Kapuche Lake Kori Trek

We land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu after our flight touches down early or late depending on airline schedules. You clear immigration and customs in under an hour if lines move smoothly. Our local trek coordinator meets you outside baggage claim holding a sign with your name. You hop into a private vehicle for the 20-minute transfer to your hotel in or around Thamel. We check you into a three-star guesthouse with hot showers and Wi-Fi.

You rest after your long flight while we handle your permits and gear checks. We meet you at 6 PM for a welcome dinner along with the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek guide and porters. You should have a taste of momos and dal bhat as we brief you on altitude protocols and the next day’s drive. We answer your questions about trail conditions and weather forecasts for the coming week.

We leave Kathmandu early, aiming to reach Pokhara before dusk settles. The drive covers roughly 200 kilometers. Expect the journey to consume between seven and eight hours. Road conditions vary, making the exact timing unpredictable. We navigate winding mountain roads that connect Nepal’s capital to its lakeside city. The route offers glimpses of terraced hillsides and distant peaks.

You might feel the descent as we drop from Kathmandu’s higher elevation down to Pokhara at 822 meters. Lunch stops break up the long drive, letting you stretch. Soon enough, we arrive in Pokhara, a bustling town beside Phewa Lake, ready for rest. This day is purely about transportation, moving you efficiently from the urban Kathmandu to the calmer gateway of the Annapurnas.

The road, while sometimes rough, is the standard access route before our trekking boots hit the trail near Sikles. Pokhara provides our last proper chance to stock up on any forgotten essentials. We settle into our accommodation, preparing mentally and physically for the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek ahead starting tomorrow.

We wake up in Pokhara while the mist still hugs Phewa Lake and the surrounding hills. Breakfast fuels us for the drive day ahead. The road to Sikles climbs steadily, twisting through rhododendron forests and past remote Gurung villages. We gain over 1,100 meters in elevation, stopping at 1,981 meters by afternoon. The drive eats up about four to five hours, depending on the weather and road repairs. After parking near the entrance gate, we walk the final stretch into Sikles village.

This last leg takes roughly 20 minutes on a well-marked stone path. Stone houses with slate roofs dot the hillside, showing traditional architecture. The final stretch into Sikles reveals stone houses stacked on steep slopes. We rest in family-run teahouses with basic rooms and shared bathrooms. You refill water, air out your boots, and prep for tomorrow’s climb.

The village offers a quiet, authentic Himalayan experience before we head deeper into the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek. Locals smile and greet you with “Namaste” as you wander the single main path.

On the 5th day of the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek, we leave Hugu Goth right after dawn with packed lunches and full water bottles. The trail climbs sharply through alpine scrub and across glacial moraines toward Kapuche Glacier Lake. You gain roughly 350 meters over two and a half hours of slow, steady ascent.

The path narrows in sections, hugging steep slopes with fixed ropes in icy or loose terrain. Views open wide as we rise, revealing Dhaulagiri’s massif and the glacier’s mouth feeding the turquoise lake. We reach the lake at 3,210 meters by mid-morning. Ice still dominates its edges even in late spring.

You take photos, rest on flat rocks, and eat lunch with the glacier rumbling faintly in the distance. We turn back after an hour, retracing our steps to Hugu Goth. The descent takes less time, about two hours, as gravity helps our tired legs. You check your knees, adjust your pack straps, and drink often to stay hydrated. Back at the teahouse, we wash the sweat off our faces and sip hot lemon-ginger tea.

Locals may share stories of the lake freezing solid in winter. Dinner arrives early, usually lentils, rice, some kind of veggies, and pickled radish. Following this filling meal, we will head to bed and rest well for our long descending day tomorrow.

The following day on the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek, we pack up at Hugu Goth while the sun warms the ridge behind us. Breakfast is likely Sel Roti, some veggie stew, and black tea poured from a dented kettle. We head east along a high traverse path that skirts steep scree slopes above the Modi Khola valley. The trail undulates gently, losing a little elevation before climbing again toward Nho-ta. You walk for five to six hours, covering around 10 kilometers of rugged, remote terrain. The path is narrow in places, marked by faded cairns and yak tracks.

We cross two wooden bridges lashed together with wire, swaying slightly underfoot. Lunch happens near a shepherd’s summer camp, where you might see wool drying on rocks. Nho-ta sits at approximately 3,000 meters, a grassy plateau with stone huts used by herders in warmer months. We drop our packs inside a basic shelter with wooden floors and smoke-stained walls.

You refill water from a glacial stream using purification tablets. Dinner is simple potato stew with flatbread cooked over a wood fire. We dry socks, and check blisters, as stars appear, unobscured by city glow. You hear the occasional bell of a grazing yak nearby. We sleep wrapped in a thick blanket, listening to the pleasing sounds of the countryside.

Day 7 of the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek starts at around 7 in the morning. We leave Nho-ta under a bright blue sky, boots crunching on dew-holding grass. The trail climbs steeply through alpine meadows dotted with juniper shrubs. You gain 800 meters over five to six hours, pushing toward Kori Danda at 3,800 meters. The path switchbacks up a rocky moraine left by ancient ice. Your breath comes shorter as the air thins. We pause often, sipping water and adjusting layers as the sun warms our backs.

Around midday, we reach a saddle with 360-degree views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and the glacier feeding Kapuche Lake far below. Lunch is a quiet scene on sun-warmed boulders, eating boiled eggs and flat bread wrapped in cloth with some tasty sides.

The final push to Kori Danda crosses a windswept ridge where prayer flags snap loudly. You might feel the altitude here; headaches are common. We chew garlic or sip coca tea if symptoms appear. Meds are also available, but things do not get that serious at this elevation.

The campsite is a flat clearing with stone windbreaks and one basic shelter. We pitch tents and our water comes from a snowmelt stream nearby. You melt snow if needed. Dinner is thick lentil soup and rice, served before dark. We check gear for tomorrow’s descent, and tape hot spots on heels. Stars dominate the overhead view, silent and sharp. You sleep early, bundled in the cozy sleeping bags you brought along.

The next day on the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek, we break camp before sunrise, packing frozen tent pegs and stiff sleeping bags. Breakfast is quick, hot porridge gulped down while watching the first light hit Annapurna’s crown. We descend sharply from Kori Danda, losing over 1,800 meters of yesterday’s climb in one long, knee-testing drop. The trail zigzags down scree slopes and through rhododendron forests just starting to bloom in spring. You walk for seven to eight hours, covering roughly 14 kilometers of steep, rocky terrain.

Trekking poles dig into loose soil to steady each step. We stop halfway at a stone hut at 2,600 meters to drink lemon tea and rub sore muscles. Locals pass us carrying baskets of firewood strapped to their foreheads. The forest thickens as we drop, slowing down the wind and fluttering its leaves. Bird chirping replaces the glacier’s rumble. By late afternoon, we reach Sikles, greeted by the same stone houses and smiling faces from Day 3 of the Kapuche Lake Kori Trek.

You peel off boots, soak feet in a bucket of cold stream water, and change into dry socks. Dinner is celebratory, often with local buckwheat pancakes and honey. We tally blisters, share trail stories, and charge headlamps using the village’s solar panel. Sleep comes fast, deep, and dreamless after nearly 2,000 meters of descent. Your legs will thank you tomorrow.

We wake up in Pokhara with no alarm, letting sunlight through the curtains wake us gently. Breakfast is pancakes with honey or toasted bread with jam or pancakes if you crave them. We check out by nine, loading bags into a large and comfortable tourist bus. The drive back to Kathmandu retraces the Prithvi Highway, roughly 200 kilometers of winding river valleys and roadside bazaars.

You gain elevation slowly, climbing back to Kathmandu’s 1,400 meters over seven to eight hours. We stop a couple of times, once for lunch at a trusted eatery near Mugling, and twice or so for refreshments. You can buy last-minute souvenirs, maybe prayer flags or hand-knit wool hats in Kathmandu. Traffic thickens as we near the capital. Dust, horns, and crowds replace mountain silence. We will drop you at your Kathmandu hotel in the evening.

Dinner is your choice, there are a lot of options since it’s the city area. We meet for a final debrief, hand out certificates, and share a group photo. You pack tomorrow’s airport bag, charge adapters, and set alarms. Sleep comes easily, legs heavy but heart full, knowing you walked to a culturally rich region and returned with stories and experiences that will last a lifetime.