Exploring the New Pangolin Trail: Kirtipur to Champadevi Temple

 After almost a decade of exploring most of the hiking trails around the Kathmandu Valley, I am always excited whenever I hear about a new route. Around 40 days ago, while I was at my office, Ambassador Himalaya - https://www.ambassadorhimalaya.com/, Kishore Dai told me about a newly developed hiking trail from Kirtipur to Champadevi Temple.

He said, "Upadesh, yesterday I hiked a new trail to Champadevi Temple. It is really good. If you have a hiking group, you should take them there."

I became curious and asked him for more details. Unfortunately, he is currently outside Nepal, but when I messaged him, he kindly sent me a voice recording explaining the route and how to reach the trailhead. Thank you so much, Kishore Dai, for sharing this hidden gem.

A New Adventure Begins

The hike happened on May 30, 2026. I was planning to visit this route as part of my personal field research and data collection. Originally, a well-known trekking guide was supposed to join me, and we even planned to visit Pharping Monastery afterward. However, cancelled the trip just 10 hours before departure.

Since I needed someone to assist me during the field study, I invited my brother, Sandesh Samsher Kunwar, who also works in the expedition and adventure sector. Sandesh came to my room in the morning. After having khana at my house, we started our journey. We took a bus from Matya Narayan Bus Park and headed towards Kirtipur. Because of Adhik Maas, many devotees were visiting the MatyaNarayan Temple area, and the buses were crowded.

Old Bagh Bhairav and a Message About Cleanliness

Our first stop was the historic Old Bagh Bhairav Temple. There we met a Bhajan Khal group from Dhapakhel, Lalitpur. They told us that 29 members of their group had come for Narayan Darshan and worship.

Soon, I noticed a signboard pointing towards the Pangolin Trail. Near the old temple, there is a beautiful pine forest picnic area where many Nepali visitors were enjoying their holiday. However, I also noticed a large amount of litter scattered around the picnic site. As someone who loves nature, this was disappointing.

I wanted to speak with someone responsible for the area, but I couldn't find anyone. Instead, I met a local woman named Pabita Didi, aged 55.

She told me: "Because this picnic area is in front of our house, we often collect the garbage ourselves. Sometimes we call the municipality office, but they may or may not come."

She also shared a valuable suggestion: "Every picnic spot should have a signboard asking visitors to collect their own waste and separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage. It would make cleaning much easier." I promised her that I would include her message in my blog.

Entering the Pangolin Trail

At the trail entrance, I met Sunil Lama, a member of the Pangolin Trail Development Committee. According to him, it took almost three years to develop and complete this route.

Now my excitement grew even more. The trail is called the Pangolin Trail, and secretly I hoped I might even spot a pangolin during the hike. The route immediately enters dense forest. The signboards were easy to follow, and the natural environment felt untouched.

My brother and I started aggressively, even running uphill for a few minutes. It didn't take long before we were sweating heavily and breathing hard. We quickly realized that we needed to slow down and hike at a comfortable pace.

Carrying two litres of water, we continued through beautiful bamboo forests. After about thirty minutes, we reached a pleasant resting area where we took a short break before continuing towards Bhanjyang Pokhari.

Forests, Rocks and Narrow Paths

Beyond Bhanjyang Pokhari, the trail became narrower and more challenging. Some sections were slippery, but local people had built stone pathways that made the route safer. Although narrow, the trail felt secure and enjoyable. The surrounding forest was peaceful and beautiful. In some places, only one person could comfortably pass at a time.

Halfway through the rocky section, we finally met another hiking group coming down from Champadevi. There were sixteen hikers in their group. Interestingly, during most of our ascent, this was the only large hiking group we encountered. Later, we met a few more hikers descending, but overall the trail remained quiet. This showed that the route is still relatively unknown compared to the popular Hattiban-Champadevi trail. Personally, I believe this trail deserves much more promotion because it offers a fantastic hiking experience.

Reaching Champadevi Temple

At exactly 1:25 PM, we reached Champadevi Temple. Despite the relatively quiet trail, the temple area was busy because it was a public holiday. I estimated that more than 80 visitors were present. Some people were worshipping, some were enjoying nature, while others were making videos and TikTok content. Families were having picnics and sharing snacks.

One thing that made me happy was seeing the younger generation embracing hiking culture. I spoke with two children from Baluwatar, Kathmandu. One was 10 years old and the other was 9. This was their first hike, and they had come with their families. Their enthusiasm gave me hope that Nepal's travel and outdoor culture will continue to grow in the future.

Learning About Champadevi

At the temple, I had the opportunity to speak with the temple priest, Mr. Ram Dahal. According to him, Champadevi is believed to be a wish-fulfilling goddess, which is why many devotees come here to offer prayers and seek blessings. The temple sits at approximately 2,200 metres above sea level, surrounded by dense forest. From the hilltop, visitors can enjoy magnificent views of Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding hills.

Descending Towards Taudaha

At around 2:20 PM, we began our descent towards Taudaha. Only a few minutes after leaving the temple, I noticed newly installed safety railings along some sections of the trail. These improvements are excellent for visitor safety and show positive efforts to develop the route responsibly.

As we descended, we met Sita Magar Didi, who was selling fresh cucumber. We bought some snacks and chatted with her before continuing. Further down, we reached a junction. One route led towards Hattiban, while the other descended towards Taudaha. We chose the Taudaha route.

Interestingly, we hardly met anyone on this section of the trail. Walking down brought back old memories. The last time I used this route was nearly ten years ago, in 2016, when I climbed uphill with my college friends.

Village Life and Old Memories

In Basun Village, we met a local goat herder and spent some time talking about village life and farming. Nearby, I noticed religious icons of Ram, Sita, Hanuman, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesh and Buddha. The village also reminded me of a funny memory from our 2016 camping trip. Back then, we had bought local products like millet, maize and cucumber from villagers, but somehow forgot a crate of eggs before leaving. Some memories never fade.

The Hidden Gem: Maharshi Vedic Gurukulam

One of the highlights of the day was visiting Maharshi Vedic Gurukulam. I was deeply impressed by the institution's efforts to preserve Sanskrit language, Vedic knowledge, meditation, chanting and traditional values for future generations.

The environment felt peaceful, calm and spiritually uplifting. While there, we met a visitor from Slovakia. He had travelled to Nepal to learn meditation, healing practices and spiritual techniques in pursuit of inner growth and self-realization. For me, this unexpected visit was truly the cherry on top of an already wonderful hiking day.

Relaxing at Taudaha

Eventually, we arrived at Taudaha. After the long hike, we took a well-deserved break and ordered momo and cold drinks. Around the lake area, many domestic tourists were enjoying their holiday.

After relaxing for about an hour, we walked to Jal Binayak Temple before finally catching a bus back home. At around 7:00 PM, we reached our house.

Final Thoughts

This hike introduced me to a completely new side of the Kathmandu Valley. The Pangolin Trail offers dense forests, bamboo groves, rocky pathways, beautiful viewpoints, rich biodiversity and a peaceful hiking experience away from the crowds.

Although the trail is still not widely known, it has great potential to become one of the best hiking routes connecting Kirtipur and Champadevi. At the same time, the issue of waste management around picnic areas deserves immediate attention. Responsible tourism is everyone's responsibility, and simple awareness signboards could make a big difference.

For hikers looking for a less crowded and more adventurous alternative to the traditional Hattiban route, I highly recommend exploring the Pangolin Trail. Every trail has a story, and on May 30, 2026, this trail gave me another memorable chapter in my journey of discovering Nepal.

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