A four-day, three-night self-reliant camping expedition along the rim of the Kathmandu Valley, from Nagarkot to Balthali.
Price on request
This seven-day programme is built around a four-day, three-night expedition. It is designed for students to develop skills such as communication, navigation, self-reliance and team building, and a better understanding of other key curriculum topics. It helps them develop independence and a sense of personal responsibility.
Participants backpack along the rim of the Kathmandu Valley, from Jarsing Pauwa to Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Namobuddha, Balthali and Panauti, with the Himalaya on the horizon, and learn about sustainable trekking and self-reliant camping in the hills.
Adventure Milestone is not an approved D of E Activity Provider. We design the route, help with preparation, practice and navigation, and look after safety and logistics; supervision, assessment and sign-off stay with your school's own award leader and assessor.
Sleeping altitude, walking time, meals and lodging for every day.
D of E Gold Expedition: Nagarkot to Balthali: day by day
7 days
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel, where we help with check-in. Afterwards there is a briefing about the trip, followed by dinner.
After breakfast there is a briefing about the expedition and participants are divided into small groups. Each group is issued the equipment it needs, such as tents, mattresses, stoves and cooking utensils, then plans its route and talks it through together. In the afternoon we take the groups to the market to buy supplies for the trip, and in the evening they prepare everything and pack their backpacks, ready for the expedition.
After breakfast we drive to Jarsing Pauwa and start the walk to Nagarkot, following the groups' own plan. Nagarkot (2,175 m) is one of the most popular viewpoints near Kathmandu: in clear weather the Himalayan range, stretching from Dhaulagiri in the west all the way to Kanchenjunga in the east, emerges from the darkness at dawn in all its majesty. On arrival at Nagarkot the groups set up camp and prepare their dinner.
After breakfast we set off along a wide dirt track through the forest for about an hour and a half, then descend into a valley, another hour and a half, for a lunch break near the small town of Nala. The panorama of snow-capped peaks to the north and the terraced fields are the highlights of the day. After lunch we climb to Mane Bhanjyang and descend to Rabi Opi village, where there is a chance to meet local people, which adds another dimension to the Himalayan experience. From the village another hour's walk brings us to Dhulikhel, and our campsite lies just beyond the town.
After breakfast we walk to Namobuddha, a Buddhist pilgrimage site. After lunch at Namobuddha we descend to Sankhu village and continue down to the Roshi River, cross it on a suspension bridge and climb up to Balthali village. Another 15 minutes' walk brings us to the campsite.
After breakfast at the campsite we walk to Panauti via Thumki, Khopasi, Salmitar and Sunthan village, which takes about three hours. From Panauti it is a drive of about an hour and a half back to Kathmandu. After checking in at the hotel and freshening up, the time is free until dinner.
Free time until the transfer to the international airport, with a chance to shop in the colourful streets of Thamel.
In the price on this page
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The full breakdown, the kit list and the insurance requirement are sent to you before any deposit.
Request the leader packWhat each student should pack for this programme.
Tents, mattresses, stoves and cooking utensilsWe lend thisIssued on the preparation day
Sleeping bagRated to around 0 °C for spring and autumn nights
Rucksack, 50 to 65 litresStudents carry their own kit on expedition
Head torch and spare batteries
Mess tin, mug and cutlery
Quick-dry T-shirts and trekking trousersNo jeans on the trail
Fleece or warm mid layer
Waterproof jacketShowers are common in spring and autumn
Sun hat and a warm hat
Underwear and socks for every day
Broken-in walking boots or trail shoes
Sandals or trainers for the evenings
Personal medicationWith a copy of the prescription
Sunscreen and lip balm
Hand sanitiser
Insect repellent
Passport valid for six months
Two passport photographsFor the visa and any permits
Copy of your travel insurance
Shot on this trail by our guides and the groups who walked it.
Students laying out their expedition kit on sleeping mats on a hotel lawn in Kathmandu during a kit check
Students practising pitching a dome tent indoors on the preparation day
Terraced hillsides and scattered houses below Nagarkot, with snow peaks on the far horizon
Walkers with trekking poles and loaded backpacks climbing stone steps near Dhulikhel
An expedition group resting with their packs in a clearing of pine forest on the way to DhulikhelA walker with a backpack crossing a long steel suspension bridge over the river on the way to Balthali
Students climbing a rocky hillside path on the way to Balthali, one carrying a red first-aid bag
Students sitting around a campfire at night at campNo. Adventure Milestone is not an approved D of E Activity Provider. We design the route, help the groups with preparation, practice and navigation, and look after safety and logistics. Supervision, assessment and sign-off are done by your school's own award leader and assessor.
Four days and three nights, days 3 to 6 of the programme. The groups walk from Jarsing Pauwa to Nagarkot, Dhulikhel and Balthali, camping each night, and finish on foot at Panauti before driving back to Kathmandu.
Participants are divided into small groups and issued the equipment they need, such as tents, mattresses, stoves and cooking utensils. Each group plans its route and discusses it, then goes to the market in the afternoon to buy its supplies, and packs its backpacks in the evening.
Yes. The groups buy their own food at the market on the preparation day, and on the expedition they set up camp and prepare their own meals.
In a hotel in Kathmandu on nights 1, 2 and 6, and at campsites at Nagarkot, Dhulikhel and Balthali on the three expedition nights.
Still deciding? The people who answer are the people who run the trek. Ask us anything: fitness, insurance, kit, or whether your dates are a sensible idea.
Message a trek specialistThe same care and paperwork, at a different length and pace.
D of E SilverModerateModerate5–6 hours a day · 3,500–4,500 mLonger days with real ascent, and at least one acclimatisation day built in. Some training helps; hill walking most weekends for two months is enough.6 days · Kathmandu Valley rim, Nepal
Price on request
EasyEasy4–5 hours a day · Below 3,500 mWell-made trails, teahouses close together, and nothing that needs a head for heights. Anyone who walks regularly at home will be comfortable.
ModerateModerate5–6 hours a day · 3,500–4,500 mLonger days with real ascent, and at least one acclimatisation day built in. Some training helps; hill walking most weekends for two months is enough.
EasyEasy4–5 hours a day · Below 3,500 mWell-made trails, teahouses close together, and nothing that needs a head for heights. Anyone who walks regularly at home will be comfortable.
ChallengingChallenging6–7 hours a day · 4,500–5,600 mConsecutive days at altitude, cold nights and a pre-dawn start or two. You need to arrive fit rather than plan to get fit on the trail.We reply with a costed plan for your group.
At least one adult for every eight students. Every leader and guide holds a first aid qualification.
Yes. Our itineraries are flexible and are shaped to the students' needs and the school's requirements.
Yes. We arrange charity treks and community projects with schools, orphanages and villages, from fundraising to building, painting, farming and cleaning.
Price on request
7 days
