This photo spread is about a trek we embarked on recently in August to Khaptad National Park. The overall trip was immensely satisfying but we faced many hindrances along the way as we trekked during the rainy season. Walking through dense forests with no trace of life, following litters as signs of the pathway was daunting at first but the effort was worth it in the end. 

The eight-day journey to Khaptad National Park that started from Dhangadi saw us making our way easily from Silgadhi to Jhigrana via Baglekh, but after Jhigrana, once we entered the national park, it was all dense jungle with Sal and Oak forests. It was arduous as there were no sign of people along the way and no water bodies or spouts to quench our thirst. 

Army officials had warned us about wild animals and we had also heard stories about black bears attacking locals. This made our hearts pound as we made our way through the forest. And to top it off, it started raining.

We had to navigate our way to Bichpani through dense jungle area without proper pathways turning a blind eye to all the leeches that were stuck to us. Oh, the joys of trekking. When we finally made it, despite it certainly not seeming like we would, we camped in the middle of the jungle after lighting a fire to scare away the wild animals as we slept. 

At the checkpoint, we had been informed that it would take us three hours to reach Bichpani but even when we hiked as fast as we could, it took us nearly eight hours to reach the spot. Maybe we got lost somewhere along the way and it took us longer than the stipulated time, we don’t really know. But we relied on our instincts and finally made it. 

The next day, we took off to Khaptad National Park. Again, we had been informed that it would take three hours to get there from where we were. But wiser because of our experience, we made up our minds that it would take us thrice that long to get there. And indeed, we reached the meadows of Khaptad National Park after walking for nine hours straight. The sign there said it would take us another 45 minutes to reach the campsite but it took us an hour, and that too on a horse. 

However, when we reached the campsite, a quick look around was enough to prove to us that our efforts had been totally worth it. The view was amazing and the people there were warm and welcoming. We explored the Khaptad Lake and the nearby meadows (of which there were plenty). Over the next two days, we enjoyed the view of the mist over alpine forests, heard different kinds of birds chirp away throughout the day, and foxes howling became our lullaby. 

On the return journey, we took another trail back instead of the one that had got us there. Hiking downhill through the juggle passing meadows filled with cattle, we reached Bajhang in four hours time.

We decided to rest in the village of Bajhang called Daru Gaun, named so because people there make furniture and wooden handicrafts from wood and Daru, in the local dialect, meant wood. The next day, due to landslide, we had to walk till Tamail Bazaar in Bajhang to get a ride back to Dhangadhi. The bus ride was the scariest one I had been on in my entire life as most of the road had been swept away by landslide.

I have travelled and trekked to many parts of Nepal but Khaptad National Park is a remarkable place to visit and explore and, trust me, once is not enough. 

pramin.osiris@gmail.com

 
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