasur hill at an altitude of 2500 m. Experiencing the ups and downs of the Chandragiri mountain range at high altitudes 2551 m. will be a memorable journey of a lifetime.
This route can be a great option for those who want to relax and enjoy nature, even if only for a day from Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.
From anywhere in the Kathmandu Valley, the trek can be started by reaching Balkhu in about 30 minutes from the public or private vehicles available at Pharping Bhanjyang.
Preparation of Banepa-Chapleti Good Morning Group
Our Banepa-Chapleti Good Morning Group has been hiking for about 3 years with the slogan "Morning Walk for Health". The group has already hiked on routes including Nagarkot, Namobuddha, Panchkhal and others. This time it was planned to hike Nagarjuna-Jamacho but the villain became Kovid.
We received information that mass entry into the area was prohibited. It was agreed to choose the Champadevi hiking route in the same option.
While trying to get information about the route from YouTube, Blog, Google search, Google Earth app, etc., there are three main destinations on the route, the first is from Farping to Champadevi - about 4.5 km, the second is about 7.5 km to Bhasmasur and the third is Chandragiri (Bhaleshwar). It was found to be about 12 km away. Friends were informed accordingly. It was agreed that only 40/45 people would go in the group.
A week ago, they had already started compiling the list of friends who were willing to go, and in the process, they were engaged in the management of tea, snacks, samavaji (Newari lunch set), fruits, water, camera, etc.
The start of an exciting hike that day
A team of 42 hikers crossed the ring road in the dark and crossed the road from Balkhu to Farping Bhanjyang towards Dakshinkali.
We reached Pharping Bhanjyang around 6:45 in the morning. After having breakfast there, at around 7:30 in the morning, we waved the flag of Nepal and tried to climb the hill.
In the early hours of the morning, the touch of the pink sun, which I had tried to observe from Phulchowki, was playing hide and seek in the tall pine trees.
After a 20-25 minute uphill trek, friends lingered on the grounds of Hattiwan Resort for a while, taking photos and having fun. Amidst the diversity of man-made structures in Kathmandu Khaldo to the north and the geographical beauty of Dakshinkali to the south, the journey was exciting for everyone with the warm sweet sun and light hills.
Reaching Champadevi is more difficult than expected
Did Champadevi reach the top of the hill after a few hours of horizontal ascent? It was felt that.
But instead of Champadevi, the place led us to a stone stairway to the side of the hill.
Friends who came together tried to capture the beautiful scene with the help of drone camera.
Moving on a little further, a huge mirror-like mountain of Ajang floated to the west. I was confused for a while whether the top was Bhashmasur Danda or not. Champadevi? I immediately took my mobile phone out of my pocket and looked at the application called Maps.me I guessed that the hill was Champagiri.
Guessing from the initial Google Earth app, I assured my friends that the total route distance would be only 8-9 km and it would take about 5 hours to reach the destination. Which was proving to be wrong when he got there.
On one side, there is a steep hill with stone steps in front of the eyes, on the other side, the faces of the friends who are getting tired.
As I was laughing, getting up, sitting down, chatting with my friends, I pulled myself up the hill and reached the first destination of Champadevi at around 10:15 am. The journey to Bhasmasur started from there at around 11:00.
The steep ascent of Bhasmasur hill
Somewhat horizontally, somewhat downhill, moving westward, the body was fresh and light again. Are you happy or anxious when you see the naked mountain of another giant in front of you while your friends are going downhill? Don't know
But he said to his friends, "That is Bhasmasur Danda; In fact, the top of that desolate mountain is our next destination, but not the last. ”I was trying to remind myself and my friends, even though the steps were moving forward.
There was some excitement in my mind, a feeling of fatigue along with my association with some new nature, on everyone's face.
After descending for a while, we reached a place like Deural where we found other groups of pedestrians resting.
On the way, the mobile network seems to be only in places. From where the network became available, we kept in touch with the family and the hotel that arranged the food.
At about 1:00 pm, the blue sky seemed to be touched by a white cloud, and as it reached the top of Bhasmasur hill, it became brighter and the sky seemed to open.
From there, to the north, the cool, silver-rimmed mountain ranges and the valleys below seemed to captivate the Kathmandu Valley.
While waiting for his turn to take a photo at the place above the stone, it seemed as if he had forgotten the fatigue of the steep hill in front of him.
Reaching the top of Baneshwor hill
When we reached the top of the hill called Bhasmasur, we were confused by the two paths we found there. As we proceeded on the road to the right of Chandragiri, we saw a sign inscribed Baneshwor Danda. When he reached that hill, all the hills around him looked low, as if the place where he was standing seemed to be the highest place there.
From there, on the west side, there was a meadow like a plain, and at some distance, like a cable car flowing smoothly on a high hill, it seemed as if Chandragiri Tumko, with its winding road, house and temple, was standing and calling us to come quickly.
At Bhashmasur (Baneshwor Danda) at an altitude of about 2500 m above sea level, the view from the surroundings seemed to remain calm and steady even as the cold weather of December was hitting us.
The clock struck 1:30 p.m. Downstairs in Bhanjyang, I saw some of my friends walking, some of them sleeping on the grass.
Instead of the ups and downs that came a while ago, now it was the turn of the steep descent.
Some of my friends were saying that it was more difficult to walk downhill than uphill, my joints were sore.
After descending, in a few moments, when I reached a place like an open stage, I turned around with all my friends. After seeing some special stones being worshiped as ashes in the northern part of the square, we took a group photo there.
After descending a few minutes from there, the impression of pre-ordering food reached Bhanjyang Resort. After resting there for a while, we headed west for Chandragiri again at around 3:00 pm.
Amidst the exhaustion, the cable car ticket had to be canceled before 5:00 pm. However, the resort operator informed that tickets can be picked up till 6:00 pm.
Everyone had to climb Chandragiri in about 2 hours.
One hill was left to be fully climbed, Chandragiri i.e. Bhaleshwar. It seemed as if the last ascent had reduced the self-esteem of many.
After walking for a while, we came to Bhanjyang by the motorway from Matatirtha to Markhu and the historic Hetauda-Thankot ropeway.
The whole Chandragiri hill in front of fatigue
From there, the last battle of the day was to be fought. At the suggestion of the locals, we did not take the straight stairway from there.
The higher you go, the colder you get and the more relaxed you become. The motorable roads, the newly built resort looked good. Champadevi, Bhashmasur Danda, which was moving towards the east, seemed to be laughing at us. The mountains were getting colorful in the cold siretto. We climbed the mountain, Bhanjyang was laughing with us and wishing us success, congratulations to our tired bodies and winning minds.
We arrived at the cable car station at around 5:00 pm and booked our tickets. We landed at Thankot around 6:00 pm.
