Jamacho Peak 2128 m/ 6981′
International– Nepal
Total Time: 3:00
Distance: 7.4 km/ 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 840 meters/ 2750′
Crux: Class 1
Trailhead: Phulbari Gate, guide required for non-Nepalese, about $20 USD for entrance fees and guide
Although Nepal contains many of the highest mountains in the world, finding mountains to climb directly out of Kathmandu to acclimate had proven to be quite difficult. Much of this was due to the infrastructure of the country; there were trailheads leading to passes over 15,000’ only 70km from the city, yet to get there takes a 6+ hour bus drive leaving once a day. So for simple day trips, my options were limited to the peaks directly lining the valley. The two best options were both located in Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park established in 2002. The highest in the park, Shivapuri Peak, stands at 2725 meters and is the second highest of the mountains lining the valley. Jamacho Peak in the Nagarjun Forest unit of the park is much smaller at 2128 meters, but has a small Buddhist Gompa at the summit, with views of the high Lantang Range in the distance on clear days. I planned to attempt both on my various days off working in Kathmandu. Some work obligations took up part of my first Saturday morning in Nepal leaving less time for the longer Shivapuri. So instead I caught a cab through Balaju and to the Nagarjun park entrance for a midday attempt up Jamacho Peak.
I knew I would be paying a higher entrance rate as a foreigner, but was surprised to find that all non-Nepalese wishing to hike in the preserve now required a guide. There was a posted price list based on the destination of the hike with a pair of guides waiting to be hired. To the summit and back cost about 1000 Nepali rupees, a little under $10 USD, with the park entrance fee being about another $10. The guide requirement was a bit more than I was expecting, but luckily I had enough with me and after paying the required fees, my guide Bikash and I started up the trail behind the park entrance. The trail was initially very steep stone steps (~2650 steps for the entire route) cut into the mountainside heading directly through the jungle. I was hoping to spot some monkeys on route, but my guide said the ones in the preserve tend to shy away from people, unlike those at the various temples around Kathmandu which are more used to humans. My first Himalayan wildlife encounter was not monkey but actually a large scorpion carrying babies on her back, a bit closer to Arizona than Nepal. He also pointed out some ruts in the ground from wild boar digging in the forest.
The steep stone steps continued until hitting a junction near the ridgeline. We continued on, passing a military checkpoint (no getting away with not paying) when we reached the ridgeline proper to the summit. Once on the ridgeline, the grade eased with fewer stone steps.
There were many others out on the trail, almost none with a requisite guide and presumably Nepali citizens. We had been hiking just under an hour when we reached a clearing on the ridgeline, with the summit looking very near above. The views to Kathmandu Valley were hazy, but the skies were cloudless, and it looked like we could have a panoramic view of the Langtang Range if we were lucky.
Sure enough, as we continued on, we spied the snowy peaks through gaps in the trees to the north, and Bikash picked up the pace to try and reach the summit before any afternoon clouds increased. While he had quoted 40 minutes to the summit from the clearing, we made it in about 20, and scrambled up the rather rickety and suspect viewing tower to take in the views.
Although partially in cloud, we could clearly see the Langtang Range, as well as a number of other 6000 and 7000 meter peaks, which I think were in the Ganesh Range. There were a few large summits much further to the west that I could faintly make out, and I wondered if they were Manaslu or Annapurna.
After taking some photos on the lookout tower, we walked to the Buddhist Gompa honoring Padmasambhava, a Buddhist guru credited with building the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. A viewing platform here looked out across Kathmandu Valley, and he pointed out various landmarks including Thamel, the military medical college, and Swayambhunath, better known as the monkey temple.
We probably spent 30 minutes at the summit before starting down. Bikash moved fast on the descent, favoring use trails over the hard stones steps. We were nearly to the military checkpoint when we heard a crash in the trees above. A family was Assamese Monkeys was checking us out, leaping from tree to tree and eating leaves and nuts. There were at least 10, and I was pretty pleased to see them, especially after being told they’re more difficult to spot in the park. He also pointed out a tree with claw marks, which he said was from one of the areas spotted leopards, not to be confused with the ultra rare snowy leopard at higher elevations.
We passed a few more monkeys near the trailhead and Bikash and I parted ways at the park entrance. I decided to walk the road back to Balaju to catch a cab to see Swayambhunath for the rest of my day. A cab in Balaju made it seem like monkey temple was insanely far when he tried to negotiate a price with me, but we were there in about 10 minutes. I hiked the steep eastern step past monkeys chasing one another to one of the most impressive temples I’ve been too. I spent at least an hour walking around the various stupas and shrines before catching a final taxi back to my apartment for the night.
