Api Nampa Conservation Area

The Api Nampa Conservation Area protects 1,903 square kilometres of Darchula district in the extreme north-west of Nepal, established in 2010. It is named after the twin peaks of Api (7,132m) and Nampa (6,757m) that crown the landscape on the borders with India and Tibet.

The area spans a steep altitudinal gradient from subtropical river gorge to permanent snow, with forests of oak, pine and rhododendron giving way to alpine pasture and glacier. It is important habitat for snow leopard, musk deer, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear and the red panda, and its remoteness has kept its ecosystems largely intact.

The region is home to mixed communities whose livelihoods depend on high pasture, terraced farming and the collection of medicinal herbs such as yarsagumba. Cultural and trade links with the neighbouring Indian Himalaya run deep.

Api Nampa is among the least-visited protected areas in Nepal — infrastructure is minimal and routes such as the Api Base Camp trek see very few foreign trekkers. Access is via the far-western road network to Darchula. Spring through autumn, including the drier edges of the monsoon, is the practical visiting window.