Nepalese Poon Hill

Poon Hill is a very popular hill with a height of 3100 meters in the Nepalese Himalayas near the village of Ghorepani. Poon Hill is an excellent viewpoint with views of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges.

In fact, there are a lot of exactly the same hills around with mountain views. But Poon Hill was lucky to find itself at the fork in two popular trekking routes (Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp) and thus also gained popularity. Of course, the fork is not at the top of the hill, but much lower - in the saddle where the village of Ghorepani is nestled.

Most tourists visiting Poon Hill stop overnight at Ghorepani and walk up the hill to the radial. Moreover, they do it early in the morning - they start from the village while it is still dark, so that they can meet the dawn at the top (the ascent takes a little over an hour). This action is considered a mandatory item on the program of every tourist passing through Ghorepani. But there are a lot of tourists here, and therefore every morning a continuous line of sunrise lovers forms on the path to the top. Dawn here is indeed the right time for contemplation, since later the mountains begin to be covered with clouds and by lunchtime nothing is visible at all.

So, having reached the top, the international crowd begins to greet the dawn in the most characteristic way for a modern person - contemplating it through the camera viewfinder (this is not a reproach, I am the same). Photographers rush around the flat top in search of the best angle and a piece of free space to place their tripods and telephoto lenses. The rest of the tourists willingly act as models - they take pictures, get to know each other, and share their impressions. The result is a movement no less interesting and colorful than the dawn that formally served as the occasion for the event.

I forgot to say that at the top of the hill there is a metal observation tower about 10 meters high. The tower is quite strong and reliable, with a wide staircase, which is especially important in the morning, when hundreds of tourists storm it every minute.

If you also want to join this international crowd, you can do so during our Nepali tours "To Annapurna Base Camp" and "Introducing Nepal". Moreover, our instructors most often bring their groups to the top of Poon Hill twice. The first time in the evening, in thick clouds, just to warm up, it’s better to acclimatize to the altitude and show everyone the way. After all, during the morning climb up the hill, there is such chaos on the trail that it is not always possible to walk in one group. On the contrary, you can get a lot of fun by organizing a small race to the top. Dashingly overtaking leisurely groups of European pensioners (some even riding mules), you pay less attention to your own shortness of breath and overcome laziness more easily.

By the way, in the mornings, in addition to tourists, enterprising locals climb to the top. They sell hot tea and Snickers. So instead of a thermos, you can take money for a walk:)

Not long ago, in the middle of the way from Ghorepani to the top of Pun Khil, a beautiful gate was built and a ticket office was installed. Now there is a fee to enter the hill (just a couple of dollars).