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DC UL Backpacking hosts an average of 80 backpacking events each year, specializing in high-mileage, lightweight backpacking trips throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Our membership structure helps backpackers gain or enhance their outdoor skills. In general, our trips are quite challenging but you’ll find a wealth of experienced backpackers who are eager to share advice. Visit our website (www.dculbackpacking.com) to learn more about our group and our membership and trip ranks, and to read our FAQs.
Our goal: To cultivate a community of independent outdoorsmen and women who want nothing more than to have a fulfilling backcountry experience–to wake early, to walk far, and to travel light.
Join us. We look forward to meeting you!
When applying to join our group, make sure to fill out our questionnaire fully. We also require that your profile photo is of yourself.
*** Read our liability waiver (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/) and COVID-19 guidelines here: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/. ***
Upcoming events
5
IO: Gokyo Lake Trek, Nepal
Dulles International Airport (IAD), 1 Saarinen Cir, Sterling, VA, USGreetings, everyone, I'm excited to say that I'm putting together a group to go to Nepal in the fall of 2025. This will be my fifth trip, and I'm psyched to see a portion of the country that I've not seen. I'm working with Bhairam Thapa at Trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal - Himal Eco Treks. I've already done three trips with him (and sent some other folks to him, too).
The Gokyo Lake Trek takes us to the eastern part of the country, which means Everest and Everest base camp, without doing the standard Everest base camp trek. Crucially, I think this will be a great route both for people who've never been to Nepal and for people who have been before.
Essentially, the proposed dates are 10/31-11/16 or so, with 14 days in Nepal and four days in the airports. Since you'll be arranging your own flights, if you wanted to stay longer in Kathmandu, or stop in Dubai or whatever, you can do that.
I can take ten people, and I've got five spots already spoken for. I'm going to post this here and on CHC. I will screen for people whom I know and like (if we don't know each other yet, we have time), and who are proven to be pretty good hikers. You need to be MO or higher in DCUL terms or comfortable doing CHC's long hike. The typical Nepalese stage is not that long or fast, but you should be a good hiker. The high point of this trek is pretty darn high (18,000 feet), so you should think of that. This is teahouse trekking, with a guide and porters, so you're spending every night inside with hot meals, etc.
A rough estimate for the trip is about $4000. The trip itself is $1550 (that includes food in the teahouses), airfare seems like it will be another $1500 or so, and the rest is miscellaneous. Nepal is quite inexpensive once you get there, especially if you don't drink. Just as a note, I'm paying my own way and not making a penny off this--I don't intend to touch your money.
With my fifth trip, I have a fair amount of Nepal experience--I've done the Annapurna Circuit, the Langtang Trek, Upper Mustang Valley, and the Manaslu Circuit. I say that to communicate that I have a strong idea of how I want to run the trek. If you're coming with me, that means you're signing on to doing the trek my way. If you'd like to do something different, well, you can definitely book another trek.
At this point, I'd like us to mark the dates, and I'd like to fill the remaining spots with people who are serious about going. Feel to reach out if you have questions.
12 attendees
LM: AT in Bluemont, VA: Raven Rocks and Bear Chase Brewery (~14 miles)
Vienna Metro North Bay, Park & Ride, 9490 Virginia Center Blvd, Vienna, VA 22181, Vienna, va, USThis is a quick Fall trip near beautiful Bluemont, VA. We will meet at Vienna Metro at 8 am on Saturday, November 1st or at the Snickers Gap trailhead at 9:15 am. We will start hiking at 9:30 am. The whole trip is on the AT and consists of two out and backs. On Saturday, we will start on the AT North, briefly cross into West VA and visit Raven Rocks overlook. We will then turn around and return to our starting point. We will cross Rt 7 and continue on AT South with an afternoon stop at Bear Chase Brewery, where you can have a tasty beverage or grab one (or a few) for the evening. We will continue to Sam Moore shelter and set up camp for the night. Sunday morning, we will leave camp around 7am (I think we "fall back" that day, so sunrise will be earlier) and make a short 3-mile return trip to the cars. There will be no official post-hike festivities because I have to be in Rockville at 10:30 am. I am happy to drive from Vienna, but I will not be coming back that way, instead I can stop by a different metro station on the route to Rockville.
Caltopo: AT in Bluemont - CalTopo
Snickers Gap Parking Lot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RGdR4DgovmXDQAXr6Waiver: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)
Dues: Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check if you need to pay dues by seeing if the current year is listed next to your name in your DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)
Carpool: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile. From Vienna, that is $10 for this trip9 attendees
LM: W1: Duncan Knob, Strickler Knob (19 miles)
Vienna Metro North Bay, Park & Ride, 9490 Virginia Center Blvd, Vienna, VA 22181, Vienna, va, USYou know it, you love it, let's do the Duncan and Strickler knob loop!
Saturday, we'll meet at Vienna at 8, drive to the lot off 211 in the Massanutten, walk in to the Massanutten Trail, climb Waterfall Mountain (one of the steepest pitches in our region!), do a few rocky, rugged miles on the Massanutten Trail, dip down and climb up to Orchard Gap. We'll camp there, but scramble up to the summit of Duncan, either for sunset or sunrise. Sunday, we'll exit via Strickler Knob (maybe go out to the knob if it's good weather) and get brunch on the way home. Splits are 10/8 ish
It might be kind of cold, putting this as W1 since it could definitely be winter conditions by late November. Applicants, feel free to sign up if you are confident with winter backpacking but please be sure to describe your sleep, layering, and water management systems in detail when you send me your gear list. Meetup DMs are hit or miss so pls email me at m8356423@gmail.com.
The Fine Print:
See DC UL's winter rankings here: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/tripranks/
DCUL'ers have maps! Some options:
- National Geographic Map #792 Massanutten and Great North Mountain (Amazon link)
- GPX: https://caltopo.com/m/FQ4B
- PATC Map G (PATC store link)
Waiver: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)
COVID-19 policy: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/
Dues: Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check if you need to pay dues by seeing if the current year is listed next to your name in your DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)
Carpool: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile. From Vienna, that is $18 for this trip14 attendees
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