Story of Setipokhari Trekking Trail in National Newspaper

Translated from Kantipur Daily

Search of Mountain Trails

By Baga Man Kulung

February 14, 2015,Solukhumbu Setipokhari is a piece of Heaven for tourists

Setipokhari in trekking season (Photo Purna Kulung)

but spider silk of death for porters. This place is called Khongmadingma in local Sherpa language, where so many tourist porters have been dying. Before a couple years Sapte Kulung died, last year Urane Maila and this year Mekh Raj Kulung. This is just from Chheskam village of Solukhumbu and an example of how many porters are dying there. But nobody keeps records of this incident.  

Trekkers who try access this valley from Lukla airport have three well recognized alternative ways. One is Lukla to Setipokhari by passing Merala 5,415 m through Tholdanda, Kothe and Naulekh, second alternative is by passing Mingbola pass 5,817 m. through Phakding, Namche and Tengboche and final or third alternative is by passing Amphulapcha 5,800 m through Namche, Tengboche and Chhukung.

Trekkers who go from Tumlingtar can access by passing Sherpeni col pass 6,135 m through Seduwa village and Makalu Based camp. More than dozen of mountains

Khongmadingma valley (Photo Lakpad Kulung)

including, Makalu, Mera, Barunje, Chamlang, Hungu Chuli cannot be accessed without reaching Setipokhari valley, that is the reason why so many tourists go to Setipokhari valley in each trekking season.

This valley is really a piece of heaven, but when it starts snowing and already reached tourists cannot back by crossing those available 4 alternatives, they start to feel themselves in a spider silk of death. In this critical situation helicopter rescue from Kathmandu is the first and last solution. But some time sent helicopter also cannot be landed in that place.

Is there any ways can be constructed without passing any peaks? This is a main research topic of we locals since last 5 years. In Setipokhari valley there is a Setipokhari pond from where Hunga River is flowing down to joint in Dhudkhoshi River. It could be easily seen in Google Earth and was explained by some shepherds, who already went there with their sheep. That made us more excited and optimistic.

We firmed a research team and decided to go for research. We accompanied some technicians of District Techincal Office Salleri Solukhumbu for technical reports. After observation and research, our team concluded that it can be developed a trekking route through the bank of Hung River that arrives Muddikharka of Solukhumbu Chheskam and another can be extended towards Sangkhuwasabha till Kenpa and both can be rescue ways. The trekkers who arrive Kenpa or Muddikharka can go Tumlingtar, Lamidanda or Phaplu airport. 

Research team (Photo Parkash Gopali)

We accompanied 16 locals to construct temporary ways, bridges, to cut jungles and to carry our foods. As per technical reports, for the way which goes from Muddi to Setipokhari through Jurekom, Magandovan and Watelma Dovan, it is needed Rs. 6 million and 800 thousand budget excluding costs of 6 needed suspension bridges. 

Our team decided to extend our research works towards Kenpa from Khongmadingma after when we reached there. But due to started snowing and finishing our foods, we backed through the same way we took. We went to Kenpa side through Chhemsing, Boksuwar after when we backed but we lost opportunity to survey of Khongmadingma to Kenpa, which are the most important parts. Then we moved towards Salpa Pokhari through Bhukur and Mamerku then finished at Lamidanda Khotang. It took 36 days to complete this work and was before 2 years.

The survey work we did not complete has been completed by an organization Makalu Mera Shilichong Tourism Development Center based in Sangkhuwasabha. Their report requires Rs.8.2 million to complete construction of Kenpa to Khongmadingma. But those two ways from Muddi to Setipokhari and Kenpa to Setipokhari are yet to be constructed. 

Both ways can be used as rescue way, if we could develop, but what is more those ways benefit around of 128 thousand population of 28.5 thousand households of lower Solukhumbu, Upper Bhojpur and Khotang and west north Sangkhuwasabha. For original Nepali version please click