I recently had the pleasure of visiting Ama Yangri, a stunning peak located about 90 kilometers north of Kathmandu Valley. It's the highest peak nearest to the capital city, and it's an area inhabited by Sherpas, Tamangs, and Chhetries under the Helambu Circuit trekking route. This area is well known for its natural beauty and fascinating Hyolmo culture.
The Helambu Circuit trekking tour is an easy and geographically fascinating trekking tour that offers visitors the opportunity to experience majestic Himalayan scenery, green landscapes, and unique Hyolmo culture. The trek passes through beautiful rhododendron, pine, and oak forests and provides excellent views of the Langtang Range, the Annapurnas, Manaslu, and even Everest on a clear day.
I had the opportunity to visit Ama Yangri during the Nepalese month of Chaitra, which falls in March or April. On the full moon day of Chaitra, the Hylmos from all around the region, country, and abroad flock to Aama Yangri to witness the sunrise. As a part of the ritual, the lamas pay homage to the mother protector by carrying out hours-long prayers, and the locals enjoy butter tea, barley beer, and local wine while basking in the sun.
To reach Ama Yangri, our team chose to start from Chabahil towards Shanku, which was a dusty and musty shortcut road. It took us nearly three hours to reach Melamchi, where we took a break for tea to energize ourselves. From there, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery around us, including yellow mustard fields, the river, and green paddy fields. It was Shivaratri, and we encountered children blocking our way, which added to the fun of our journey.
The next day, we woke up to a spectacular, clear view of the surrounding area, which freshened us up. After having breakfast and packing some food for the journey, we started our journey to Ama Yangri. We encountered different kinds of wild animals, yaks, and a rhododendron forest on our way. Unfortunately, our path was covered by a thin layer of snow, which made it slippery. It was not the right plan to ride, but after struggling with the slippery road, we finally reached the hiking route.
Ama Yangri derives its name from the religiously significant mountain, with "Ama" meaning "mother" in Nepalese. This peak is believed to be the goddess protector (dakini) of the entire Hyolmo Valley region. Once we reached the top, we saw that everything was covered in snow, and we could only see colorful prayer flags and a damaged stupa from the earthquake. We waited for an hour to clear the view, but we were not lucky. So we played in the snow and returned to our hotel.
We reached the hotel late in the evening, where we joined another group and the owner of the hotel for a feast and sharing. The owner shared with us the history and facts about the place and his business and even played his traditional instrument called "Tungna" while we all sang different Nepali songs. It was really compensation for our unlucky day.
The next morning was bright and sunny, and we all had breakfast and got ready to leave. We took some group photos for lasting memories and rode back to Kathmandu on the same route. Although we were unlucky with the weather, the trip was a memorable one that I will cherish for a long time.
photo credit: thirdrockadventures.com
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