Machhapuchhre Model Trek

Five days on the community trail out of Ghachok, built and run by the villages it walks through.

The Machhapuchhre Model Trek was laid out by the villages of the Ghachok area to keep trekking money in the valley rather than in Pokhara, and it works: the lodges are village-owned, the route is maintained by local committees, and your bed money goes into a community fund. The trail leaves from Ghachok ninety minutes north of Lakeside and climbs through Gurung and Magar settlements to open pasture at Chichemle Kharka, 2,645 m, directly under the south face of Machhapuchhre. It stays low the whole way, so there is no altitude to manage — the trade you are making is simpler facilities than the Modi Khola circuit in exchange for far fewer people and a much clearer sense of who you are handing your money to.

Why you'll love it

• ✓Village-owned lodges — trekking money stays in the valley
• ✓The south face of Machhapuchhre from Chichemle Kharka at 2,645 m
• ✓Gurung and Magar settlements with almost no other trekkers
• ✓Low altitude throughout — no acclimatization needed
• ✓Ninety minutes from Lakeside to the trailhead

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