API NAMPA BASE CAMP IN NEPAL’S SUDURPASCHIM: The True Wild West Of Nepal

         

 

 To keep me aloof from the normal hustle and bustle of city life, I desired to explore Nepal’s untamed, pristine land. I wanted to push myself to more unexplored heaven. What better adventure than the Wild West of Nepal i.e. Sudurpaschim. The region is considered one of Nepal's remote and developmentally challenged regions albeit its topography is taken as a natural paradise and full of tourism potentiality.

“Please be sure about the landslide that has been going on in the far western region”, my friend suggested I wait for the normalcy before I go. Nothing could have stopped me from what I was waiting for; I had waited long since covid happened, hence the journey began after I was informed it is safe to travel.

 

Shuklaphanta National Park

I set off from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi via aerial mode which stumbled me with magnificent hilly sights through the window of a plane. Upon reaching there, I was already feeling the warmth as compared to my city. Riding on a ‘Tuk Tuk’ on a straight 90-degree road has already left me in awe with massive plain lands on the sidelines. More thrills were coming at adventurous jungle safari in Shuklaphanta NP, which is known for Barahasinghe, a rare breed of swamp deer found mostly in the South Asian region. 2-3 hours of safari made me feel as if I was in the middle of Africa. Albeit it was just the vibe, as I have never been to the African region. Nevertheless, a breathtaking plain land as far as my eyes could see in 360-degree view after we reached there was something I would always relate to the African paradise. I was awestruck by the scenic wild beauty of the western world of Nepal. An adventuresome journey in the Terai region was a lifetime's worth. Staying a few days there, it was right up to the northwest region, Darchula.

 

API Base Camp

I reached the Darchula district in the wee hours of the morning after an overnight bus ride from Attariya to Latinath. From there on I had to walk to reach Makarigad from where my trek would start. I took a route via Ghusa Village which is right at the top of the hills. At Siti, I was accompanied by a local boy who suggested I take necessary accommodation goods as the place afterward is isolated and with no human houses. Presently, there have been efforts made to build tea houses and hotels on the way to API Base Camp, which would push the region's tourism prospects, which are more dependent on yarchagumba collection and the agricultural profession. The trail from Siti to Khaikot is flowing from the upper hills to the lower hills, passing between the local villages. But Khaikot is the last place where people reside. From there on, you need to walk all the way to reach Dhauli Odaar. Generally, this terrain should need to take at least 2 days to complete. But since there aren’t any villages or staying places, I had to walk to reach Dhauli Odaar in a single day. Sometimes it’s the mental side you need to battle rather than the physical one in trekking. Thankfully I had someone who would keep pushing me beyond my capabilities sharing the stories and the lifestyle of the place. The thing I always love about being a solo traveler is you get to see the place through their eyes, their stories, and enlightening with socio-economic aspects of the place. The best part of it is not only about enjoying my time out there or escaping life's realities, it’s the knowledge that we get from every person we meet. I got plenty of them on this tour. The trail was the most challenging due to landslides and of course the time constraints to reach our destination. Upon reaching Dhauli odaar around 6:30 pm on a dim dark starry night, I must admit we were lucky to have met 8-9 fellow travelers who had just returned from API base camp. They warmly welcomed me to join them. We sat around a fire talking about our own experiences of the place. One was quick to drop, “ Aaja maile euta sworga ko tukra dekhey”, this made my excitement level to a mountainous height of what my eyes are going to see tomorrow. We spent the night in a stone hut with their stories around a burning fire. The next day after 3 hours of walking, Gigantic mountain ranges greeted us, just in the northwest direction, Mt.Api was graciously smiling with a less snow-clad top. Beneath the mountains was a glacier lake flowing from the Nampa mountains. The time spent there, I knew would be very precious and limited as I had to go above the hills again to Kali Dhunga Lake which is 200/300m above Api base camp.

 

Basking in the glory of such a monumental view, we swift upwards to witness “God’s forgotten place”, that’s what I called when I saw it for the first time, snow-clad paths covering black stones. It was probably a difficult walk culminating with high elevation. There lies a small holy glacier lake amid the snow and Yak Pahar mountains, It was a soul-drenching moment for me. I feel liberated; my mind was always seeking such an odyssey of enlightenment. I was blank and had no words to replicate in front of such majestic beauty. The whole struggle I had on the way here was put to rest. I was sort of reinvigorated, a tireless man, with a feeling of completeness. It was about to get dark before we get back to Dhauli odaar for another night under a humongous mountain. This time we were joined by the fellow workers who were there for some construction works. I returned via the same route receiving all the love and care from the Darchula people. I was quick to suggest to them, “In some years down the line, this place is surely going to be the ultimate tourist destination”. They all smile back innocently not knowing what is coming in the future.

 

 I was always keen to travel the west, there is this wilderness about the west be it in a movie or quotes, it always used to entice my excitement. Exploring the unexplored place not many have wandered brings satisfaction, a human intuition of seeking adventure.

 

Kali Dhunga Taal

Shuklaphanta NP

Mt.API