Virgin Ice Lake Trek trails begins from the Deep of Pokhara Metropolitan City and goes through many human settlements and beautiful hills along with the dozens of attractions to reach the virgin ice-lake called Kahpuche, in the north east of Kaski district.
The route from the elevation of 904 meters at Deep to 3,450 meters at Kahpuche offers the brilliant views of Snowcapped mountains, green hills, wild lives, typical Nepali village culture and many more.At the sametime ,the route connects the villages like Armala,Aatighar Mauja,Thak and Sikles.
The Key attraction of this trekking route obliviously is the Kapuche. Kapuche has been claimed as a lowest elevation glacial lake of the world. The lake temperature falls below minus in winter season and sometimes the surface-water changes into stiff icy ground. The lake with 1,200 square meters in area is tranquil glacial lake indeed. Regarding the name-Kapuche is actually a noun from Gurung language.It refers the plain surface made of crumbled snow and ices.
Kapuche is also a place that offers the close views of small to mammoth avalanches sourced from the peak of Annapurna II.A number of avalanches even in a single day,glaciers and the glacial lake format the small heaven in Kapuche area. However,there is no facility of boating in Kapuche as it is a virgin and newly explored lake in wild area beneath the high mountains.
Before reaching Kahpuche,there is place named Hugu in two hours of walking distance.The specialty of Hugu is centuries old culture of animal husbandry in the elevation of 2,100 meters from sea level. There could still be seen the goat and buffalo shades and the shade-culture in Hugu. Surrounded by more than a half dozen of high mountains.Hugu is 6 hours far from nearest human settlement called Sikles.
The Iteneray begins from Deep and the Aatighar Mauja, Thak,Tara Hill,Skiles and Hugu could be the places of night saty during the trek.There are tea houses isn some villages along the route but homestay cum camping type of trip is recommended before establishing some infrastructures here.
Early to Hugu and Sikles,Tara Hill is one of the most attractive places of this journey. It is a green hilltop in 2,814 meters that offers the views of long array of Annapurna range. In this range, virgin peak Mt. of Fishtail which is locally known as Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna could be witnessed from very close distance of Tara Hill.
Likewise,Armala,Thak,Aatighar Mauja and Sikles are famous for Gurung culture in this route.Sikles is the largest village in this trek. Broadband internet ,cellular phone signals and budget class tourist hotels are available here. One could be impressed from the traditional dense houses of Sikles that situates in the elevation of 2000 meters from sea level.
Bird watching, herbs of deer, hanging hives of wild honey bees,hot springs,shrines,beautiful falls,rivers and rhododendron forests are some of the major attractions of this trekking route. Suspension bridges, caves, beautiful city views of Pokhara, views of sunrise and sunset, Sikles Eco museum also are the additional attractions.
At a time when Nepal’s tourism has mainly been basing on trekking and mountaineering for years, dozens of haphazard roads have overlapped the trekking trails. So TAAN Western Regional Association has come up with this creative concept of alternative route of Kapuche route is one of the perfect among the TAAN explored more than half dozen of routes. So, this Kapuche trail could be a gift to trekkers from TAAN on the occasion of its silver jubilee 2017/18.
