When you think of the factors that make any trek difficult, you think of many things. These things include the distance that you have to trek for, the temperature of the places along the trek, the weight of the things you need to carry, etc. And it is no different for the Poon Hill trek as well.
Poon Hill trek is a trek that lasts for 4 or 5 days depending on the places that you want to see and how much time you are willing to dedicate to your trek. If you are looking for spending quality time at Pokhara to get the feel as well, the length of your trek might increase.
Poon Hill is a trek that can be completed by anyone. If you take a guide or a map of Poon Hill while you trek, you will have less difficulty in completing the trek. The maps have various benefits ranging from locating the places along the way, discussing possible places you can visit, and having lively conversations.
Do not hesitate to contact us in case you want to trek to Poon Hill or other trekking routes in Nepal. We can help you to manage your trip. Or you can directly call, WhatsApp, Viber, IMO at +977-98511 83278 (Ram)
Factors that determine the difficulty of the Poon Hill trek
Length of the Poon Hill trek
Poon Hill trek can last for a varying number of days. If you are an international tourist, you might want to spend a day or two at Kathmandu watching many temples and monasteries in this region that have been named in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
From Kathmandu, you can go to Pokhara in a variety of ways. You can go by a local bus that will take you around 5-6 hours. The varying length of the time taken by the local bus is due to the varying traffic on the road.
You can also hire a private jeep to Pokhara. If you have a group of people interested to go to Pokhara, you can easily share the cost. The final option is to fly to Pokhara, which will take you a mere half an hour.
You can choose to stay in Pokhara for a day or two marveling at the majestic lakes in this region as well as the thrilling caves in this region which are utterly compelling.
From Pokhara, you will go to various places such as Nayapul, Tikhedhunga, Ulleri, Ghandruk and eventually to Poon Hill. You will spend one of your nights at Ulleri and one at Ghorepani.
An early morning walk from Ghorepani will take you to Poon Hill to experience a sunrise, which is truly one of its kind and you will get back to Ghorepani for a breakfast. From Ghorepani, you will come to Ghandruk village and spend a night there.
Next day, you will come back to Pokhara. Technically a night at Ulleri, a night at Ghorepani, a night at Ghandruk and the final night at Pokhara makes it a 4-day trek.
If you want to reduce the number of trekking days, you can hike down to Hile from Poon Hill and get back to Pokhara on the same day. This reduces the number of trekking days to 3 days.
So, a 3-day or a 4-day trek is not all that difficult, is it?
Number of trekking hours
The other pressing question in every trekker's mind is- How many hours on average do I have to trek every day for the Poon Hill trek?
On the first day from Nayapul, you have to walk 4 to 5 hours to get to Ulleri. But the path is steep. From Tikhedhunga, you have to climb some three thousand stairs or so to get Ulleri. Thus your trekking although only 4 to 5 hours long will be an exhausting one. So, like every other trek, you shouldn’t exert too much pressure on your body.
Ulleri to Ghorepani is a 5-hour walk. This walk is not as steep as that from Tikhekhola to Ulleri.
The next day’s walk from Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Ghandruk will be the longest of all the treks. It will last 6 to 7 hours.
On the final day, you will come from Ghandruk to Pokhara. This will be the shortest of all treks. From Ghandruk you will walk a mere 2 hours to Kimche, from where you will take a two-hour ride to Pokhara.
So the number of trekking hours is 14 hours over a period of 3 days. This is roughly 5 hours a day. So while measuring the difficulty of the Poon Hill trek from the perspective of the number of trekking hours, it seems very very easy.
Altitude
Altitude is something that everyone who treks in Nepal is scared of. And this is understandable. Trekking in high altitude is risky because anyone who treks in high altitude can be affected by altitude sickness.
But the risk of altitude sickness in the Poon Hill region is next to zero. This is because of the fact that altitude sickness really starts to take its toll after you have crossed the 3000-meter mark. And during this trek, you touch the 3000-meter mark in Poon Hill and you return much lower the same day.
To put things into perspective, the following table will give you a good idea of the altitude of the places in the Poon Hill trek:
Pokhara- 1400 meters/ 4593 ft
Nayapul- 1070 meters/ 3510 ft
Tikhedhunga- 1480 meters/ 4855 ft
Ulleri- 1960 meters/ 3460 ft
Ghorepani- 2874 meters/ 9429 ft
Tadapani- 2630 meters/ 8628 ft
Ghandruk- 1939 meters/ 6361 ft
With places with such low altitudes along your treks, is there any reason to think that the altitude will make Poon Hill trek difficult? I don’t think so.
The weather of Poon Hill
Another important factor that plays a massive part in determining whether the Poon Hill trek will be smooth or rough is the weather of Poon Hill. To know which time and place will be perfect for you to trek, you need to look in detail at the weather of Poon Hill.
The climatic conditions of Poon Hill are pleasant all year round. Only in a couple of months of winter the temperature of Ghorepani is below zero. The minimum the temperature gets in the Poon Hill trek is -4 degrees in January. If you consider the fact that the trekkers to Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp experience temperature as low as -15 degrees in some seasons, Poon Hill is quite pleasant.
Good packing and pleasant tea houses along your trek means will keep the cold away. In summers it gets really warm and trekking in t-shirts is also possible. You have to watch the weather forecast for the monsoon season though. Pack waterproof jacket and trousers to keep the rain away from monsoon is when you would want to do the Poon Hill trek.
Hiring a Guide
Another thing that comes into the equation when you are judging the difficulty of a trek is whether the trek can be completed alone. And the answer is a ‘Yes’ as well as a ‘NO’.
Any trek can be completed alone of you have prior trekking experience. But if you are a beginner trekker, a guide is a must-have. Guides will constantly direct you to the safest and right trails ensuring your safety.
Besides, hiring a guide in Poon Hill is not very difficult. And the guides can be hired in a cheap amount. If you are trekking in the Monsoon season, guides will be utterly important as they will help you along the trails that offer a firm grip and that are not too slippery.
If you are planning to go solo, you always have the option of carrying a map to Poon Hill which will direct you at all times. Maps are fun, interactive and can be stored in your pocket. So getting to Poon Hill with a guide or all by yourself shouldn’t be difficult.
Final Say
Since Poon Hill trek is easily accessible and has wonderful views along the way, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and one of the easiest treks in Nepal.
The location of Poon Hill is beautiful, getting there is easy and can be completed in less than a week. You can easily complete this trek to have a comfortable time in the Himalayas of the Annapurna region.
Do not hesitate to contact us in case you want to trek to Poon Hill or other trekking routes in Nepal.
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