This trek explores the isolated Lapchi Kang, a region rich in biodiversity and folklore rarely visited by tourists. It's a Buddhist pilgrimage site, famed for Milarepa's cave, offering a unique Himalayan experience. Nestled between Nepal and Tibet, it's a spiritual hub, considered sacred alongside Kailash and Tsari.
Lapchi Kang Milarepa Cave Trek
Duration
8 Days
Trip Grade
Difficult
Maximum Altitude
4082 Meter
Group Size
Min 2 Person
Activities
Trekking, Sightseeing
Starts
Kathmandu
Ends
Kathmandu
Best Time
Sept, Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr & May
Lapchi Trek Overview
A trek to give a full experience of this visually extraordinary and geographically isolated area, hugely rich in flora, wildlife, and folklore, yet rarely visited by tourists or scientists. Lapchi Kang is a small Himalayan range lying like a twisted backbone jammed between the road to Tibet and the huge Himalayan valley of Rowaling Himal. It is restricted and tucked away enough to be ignored by the tourists and yet not high enough to entice mountaineers. Somewhere in this isolated wilderness, Milarepa, an ancient Tibetan magician, went into retreat, lived in a cave, ate stinging nettles, and slowly turned green! The maze of twisted hills, rock spires, and sheer cliffs that make the landscape from Ama Bamare Himal to Lapchi Karhka gives the snow leopard a perfect habitat for survival. This trek follows the Tama Khosi river from Jagat to Lamanabagar, where we turn off the main trail and head up through dense bamboo and cloud forest to an isolated pocket of Lapchi Kang under the unclimbed rock spire of Ama Bamare and the awesome rock face of Kookur Raja Darra (King Dog Ridge ). This Lapchi Kang Trek is unique!
The Lapchi trekking trail is located in the Rolwaling region along the border of Nepal and Tibet. Lapchi Trek is an opportunity to explore the least visited isolated and exciting secret corners of Nepal. Lapchi is a famous pilgrimage of Buddhists where the famous Tibetan Yogi Milarepa lived in Milarepa cave for a long time and died in the Lapchi region. Milarepa performed many miracles in Lhapchi and left behind sacred marks such as his footprints. Lapchi trekking protected by the Gaurishankar Conservation Area requires a GCA special permit and TIMS for trekking in Lapchi Kang.
Milarepa is not only a Buddhist yogi but also a poet, singer, and ancient Tibetan magician. Lapchi Trek and Lapchi Region are the sacred destinations in the Himalayas after Kailash and Tsari. According to Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu ancient literature, three holy mountains in the Jambudvipa are 1. Mount Kailash, 2. Mount Labchi Kang, and 3. Mount Tsari. These are the core power places or the paramount spiritual mountains not only for Buddhists but also for Hindus. Holy Lapchi Mountain is situated in the eastern part of Nepal at a height of about 4,850 meters. Lapchi trek from Nepal side is cheap and best because it is not necessary to arrange a Tibet visa and permit to explore holy Lapchi and Mount Lapchi Kang once in a lifetime.
When to trek to Lapchi?
The best time to trek in Lapchi is from March to October. Lapchi, known as Milarepa’s Hermitage, has a variety of cave hermitages in Lapchi. We organize Lapchi trekking from Lamabaagar on camping basics, following the Tama Koshi river, passing through dense bamboo and cloud forest, to remote areas of Lapchi Kang under the unclimbed rock spire of Ama Bamare and the awesome rock face of Cookur.
Itinerary
Our standard 7 Nights, 8 Days itinerary is for Buddhist pilgrimages and short-time trekkers to Lapchi Valley, which goes straight up and retraces straight back the same way. We (Wilderness Excursion) propose a loop route for adventure and wilderness keens that takes. Below is an 11-day fully supported camping trek, and the cost is USD 1499 per person on a minimum two-person basis for an inclusive package.
Day 01: Kathmandu to Lamabagar (1950 m) by bus/jeep.
Day 02: Trek from Lamabager Lower Lumnang (2700 m)
Day 03: Trekking to Lapchi Village (3670 m)
Day 04: Explore Lapchi Village and Spiritual Heritages.
Day 05: Lapchi Village to High Alpine lakes trek (4900 m)
Day 06: Trekking to Yak Kharka (3424 m)
Day 07: Trekking to King Dong Kharka (2800 m)
Day 08: An excursion day at King Dong Kharka
Day 09: Trekking to Samling Phedi
Day 10: Trekking to Lamabagar
Day 11: Drive back to Kathmandu by bus/Jeep
Variation
This trek can be combined with the Rolwaling Valley Trek and also can be extended the trek to the Bigu Gompa, which offers cultural and natural verities in untrodden off the beaten trail through the rural villages. This trek is totally off the beaten and seldom visited place in the area of Lapchi to the west of Rolwaling Valley. We can arrange your trek as a basic camping and teahouse or homestay trek that allows you to experience the locals, their culture, and their tradition. We also arrange fully supported camping treks for comfortable trekking keens.
Itinerary
Expand allDriving from Kathmandu by public Bus or private Jeep with extra cost to Singate and then to Lamabagar, which takes approximately 10 hours, Overnight stay in a home stay or basic lodge.
We take a local jeep to cross a tunnel (1300m long without light) that built by Hydro Company then take narrow challenging path temporally made as the main old trail down through the Tama Koshi River is destroyed by road building work, probably by next year in 2024 there will be wider path as drilling and blasting work is on. Our destination is to Lower Lumnang today which is winter settlement of Lapchi habitants. We camp for overnight.
We follow the fast flowing stream under the shadow of Gaurishankar (7134m) to Lapchi Village. You can visit Lapchi Monastery and about 14 houses. Yak herding is the main occupation.
Today we discover surrounding cultural and natural heritages and spotting Himalayan Thar (and Blue Sheep if we are lucky). Maximum elevation will be at 4300m. The river splits At Lapchi Village into 2 – one comes down from Lapchi Chuwa where Milarepa entered in to Nirvana (it is now a Chinese military camp in Tibet), the other river on the right comes from Nyalam and is still the main supply road for the yak caravans from Tibet-China. (Nyalam means road to hell!) There’s a very nice walk up Lapchi Mountain, but we have to ask permission to go up, on the mountain slopes are the retreat houses for the 3-year retreats. There are 4 Gompa houses in total, the one down at the monastery is called Dudul Pug, Choera Gompa is the next, in the middle temple, Rechen Gompa, are the footprints of Milarepa on the ceiling. Blue Sheep live around this the highest temple, Zhe Pug, where there is holy water well – the water started flowing when Milarepa struck his staff to the rocks, and then he flew to Mt. Kailash. On the way up is a footprint of a Dakini, one of the Tseringma sisters, a long time cohort of Milarepa.
This is allowed as an free day if you wish to spend an additional day to meditate and retreat as this trek is mostly for Buddhist pilgrimage. Otherwise we can skip the day and the trek will be one day shorter.
This day we will say farewell to our host and villagers of Lapchi village and retrace back to Lumnang and stay overnight in a camp.
The last day of the walk in the nature by enjoying roaring sound of river and vegetation. It will take some 6 to 7 hours to make back to Lamabagar from Lumnang
At 6:00AM; the bus leaves for Kathmandu that takes some 10 hours, we have break for "Daal Bhat" lunch at Charokot. Our guide will drop you at your accommodation in Kathmandu.
This is our standard itinerary. It can be customized or slightly changed if required considering your pace and trekking habit that cause a change of day-to-day plan.
Still Confuse?
Download brochure or customize your trip.
Cost Details
Includes
- Local bus or local sharing jeep transportation to/from Lamabager from/to Kathmandu.
- Meals: 7 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, and 7 Dinners during the trek.
- Accommodation: teahouse/homestay accommodation during the trek.
- Accommodation: Tents for camping when there are no lodges and homestay service.
- An experienced English-speaking guide trained by the government of Nepal.
- Necessary porters for food stops and carrying camping gear and luggage.
- Guide and porters fee and all their expenses during the trek.
- Governmental procedure and documentation charges.
- Necessary Lapchi Village permits.
- Sleeping bag (Should return after trek)
Excludes
- Accommodation, meals and transfers in Kathmandu.
- International flight, Nepal visa fee, emergency evacuation, rescue insurance
- Guided sightseeing and monuments entrance fees in Kathmandu.
- Bar drinks, beverages such as coke, fanta, sprite.
- Personal trekking gear / clothing, camera, binoculars etc,
- Extra costs arising from unforeseen cause the control of Wilderness Excursion.
Dates & Availability
Check our published date! If it doesn’t match, we are happy to customize your tour perfectly to suit your interests and needs, creating a unique travel experience for you
Essential Information
This trek is totally off the beaten and seldom visited place in the area of Rolwaling Valley. We can arrange your trek as a basic camping and teahouse or home stay trek that allows to experience the local, their culture and tradition. We also arrange fully supported camping trek for comfortable trekking keens.
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