Khaptad National Park

Khaptad National Park

Khaptad National Park is located in the mid-mountain region of Far-Western Nepal at an air distance of 446 km from Kathmandu. The core area is situated at the cross point of Bajhang, Bajura, Doti and Achham Districts of Seti Zone. The Park Head Quarter at Khaptad is about 50 km and 32 km walking distance respectively from Silgadhi town (Doti) and Chainpur town (Bajhang).

Khaptad National Park

The park covers a unique ecosystem of the mid-mountain region of Western Nepal and is situated at around 3000m elevation. The upland is a rolling plateau with grasslands intermixed with oak and coniferous forests.

Trekking-at-Khaptad

The summer is cool and wet, whereas, the winter is cold and dry. The monsoon begins in June and ends in September with rainfall averaging less than 1000 mm. Occasional snowfall in winter with chilling wind is another characteristic.

Besides its natural beauty, Khaptad also has a religious value, as it used to be home to the hermit Khaptad Baba who meditated here for 50 years. Khaptad Baba became a renowned spiritual saint. Time your visit on full moon of July-August, when Hindu pilgrims come to worship Lord Shiva in the Khaptad Baba Ashram.

Khaptad-Lake-Nepal

Khaptad offers you a beautiful variety of landscapes, with rolling green hills, moorlands, steep slopes and streams. 567 species of flora have been recorded in the protected area, including rhododendron forests, oak and pine forests. From the park you can see the Api and Saipal Himalayan ranges.

Khaptad is great for spotting wildlife and birds, with 23 species of mammals and 287 types of birds. Mammal species symbolic of the park are leopard, Himalayan black bear, wild dog and musk deer. Bird species include the beautiful Impeyan pheasant (danphe; Nepal’s national bird), Peregrin falcon, the white rumped vulture and many types of partridges, flycatchers, bulbuls, cuckoos and eagles.

Outline Itinerary of Khaptad Trekking

• Day 1 Flight Kathmandu-Dhangadhi
• Day 2 Drive Dhangadhi to Bajhang (also called Tamail) (9 hr drive)
• Day 3 Hike Bajhang to Khaptad Campsite (3020 m) 7 hrs
• Day 4 Explore Khaptad and visit Khaptad Baba Ashram (3020 m)
• Day 5 Hike to Bichpani Camp (2905 m) 5 hrs
• Day 6 Hike to Silgadhi (1340 m) 5 hrs
• Day 7 Drive to Dhangadhi 9 hrs
• Day 8 Flight Dhangadhi-Kathmandu

By Anil Blon 
E-mail:anil.blon@gmail.com
http://www.natrajtrekking.com

 

 

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