The Last Day of the Pikey Peak Trek means … no trekking
Like many treks the last day is all about going from the trail head back to Kathmandu. You do this by taking a flight from Phalpu or taking a shared jeep from Salleri. It’s that simple. The choice is yours.
For those on the path to Everest Base Camp you would have already gone north from Junbesi and should be in Ringmu or Takshindu by now. One more day and you’ll be at Lukla.
So for the rest of us, is Pikey Peak a good trek or not?
Is Pikey Peak a good trek?
For an easy to moderate trek that just hits over 4,000 meters then yes, Pikey Peak is a good trek. Is it a “trekking peak”? No, is most certainly is not. The name Pikey Peak is slightly misleading in that sense.
Think Poon Hill, but 900 meters higher, and with much better views.
The real answer if Pikey Peak is a good trek is lies in which itinerary you choose. See my trekking guide to Pikey Peak for a look at several itineraries. Personally, I like this nine day itinerary over the others – though you can shorten it to 6-7 days if you are stuck for time. Dhap’s 4 day itinerary is just too short and it goes over itself. Two of those days are spent in a car with about 2 days of trekking over the same spots. No thanks.
The 6 day itinerary from Dhap is a bit better. But considering you can shorten the trek from Shivalaya that we did to 6-7 days, why bother with Dhap. In reality, it will depend on your own needs. If you like rural, historic trekking routes with lots of mountain views. Shivalaya to Salleri, as we did it, makes the most out of each and every day. If you just want to go and see the panoramic views and hate trekking, well then maybe the Dhap 4 day is for you!
What were the best parts or highlights of the Pikey Peak Trek?
Most people will say the mountains are the highlights of the Pikey Peak Trek. For me it was everything else in between. I enjoyed the historic parts of Shivalaya to Bhandar on the original Everest route. I liked the relatively untrekked areas between Bhandar and Pikey Peak Base Camp that will hopefully remain quiet in the years to come. I felt the panorama views from Pikey Peak were special as they are rare to find. Finally, I enjoyed going back on the historic trails around Junbesi.
Those were “my” favourite parts of the Pikey Peak Trek, others may not feel the same way and have different places on their list of favourites. From my trek, and listening to others, the overall consensus seems to be that the views from the top of Pikey Peak are the main highlights along with the two days before reaching base camp where there are several picturesque monasteries with mountain views.
Hopefully my daily updates from the Pikey Peak trek will open up the idea that such a trek exists! I’m pretty much guessing there will be a fevered rush of some trekking agencies to add in the secret “second Pikey Peak” now that they’ve read it here, first.
The Future of the Pikey Peak Trek?
It was clear from the beginning. Pikey Peak will be the new Poon Hill Trek, soon. It’s inevitable. The roads are so close to such a stunning viewpoint it makes commercial sense. New lodges are popping up around base camp as some people with the cash to buy land are predicting the same thing.
My hope is that it will be too close to Everest for 7 day trekkers to bother with. They’ll succumb to the idea that Everest can be done with a helicopter. The other hope is that the locals and the administration planning for the future learn from Poon Hills mistakes. Is yet another “viewing tower” really needed? I hope not. Why do you need a tower on top of the highest points? Spend the money on local facilities like water filtration, recycling etc. The problem here is that there are not enough locals. Pikey Peak is indeed off-the-beaten-path. It means hotels and commercial outlets are likely to outnumber locals in a few years. For those of us who like quiet historic treks with one-of-a-kind views spanning both the Annapurnas and Himalayas we can only hope Pikey Peak remains off the radar for a while longer.
Meanwhile, for those thinking of going on the Pikey Peak Trek. Here is my online guide to the Pikey Peak Trek. Below you will see a list of the day-to-day 9-day Pikey Peak Trek. Need trekking maps and more information? The Pikey Peak trekking chapter is already included in my Trekking in Nepal guidebook.
Pikey Peak 9-day trek
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