07-09 Somdang, Tipling, Sertung

A 15-day Trek - Tamang Heritage & Ruby Valley in Nepal

Daily Trek Diary - Days 07 to 09

The teahouse at PangSang Pass at 3850M

Daily Trek Diaries:

Day-7 > 10 Nov 2018 - Trek from Parbati-Kunda to Somdang ... Via Yuri-Kharka and Khupru-Danda

Today we started at 7:00AM and started climbing up from the road up a hill through the forests. After 2 Hours of climbing reached Gothen Kharka. There were lots of burnt trees in that area may be fires started by Lightening strikes? After further climbing at 11:40AM we reached Yuri Kharka where we saw some Yaks grazing. Further climbing we reached a pass at 3710M that Nima called as Khupru-Danda.

Khupru Bhanjyang Pass ... it was cold here when we crossed at 12:50PM

From there we started going down till awe hit a road where we turned right and continued for another 4-5KMs gradually going down, till we reached Somdang and could see some teahouses on other side of the valley. This place looked like a rundown dilapidated mining town to me. May be it was I saw some factory like structure where we turned around at end of valley over a small bridge.

After walking on road for 3-4 KMs ... we see Somdang GHs on opposite valley

We reached a Homestay teahouse named Somdang Valley Teahouse. had Noodle soup for lunch and evening a beer and dal-bhat. Nothing much to say about this place. But the teahouse lady and her 7 year-old daughter were kind and nice people.

Day-8 > 11 Nov 2018 - Trek Somdang to Tipling via Pang-Sang Pass (3850M)

We left Somdang at 8:10AM and walked mostly along the dirt road rising gradually except for a few short cuts we took along the way to cut down distance.

As we climb up to Gothen Kharka we swathes of burnt trees for several KMs

Yuri Kharka ... where we saw Yaks grazing near some stone huts.

The Somdang Valley Teahouse .... as we leave next morning

Teahouses at the Pang-Sang Pass coming up ahead on the road (at Noon)

By noon we reached Pang-Sang Pass and a Teahouse located just at the Pass. There we saw a small party of Americans from Colorado who had reached there by a Jeep ride of 12 hours, escorted by Nepali lady. My original plan was to stay here but seeing the crowd and only one open teahouse here, I decide to go on to Tipling, after a Dal-Bhat lunch here.

We left PangSang at 1:30PM and it was a steep climb down. It was a 2000M descent to Tipling and we reached there quite late at 7:00PM after it had started becoming dark from 5:30PM onwards. It became difficult to walk down in the dark even with torches. Luckily we could see few lights below and so did not lose our way. Reached "Tipling Homestay" at 6:30PM in pitch darkness Had dinner of Dal Bhat and went to sleep. next morning could see some Ganesh Himal snow peaks peeking out from high mountains.

Near Pang-Sang Pass, Nima looks for Rubies in the hillsides looking like marble ...he says this is called Ruby Valley trek because Rubies were found here!

Ganesh Himal snow peak seen in the morning from Tipling

Day-9 > 12 Nov 2018 - Trek from Tipling (1890M) to Sertung (1920M)

Today knowing that Sertung is a short trek day; we started from Tipling late at 10:00AM. Initially went down all the way to cross a stream in a Box Bridge and climbed a bit to reach Sertung at 1:45PM and stayed at Ganesh Himal Hotel. Was told Beer was not "allowed to be sold" here! But later managed to get one bottle in the room. After that a Chow Mein lunch and then a nap. Dal Bhat at night and called it a day.