Chepang Hill Trek offers you the insight to observe one of the indigenous groups of Nepal. The trek covers a diverse range of land topography, the unseen and hidden culture of nomadic Chepang people, hospitality, and craftsmanship which includes homemade wine and honey. These treks were developed to promote Chepang’s culture and livelihood. They have unique settlements, social organizations, languages, cultures, religions, and festivals.
Chepang Hill Trek is a newly opened trekking trail located in Chitwan district. It is a short and easy adventure to the marginalized ethnic community. This trek will take you to those areas where the small ethnic groups called “Chepang” live. The main aim of opening this as a new trekking trail is to promote their culture and livelihood. This indigenous group has a distinct lifestyle and is rich in cultural tradition.
They led a nomadic life which encompassed hunting, digging for wild roots, fishing, and a traditional style of farming near jungles before they took to a sedentary life with the beginning of cattle rearing and the practice of agriculture. They have unique settlements, social organizations, languages, cultures, religions, and festivals. Other than the wildlife and many species of flora and fauna in Chitwan, the Chepang hill trek is now gradually increasing its attraction for travelers.
This trip takes you to places of cultural interest and also to places which are naturally scenic. Besides the nature and culture, the most interesting thing is the homestay experience which is offered during the trek. You will have a unique experience of sharing the farm work with food and staying in a local home with the local people sharing the local organic foods. This trekking trail is completely untouched by the earlier forms of tourism. Trekking on the Chepang Hills trail leads us through the unexplored part of the Chitwan.
This trek is easy to moderate level of trekking so trekking on this trail does not require previous experience. We begin our trek with a scenic drive from Kathmandu to Hugdi which is about 80 kilometers away from Kathmandu. We ascend through the ethnic villages and farm terraces enjoying the seasonal fruits and local hospitality.
The main attraction of Chepang Hill is the Homestay offered by the local house. The Home Stay program is designed in order to generate income possibilities for marginalized people and to raise awareness about health, sanitation, and education. Chepang homestay also gives the classical taste to the tongue, you can enjoy Dhendo (national food) served with string beans, leafy greens, potatoes, wild yams, and stinging nettles.
On the next day, we commence our trek to Hatti Bang, Jyandala, Upper Dhangadi, and finally to Shaktikhor. The view like a range of Himalayan peaks such as Rolwaling, Dorje Lakpa, Gaurishanker, Langtang, Manaslu Range, Himalchuli, Annapurna range, Dhaulagiri and spectacular sunrise and sunsets can be clearly observed while trekking these areas. Bird watching and other natural attractions will make your trek memorable with friendly Nepalese hospitality and their smile. Chepang Hill trek grants a peculiar combination of unrated cultural experiences. At the end of the trekking, you will know a great deal more about the life of these isolated jungle people.
Beginning our journey, we drive 80 kilometer towards west of Kathmandu towards Hugdi. Hugdi bazaar is located 965 feet above sea level. Before reaching Hugdi Bazaar, we have to pass through Majim Tar and cross the bridge over Hugdi Khola near its confluence with the Trishuli River. You will drive through steep, twisting roads which are usually full of traffic. The trail ascends from the west side of the highway and follows along a ridgeline. There is a small visitor information center in Hugdi Bazaar on the east / Trishuli river side of the highway. Upon arrival at Hugdi Bazaar, get refreshed and in evening you can stroll around the area and experience the village life.
Today you will start your trek from Hugdi after having breakfast. The walk is around five hours and as the altitude suggested, we will be gradually ascending up from Hugdi. We will pass by the Magar settlement. We climb steadily and pass by many small shops, schools, temples, villages. Continue by contouring through a slide area on the east side of the ridge. We will pass by a simple tea shop and follow the wide trail to reach Hatti bang. On a clear day, Hatti bang offers a scenic view of the surrounding hills and Annapurna range. You can get along with the local people by interacting with them. Our trekking guide will help you to interpret as many of them don’t speak English at all. You will find that the settlement here includes: Magar, Chepang and Giripuri culture. We will stay in one of the home stay at Hatti bang.
The trail departs from Hatti bang from the south end of the town. We will take a wide path to the right / south-west and ascend for a few hours and then descend to cross a stream. Jyandala is a village situated at around 1600 meters. Enroute, you can have spectacular views of mountains while penetrating other Chepang settlements such as Jautesh, Changa and Dinglang. It would be our pleasure to observe the complete Chepang settlements and their culture. We can have an amazing sight of sunrise and sunset from this village. It is also famous for its hospitality during home stay and the views over the western Himalayan range of Nepal. This is a unique place in terms of view as you can see some of the highest peaks in the worlds such as Dhaulagiri, Rolwaling, Gaurishanker, Langtang, Gorkha Himal, Peak 29, Himalchuli, Manaslu, Annapurna and the flat lands which are less than 100 meters from sea level. You can try your hand in cooking traditional Nepali food while spending overnight in home stay.
Departing from Jyandala, we continue our trek towards Upper Dhangadi, our today’s destination. We have to walk on both ascending and descending trails today. Passing through a dense forest with more than 300 species of birds, will offer you an opportunity to walk through a bird watching paradise today. Besides the large number of birds different species of wild animals are also seen in this area but during day time encounter with the wild animals is very rare. After a walk for about six hours, you will ascend to a Gurung and Chepang village of Upper Dhangadi. This village is located at an altitude of 4029 feet and was Headquarter of Chitwan districts untill 1962. Ruins of a fort lie less than 10 minutes away on top of hill to the south of village. This fort was built in early 1800’s by a grandson of the first king of Nepal, Prithivi Narayan Shah. You may explore this fort while staying in Upper Dhangadi. Gadi is the ancient fort and was the main trail joining the Terai belt with the Tibet.
On the last day of our trek, we leave upper Dhangadi after taking breakfast. Our trail descends down for about 300 meters following a ridgeline. Passing by the village of Kolar, continue along the ridgeline as we descend steeply to the tributary below the Shakti Khola (495 m / 1624 ft). We will have to wade across the river several times before reaching Sampharang (363 m / 1191 ft). After about six hours of walk, we reach bustling market town of Shaktikhor. Shaktikhor is located at an altitude of 1070 feet above sea level. Here is a visitor center next to the Chepang Museum and Chepang Development Center, which has locally produced goods on sale, including mustard seed oil and honey. The Chepang often refer to themselves as “Praja” or “Subject”. A Hindu temple named Sri Muktinath Shivalaya is perched 50 yards above and to the west of Shaktikhor’s main market. Upon arrival at Shaktikhor, we will visit the Chepang Museum, waterfall and caves. In evening, local Chepang people will organize a cultural program for you. In addition, we can add one extra night in Shaktikhor in order to explore Chitram waterfall and Majhbang or Bat cave and Sindi Waterfall.
With all the beautiful memories and a life time experience trekking inside the ethnic groups of people’s lifestyle, we drive back to Kathmandu. The drive takes about seven hours to reach Kathmandu from Shaktikhor. Upon arrival at Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your respective hotels for your overnight stay.
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