The proposed study area was the Lumbasumba Himal, Jaljale Himal and upper Mewa Khola Valley which form the dividing range between the Arun and Tamur River systems, the two main rivers of East Nepal.
| 16th Sept | Edinburgh - London - Kathmandu (air) |
| 17th Sept | Kathmandu (preparation day) |
| 18th Sept | Kathmandu to Basantpur, via Biratnagar (air & road) |
| 19th - 24th Sept | Basantpur to Mewa Khola, via Tamur Valley (start of trek) |
| 25th - 27th Sept | Mewa Khola to Topke Gola |
| 28th Sept - 2nd Oct | Topke Gola area |
| 3rd - 4th Oct | Topke Gola to Thudam |
| 5th - 10th Oct | Thudam & upper Lumbasumba Himal |
| 11th - 12th Oct | Thudam - Topke Gola |
| 13th - 15th Oct | Jaljale Himal |
| 16th - 17th Oct | Jaljale Himal - Tumlingtar (end of trek) |
| 18th Oct | Tumlingtar - Kathmandu (air) |
| 19th - 20th Oct | Kathmandu (2 days processing collections) |
| 21st Oct | Kathmandu - London - Edinburgh (air) |
Due to the enforced change of plans in the Arun Valley, the above itinerary was abandoned on 28th September and the group returned to Kathmandu. The revised plan took us to Central Nepal, to the sacred lakes of Gosainkund and the Langtang National Park.
| Sun 16th Sept | Edinburgh to London Heathrow
(1 hr flight)
Heathrow to Abu Dhabi (6.5 hr flight) |
|
| Mon 17th Sept | Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu (4 hr flight): Hotel Utse | |
| Tue 18th Sept | Kathmandu: visit Department of Plant Resources | |
| Wed 19th Sept | Kathmandu: visit Herbarium and Botanic Garden at Godevari | |
| Thu 20th Sept | Kathmandu: DPR reception | |
| Fri 21st Sept | Kathmandu to Biratnagar
(1 hr flight)
Biratnagar to Hile (ca. 3 hr drive) Biratnagar, 70m Bhedetar, 1340m: 2 hr lunch stop (10.30am) Dhankuta (1.30pm) Hile, 1850m: Gumba Lodge (arr. 2pm) |
|
| Arun Kosi Valley Trek | ||
| Sat 22nd Sept | Hile (dep. 7am)
Pakhribas, 1640m (8.55am) Dikure, 1240m, 27 05N, 87 16E: lunch (10.30am) Panche Chautaara [Panchi], 960m: drinks stop (1.30pm) Baise, 1250m Dhele, c 700m Mangmaya Khola, 310m, 27 07 xxN, 87 16 xxE: camp (arr. 3.30pm) |
|
| Sun 23rd Sept | Mangmaya Khola (dep. 7am)
?Sati Ghat (near cable across Arun and dugout ferry) Legua Ghat (suspension bridge across Arun) Crossed Leguwa Khola ?Chanawa (schoolhouse) Damar, 300m, 27 10 08N, 87 16 37E: lunch (10.30am) Waded across Kyawa Khola Surte Bari Piluwa Khola, 340m, 27 12 40N, 87 15 24E: camp (arr. 3.30pm) |
|
| Mon 24th Sept | Piluwa Khola (dep. 6.45am)
Khare [Khaliare, Kharare]: drinks stop (9.10am) Shutar (school playground), 390m, 27 14 39N, 87 13 02E: lunch (9.45-11am) Gande Pani Sabha Khola (suspension bridge) Tumlingtar, 410m, 27 18 55N, 87 11 52E: camp (arr. 3.40pm) |
|
| Tue 25th Sept | Tumlingtar (dep. 7.15am)
Kuhmalgaon Dhunge Dhara, 800m, 27 21 37N, 87 12 31E: lunch (9.50am) Khandbari, 1030m (police checkpost, army camp) (12.30pm) Mani Bhanjyang, 1100m, 27 24 26N, 87 11 22E: camp (arr. ?) |
|
| Wed 26th Sept | Mani Bhanjyang (dep. 7.30am)
[lunch site], 1480m, 27 26 09N, 87 11 22E: lunch, DL has first leech bite Bhotebas, 1740m pass, 1850m Chichila, 1830m, 27 27 50N, 87 13 46E: camp (arr. 4.30pm) |
|
| Thu 27th Sept | Chichila: rest day | |
| Fri 28th Sept | Chichila (dep. 7am)
Bhotebas, 1740m: lunch (10-11.15am) Mani Bhanjyang, 1100m Khandbari, 1030m: camp (arr. ?) |
|
| Sat 29th Sept | Khandbari
Dhunge Dhara, 810m Kuhmalgaon Tumlingtar, 410m: Hotel Kanchenjunga (arr. lunchtime) |
|
| Return to Kathmandu | ||
| Sun 30th Sept | Tumlingtar to Kathmandu (dep. 1pm, 35min flight, Dornier plane): Hotel Utse (2.45pm) | |
| Mon 1st Oct | Kathmandu | |
| Tue 2nd Oct | Kathmandu: visit British Embassy | |
| Wed 3rd Oct | Kathmandu: visit Bhaktapur | |
| Thur 4th Oct | Kathmandu to Grang by bus
(107km)
Kathmandu (dep. 6.30am) Kakani (checkpoint) (7.20am) Jurethum ["Thirty five"]: tea break (8am) Trisuli Bazaar, 540m (police checkpoint 2km before, 9.45am) Betrawati, 620m (bridge) Kalikastan [Kalikasthan], 1560m: 30 mins lunch stop (11.30am) & park entrance Landslide at Grang, 1890m (1pm) Walk 10km to Dhunche Park checkpoint 15mins outside Dhunche (5pm) Dhunche, 2000m: Buddha Hotel (arr. ?) |
|
| Langtang National Park Trek | ||
| Fri 5th Oct | Dhunche (dep. 7.15am)
Trisuli Khola (suspension bridge) Lunch, 2450m, 28 06 15N, 85 19 27E (11am) Dhimsa [Dimsa], 3000m, 28 06 26N, 85 20 03E: camp (arr. 3pm) (army camp) |
|
| Sat 6th Oct | Dhimsa (Dep. 7.35am)
Sing Gompa [Shin Gompa, Chandan Bari], 3300m: lunch (10am) Cholang Pati [Chalang Pati, Chyolangpati], 3600m, 28 06 01N, 85 22 14E Laurebina [Laurebina Yak], 3900m, 28 05 32N, 85 22 56N: camp (arr. 3.30pm) |
|
| Sun 7th Oct | Laurebina (dep. 8am)
Chautara, 3960m Sarawati Kund (first/lowest lake) Bhairav [Bhairab] Kund (second/middle lake) Gossainkund (third and largest lake) Gossainkund [Gossainkunda], 4380m: camp (arr. 11.30am) |
|
| Mon 8th Oct | Gossainkund: local exploration
Lake, 4340m, 28 04 18N, 85 25 12E: David Knott Bhairav Kund: David Long & Mark Watson |
|
| Tue 9th Oct | Gossainkund (dep. 7.45am)
Laurebina, 3900m Cholang Pati, 3600m: lunch (11am) Sing Gompa, 3300m: camp (arr. ca. 4 pm) |
|
| Wed 10th Oct | Sing Gompa (dep. 8am)
Phoprang, 3000m?: tea break (10am) Dursagang, 2700m, 28 08 00N, 85 21 25E: lunch (11.40am) Syabru [Thulo Syaphru], 2200m, 28 08 27N, 85 21 48E: camp (arr. 2.30pm) |
|
| Thu 11th Oct | Syabru
(dep. 7.50am)
Pawo Khola Bridge (metal bridge over Ghopcha [Chopche] Khola) Hot Springs, 1640m? Bamboo Lodge, 1960m, 28 09 42N, 85 25 56E: lunch (1pm) Langtang Khola (suspension bridge), 2000m (2.25pm) Rimche, 2250m Lama Hotel [Changtang], 2430m, 28 09 42N, 85 25 56E: camp (4pm) |
|
| Fri 12th Oct | Lama Hotel (dep. 7.55am)
Gumnachok, 2670m, 28 10 53N, 85 26 25E: lunch (10.30am) Chhunama [Thomna] (11.40am) Ghora Tabela, 3000m (park checkpoint just beyond) (12.55pm) Langtang village, 3300m, 28 12 57N, 85 30 28E: camp (arr. 4.30pm) |
|
| Sat 13th Oct | Langtang village (dep. 8am)
Muna [Mundu], 3410m Singdum, 3410m (9.15am) Lunch (11.30am) Kyanjin Gompa, 3800m, 28 12 43N, 85 34 09E: camp (arr. 2pm) |
|
| Sun 14th Oct | Kyanjin Gompa: local exploration | |
| Mon 15th Oct | Kyanjin Gompa (dep. 8am)
Singdum, 3410m Muna [Mundu], 3410m Langtang village, 3500m: lunch (11.30am) Ghora Tabela, 3000m: camp (arr. 3pm) |
|
| Tue 16th Oct | Ghora Tabela (dep. 8.05am)
Chhunama [Thomna] (9.35) Gumnachok, 2670m Lama Hotel [Changtang], 2430m, 28 09 10N, 85 22 50E: lunch Rimche, 2250m Langtang Khola (suspension bridge), 2000m Bamboo Lodge, 1850m: camp (arr. 3pm) |
|
| Wed 17th Oct | Bamboo Lodge (dep. 8am)
Hot Springs, 1640m?: lunch (10am) Pawo Khola Bridge Syabru [Thulo Syaphru], 2100m: camp (arr. ca 2pm) |
|
| Thu 18th Oct | Syabru (dep. 7.40am)
Brabal, 2200m (9.15am) Nawor Danda [Dau Danda], 2140m: lunch (10.30am) Thulo Bharkhu, 1860m (trail joins road) (12.35pm) Dhunche, 2000m: camp (arr. 1.30pm) |
|
| Return to Kathmandu | ||
| Fri 19th Oct | Dhunche to Kathmandu by
bus (landslide repaired)
Dhunche (dep. 7.30am) Trisuli Bazaar: lunch (10.40am) Kathmandu (arr. 2pm): Hotel Utse |
|
| Sat 20th Oct | Kathmandu: processing collections | |
| Sun 21st Oct | Kathmandu: processing collections | |
| Mon 22nd Oct | Kathmandu to Abu Dhabi (4 hr 20 min flight)
Abu Dhabi to Bharain (45 min flight) |
|
| Tue 23rd Oct | Bharain to Heathrow (7 hr
flight)
Heathrow to Edinburgh (1 hr 15 min flight) |
|