Our Adventure into Dhorpatan Valley

Little do we know about Dhorpatan before starting our journey, but we are confident it will be a nice trek. The name itself sounds a bit mysterious, there are no trekking restrictions for this area, and some photos grabbed on the net suggest that the trails will take us close to the mountains. We have a map and know we can count on the locals to guide us. We are so looking forward to hitting the Nepali trails again, let the adventure into Dhorpatan valley start!

It starts in style, with a long jeep ride, the beautiful road for us alone, until our encounter with a truck which we get a little too close. The small collision gathers a group of benevolent onlookers, while we wait patiently for the backhoe to come rescue us. Luckily, we “only” lose a window in the incident.

We swallow a bowl of laping (Tibetan noodles) in Burtibang Bazaar, joking with the waiter, surprised to see two foreigners in his café. We start our ascent towards Bubang, following the road, and reach the village at sundown, after a few hours hike. The village is crowded due to the Dashain and Tihar festivities. Shepherds have come back from the upper villages and pastures with their goats and sheep, for the cold season ahead.

We soon become the attraction of the villagers. Young and old alike gather at the kitchen door, the questions flood, along with joyful laughter, while we wait for our Daal Bhaat. Tonight, we share the house with two young ladies, one carries a small baby on her back, one runs a small Paanipuri stall. Both got married to jeep drivers and keep each other company while their husbands are away. In the morning, we brush our teeth and pack our stuff under inquisitive eyes. We leave with the warming sun, our stomach full of roasted corn and Saatu, a mix of various roasted grain and legume flour. This hearty combo should give us fuel for some time!

We reach Dhorpatan on the second day. The huge, open valley suddenly appears before our eyes: brownish grasslands, streams meandering and shining in the sunlight, stone houses with tiled roofs dispersed in various settlements, the whole surrounded by steep hills.

The rangers of the park welcome us, amused by two foreign girls. They make sure that we pay our entry to the park, and laugh when we ask about Dhorpatan Bazaar. “Dhorpatan Bazaar? But there is no bazaar! This is the Bazaar!”, they respond, showing us the wide valley. They recommend staying at Hotel Valley Top, because, “It’s cheap and the cook is good.” Himal, one of the rangers, is happy to take us all the way down, to make sure we are in good hands.

We follow the streams, enjoying the level path. A mix of communities live in Dhorpatan, mainly Dalits, Tibetans, and Magars, bringing a nice cultural diversity. During the summer, they take large herds of livestock northward for grazing in the surrounding pastureland. At this time of the year, many houses are empty, the valley is very calm. As we reach Valley Top, Himal wants to take us to the museum. We are too hungry and order a plate of local boiled potatoes instead. The famous and delicious potatoes of Dhorpatan are the only cash crop grown in the valley.

The night falls quickly as we discuss with our hosts about hiking possibilities for the next days. Our map wide open, our excitement grows as tomorrow promises the long-awaited reunion with the mountains. We go to bed early, not before having asked for an extra blanket, the night may get cold. The adventure into Dhorpatan valley continues.