Sunrise at Nagaor Gumba
I was not expecting a sunrise mountain view. But Raj insisted it was worth it from Nagaor Gumba. So, the alarm went off at 5am. Thankfully it was not far to the view point. And to be fair the sunrise was nice. Unlike many sunrise mountain views this one has a long stretch to it.
Tree lines here are relatively low, then there’s rolling channels of cloud followed by a ridge of mountains. Above them are the snow capped Himalayas.
Then it was back to the teahouse for pancakes, a bowl of porridge (I was hungry) and off we went. Todays trek was going to be a short one. But one that boggled my head thanks to a lot of misinformation out there about Pikey Peak.
Forests and mountains
Despite being a short day, the trail was harder to navigate today than on any other day. It’s not a well-trekked area and there are only a few lodges around. Lots of small farming trails add to the predicament of which way to go. Again, I congratulate the locals and not the officials for putting up what little signage there is. We follow the ridgeline and the trail is fairly even and enjoyable with snow-capped mountains watching us make our way closer.
This is part of the Pikey Peak trek that sets it apart from the shorter Dhap itinerary. Here we are in what feels like a much more untouched, remote area in the mountains as opposed to a well-beaten path. It’s along this route that another cheese factory appears to the south. I’ve pretty much had my fill of cheese factories in Nepal. They are a shed, where lurking in the dark are some buckets of cheese. There are no free samples. They are rarely open. Even cheese lovers will be hard-pressed to get excited. But there you go, they still make the maps.
We finally get to look down at what Raj tells us is Pikey Peak basecamp. Blue and green tin roofs cover the top of a scare few lodges at base camp. There’s plenty more being built which is a sign of what’s expected in the future.
Pikey Peak will be the new Poon Hill
The news that had my head in a spin
We’ve had multiple Deuralis, at least 4 Bhandars, and a two Nagaor’s. Yet, when Raj sat down over lunch with an all knowing grin I was still surprised.
“So, will we go up Pikey Peak today?”
“Weathers good,” I replied. “Do you want to continue on and shorted the trek?”
“No,” laughed Raj. “Tomorrow we have to do the other Pikey Peak!”
“What other Pikey Peak?”
“There are two Pikey Peaks!”
So there it is. The news that did my head in. I’ve done due diligence with research on this trek. And nowhere, not even on the less than truthful trekking companies “take a tour” websites did anyone mention there were two Pikey Peaks. I wondered if any of these agencies ever even went on the trek.
Trekking Pikey Peak II
“Climbing Pikey Peak” seems like an ambitious title. Pikey Peak is a large hill, not a towering mountain peak. At 4,060 meters, it’s nearly 900 meters higher than Poon Hill, but just over the 4,000-meter mark. So technically, it’s a trek (cough, climb). Realistically, it’s a 60-minute trek up, or 90 minutes if you’re like me and still dazzled by the fact that nobody told you there are two Pikey Peaks.
Pikey Peak I is 4,060m and Pikey Peak II is 4,068m. We were going up the 4,060m one this afternoon, just in time for the winds to kick in. Tomorrow morning, we’ll climb up Pikey Peak II and then continue with the trek. However, if you want to cut the day short, you can easily continue on from here, though probably only with enough time for one Pikey Peak. Make it the taller one – there’s no real difference, but the prayer flags currently look nicer on Pikey Peak I.
At the top, the wind was blowing. Mountains surrounded us. To the north were the towering peaks of the Everest Himalayan Range, while to the west stood the mighty Annapurna range. We had 360-degree viewpoints that seemed to span over all of Nepal. I’ll give credit where it’s due – if you’re looking for a short, relatively easy trek offering views you won’t get anywhere else, Pikey Peak is the one. Tomorrow at dawn, we’ll go the extra 8 meters up to Pikey Peak II, and I’ll let you know which summit provides the better vantage point!
Pikey Peak 9-day trek
- Day One Trekking Pikey Peak: – Permits, Planning & Kathmandu to Shivalaya
- Day Two Trekking Pikey Peak: – Shivalaya to Bhandar
- Day Three Trekking Pikey Peak: – Bhandar to Namkheli
- Day Four Trekking Pikey Peak: – Namkheli to Nagaor Gumba
- Day Five Trekking Pikey Peak: – Nagaor Gumba to Pikey Peak Base Camp
- Day Six Trekking Pikey Peak: – Pikey Peak Summit to Jase Bhanjyang
- Day Seven Trekking Pikey Peak: – Jase Bhanjyang to Junbesi
- Day Eight Trekking Pikey Peak: – Junbesi to Phalpu
- Day Nine Trekking Pikey Peak: – return to Kathmandu
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Hi David, the sunrise view from Nagaor Gumba sounds incredible! Do you have any tips for capturing it in a photo?
Hi Emma, get there early! There are no crowds but it’s always a good idea as you’ll get some nice shots as the colors change.
I didn’t know there were two Pikey Peaks! How did you find out about it?
My guide! I was equally bemused by the fact there are two peaks. It stems from tour companies only promoting Dhap and the driving route.
Thanks for sharing your journey. How challenging was the climb to Pikey Peak I
Not so challenging at all. 60-90 minutes from the bottom to top. It’s not really a “peak” per se. There’s a day-by-day difficulty breakdown in my Trekking in Nepal Guidebook.
Hi David, I really appreciate your honesty in your trekking guides. With so much misinformation out there, what’s the best way to get accurate details about trekking routes?
Hi Lucas, thank you.
I don’t sell treks or tours and I don’t accept sponsorship so I’m completely unbiased. So to answer your questions about the best way to get information about trekking routes, you are pretty much in the best place.
In this day and age it’s really important to know where the information is coming from. Getting trek information from a trekking company online is a huge mistake. It’s like finding out if your car is going to be good from a used car dealership website … of course they are going to air on the side of selling you something that suits them and not you. Likewise, it’s really important to avoid sponsored information as it’s basically people taking money or gifts to write a favourable review or event.
Again, it may sound like I am tooting my own horn here (I am), but honesty and practical boots on the ground information is what I’ve been doing for the past 17 years. It’s one of the reasons I started travel guides, because I couldn’t get unbiased information and slowly real travel sites were disappearing or being swallowed up by sponsored, commercial outfits. just like in mainstream media, it’s hard to get an straight answer … I can at least give an impartial practical look at Nepal for anyone who’s looking for some honesty.
Were the lodges at Pikey Peak basecamp comfortable?
Nothing special. Much like other lodges in Nepal. Though slightly better than Solukhumbu.
Hi David, those panoramic views sound amazing! Which mountain range did you find more impressive, Everest or Annapurna?
Tough question! I’ve trekked in both regions so it was interesting to see them both together. For me it was the fact you could see them both together that makes it equally impressive. It’s the panorama that’s the attraction and not so much one side vs the other!