Jumla and Rara lie northwest of Kathmandu in the remote area of Karnali. The route is very much 'off the beaten track' and affords glimpses of cultures and scenery very different from the rest of Nepal. The clear, high altitude lak e is ringed with pine, spruce and juniper forests, and mirrors snowcapped Himalayan peaks. In summer rainfall is low, ideal for trekking. In the winter there is often snow on the ridge surrounding the lake but the autumn season trekker is rewarded with a profusion of alpine flowers. Except for the army assigned to the park, nobody has lived at the lake since the government resettled the people of Rara and Chapra when the area was declared a national park.
If you are looking for wilderness solitude and can overcome the logistical complications of the region, this trek is good choice.
Trekkers can be Reach to Jumla from Nepalgunja to direct flights. At an altitude of 2370m. Jumla. This town is the starting point for route heading east into Dolpa., North Humla & West into Bajura. A few stores line the 200m. flag stoned main street but despite the presents new Kasrnali technical School on the outskirts of town, Jumla retains an atmosphere of almost total inertia. Bustling it isn’t. The culture center of the town is the flag -swathed Chandan Nath Temple, from within which can is heard bell ringing & horn blowing Pujas every afternoon. The inhabitants of Jumla are mainly high-casts Thkury & Chettrie Hindu who do not like working as porters.
There are two routes to Rara from Jumla- via Bumri to the east or Sinja to the West. The eastern route is the shorter & lower of the two, through also the more strenuous |
