Nar Phu Valley Trek – Day 3 of 9 Meta to Phu
On my previous trek, I broke the journey from Meta to Phu into two days, Chhauchha, then up to Meta and stopping at Kyang for the night. It’s a good solid itinerary. I originally documented it that way to provide a safety net for those needing extra acclimatization. But since then, the vast majority of people have been asking for more time in both Nar and Phu, so I’m testing this push. While keeping the other itinerary for those who want more acclimatization or a slower pace.
By combining these days, we gain a full exploration day in Phu at 4,070m, and Nar, both of which offer a superior acclimatization base for the 5,320m Kang La Pass later in the week. And, personally, I like the idea of spending more time in Phu as it’s really my kinda place!
I talked over the logic with Gautam as we packed our gear in the crisp morning air of Meta which was thankfully clear. “I’ve got to have two solutions here,” I said, “not everyone wants to tough it out. But online, the usual suspects, keep pushing people to trek on. ”
Gautam nodded, “We stayed in Kyang last time.
I nodded in return, “But more people are asking for day trips from Phu!”
Gautam then added something that went straight into my notes. “Trekkers these days, they mostly prefer this version,” he said, adjusting his pack straps. “The ones who want to stop in Dharmasala, Kyang are usually families, or older. They need the slower trek. Everyone else, they want Meta and Phu.”
I agreed while putting on my own backpack. “There’s also more of the fast trekkers than the other.” Guatum has taken many trekkers along this route. He knows what people like within minutes of meeting them. It’s this kind of on the ground thinking you can’t get from a forum post. So, I’ll have to have both written up it seems as Chhauchha, in my view, is the most reliable place to stay for now as Dharmasala is no longer an option.
The Shift into the Arid North
- Route: Meta to Phu (via Kyang)
- Distance/Time: 19km / 7+ hours
- Starting Altitude: 3,560 m
- Ending Altitude: 4,150 m
- Landscape: High Alpine to Arid Tibetan Plateau
Leaving Meta, the landscape goes through a striking shift. Even before the 4,000m mark, the lushness of the lower Annapurna Circuit is gone, replaced by an arid, rain-shadow terrain that will remind anyone who has been there of Upper Mustang. Trees thin out fast. Juniper scrub takes over. The earth turns a dusty ochre. We hit the junction where the trail splits: Nar to the west, Phoo (Phu) to the north. We turned north, following the Nar Khola as it carves through towering, sun-bleached cliffs. For those wondering, yes Nar Phu can also be trekked in the “off season”, we’ll cover that a little later.
The weather today is cinematic. Outbreaks of sun followed by sudden rolls of heavy cloud. Normally cloud is a nuisance for photography, but today it acted as a natural filter against intense high-altitude UV. The cliffs seemed to have cloud rolling off them like steam. A film director couldn’t replicate this atmosphere without standing in it first. We were walking through ancient mountain gates. With a glacier churning down the vast valley from the side. The trail itself is easier today compared to yesterday, flatter with not so many rolling trails.
It’s worth turning around from time to time as the view is equally fantastic behind you
The Ghost Settlements: Walking Through the Khampa Legacy
The trail passes through Jhunum and Chyako – former settlements of the Khampa. In the 1950s and 60s, Tibetan rebels from the Kham region used these high valleys as a base for CIA-supported guerrilla operations against the Chinese military. Until 1974, this area was effectively a secret military zone. Today, the stone ruins of their houses – some now repurposed as farmhouses or stables – stand as quiet markers of that era.
I stopped at a crumbling mani wall in Jhunum to check my notes. “It’s hard to imagine this was a covert military area.” Knowing that these remote valleys were once the frontline of a Cold War proxy conflict adds a different weight to every step in such a Buddhist landscape. There were also more than just one kind of Khampa in Nar Phu as I’ll reveal later on in Nar. It’s a small thing, but something many guidebooks and indeed guides get mixed up.
Guatum pointed up to the steep rock above, “All over there are hiding places.”
Above the ruins, a herd of mountain sheep grazed by steep slate slopes – stocky, with curved horns, possibly blue sheep or Himalayan tahr. At that distance it was hard to be certain. They watched us with indifference. Whatever they were, they looked like they belonged here far more than we did. I was also aware they had a habit of knocking pebbles (and more) onto peoples heads … Guatum did too as he urged me to hurry up instead of trying to take a photo of a blue sheep or tahr.
The Kyang Oasis
We reached Kyang at 3,840m after about four hours. It’s a wide-open pasture with clear views of Pisang Peak and Annapurna II – a genuinely pleasant spot that, in an earlier era of my guidebooks, I marked as the overnight stop. Today, it’s where I would suggest one stays if you stayed in Chhauchha last night. The teahouses here are good, and they still have the feel of traditional mountain lodges before the renovation wave hit the more popular circuits.
We stopped for lunch and I kept one eye on the cliffs above. High up in the rock face, you can make out ancient dwellings – small huts and cave openings cut into the stone. These sky caves predate living memory in the valley. Natural predators, raiding parties, and extreme weather once pushed residents to build higher and higher. The tradition connects this valley directly to Upper Mustang, where similar caves have been carbon-dated to over 2,000 years ago. Nobody has excavated these properly. Nobody may ever do so. Though locals tell me they are the real look-outs of where the local Khampa soldiers stayed. Perhaps both? I recalled an old dinner conversation in Kyang before which told stories of these legends. Another reason for some to spend a night here.
These sort of stories are just as much about trekking as putting one step in front of another.
The one thing I’ve not touched on is the Annapurna North Circuit (today’s name) – my working plan to extend and genuinely revive the old Annapurna Circuit route by routing it through Nar Phu rather than the diesel-soaked road sections below Chame. From Kyang, looking north towards Phu and then back south towards Meta and eventually Koto, the logic of the route becomes visible on the ground. It works. Whether it works for the guidebook is what the rest of this trip will prove.
After that, the marketing machines of Kathmandu and their “consultants” will try to reshape it all. So let’s get there first.
The Final Approach to Phu
The final three-four hours from Kyang to Phu are the most dramatic of the day. The terrain narrows into a towering passage where the cliffs press in from both sides and the sky shrinks to a strip of blue above you. One feels small in the way that only very old geology can make you feel. ACAP really should post rockfall warnings along this section – the topsoil on the ledges was visibly loose after recent rain. We are high above the Nar river now, bringing another Jurassic feel to this leg of the trek.
We crossed several bridges, including an old wooden one sitting precariously above the river right beside a new metal suspension bridge. Mules and donkeys carrying supplies are frequent and ones mind wonders if it’s for trekkers, locals, and what would it have been like 500 years ago?
As the altitude crept past 4,000m, the tall trees stopped. Every step takes slightly more effort than it should. Altitude is with us now. Then, rounding a bend, a large monolithic gate appears guarding the entrance to Phu like a natural gatehouse. We passed through the ancient stone village gate of Phu (4010m) with blustering prayer flags above and around it.
There’s also a new sign that says it’s a “no-smoking area” which is so unexpected, and great! Beyond it the terrain is now most certainly dry and arid. Mani walls, chortens and prayer flags tell us we are in a distinctly different place. A long suspension bridge is the only thing that brings the modern world back as we trek into Phu.
Phugaon: Head of the Valley
The name says exactly what it is. In the local Tibetan-influenced dialect, Phu (फू) means “head of the valley” – the northernmost settlement, sitting at the top of the trail near the Tibetan border. Those who’ve read my Kathmandu Valley Heritage Walks book will recognize the suffix: gaon, as in Hadegaon. Phugaon translates as “head of the valley village.” It could not be more literally named.
The stone houses are built directly into the mountain face, the same colour as the rock behind them. From a distance, the village is almost invisible. Up close, it’s a medieval fortress that time bypassed. Wind-scarred, defiant, a gompa sits high above, and at 4,070m, genuinely remote.
Above the rooftops, visible on the ridge, sits Tashi Lhakhang Monastery. Legend says that Guru Rinpoche – Padmasambhava, the 8th-century master who carried Buddhism from India to Tibet – consecrated this site. That usually holds contention with the Chinese and a lot of Buddhists from Tibet for some reason. Today, Lama Karma Sonam Rinpoche resides here, one of the most respected local masters in the valley.
Tonight, in a basic stone lodge, we listen to the wind that the village is named for. It’s a sound that confirms you’re somewhere very few people have ever been as it blows through the narrow passageways around us. Tomorrow we go higher on a side trek to take a look at the Tibetan Plateau with a mountain vista that any trekker will adore.
Reflecting on the day
Pushing through from Meta to Phu in a single day was the right call for us. Two nights at Phu at 4,150m sets us up for the Kang La Pass. Though for me, that’s still in the back of my mind considering what Phu alone offers.
Many trekkers rush past Phu and pay for it later with headaches and slower progress. Families and certainly first time trekkers are better to stop at Kyang – that’s still valid in the guidebook and Gautam confirmed it holds true in practice. Again, I’ll need to split this up in my guidebooks so people will have options. But, there’s also another option coming up in two days for those looking to save time.
For everyone else, Phu is a historic trekking village with great views and side treks to follow. For full itinerary options, acclimatization schedules, and updated logistics, see my Nar Phu Trekking Guide and the digital edition of my trekking guidebook below.
Next: Day 4 – Tashi Lhakhang and the high secrets of Phu: vast mountain ranges that out do the Annapurnas
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I’ve read all three of these days so far and they are such a refreshing insight.
Glad you are enjoying it.
I was reading about the Annapurna circuit and how you join it to the Nar Phu trek with interest as the roads are putting us off visiting Nepal. What’s your take on this?
That’s what we are doing right now. Otherwise do read about the road free Annapurna circuit trek.
First look at Phu makes me think of Upper Mustang. Fascinating trek so far, especially the Khampa background! Nice research.
It’s certainly got a similar “look” to it. Though a very different type of trek as you can see. Re Khampa, I’m just trying to document what I can. There’s two types of Khampa in the region and some “other” guidebook and online types are getting them mixed up, so hopefully I’ll be able to clarify it for trekkers once in Nar.
The detail here is second to none. Love it.
Thank you.
From my understanding you’ll be spending two night here for acclimatization? Are you doing a side trek? What are options?
Yes, two nights in Phu for acclimatization. The next post will show the options for side treks.