Overview
Destination:Kalinchowk temple on a top of a hill at 3800m
Days required: minimum 2 days but if tried then can do in 1 day too.
Difficulties: Easy
Best Season: All season except peak monsoon
Essentials: dry foods, waterproof shoes, and clothes, and power banks.
Main attractions: Kalinchowk Bhagwati temple, mountain range, and snowfall.
Picture: stairway to heaven????
After completing the ride and the hike my desire for solo travel ignited.
Actually, my initial plan was to go there on a motorbike with my neighbour friend. Since I had R15 back in 2016 I was pretty sure it is not the type of bike to take it to such a place as kalinchowk.So on 13th Sep I left my bike at my best friend's home who is also an army now(shoutout to sworup lol) and brought his fzs back to my home. But unfortunately or fortunately the friend of mine canceled the trip and I decided to go there alone. Although Kalinchowk is 1 day ride away from Kathmandu and our country Nepal is quite safe to travel alone(as people are often good and helpful in rural areas) I was quite nervous because it was my first solo travel that far.
Day 1
So on 15th Sep woke up early at 5 am and left for the trip. To be honest, after Dhulikhel I didn't even know the road that goes to kalinchowk.I had been up to Tatopani but had no idea about this route.
After riding for several hours, I stopped for food at a place which I forgot the name of now. Man the food was horrible because I stopped at the wrong place assuming it was a hotel but it was a home.
On reaching Kharidhunga, the landscape changed. It was a beautiful place. I took some rest there and snapped some pic too. Since it was still monsoon the road was muddy and slippery.
I rode and rode till I reach the place near charikot from where the road splits for Kuri village. Kuri is the village from where an hour of the hike takes us to the kalinchowk shrine. The last road for vehicles also ends in Kuri village.
Destination:Kalinchowk temple on a top of a hill at 3800m
Days required: minimum 2 days but if tried then can do in 1 day too.
Difficulties: Easy
Best Season: All season except peak monsoon
Essentials: dry foods, waterproof shoes, and clothes, and power banks.
Main attractions: Kalinchowk Bhagwati temple, mountain range, and snowfall.
After completing the ride and the hike my desire for solo travel ignited.
Actually, my initial plan was to go there on a motorbike with my neighbour friend. Since I had R15 back in 2016 I was pretty sure it is not the type of bike to take it to such a place as kalinchowk.So on 13th Sep I left my bike at my best friend's home who is also an army now(shoutout to sworup lol) and brought his fzs back to my home. But unfortunately or fortunately the friend of mine canceled the trip and I decided to go there alone. Although Kalinchowk is 1 day ride away from Kathmandu and our country Nepal is quite safe to travel alone(as people are often good and helpful in rural areas) I was quite nervous because it was my first solo travel that far.
Day 1
So on 15th Sep woke up early at 5 am and left for the trip. To be honest, after Dhulikhel I didn't even know the road that goes to kalinchowk.I had been up to Tatopani but had no idea about this route.
After riding for several hours, I stopped for food at a place which I forgot the name of now. Man the food was horrible because I stopped at the wrong place assuming it was a hotel but it was a home.
On reaching Kharidhunga, the landscape changed. It was a beautiful place. I took some rest there and snapped some pic too. Since it was still monsoon the road was muddy and slippery.
I rode and rode till I reach the place near charikot from where the road splits for Kuri village. Kuri is the village from where an hour of the hike takes us to the kalinchowk shrine. The last road for vehicles also ends in Kuri village.
After leaving the main road and riding towards the Kuri the real adventure began. The houses started thining and all of a sudden I found myself riding alone in an offroad section in forest area so foggy that I thought if it was a good decision that I made to be at that particular unknown place? The road was a challenge for even a dirt bike so u guys can imagine what my situation was on a street bike.
It was an 18km road to Kuri village and it felt like forever. All I could do was to pray that I don't get stuck in the middle of nowhere and the bike would not fail. It was a real struggle to reach to kuri as during the monsoon it's all muddy and during the winter it's all snow. I really wish that 18km of road section be pitched when I go there again.
On reaching kuri I felt like a conquered something big(lol). I was all wet and soaked. The village can be seen from up above the road. During winter there is snow everywhere and it looks stunning. There are plenty of hotels and lodges at kuri and in the off-season, there is no problem in finding one. It's cheap too. However, during winter people from Kathmandu valley go there for enjoying the snowfall so the bookings should be made earlier.
After finding the room and having a hot noodle soup I went outside to explore the place. It was a cold man. All thanks to me for bringing a cap and jacket. It was like 5pm and the fogs were disappearing. The temple could be seen from below and I was already excited to go there. I roamed here and there and took photos. At night my stomach was struggling from the food I had earlier in the day. I was feeling all alone as it was my first time but luckily the mobile signal was good and I could use FB.
DAY 2
I was already up by 5 am. I had a cup of tea and I carried 3 eggs as my fuel for an hour of hike toward the temple. I met a group of 6-7 boys who were surprised after knowing that I made it through that 18km of offroad alone on a bike. They were ahead of me on the hiking trail. After like 1 hour and 20 mins I reached there and the view from the temple was so breathtaking.
Usually, during the monsoon the sky is cloudy and the view is not so good. But to my luck, the weather remained clear in the morning. I could see the Kuri village down. When I reached the temple the boys were already there. I asked one of them to take my photo.
The weather changed from clear to foggy in no time. I stayed there for one hour thinking how am I gonna tackle that road again. Then I started to move down towards the village. Upon reaching there it was already foggy all again. I paid the hotel some 1000 rs in total,(Room charge,1set veg dal vat,3eggs, noodle soup). Traveling in Nepal is quite cheap.
So when I was ready to leave the kuri village for my home Kathmandu it was like 9am. I was already worried about how I was gonna cross that 18 km of road. To my luck, a young boy from the Kuri asked for a lift as he was going to charikot. I don't know for what reason at first I felt a little awkward. But that kid helped me on that offroad way down to the main highway.
In the midway, it started raining. So we left the bike and took shelter near the cowshed which was by the road. As I talked with the boy he said that during winter it's all snow on the road and it is more difficult to ride that time. His father has a hotel in kuri and said they were expanding it. As the rain stopped we started riding down and as I touched the main road the boy asked me to drop him there. After that, I rode continuously to Kathmandu and I straight went to my friend's home and left his bike and took my bike home.
That's it, man. It was a good experience for me to travel alone the first time. The only thing I was let down was by the road there but hey isn't those things that make the trip more adventurous? Now recalling the place and experience I wanna go there sometime soon in the winter season too. There is now a cable car from Kuri to the temple and I heard that the road is good too.
