The Manaslu Circuit & Tibetan Tsum Valley Lodge Treks
Nepal Himalaya Trek

Manaslu Circuit & Tsum Valley Lodge Trek – Nepal Himalayan Trek
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures – our partners Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa in Kathmandu. Please look for a sign with your name on it. Transfer to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Kathmandu Hotels tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …

We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos, so please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions. 

Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Denchenling, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants. (B)

Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (see Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Day 3 – Drive Arughat & Macchakhola 875m
You will be up early for your lovely but sometimes bumpy drive from Kathmandu, mostly driving along the Trisuli River, to the starting part of your trek in the scenic Gurung Middle Hills of Nepal. Arughat is a small village on the Bhudi Gandaki River inhabited mainly by Newars, and the major supply depot for the trade route north to the border of Tibet. The route is bucolic and hot as you dive through Nepal’s green middle hills, driving up the Bhudi Gandaki River through villages of mixed Gurung, Magar, and Brahmin-Chhetri denizens. Eventually, you reach the small hamlet of Machakhola (Fish River), which was wiped out by a flood several years ago and rebuilt as a trekking hub and small village, where you will stay at a traditional lodge for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Trek Jagat 1370m
A long and hot trekking day, starting with a walk through the village of Korlebesi an hour past Macchakhola, and followed by an hour of walking along the river, by tobacco and buckwheat fields, past rocks washed smooth by the river, often climbing up stone steps, to reach the hot springs in the center of the small, terraced village of Tatopani. You have plenty of time to soak our grungy bodies in the gushing hot water streaming out of sculpted spouts. A gentle climb through the woods past some spectacular waterfalls and sculpted rocks brings us to a new suspension bridge across the Budhi Gandaki which you cross. Continue along a forested path and soon reach the large teahouse at Dobhan.

After a short break, you’ll cross the Dhoban Khola on another long suspension bridge. Above Dobhan, the Budhi Gandaki descends in an impressive series of steep cataracts with water and weather-sculpted rocks along the riverside, passing through a tangled green forest of trees, vines and flowers (including orchids), the dusty trail hugging the cliffside. You’ll share the trail with local sheep and goat herders, the youngest of the flock in rope baskets slung over their backs. More steep steps along cliff walls to climb as the river descends even more steeply and stratified river rocks decorate our route. It’s hot and there will be chances to stop at fly-blown Nepali bhattis, shared with local farm animals, for a drink, snack and rest en route. The valley flattens a bit and after a short climb you reach a newer bhatti and campsite. From here your trail climbs high above the river, nearly 200 meters, only to descend to an ‘eye’ of the Budhi Gandaki River. The valley widens, the river makes a large S turn and then calms.

Stop for lunch at another camping spot and group of bamboo teahouses called Yaru just at the bottom of this climb. The hike continues with an exciting elevated walkway (already broken – or ending in nothingness – in 2022) built into the cliffside far above the river, bringing you to yet another long, new suspension bridge crossing the Budhi Gandaki. Crossing the bridge, climb high, descend past the campsites of lower Jagat, and then climb again on neat stone steps to enter Jagat, the entranceway to the Manaslu National Park where your guide will check you into the park. There is WiFi available here, and it’s worth wandering around the beautiful, paved village, with ancient chortens in the center of the village, where village mothers’ groups have recorded how much they contributed to these paving schemes. (6-7 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Trek Philim 1570m or Ekle Batti 1580m
Enjoy your short day of less than three hours, a day to restock for the Tsum valley ahead. After descending a long series of stone steps back down to the river from Jagat village, climb on slab steps along a terraced hill-side to the small hamlet of Saguleri, just past where you’ll have your first view of the impressive Shringi Himal (7187m). Beautiful red flame-leaf trees adorn the trail as you continue to climb and descend far above the river. You will pass through the fly-blown paved village of Sirdibas, where the local children sell oranges in the autumn, and soon afterwards pass by the local water mill. Crossing the river again on a long, high suspension bridge at Gata Khola, you have a steep climb past green fields of wheat to reach Philim (1570m), the MCAP headquarters with a health post, a Japanese sponsored school and a micro-hydro plant. You’ll arrive at Philim in time for lunch, and will spend an hour or two exploring the interesting upper levels of this Gurung village, with Chhyoling Sandu Gompa and its friendly care-taker family right at the top of the village.

The fascinating upper village’s Gurung inhabitants are quite poor, and often when camping in Philim we would spend the afternoon tending to wounds. Notice the chorten with the Maoist hammer and sickle in the center of the upper village, the kane chortens with murals inside and the intricately woven baskets which both the men and the women craft. The exquisite gold heirloom necklaces that adorn some of the women come from Barpak. Be careful of village dogs as they do sometimes bite (Kim has firsthand experience in this …), and do keep an eye on the skies as we’ve spotted golden eagles here.

After an interesting afternoon of wandering through beautiful and fascinating Philim, exit along the main, paved trail you’ll hike for 45 minutes, through corn and millet fields on a high trail over the Budhi Gandaki, to reach Ekle Bhatti (which means one teahouse), overlooking the dramatic Budhi Gandaki gorge far below. There are a series of small hamlets with equally good lodges along this high trail, so your guide might decide to continue another 20 minutes to the next lodge. (3-4 hrs) (B, L, D)

Tsum Valley (Chekampar)
Day 6 – Trek Lokpa 1915m or Chumling 2280m | Helicopter Option from Kathmandu
Continuing on this spectacular, high trail, we hike above the right banks of the river through a narrow, dramatic gorge with towering walls, past a thundering waterfall to the right of the trail and more smaller ones along the way. White-faced langurs frolic in the trees above and remote villages cling to the opposite side of the gorge, and everything is green and in full bloom in the springtime. Just as you reach the suspension bridge which spans the Budhi Gandaki (the older Bailey bridge was washed away recently), we take a sharp right above the main Manaslu trail heading to the east, in the direction of the Ganesh Himal. Entering the steep gorge leading into Tsum valley, you reach the purely Tibetan region of Tsum (also called Chum) and start the trek into the remote, beautiful Tibetan Tsum valley, a (once) very remote, ethnically Tibetan region of approximately 4000 inhabitants. You have less than an hour of gradual climbing above the Shiar Khola, hiking through a light forest (much being cut down for timber), to a rest stop for cold drinks from the lovely shopkeeper of the first isolated tea-house. Continue another 15 minutes to the hamlet of Lokpa, from where you’ll be treated to great views of Shringi and Ganesh Himal as well as the 2022 landslide section of trail. Note the large, green village on the flat plateau high above the Budhi Gandaki on the opposite side of the gorge. This is Nyak, a village of Gurung’s who graze their sheep and goats far below Barpak. We continue our trek into Tsum Valley, descending to the woods and crossing two newly built metal bridges over the intersecting Sukki Khola and Shiar Kholas (rivers).

You might decide to stay at one of the lodges in Lopka, as it makes for a long day to continue all the way to Chumling. You can decide once you get to Lopka …

Descend through leafy forest to reach the river level, soon afterwards climbing again, often steeply and on a somewhat exposed, switch backing trail high above the Shiar Khola, the highest point at 2240m. The trails through the Tsum valley have been greatly improved, so once precipitous and exposed trails are now safe and well maintained, and we can keep an eye on the treetops to spot rhesus monkeys as you hike. Continue on this cliff-side, undulating trail for about an hour and then drop back down to a small tea-house at Ghumlung, from where you cross the main Shiar Khola on a long suspension bridge. The hilltop village of Ripchet comes into sight across the steep-sided valley as we climb again on a nicely graded switch-backing trail to camp at Chumling, just above Hotel Ganesh Himal. Enjoy wonderful mountain views from the lodge, with and Himal Chuli rising down valley, so enjoy a well-earned rest if you don’t have the energy to explore the village after this long day! You will return to Chumling on the way back to the Manaslu Circuit trail as well, with plenty of time on that day to explore …

There is a small gompa (monastery) in the northern (righthand) section of the village across the suspension bridge just out of camp, In the main section of the village above town, there are narrow alleyways to explore, a few new lodges, tilled fields and a new health post at the upper righthand side of the village. Shishapangma in Tibet would be visible in the distance if you were at a higher elevation! (16 km, 7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 14.16 km Elevation Gain: 933m Elevation Loss: 297m

HELICOPTER NOTE | We offer an option to charter a private helicopter from Kathmandu, landing in Chumling. Perfect for those with  shorter vacation time, or those who just love Himalayan helicopter rides!

Day 7 – Trek Chhokangparo 3085m
Venturing further into the Tsum valley, you’ll have a beautiful hike to reach Chhokamparo, a twin village which translates as roughly ‘place of wisdom’. Just out of Chumling, cross the suspension bridge over the Shiar Khola and descend slightly as the valley opens ahead with green, fertile villages adding color to the already spectacular setting. Pass several small villages and the tiny Dhampa Gompa, worth a look inside and meeting the old ani (nun) who lives alone at the gompa if she is around. Inside are hundreds of stone statues of Chaktongchentong (a manifestation of Chenrizig, or Avalokiteśvara, the Buddha of Compassion), which line three of the walls. This is unique to the Tsum valley as far as we know and notice these walls of Chenrizigs in most of the Tsum gompas. Descend once again to the small village of Rainjam where you may be welcomed by barking dogs; take the left-hand trail up a bit, cross another suspension bridge and ascend to the small hamlet of Gho (2570m) where friends next to the village tap might be weaving or spinning at their small house. In the fields, wheat (gau), buckwheat and two types of barley (jau and ua, both used for making tsampa flour and chang barley beer).

Passing the small shop, continue to climb on a good trail with tremendous views up and down the valley for another few hours, stopping for lunch at the only teahouse, about half way through the climb. Finally you reach the outskirts of Chhokamparo, marked by several ancient, moss-covered mani walls (prayers etched onto wayside rocks, particularly mani stones with pictures of gods and goddesses), and Buddhist chortens, where we sometimes do a circumambulation with locals. Another few minutes and you’ve reached the lower end of the village. You have a chance to have hot (bucket) showers at Namgyal Ngodup and wife Karma (from Gheling, Mustang)’s Bio-Hotel Khamsangbo (which means good view, high, fresh, clean) just 5 minutes below camp.

Chhokamparo is one of our favorite villages in the Tsum valley, a scenic, interesting village with friendly villagers, small lanes to explore and even a well-stocked local shop for a bit of shopping and re-supplying. Other visitors will almost certainly be the langurs, sneaking into the barley fields to raid the crops, devastating for the villagers. You might have the chance to visit friends in their Tibetan homes for a cup of salt-butter tea, and the shopkeeper Tashi and his wife, and perhaps daughter Tenzin, are friends who own Tashi Delek Lodge. There’s a lot of weaving in this village as in most others in Tsum and Manaslu, an opportunity to purchase a hook rug, apron, kilim or other textiles either from our campsite or the local houses. The intricate, colorful woven belts adorning most women’s Tibetan-style chubas are unique to the Tsum valley as well. (B, L, D)
Distance: 12.98 km Elevation Gain: 1,077m Elevation Loss: 147m

Extra Day | Trek Gompa Lungdang 4340m
It’s a harder day than it looks on the map to reach Gompa Lungdang but worth the effort to get there for the experience of staying with the friendly nuns and the mountain panorama of the Ganesh Himal peaks surrounding the gompa. From the shop and our friend’s small house at Gho take a sharp left turn and descend through ferms and dense folliage to the Shiar Khola which you cross on a small, wooden bridge. A short hike through light forest brings us to the green hamlet of Dumje (2450m), where some of the young nuns from Gompa Lungdang stay and study, and the nuns have their barley fields. From here, you’ll have an often steep 3 hour hike far above the Laudang Khola to reach Gompa Lungdang. The views are great along the way and there are plenty of resting points en route. Note that the first time you’ll see Gompa Lungdang from the second vertical prayer flag pole on a ridge it’s still a good hour and a few hundred meters away. You will stay in basic accommodation at the nunnery, a newly rebuild monastery (it was destroyed during the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, and The Kamzang Fund provided the nuns with some assistance) with a slate courtyard and amazing views. The very friendly family of nuns, all from the nearby village of Ripchet, have a puja every morning and evening in the main gompa, very interesting to sit in on. Dinner and breakfast are usually a tsampa dhiro (mash) with timbur (mountain pepper) and stinging nettle sauce, and of course butter tea. There is also a smaller and older looking prayer room just to the right of the main gompa with some fantastic old murals, perhaps in the northern Indian style. And the views are superb!

Extra Day | Gompa Lungdang | Day Hike Ganesh Himal Base Camp
If you trek up to Gompa Lungdang, you might opt for a rest day at this wonderful spot, a chance to get to know the lively nuns better and go for a walk. We’ll have an optional hike up the valley towards (but not all the way to) Ganesh Himal Base Camp which will be quite strenuous but spectacular. Or just sit, enjoy your surroundings, do some peak-gazing and enjoy the company!

Day 8 – Trek Mu Gompa 3645m
Heading further north on your Tsum Valley trek, heading towards the border of Tibet as you follow the Shiar Khola, your destination is the remote Mu Gompa, the furthest settlement in the Tsum valley besides the seasonal grazing doksas. Leaving Chhokangparo passing the long mani walls in town, begin the morning with an easy hike through the lower section of the village (called Paro), hiking past the larger mani walls on ‘Mani Hill’ (which we may skip, hiking on the larger track, and pass on the return route), with Chhogu Gompa to your right. Views of the green valley above and below us are beautiful as you hike, and the trek continues to be scenic, green and cultivated throughout the day. Trek past many distinctive pyramid-like chortens (often with counting stones lining the base), unique to the Tsum Valley. You’ll hike amongst the blooming blue iris, and might see jackels, Himalayan thar, lammergeier and/or Himalayan griffin along the way.

Continuing to climb gradually past barley, mustard and potato fields, pass a village school and you’ll soon reach Nyakyu village (3225m). The hiking is relatively flat as you head towards the village of Lamagaon (3220m), the architecture a similar style to the last village, with narrow alleyways between the houses. You are trekking through the more open, predominantly level section of Tsum, during which one lovely village runs almost into the buckwheat (used as a medicine for diabetes in Tsum), barley and mustard fields of the next village, and the trails are peppered with mani walls with carved mantras and small chortens.

TRAIL NOTE | Just past Lamagaon, on the left side of the valley, are two small hermitages called Milarepa Piren Phu Cave and Chi Phu Gompa. Across the river, on the right side of the valley, are the new and old monasteries of Rachen Gompa nunnery, affiliated with Kopan in Kathmandu. You cross the river on a suspension bridge if we visit Rachen Gonpa on the way up valley, or you will visit this on the way down the valley, depending on which route your guide opts to take.

After the caves and/or the nunnery, still following the Shiar Khola, (cross a suspension bridge if we come from the caves, and often see herds of Himalayan thar on the cliffs above the river), pass through Phurbe and Pangdum, both with small village gompas, between them an extremely large, unusually shaped, dramatic chorten which dominates the skyline. This unique structure has an equally unusual door in the upper section, with steps leading up to it (locked), also a good stop for lunch. Soon afterward, we pass through Chule village (3250m); across the bridge over the Shiar Khola is the twin Nile village, which you don’t visit today. These are the last villages in the Tsum valley; Ni Le translates as sun-side and Chu Le water side. This older trail on the right of the river, and the jeep road is an option across the Nile bridge, though there is a river crossing mid-way which may or may not be a bit large.

Continue on the older trail on the right side of the Shiar Khola (not crossing to Nile), passing still more mani walls and chortens as we climb for approximately two hours, more strenuous than the first four hours, to reach Mu Gompa. This last section of trail is more desolate, and more difficult, as you gain 400 meters in two hours to camp at our highest spot in Tsum Valley. Finally, cross a new suspension bridge, or an old wooden bridge slightly earlier, and continue towards Mu Gonpa, following the jeep track to the left of the river. Cross a small bridge over a glacial stream and climb a bit more steeply past several larger chortens in the Tsum style, with Mu Gompa just above. Two herder’s huts are sometimes occupied, often with teahouse tents erected to service the locals headed north to Bhajyo to search for yartsa gunbu, the primary source of income for many Himalayan families.

After a big snowfall, mornings at Mu Gompa, with the slate rooftops glittering in the bright morning sunrays, are spectacular. This important monastery is Drukpa Kagyupa, though now affiliated with (and funded by) Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu (which is Gelugpa). It’s filled with old carved stone statues of the manifestation of Chenrisig with 1000 arms and 1000 eyes, the same as in Dhampa Gompa , in the main, medieval feeling Lhakhang (temple). The murals outside of the gompa used to be of the usual guardian Bonpo ‘Kings of the Four Directions’ at either side of the doorway – though in 2022 it was new plywood. There are (or were) about 16 novice monks, or thawas, and another 5 or 6 monks and lamas residing at the gompa, and the central temple is surrounded by the monks’ simple dwellings. From James Giambrone, a Kathmandu-based art historian “ At Mu Gompa, look for Arya Tara, Shakyamuni Buddha and Ekadasa (11 headed) Lokesvara. All are approximately 5’ tall made in the repousse process by Kuber Singh Shakya a famous Newar Repouse artist from Patan.” (6½- 7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 12.99 km Elevation Gain: 586m Elevation Loss: 182m

Day 9 – Mu Gompa & Lamagaon | Day Hike Chhosyong Lake 4230m
After a scenic breakfast, you have the option for a great day hike, heading up the ridge behind Mu Gonpa and heading to a small mountain lake, with a beautiful slate doksa, overlooking Mu Gompa, small doksas across the river, and the green and snowy valleys leading towards Tibet. Pass ancient, lichen-covered mani walls and stone chortens at the first viewpoint, from where you’ll have spectacular views of the peaks just in front of Ganesh Himal (which is hidden behind these closer peaks). You often share the ridges with grazing flocks of blue sheep as we enjoy the spectacular views down the valley towards Ganesh Himal. Once at the mountain lake, a spectacular lunch spot awaits at the flat and warm doksa, often with Himalayan yaks watching our meal, and surrounded by yellow primroses (primulas) …

En route back to Mu Gompa, you might opt to take some of the small trails, bushwhacking to the newly rebuilt Dhephu Doma Ani Gonpa (nunnery), home to seven nuns from Nile and Chule. We’ve met a visiting (meditating) lama originally from Tibet who in 2022 who participated in a wonderful afternoon puja at about 3pm (though we don’t know if this is the usual puja schedule). (4 hrs r/t) (B, L, D)
Distance: 8.05km, Elevation Gain 1050m, Elevation Loss 1050m

TREK NOTE | You might also opt to return down the valley to Lamagaon today, after your hike, especially if you don’t hike all the way to the lake; there are fabulous views throughout the climb. After returning to Mu Gompa, continue down the valley to the lively village of Lamagaon, where there are some traditional lodges in this village of lamas!

Extra Day | Mu Gompa | Day Hike Bhajyo 4095
On longer treks, take advantage of the remote location to do some exploring. In June 2012, we were incredibly lucky to catch the annual, monthly ‘fair’ at Bhajyo, which a local jokingly called the New York of Tsum valley. The commodity that brings hundreds of Tsum-pas to this grassy doksa for the month is yarsagumba, ‘summer grass winter insect’, a sort of catipillar worm which becomes host to paratical spores-fungus. To get to Bhajyo, we trek north from camp along a high trail to the left of the river, past several chortens and a slide area. About an hour later we’ll reach a small, wooden bridge which we cross and hike up for about 15 minutes to reach Kalung (3830m) where a seasonal Tibetan-styled teahouse is in action in June. Several doksas encamp around the Kalung area, at the intersection of the Changmam Khola and the Yangdol Khola, in both directions.

Heading east along the later river, it’s a few hundred meters of altitude gain along a good trail, across a small bridge at the intersection of this river with the Salbu Khola, to reach Bhajyo. Here, many tea housesyar do a good summer business, kids play on the grassy slopes and the older women sit spinning wool. Mules from lower down stop for the night here as they transport hundreds and hundreds of mule-loads of ‘satua’, a ginger-like medicinal root, over the Ngula Dhojyang Pass (5095m) to Tibet. Locals also hunt for yarsagumba, the caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores infect and inhabit a ghost moth larva living under the soil, and mainly sold to the Chinese as an aphrodisiac (amongst other medical uses). (6 – 7 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Trek Chhokangparo
You’ll head back down the green Tsum Valley to Chhokangparo, an easier route back as the trekking is mostly downhill. On the way down you will cross the Khugyu Khola and pass through the large school at Lar to visit Rachen Ani Gompa (locally called Gompa Rangjung), a nunnery also affiliated with Kopan Gompa with a large number of nuns who stay during the summertime. The other option is to stay on the opposite side of Shiar Khola and give people the option to visit Milarepa Piren Phu Cave and Chi Phu Gompa, which makes for a longer but very interesting day. Further along the trail, past Lamagaon and Ngakyu, we might have the chance to visit Chhogu Golden Temple if the door is unlocked. Once back at your lodge in Chhokangparo, showers, perhaps a cold beer, a delicious locally sourced dinner and perhaps a bit of textile shopping awaits. (5- 7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13.12 km Elevation Gain: 176m Elevation Loss: 580m

Day 11 – Trek Gompa Lungdang 4340m
It’s a harder day than it looks on the map to reach Gompa Lungdang but worth the effort to get there for the experience of staying with the friendly nuns and the mountain panorama of the Ganesh Himal peaks surrounding the gompa.

Backtrack down the large hill on the switchbacking trail that you climbed a few days previously. When you reach the shop and our friend’s small house at Gho, take a sharp left turn and descend through ferms and dense foliage to the Shiar Khola which you cross on a small, wooden bridge. A short hike through light forest brings you to the green hamlet of Dumje (2450m) where some of the young nuns from Gompa Lungdang stay and study, and where the nuns have their barley fields. From here you’ll have an often steep three-hour hike far above the Laudang Khola to reach Gompa Lungdang. The views are great along the way and there are plenty of resting points en route. Note that the first time you’ll see Gompa Lungdang from the second vertical prayer flag pole on a ridge it’s still a good hour and a few hundred meters away.

You will stay with the nuns at Gonpa Lungdang, in basic accommodation; but what a great opportunity to experience monastery life firsthand, and the perfect way to get to know the very friendly family of nuns, all from the nearby village of Ripchet. There’s a cozy kitchen on the other side of the courtyard and the nuns have a puja every morning and evening in the main gompa, very interesting to sit in on. Dinner and breakfast are usually a tsampa dhiro (mash) with timbur (mountain pepper) and stinging nettle sauce, and of course butter tea. There is also a smaller and older-looking prayer room just to the right of the main gompa with some fantastic old murals, perhaps in the northern Indian style. And the views are superb!

Day 12 – Gompa Lungdang | Day Hike Ganesh Himal Base Camp
A rest day at this wonderful spot, a chance to get to know the lively nuns better and go for a walk. You’ll have an optional hike up the valley towards (but not all the way to) Ganesh Himal Base Camp which will be quite strenuous but spectacular. Or just sit, enjoy your surroundings, do some peak-gazing and enjoy the company!

Day 13 – Trek Lokpa 1915m
Back down the steep hillside is easier for some than the ascent and should take us an hour and a half to reach the small nunnery outpost at Dumche. Heading further to the south than our route in, we hike briefly along a narrow trail between wooden fences which actually passes through a local inhabitant’s barn and then drop down to a new suspension bridge over the Laudang Khola. After crossing to the other side we’ll have about twenty minutes of flat hiking before reaching an ancient, lichen-covered chorten and mani wall marking what seems to be the far reaches of Dumche. We continue, climbing very gradually, through a dense forest that looks as if it might be home to snakes, bears and monkeys (although we never saw any). About an hour and a half after this chorten, after crossing another new suspension bridge, we climb briefly to reach the long village of Ripchet.

Ripchet seems a bit poorer than many other villages in the Tsum valley, and is situated on a ridge far above the Shiar Khola with its fields in back. The dogs are a bit ferocious and the flies are plentiful, so it’s more scenic and interesting to view the village from the fields above. At the end of the line of simple wooden houses is another chorten and then a small school (20 students and 2 teachers on a good day) where we’ll stop for lunch. Afterwards we have a steep descent over a small stream and then straight down the hill to the small tea-house at Ghumling which we passed about a week ago. Just past here is a small pool for cooling hot feet, and the teahouse has drinks. Now starts our long undulating trail to return to Lokpa. In theory it should be easier to return to Lokpa as it’s lower than our starting point by a few hundred meters, but in reality it still takes a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours of ascents and descents, and after the last two bridges we should be good and tired upon reaching Lokpa!

Lokpa has a nice, terraced campsite, cold beers at the shop and is a welcome sight after a long day of hiking. Note the large, green village on the flat plateau high above the Budhi Gandaki on the opposite side. This is Nyak, a village of Gurung’s who graze their sheep and goats far below Barpak, and who we might have run into en route. (B, L, D)
Distance: 20.72 km Elevation Gain: 341m Elevation Loss: 1,635m

Day 14 – Trek Deng 1865m
You’ll start the morning with the switch-backing descent down the ridge, and back across the suspension bridge to the small teahouse at Ghumlung which you passed about a week ago. Just past here is a small pool for cooling hot feet, and the teahouse has drinks. From here begins the long and undulating trail to return to Lokpa, which still takes a good 2 ½ – 3 hours of ascents and descents through the dense forest, often on stone steps.

Once at Lokpa, you leave the wonderful Tsum valley, descending for half an hour to the river junction and crossing the Budhi Gandaki on a new suspension bridge just north of the older Bailey bridge, which was washed out in a flood in 2021. Continue to trek further north along the Manaslu Circuit trail, heading into more Tibetan border regions. Enjoy the wild rose bushes and deep blue clematis, and the vultures and golden eagles as they soar above. You might run into villagers from Nyak (2340m), a remote village perched high above the trail, herding their sheep and goats as you trek. You’ll ascend gradually along a wide, hillside trail through an open pine forest, and cross the river two more times on newly built steel suspension bridges (built by a Gurkha NGO – note the old bridge still barely hanging at the second bridge), trekking on generally flatter trails through dense woods of rhododendrons, bamboo, orchids and wild flowers. As you climb, look back for views of Ganesh Himal IV. After 1½ hours we pass the small hamlet and teahouses of Pewa (Paha) (1975m), where our camping group stopped for the night in 2022, setting up the dining tent and with the option of staying in the rooms of Five Sisters Lodge. We continue on, relatively easy climbing as we leave the narrow river gorge and finally cross the intersecting Dyang (Deng) Khola on a metal suspension bridge to climb briefly to the hamlet of Deng.

Deng is the start of the region called Kutang, where the inhabitants are ethnically Tibetan but speak a different dialect than the people of upper Nubri, where the inhabitants are purely Tibetan. The Kutang dialect, called ‘kukay’, is a mix of Tibeto-Burman and Gurung, and their culture is a mix of Nepal and Tibet. You’ll have views of the Ganesh Himal to the rear, as well as Lapuchen and Dwijen Himals to the north. You will stay at Hotel Windy Valley at the start of the town, a lovely family-run guest house with a small shop and a lawn with outdoor tables or an indoor dining room with stove for enjoying the late afternoon. It’s worth a visit to one of the local houses, perhaps for a glass of local ‘chang’, or Tibetan beer, It starts to feel like a piece of old Tibet … (6 ½-7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 18.62km Elevation Gain 1,564m Elevation Loss 2,034m

Alternative Route – Trek Prok 2400m
From Deng, you have 4-5 hours of quite spectacular trails, a rollercoaster of ascents and descents to the Prok turnoff. You cross tributary streams two times on metal suspension bridges, always staying high above the Budhi Gandaki, with local mountain pepper (timbur) bursting form the trailside plants. The walk through the gorge is breathtaking but hot, with spectacular views throughout the day, and some potential small rockslides. Kim’s group once met the postman, hand delivering small cloth bound parcels with wax stamps to remote households.

The valley is steep-sided and impressive, descending briefly to a metal suspension bridge which you cross as you head along the undulating trail into Nupri. You’ll switchback steeply, once climbing a notched wooden ladder, up to the small, poor village of Rana where the women usually have their looms out. After more climbing through lovely woods of pine and crossing another bridge, you reach Bihi Phedi, where there is a new lodge (with a good campsite), a small tea-house where we often stop for a quick rest and views of Kutang Himal. From this point in the trek, you start to see very artistic mani stones, a sure sign that we are entering another of the tiny Tibetan footholds that mark the high Himalayan places. These particular mani stones were carved by stone carvers from Bihi, above Bihi Phedi, famous in the region for this craft.

Just past Bihi Phedi, you’ll begin the wonderful afternoon’s hike, trekking up steeply to the beyul, or sacred Buddhist sanctuary, of Prok, one of Kutang’s most traditional villages perched high up on a plateau amongst green fields of barley, far above the Budhi Gandaki. This village is renowned for its amchis (traditionally trained Tibetan healers, who practice a type of Chinese-Tibetan medicine), and the once kings of Nupri (see Nepali Times article) of whom Dorje Chakuri is the last in the line of descendants …

From Prok, pray to the gods for views of the sacred Shringi Himal and Ganesh Himal peaks, and get out to explore this fascinating, far-flung ethnically Tibetan village. You’ll have the afternoon to visit some local monasteries, Chokang Gompa high above the village, presided over by Rimpoche Nyima Gyalgen Lama), and stop in to visit some Prok-pas in their traditional house. During our exploratory visit to Prok in 2022, the camping group arrived just as a colorful Buddhist festival called Jhangchuk Sangmo (a Dumche festival) was in full swing, with an archery contest fueled by chang (barley beer) and raksi (grain alcohol, followed by the carrying of the Tibetan Buddhist sacred texts around the village, an incredibly symbolic and timeless event! Our friend Nyima Diki from Samdo spent several months here seeing amchis years ago, when suffering from what we later discovered to be postpartum depression.

From the Nepali Times article ‘Journey to the Mountain of the Spirit’ by Claire Burkert and Thomas Kelley: “Climbing our last mile of a long day, we pass a rock painted with an image of the great Buddhist master, Padmasambhava. A white peak of the Shringi Himal appears, lit by late light. We enter a village gateway: bright green fields spread out before us, with clusters of tall trees in spring leaf, monasteries, and stone houses beyond. A cheerful man in bare feet greets us and invites us to his home. His name is Dorje and he belongs to the royal family of Prok.

Our intuition that this village named Prok is a treasured place within a beyul, a hidden valley, is confirmed when we chat with our host that evening. It is believed that Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, hid many valleys called beyul throughout the Himalayan region and provided such forces as snowstorms and mist to protect them. These treasured and peaceful valleys would be discovered once the world faced destruction, hatred and lawlessness.

The stone house sheltering us (Dorji’s hotel) was once the palace of the king of the Nubri valley. Though Dorje was born a prince, he practices as the village amchi (traditional healer). His daughter Jhangchuk, schooled in Kathmandu, alternately consults as a health researcher and gathers fodder in the forest. Thomas photographs Dorje’s family altar and an image of his father, the king. Dorje shows him his scar from a bear attack and describes how the village was wracked by earthquake. He points out his photo with the Dalai Lama …  Hardships balanced out by faith: Dorje is reading his prayers when Jhangchuk guides us to a monastery that the community has reinforced with ample cement. Even though the beyul was not spared the earthquake, people here survived.” (6 ½ hrs (B, L, D)
Distance: 8.24km Elevation Gain 837m Elevation Loss 326m

Day 15 – Trek Namrung 2540m
The valley is still steep-sided and impressive as you leave in the morning, descending briefly to a metal suspension bridge which you’ll cross as we head along the undulating trail to Nupri. You switch back steeply, once climbing a notched wooden ladder, up to the small, poor village of Rana where the women usually have their looms out. After more climbing through lovely woods of pine and crossing another bridge, you’ll reach Bihi Phedi, where there is a new lodge and views of Kutang Himal. From here you will start to see very artistic mani stones (prayers etched onto wayside rocks, particularly mani stones with pictures of gods and goddesses in this region), a sure sign that you are entering another of the tiny Tibetan footholds that mark the high Himalayan places. These particular mani stones were carved by stone carvers from Bihi, above Bihi Phedi, famous in the region for this craft.

You have several more hours of ascents and descents ahead of you, twice crossing tributary streams on metal suspension bridges, staying high above the Budhi Gandaki. The walk through the gorge is breathtaking but hot, with spectacular views. Five hours past Namrung, just past a beautifully painted kane chorten and after crossing a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki, you’ll reach the outskirts of Ghap. Again, note the elaborate mani walls with Buddhas in several asanas which were carved by the famous Bihi stone-carvers, and the egg-shells strung above the local ‘tea-house’ doors in Ghap prevent the evil spirits from entering the house. Past the bridge, it’s a good half hour to reach lunch at Hotel Kyimolung.

TREK NOTE | You don’t stay at Ghap but across the Bhuri Gandaki and up steeply up for 45 minutes is the village of Chaak, where the son of the tea-house and campsite owner in Ghap lives with his family. There is a small, deserted gompa, carved mani stones (the style here is distinctly different that most other Tibetan Buddhist regions), and some Tibetans from Samdo who graze their yaks here. In the village, they will be drying their maize to grind into flour, and then trade with the people of upper Nubri. Across the river are great views of the village of Prok perched on the plateau jutting over the river below us. From Chaak, you can trek further to Kwak, and there is a trail up to Shringi Himal base camp. A fire recently destroyed the gompa at Kwak.

Soon after leaving Ghap, you ascend for two hours through a dense, cool forest of fir, rhododendron, bamboo and oaks, crossing the now narrow Budhi Gandaki twice on newly built suspension bridges, and continue to climb, often on smooth, stone steps. You might spot danphe, the national bird of Nepal, or grey langur monkeys with white faces along the trail. As you gain altitude, we reach alpine territory and are treated to increasingly broad mountain views. We eventually reach Namrung, the first village in Nubri, a region of purely Tibetan inhabitants speaking a dialect of western Tibet. Namrung is a spectacular spot when the weather is good but can be chilly if in the clouds so bring something warm in your daypack. You are now entering the Tibetan region of upper Nupri; Nupri means ‘western ridge’ or ‘western mountains’. Spend the afternoon wandering through town, passing wild roses bushes blooming with cinnamon scented flowers, lavender clemetis and wild stinging nettles along the village trails, tucked away amongst more ancient, weathered mani stones and Buddhist chortens. (B, L, D)

LODGE OPTION | You have an option to upgrade to a new luxury lodge at the start of the village, Nubri Four Seasons Resort (+ $50 Per Person).

Alternative Route – Trek Hinang Gompa 3220m
A great Himalayan trekking day heading to the remote Hinang Gompa, to the southwest of the main Manaslu trekking route, a beautiful location which sees few Western trekkers. Above Namrung, the valley opens, textured with green barley fields (and bear watches to guard them, note the bamboo structures tied with cloth in the fields at the nearby village of Banzam, bean poles with shimmering stirps to keep crows away. An hour and half of trekking along undulating trails brings you to the village of Lihi (2840m). Lihi houses two old gompas, a long village of more billowing fields of barley, also guarded by bear watches. Lihi is known for its unusual architecture which we’ll see further north in Nupri as well, apartment-like units with a common roof, and views include the massive Ganesh NW (II + III, 7118m).

Descending just past Lihi, take the left fork in the trail which leads to Himal Chuli Base Camp, and hike for about 1½ hours through lovely pine forests, following the Hinang Khola, which flows from the Hinang and Lanjam Glaciers. Hinang is a vibrant retirement village for elderly Nupri villagers, who often watch the kids as parents trek up the valley to hunt for yersta gumbu. Your guide will have to make sure the monastery is set up to take in trekkers for the evening, and if there are monks and cooks there, the accommodation will be basic, but a great experience.

You’ll arrive at Hinang in time for lunch, with hiking options up the valley for views of the Hinang Glacier in addition to enjoying the incredible view of Himal Chuli right in front (north) of camp. Follow the right side of the glacial stream north in the afternoon, heading towards Himal Chuli, and sharing the trail with locals in search of yertsa gumbu. You pass several kharkas en route; it’s a long way to get to a viewpoint overlooking the glacier, but after 1½ hours of hiking uphill you reach a kharka at 3520m which seems a good stopping point.

Visit the new Drukpa Kargyu monastery (the monks from Hinang Gompa study at Namo Buddha Gompa in the Kathmandu valley in the winter, and the head abbot is the Bhutanese Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, and the smaller, 200-year-old Nyingma monastery perched up on the hill behind the stupa, rebuilt after the earthquake in 2015 by the abbot Lhakpa Norbu Lama. This monastery is home to about 15 nuns, and about 20 household monks. Many of the children in this valley (and in surrounding villages of Nubri) attend a school in Kathmandu sponsored by the renown Takyur Rimpoche.

In 2019 we were fortunate to arrive at Hinang during the yearly 3 or 4 day puja held at the Nyingma Gonpa. The local rimpoche related the story of the sacred Kyimolung pilgrimage circuit “Kyimolung translates as ‘dog circuit’ in the local dialect, referring to a pilgrimage route taking in Deng, Tsum and the Larkya La pass, one of Guru Rimpoche’s beyuls” (Buddhist refuges). And in 2022 we saw the last day of the same puja, with colorful and interesting lama dances, Buddhist chants, horns and cymbals and an incredible Tibetan Buddhist puja the next morning. In 2023, our camping group arrived at Hinang to find that the Nyingma Gompa had tragically burned down in an electrical fire, the only remains being the bare ‘bones’ of the 3 large Buddhist statues inside the monastery. The nuns were residing in the lower rooms and in the village, having had to abandon their accommodation at the monastery above. (4 hrs + afternoon hike) (B, L, D)
Distance: 6.84km Elevation Gain 668m Elevation Loss 151m

Day 16 – Trek Lihi, Shyo & Lho 3180m
Another wonderful and diverse trekking day awaits. Above Namrung, the valley opens out and there are extensive barley fields and bear watches to guard them (note the bamboo structures in the fields at the nearby village of Banzam). An hour and half of undulating trails later, you’ll reach the village of Lihi (2840m), a substantial altitude gain. Lihi houses two old gompas, and is spread along the trail with billowing fields of barley, guarded by more bear watches. Lihi is known for its unusual architecture which we’ll see further north in Nupri as well – apartment-like units with a common roof. From Lihi, you can head east to the newly opened village of Hinang, which also has an important gompa.

Climb gently through the village past the lodge campsite, descend to the Hinang Khola which flows from the Hinang and Lanjam Glaciers, and climb again, with views of Ngadi Himal and Manaslu north opening up aheadof us. Soon you’ll reach the kane chorten and the picturesque Tibetan village of Shyo (3000m). Shyo has a small lha-khang and two newly rebuilt gompas (with help from the Taiwanese?), one across the river. Look for the bear claw on the upper deck of one of the slate-terraced house at the far end of the village. Across the river are said to be the ruins of an old Tibetan fort as well as the resplendent new gompa. From Shyo, the views of Ngadi Chuli are spectacular, and further on, towards Lho, you are finally treated to breath-taking views of Manaslu itself, an impressive afternoon!

One more small descent out of Shyo, past a fly-blown teahouse and a small stream, and you start to climb up to Lho, a lively, green and sprawling village adorned with many prayer flags, in the yard of a small lodge just above the new chorten that was built with the help of the Taiwanese in 2009. The local household deities in Lho are called ‘pholhas’ and are revered at small altars in all of the houses.

The old small gompa is being rebuilt, and the new Nyingma Rimjung Gompa, adorned with multi-colored prayer flags on top of the hill, is worth a visit. The large gompa houses 150 monks (both novice monks and lamas) from such far away Tibetan regions as Manang, Dolpo and Bhutan. The gompa was a joint venture of these same Taiwanese and Kempo Tashi Tsering. From the guest house, sunset and sunrise are wonderful, with breathtaking views of Manaslu and Manaslu North just ahead. (B, L, D)

Day 17 – Trek Sama Gaon (Ro) 3525m | Optional Route via Pung Gyan Gompa 3780m
If the weather is clear, you’ll wake to a misty, golden sunrise and spectacular views of Manaslu and Manaslu North right from the lodge (with fabulous photos from the top of the mani walls and chortens). Leaving Lho, with the snowy peaks of Manaslu rising behind the Nyingma Rimjung Gompa, pass above the billowing green barley fields and below the monastery on the newer trail, crossing a long suspension bridge, trekking through open woods, and crossing a small stream on a wooden bridge. Ascend through light forests next to a small river until you reach a small hydro-electric hut. Heading to the right, hike up through a once dense forest of spruce (which smells just like Maine), now sadly becoming deforested. Locals from Lho and Sama Gaon have cut almost all of the large pines to transport by yak to Tibet where they are sold and other Chinese goods purchased. Hong Sangbu Gompa, near Musithang Kharka, was once a small village gompa and now dwarfed by the larger, newer gompa which will apparently be used for meditation.

Hike past an old mill where local women are often roasting barley and grinding it to make tsampa. Soon you’ll reach the high, idyllic summer settlement of Shayla, a settlement of the Lho villagers, where we’ve found pelts of blue sheep tucked away in the rafters of the modest wooden homes, and sometimes spot Himalayan thar. There are extensive mountain panoramas from Shayla, a hamlet of new lodges and old summer houses with a large, school sponsored by Takyur Rimpoche at the end of the village. Shayla is a great place to spend the night if you have extra days in hand, or if you want to visit Pung Gyan Gompa en route to Sama Gaon, a long but worthwhile day hike. (see route below).

Once past Shayla, you’ll cross two long suspension bridges over flood and land-slide scarred river junctions. The trail leads past Tibet grazing settlements, the second trail to Pung Gyan Gompa to the left, more grazing yaks, several doksas (kharkas), a large school and eventually past checkered fields of barley and potato to Sama Gaon, or Ro, as the locals call it. From the school, it’s a half an hour’s walk to Ro.

Sama Gaon sits in a bowl at the foot of the pastures leading to the high peaks. It’s a lovely village of mani walls, household monks, gompas and tightly packed rows of houses. Just above the village is the extensive Pema Choling Gompa which acts as a retirement home for many of the elders of Sama. The people settled here from Tibet over 500 years ago, and the two gompas (one in the lower village) date from this time, both having unique architecture, colorful doors and windows and built of wood. The Tibetan villages in this region of Manaslu have distinctive entrance gates (kanes), and they maintain an active trade with their co-religionists in Tibet over several high passes nearby (notice the Chinese brandy and beer for sale in the small shops). Taxes were actually paid to the Dzongka Dzong (fortress) at the border of Tibet, a few days walk from Sama Gaon, as late as the 1940’s until it was taken over by the Gorkhas in the late 19th century. Later, after 1959, the region was home to Tibetan guerrillas, and thus closed to trekking until 1992. The economy is based on farming, herding and trading.

Take the afternoon to hike up to the old Kagyu Pema Choling Gompa settlement just north of the village. This is locally called Labrang, or Lama’s place, and houses several lamas and their families as well as many nuns. The lamas and monks in Sama are all married, and there are about sixty of them. There are frequent pujas at the gompa and many prayer rooms with old murals and statues, worth at least an hour to explore. It’s also endlessly fascinating to wander the dirty alleyways of Sama, it’s stone houses with wooden decks and shingles a similar style to the ones in Lho and Lihi. Yaks and dzobkios share the narrow alleys, which have small waterways running in the middle of them and planks to bridge the two sides. If the weather is good, you will see the village women weaving wool (phal) from Tibet as well as local sheep and goat wool into lengths of fabric which eventually become chubas. We often shop for hook rugs (den) and other Tibetan artifacts in the village, a good way to interact with the villagers. Geoff Child’s ‘Tibetan Diary’ is a must-read before (or after) spending time in Sama Gaon. (B, L, D)

OPTIONAL ROUTE | Trek Shayla 3500m, Pung Gyan Gompa 4045m & Sama Gaon 3525m
The route to Pung Gyan Gompa is a stunning hike either from Shayla or from before Lho, up a quite remote trail along the Numla Khola and the Pung Gyan glacier, past Tibetan ‘kharkas’ or seasonal herding settlements. There are unbeatable views of Manaslu from near gompa, often yaks grading on the plateau, and retreat hermitages, still used, in the cliffs just above the monastery. The gompa was mostly destroyed by an avalanche in 1953, and recently rebuilt, now adorned by Tibetan prayer flags.

Once past Shayla, you’ll be trekking through classic alpine scenery, hiking along glacial streams with iris, azaleas (in the rhododendron genus), primrose (primulas) and dwarf rhododendron (used for making Tibetan incense, along with juniper) coloring the mountain scape. After crossing two long suspension bridges over flood and land-slide scarred river junctions, take a sharp left turn just before the school and doksa at a small (marked) trail, and hike up to Pung Gyan Gompa and the backside of Manaslu. To reach Pung Gyan Gompa, you have a stunning 2-3 hour hike up a sometimes icy trail along the Numla Khola and the Pung Gyan glacier, hiking past Tibetan ‘doksas’, or seasonal herding settlements. We pass thousands of yellow and blue primrose (primulas), the leaves emitting a slightly skunky sesame smell, eventually reaching the lateral moraine of Pung Gyan glacier. We often see Himalayan thar and blue sheep along this route, grazing along the right side of the valley, and Himalayan griffon and Lammergeiers (both vultures) overhead. Looking down valley, the views over blue, glacial lakes and this massive, silt and boulder strewn glacier are sublime and otherworldly …

From the plateau, you’ll be treated to unbeatable views of Manaslu from near Pung Gyan Gompa, a monastery that was mostly destroyed by an avalanche in 1953 and recently rebuilt. See David Snellgrove’s account of the Japanese climbers from 1952-56 who angered the mountain goddess and caused the avalanche that destroyed the monastery and killed the nuns living inside. Monks from the Lho monastery sometimes meditate in the prayer flag strewn meditation caves above the monastery; one of them has been there for about 40 years we’ve been told. Locals are often grazing their yaks and naks (and adorable baby yaks) on the green plateau, staying at their doksas for a month or two. Marmots stick their heads out of their holes, and you might even spot a rare lone ibis bill at the prayer flag-marked spring just near camp. Hike a few minutes towards the glacial moraine, just behind the small pond, for a mind-blowing Manaslu panorama if the weather is clear and the mountain blesses you with her presence! 

Back down the green, flower filled glacial valley to the wide plateau, your trail leads us past Tibet grazing settlements, several doksas (where you might find a bowl of fresh yak (nak, dri) yogurt). At the end of the valley,  turn left back on the main trail and pass the large Lho school, checkered fields of barley and potatoes, and grazing yaks, and enter the large village of Sama Gaon, locally called Ro. (7½ – 8 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 18 – Trek Samdo 3850m | via Manaslu Base Camp (Birendra Tal Lake)

Another day of spectacular Himalayan vistas as you trek past craggy woods of Himalayan birch during the walk up the valley to Samdo, an easy 3 – 3½ hours hike.

BIRENDRA TAL & MANALSU BASE CAMP HIKE | For those who want an extra excursion, you have the option to hike to the overlook Birendra Tal (lake), trekking towards Manaslu Base Camp. Once through the livestock gate, take a left turn and  head west towards Manaslu Base Camp, hiking along the grassy lateral moraine and passing two seasonal kharkas. As you hike up through the woods on a dirt trail, past birch, juniper and rhododendron, the lake opens up below and you’ll get closer to the impressive icefall of the Manaslu Glacier. You might hike up to a Guru Rimpcohe cave at 4050m meters before returning back to the valley, perhaps scaring some danphe (Nepal’s national birds) or blue sheep from their hiding spots as you descend, crossing the small stream and heading north again back on the mail trail …

Passing by the left side of the long mani walls at Kermo Kharka, continue to trek for about 2 hours, soon spotting the entrance chorten of Samdo high on a bluff. Descend to the Budhi Gandaki, which you cross a small bridge, and have a short climb to the ‘kane’ entrance of Samdo, cleansing ourselves on the way into the village. You’ll stay in the middle of Samdo, at a lodge which sometimes has Wifi, owned by Tsewang Deckyi and her husband.

The villagers of Samdo came across the border from the village of Riu in Tibet after 1959 and built their new village here, at their old herding settlement. Like the people of Ro, Samdo inhabitants are Tibetan, and were ceded the land by the king of Jumla over 500 years ago. Unlike the Ro locals, they only claimed their land after the Chinese takeover in the early 1950s. Since then they have established a trade with China and India, marketing among other things, the aphrodisiac root that grows in the region yertsagumbu. We have lots of friends in the village, and you and your guide will might be invited to visit and share some chang (Tibetan barley beer), salt-butter tea and perhaps do a bit of carpet or textile shopping. Take a walk around the village where the inhabitants live an essentially Tibetan lifestyle, herding their yaks, sheep and goats, training their horses and planting barley and potatoes. There is a small gompa in a house mid-village which we visited in a previous year where a puja was held by several of the reincarnated lamas of Samdo.

We have a long connection with a wonderful family in Samdo, one that Clint Rogers, author of ‘Where Rivers Meet’, lived with years ago. The Kamzang Fund helped Nima Dikki get over her four-year postpartum depression years ago, and we knew her husband Tsewang Gyurme well. Tragically, Tsewang Gyurme died fighting a forest fire in January 2011 (see memorial in The Kamzang Fund page) and Nyima Dikki is struggling (optimistically) to make ends meet by running a small local tea-house. We will visit Nyima Dikki’s traditional Tibetan house later in the afternoon, and all are welcome to sit by the warm fire, and try some chang, raski, salt-butter tea and local potatoes dipped in timbur (mountain pepper). The eldest daughter, Menden Samo, helped her mother run the household before she got married in 2019. Tsewang Gyurme’s sister Rita Lhamo, a beautiful, deaf woman with a warm smile, also a talented weaver, will be by to visit, as will Tsewang’s father and Nyima’s mother.

The Kamzang Fund Projects | We have a ‘Samdo Fund’ to help Nima Dikki with her life, kids and business if anyone is interested in contributing. The Kamzang Fund also helps Rita Lhamo, their parents, and Nyima Dorji (Babu) and his wife Tashi Dikki, who have a tragic story of their own. (4+ hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 11.8 km

Extra Day Samdo | Trek Samdo Doksa 4280m & Samdo Doksa Mesa 4355m
It’s nearly impossible to over-appreciate the sublime views of Manaslu and the surrounding Himalayan snow peaks, so we’ve scheduled an extra day to hike higher up in the Manaslu region, to a doksa about 300 meters above Samdo, amongst the slate roofs and patios of the doksa, on the trail which leads towards the Lajyung La Pass (5120m). This pass isn’t used much by locals anymore, so the upper section of trail is barely visible, but you can hike further up the valley for some awesome peak viewing, including an in-your-face view of Manaslu itself (or just enjoy the amazing mountain panoramas from camp or slightly higher up this route). 

Leaving Samdo, pass through the one street of the village and start climbing gradually, heading northeast and gaining wonderful views down to Samdo, its tilled or green fields and slate roofs below, partly obscured by the sunlight on beams of morning fire-smoke. As you ascend, the peaks to the west open up behind us and in 1½ hours we’ve crested ‘Samdo Spur’ (4235m). From left to right, the peaks are: Simrang Himal, Himal Chuli, Ngadi Himal, Manaslu, Manaslu North and Larkye Peak. To the right of the Larkye La which is just in front of us as we look northwest, we can see Cheo Himal and Kang Guru behind the pass. Two more contours to northern ridges brings us to a small, clear glacial stream and the original summer kharkas of the Lho people, now deserted and sometimes used by the Samdo-pa in the winter. The kharka huts are beautiful, with glimmering slate tiles on the roofs and slate patios.

Climb one more hill to the old cairn and head directly north up the grassy hillside to reach the idyllic ‘Samdo Doksa Hill’ (4575m). From this vantage point, you’ll have views east to the Lajyung La pass leading to Tibet, as well as over the Larkye La and at over to the Manaslu Massif. Purple and yellow primulas bloom throughout the hillsides, marmots stand on their hind legs and whistle, choughs soar and play above us, chukkars dart past us, and blue sheep roam the hillsides above. Local yaks also roam the pastures above these doksas, and more yersta gumbu camps are above. We might also see more danphe (Himalayan monal pheasants, the national bird of Nepal) as they crash through the underbrush, and often spot lammergeier and Himalayan griffon soaring high above. It’s a knee-wrenching hour-long descent back down to Samdo, and you might want to bring your lunch along with you. (2½-4 hrs) (B, L, D)

Extra Day Samdo | Day Hike Rui La (Tibet Border) (5000m)
A rest, acclimatization or exploration day in this wonderful Tibetan village, tucked away below Manaslu which towers above us to the west. The sun hits Samdo early and warms the village, so get up with the sun, soak in the mountain environment and notice the early morning sunbeams illuminating the village wood-smoke. In back of the village rise the majestic peaks of Ngadi Chuli, Himal Chuli and Simnang Himal.

For those wanting to explore, it’s possible to trek up to the Rui La, the trading pass into Tibet which local Samdo-pa have been using for centuries. Bring a full day pack and warm gear as this pass at 5000 meters can be cold, and be ready for a long, strenuous day of trekking. Leaving Samdo, we take the main trail for 20 minutes and then continue north until the second major valley, turning right and switchbacking up the hillside to reach the Rui La pass, on the border of Tibet. Lizzy reports that this border now has barbed wire and a Chinese flag, but the last time we were there quite a few years ago there was only a stone marker at the actual border.

The Gya La (‘large pass’) to the north of Samdo is a more frequently used trading route to Tibet but makes for an extremely long day trip. The border markers at the top says ‘China, 1962.’ The trail up to the pass is used frequently by groups of Samdo residents with their yaks carrying timbers over the border to Tibet. True High Asia. These days the main trade is in yartsa gumbu, and Tibetan Khampas used to come for the month of June to bring this commodity back to Tibet and sell to the Chinese for a hefty profit. (Now the border is closed to Tibetans, generally). For those who want (or need) to rest, enjoy a relaxing day in Samdo, chat with the villagers, and get ready for the Larkya La pass in a few days! (8 – 9 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 19 – Trek Dharamsala High Camp (Larkya Phedi) 4480m
You have a shorter 3 -4 hour day as you head to Dharamsala, the highest lodge site for crossing the Larkya La pass. You leave Samdo on the old trade route towards Tibet (Sherpas from the Khumbu region used to bring their yaks into Tibet and then across the Larkya La down into Nubri on their extensive trade-circuit in years past), cross a small bridge, and climb westwards above the ruins of Larkya Bazaar. The bazaar was one of the trade markets, a seasonal tented camp, that flourished years ago, before the closing of the Tibetan border. Ascending through grazing lands, open, grassy plateaus filled with dwarf rhododendron, juniper bushes and lichen-covered granite, the panoramas become increasingly awe-inspiring. You’ll soon reach the view up to Syancha Glacier on the other side of the valley which tumbles down from Manaslu & Manaslu North. The route up Manaslu is visible from one of the many spurs that we crest this morning.

Finally, you reach the developing lodge settlement at Dharamsala, the most basic and hilly of the Manalsu Circuit trek. You’ll feel the altitude and the cold here! We’re in blue sheep territory, so keep an eye out for herds of them grazing nearby on the barren hillsides. If you’ve still got energy to spare hike up either of the ridges that form the boundary of the valley, or hike up alongside the small spring-fed stream in back of the lodges and enjoy the birds, marmots and blue sheep. Either way you’ll have good views of Naike Peak to the south and the tip of Manaslu in front. Have an early dinner in preparation for our pass crossing tomorrow … (B, L, D)

Day 20 – Trek Bimtang 3590m | Cross Larkya La (5140m & 5160m)

It will be dark as you pack up your gear in the morning and head out for the 8-hour trekking day, crossing the spectacular Larkya La to reach the Bimtang valley and the Annapurna region! Bring your trekking poles and micro-spikes; you’ll need them for the descent of the Larkya La!

After a short climb directly above the lodges, you’ll hike along the right side of the lateral moraine, soon following the narrow bottom of this valley. Look for blue sheep, pika, marmot and Tibetan snow-cock tracks in the snow, and you might be lucky and see snow leopard prints or scat. You’ll soon reach the ablation valley on the north side of the Larkya Glacier where we’ll have views of Cho Danda and Ganesh Himal l to the east and then of Larkya Peak (6250m) to the west. Continue across the often snowy, undulating moraine of the glacier, past the many snow markers, and in about two hours reach a small hut, mostly unused (4920 meters). From here you will have another two hours of ascent to reach the Larkya La pass. Continue to ascend on small ridges and past a lovely frozen lake, often through the snow, making a gradual ascent which becomes steeper only in the last section to the pass.

The views from the top of the Larkya La are wonderful, mountain panoramas equally amazing from both sides of the double pass. From the east, the direction you just hiked up, look down on Samdo Peak and the peaks bordering Tibet, and Larkye Peak to the southeast. To the west towards the Annapurna region rise Kang Guru (ridge only), Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal and a bit further down the pass the views open up to included Gyagi Kung and Annapurna II. After hanging your Tibetan prayer flags and yelling ‘Ki ki so so lha gyalo’ (may the Gods be victorious), get ready for a steep climb down a narrow ridge, followed by a switch backing, often icy descent, to a trail following the left side of the Salpu Danda glacier moraine. You might stop for lunch (packed lunch) after reaching a flat area with smooth rocks if there’s no snow, once you’ve crossed the rock fall area, or you might wait until you reach the new group of 2 or 3 lodges about an hour above Bimtang, a welcome stop! We’ve stopped at Kunsang Hotel & Restaurant although there are others.

From the start of the glacial moraine, continue to  traverse downhill with another steep section ahead, soon reaching a flatter valley full of primulas and azalea bushes. You’ll still have a good 2-3 hours to go to reach Bimtang, a boulder-strewn, circular descent. Bimtang, which means ‘plain of sand’, is the region where the Samdo people keep their yaks and horses in the summer and winter months. You’ll pass the Ponkar Lake sign (1¾ hrs to the lake) just before reaching the hamlet of Bimtang. Enjoy a chilled beer at Hotel Ponkar Mountain & Restaurant, the first on the left as you enter the hamlet, as the evening clouds gather, turning pink behind the surrounding peaks … (8 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 16.4 km

Day 21 – Trek Tilje 2300m or Gowa 2620m (Lodge)
A chilly but beautiful morning as the sun behind the ridge hits the Himalayan peaks around you long before the lodge. Leaving the frosty grazing fields of Bimtang, you’ll climb to a ridge over the moraine and look down on the opaque, turquoise lakes below, soon afterwards descending and then crossing a boulder-strewn river, often flooded, on a wooden bridge. We ascend and then head down through open forests of brilliantly blooming rhododendron, juniper, birches and spruce past the doksas below Bimtang. En route, you might pass Samdo-pa returning from their shopping in the Manang region with their loaded horses. Butterflies flutter peacefully, hummingbirds dart from tree to tree, and white strawberry flowers and azalea bushes are underfoot as you descend through forests of rhododendron, with the west side of Manaslu opening up impressively in front of you. You’ll continue to hike along the rocky river-bed, often on trails which traverse sliding hillsides, and stop for a break at the 2 small lodges of Yak Kharka (we like the lodge on the left of the trail). You’ll follow the intersecting glacial rivers, increasingly large as we drop, and eventually cross a steel Bailey’s bridge and reach the small hamlet of Karche, where you might stop for lunch at 7 Sisters Lodge …

After lunch, you have a medium sized climb, more green fields and wild flowers, and an undulating trail as you trek past several small, green and tilled villages  a sign that we’ve reached lower altitudes. You’ll pass through the vibrant green barley fields (protected by local scarecrows) of Gowa village, where you stop for the night at the nice Nirvana Garden Inn, run by the lovely daughter Angina. You might opt to continue on another hour or so to Tilje, an interesting village of Gurung inhabitants, but a bit busier than it used to be before the earthquake and the rebuilding. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13.2 km (Gowa)

Day 22 – Trek Tal 1860m | Annapurna Region | via Nache 2230m

You have an hour’s hike through a cultural region to reach Tilje, whose inhabitants of Tilje are a mix of Manangis, Ghale Gurung and Chettris (Hindus) so have developed a unique architecture and culture, and eat a mix of foods ranging from dal bhat and buckwheat dhiro to tsampa to Tibetan salt-butter tea. The deep gorge ahead marks the land of apple pie, cold beers and hot showers, otherwise known as the Annapurna Circuit.

Leaving Tilje, hike along a relatively easy trail following the Dudh Khola through bamboo forests, high above the river, descending towards Dharapani, an atmospheric Tibetan village with prayer flags fluttering in the wind, stopping en route at the Nyingma Tangbarang Gompa (2260m) in Thongje on the old Annapurna trail. Generally you take a higher trail and miss the last descent to Dharapani, a great, off-the-map hike up to the beautiful Gurung Nache village. The hike is a longish uphill, crossing a very long suspension bridge over an incredibly steep gorge, to reach Nache, with its green barley fields billowing in the breeze, and a small village monastery. You will find some locals or a local teahouse for a traditional lunch, and then begin a steep drop down stone steps to Marshyangdi (or Marsyangdi) River.

Trekking south on the main Annapurna Circuit trail, you soon arrive at a long suspension bridge over which you cross the Marsyangdi River to reach the small village of Karte, re-crossing it soon afterwards. You’ll continue along a high, winding, stunning cliff-side trail past several small teahouses at Khorte, and then switch backing down the steep trail before crossing the Marsyangdi River yet again. There have been many landslides over the past few years, so the bridges and number of crossings, and of course the trails, are a bit unpredictable on this short stretch of trail and road. Ahead, descend to river level and spot the wide plain and waterfall at scenic Tal, the last village of the Lower Manang region. Tal means lake, and the area here was formed when the valley was blocked by a landslide and a dam formed behind. The lake has long gone and now the village of Tal sits on the river flats.

You’ll stop for your last night of the trek at Hotel Norling, the first lodge on the left once you reach Tal. In 2022 & 2023, we reached this by crossing the river on a small, bamboo bridge instead of hiking to the end of town and crossing the large suspension bridge. You’ll celebrate your epic journey through the wilds of Manaslu this evening with the team, and get ready for a jeep ride to Kathmandu (maybe breaking for a night at Bandipur) tomorrow!  (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 15.75 km

Day 23 – Drive Kathmandu
You’ll board your private vehicle for the bumpy ride to Besi Sahar at the start of the Annapurna Circuit, followed by a good, paved road down to the Kathmandu – Pokhara Highway and on another hour to pass the Bandipur turnoff on the main highway. It is a different world leaving the Himalayan regions, with green hills, traditional villages and gentle light as you drive through the lush, semi-tropical middle hills of Nepal, following the Trishuli River.

Back at the Kathmandu Guest House, enjoy a hot shower and a cold beer in the lovely garden before dinner to celebrate the end of a wonderful Manaslu trek! (8-11 hrs driving) (B, L)
Distance Driving: 250km

Extra Day – Split the Drive & Stay in Bandipur | The Old Inn
Bandipur is a lovely Newari village about half way back to Kathmandu, and if you have the time we highly recommend spending a night in this traditional village in one of The Old Inn’s heritage rooms!

Scenic Bandipur is a traditional Newari village, a showcase of one of Nepal’s oldest cultures, beautifully preserved high on a ridge above the road connecting Pokhara and Kathmandu. Bandipur, originally a Magar village, was later ruled by Tansen (Palpa) on the main trade route connecting Tibet in the north to India in the south, and is now a timeless yet vibrant town with lovely guest houses and cafes. You’ll arrive via the steep 8 kilometer road which winds up from the highway, far above the Marsyandi River, and check into The Old Inn, a wonderful, historic Newari boutique hotel surrounded by shops, houses, temples and community centers. If the weather is clear, you’ll be treated to snow-capped Himalayan panoramas.

We recommend a hike down to the less touristed Newari village of Dharapani just below Bandipur, and don’t miss sampling the local yogurt and lassis! There is a wonderful viewpoint just past the Hindu temple, leading to Thani Mai Temple on top of Gurungche Hill. Once up the switchback of stone steps, you’ll enjoy the vast panorama of Bandipur, the Marsyangdi Valley and the checkered fields of the villages in the valley below, especially beautiful at sunset. The hotel has an incredible deck overlooking the forested hillsides, and a good buffet (dinner not included in Bandipur) to top off a great day. You might opt to head out and try another restaurant for dinner after a sundowner beer at The Old Inn.

Some options for a longer stay in Bandipur: Bandipur Bageshwori Peak is about 10 km from Bandipur, an option to visit with the jeep if discussed with the driver beforehand. Siddha Gufa, the largest cave in Nepal, is a half day’s hike from Bandipur, and another half-day hike takes you to Ramkot, a traditional Magar village known for its thatched-roof roundhouses. (B)
Distance Driving: 90.38 km

Day 24 – Trip Ends | Transfer TIA
Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home. Namaste + Tashi Delek! (B)

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Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.

Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.

Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.

Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

Manaslu Circuit & Tsum Valley Lodge Trek | The High Route – Nepal Himalayan Trek
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures – our partners Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa in Kathmandu. Please look for a sign with your name on it. Transfer to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Kathmandu Hotels tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …

We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos, so please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions. 

Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Denchenling, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants … (B)

Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (see Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Day 3 – Drive Barpak 1915m
You’ll be early for a scenic drive from Kathmandu, mostly along the Trisuli River, to the starting part of our trek in the Gurung middle hills of Nepal several bumpy hours past the historic town of Gorkha. Gorkha was once the capital of a massive kingdom which included parts of lower Tibet, and is dominated by an impressive ‘durbar’, or fortress palace complex, predominately Hindu with frequent animal sacrifices in the name of Durga or Kali in its several old Hindu temples. The fort is perched high up in the surrounding hillsides and reached by nearly an hour of hiking up worn stone steps, often with other Nepali Hindu pilgrims. We used to start our trek to Manaslu here but now continue on a newly built jeep road heading north past our old campsite at Arkole village, past vivid green rice paddies, over small rivers and past many road-side batties to the small hamlet of Rangrung. From here the jeep continues up a winding road through a densely forested hillside filled with rhododendrons, bauhenia and other large, leafy trees, and then contouring beside tilled fields to the rustic village of Barwa.

Enjoy the switchbacking, scenic drive up to the incredibly scenic village of Barpak, situated perfectly on a green ridge overlooking the misty valley below. You will hike past Gurung memorial ‘chautaras’ or rest stops specific to the Gurung and Rai people, both Buddhist with an animist/shamanistic bent. You’ll soon reach the local school at Mandaray followed by an entrance gate and several small tea shops where you can stop for a cold drink. Continuing to climb gently, contouring around tilled wheat fields, it will take us another hour of more gentle climbing to reach the ancient chortens that mark the lower reaches of Barpak village. We’ll set up camp at a private schoolyard in the upper section of the village and there is a small shop just below our camp where you’ll be able to find a cold beer or drink. Locals might stop by for a game of volleyball on the school grounds …

Barpak is a large, Ghale (royalty) Gurung village, extremely clean, with a weekly market, wide alleys between the houses, grain and vegetables drying outside on the patios, several shops, a new school, a soccer field, viewpoints and flowers planted along the decks of these Gurung houses. Many of its men joined the Ghurkha Army, returned to Barpak with new wealth, and have built lovely houses. We arrive in time for lunch, and have the afternoon to wander the narrow streets of the village, a photographer’s paradise. Note the locally woven ‘bakus’, a sort of felted wool poncho which most men wear to keep the rain and cold away, and the men carrying hemp rope bags. The village is full of women weaving on wooden looms, spinning and carding. The villagers often organize ‘cultural shows’, the proceeds of which go to improving the village, so we might be treated to one in the early evening. Across the steep valley the hillsides are peppered with other terraced villages. We are towered over by Bauddhi Himal, a high, snow-capped peak that makes for wonderful sunrise and sunset photos. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Trek Laprak 2200m
After breakfast, we’ll start on a picturesque climb right out of town towards a lovely pass, with Bauddhi Himal providing a spectacular back-drop to the sprawling, scenic Barpak as we ascend the narrow ridge. Starting on old stone steps and passing several chautaras, we reach grassy grazing kharkas and look out at the tilled hillsides and impossibly perched Gurung villages across the many deep valleys. Our trail is often stone steps, alternating with hard-packed dirt and stony trail, which meets the new road to Laprak near the ridge-pass, the Laprak La (2820m), which separates Laprak and Barpak. From the viewpoint half an hour before the pass, with flocks of sheep grazing on the grassy hillsides, we are rewarded with panoramic mountain views which are better than at the actual pass itself. Bauddhi Himal, Shringi Himal, Ganesh Himal and the Langtang range all span the horizon. The rhododendrons are blooming brilliantly in many hues of white, pink and red, lovely foreground for photos with the snow-peaks in back. Bring a wind jacket as the clouds often move quickly up to this ridge, and it gets cold at the pass.

Another steep hour or two of trekking between tilled fields, past local kharkas and through the new ‘kane’ chorten brings us down to Laprak, a large, closely packed Gurung village of five hundred houses, perhaps not quite as scenic as Barpak but just as interesting. The Maoists used to stay in this village, and the villagers often offer some friendly indoctrination. We camp in the only campsite around, at the school in the upper section of the village, with several tea-houses nearby. Again, we have the afternoon free to explore the village below. Take a walk down the hill on the stone steps leading to the lower village and a look into some of the houses, several connected by wooden decks, all with symbolic murals on the mud-brick walls and family photographs over the doors. Medicinal roots are often drying on the decks, and millet and barley are spread in low baskets. Again, many women will be on their standing or back-strap looms weaving the long strips of wool for their bakus or blankets. The villagers are friendly, and there is lots to explore in Laprak’s winding maze of lanes. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Trek Korlebesi 875m
Today is a long and classic Nepali trekking day of eight hours, all spectacular but a bit hard on the knees. We’ll have an early start to have plenty of time for all of us, including the porters, to reach Korlebesi. Descending steeply on muddy stone steps through the maze of Laprak village, we pass old and young villagers out early on their decks, taking advantage of the morning sun, with wheat, barley and buckwheat laid out on straw mats. We continue to descend steeply, switchbacking through corn, wheat and barley fields to the river. After crossing the river on a new suspension bridge (next to the old, very rickety one), we climb equally steeply back up, past terraced fields of pink sorghum and rice, all the time far above the Macha Khola which we follow for most of the day. We contour around several hillsides on a narrow trail, barely visible at times, up to a small chorten just below the village of Singla. From here we’re treated to views of Manaslu Himal, Kutang Himal and Shringi Himal to the north. We’ve still got a way to go as we trek through more terraced fields, climb and descend several dusty hillsides, climb on more stone steps and reach a plateau that seems to extend into an expanse of nothingness. We descend finally from here, and after about twenty minutes of steep stone steps reach the Gurung village of Korla. Still more downhill from here during which the landscape becomes more tropical, through more tilled fields, past a small hamlet with lovely rocks and finally we reach an extremely steep set of stone steps which leads to a long suspension bridge across the Nimrung Khola and to our campsite at Korlebesi on the Budhi Gandaki river. Look out for the local women weaving straw mats in the village. Our campsite is just below the village, next to the Nimrung Khola, again providing great swimming holes. We will probably get a visit in the evening from this village’s cultural ambassadors, and perhaps have another show. (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Trek Jagat 1370m
A long and hot trekking day today, starting with a walk through the village of Korlebesi and followed by an hour of walking along the river, by tobacco and buckwheat fields, past rocks washed smooth by the river, often climbing up stone steps, to reach the hot springs in the center of the small, terraced village of Tatopani. We have plenty of time to soak our grungy bodies in the gushing hot water streaming out of sculpted spouts. A gentle climb through the woods past some spectacular waterfalls and sculpted rocks brings us to a new suspension bridge across the Budhi Gandaki which we cross. We continue along a forested path and soon reach the large teahouse at Dobhan where the staff is having dal baht. After a short break we cross the Dhoban Khola on another suspension bridge Above Dobhan, the Budhi Gandaki descends in an impressive series of steep cataracts. We’ll share the trail with local sheep and goat herders, the youngest of the flock in rope baskets slung over their backs. More steep steps along cliff walls to climb as the river descends even more steeply and stratified river rocks decorate our route. It’s hot and there will be chances to stop at fly-blown Nepali bhattis, shared with local farm animals, for a drink, snack and rest en route. The valley flattens a bit and after a short climb we reach a newer bhatti and campsite. From here our trail climbs high above the river, nearly 200 meters, only to descend to an ‘eye’ of the Budhi Gandaki River. The valley widens, the river makes a large S turn and then calms.

We’ll stop for lunch at another camping spot and group of bamboo teahouses called Lauri just at the bottom of this climb, with another swimming spot on the Lauri River. An easy hour along the right banks of the river brings us to a long, new suspension bridge again crossing the Bhuri Gandaki after which we climb high, descend past the campsite at lower Jagat and then climb again on neat stone steps to enter our campsite in Jagat, the entrance to the Manaslu park. It is worth wandering around this beautiful, paved village, where proud villagers have recorded how much they contributed to these paving schemes. (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Trek Philim 1570m
Enjoy our short day of less than three hours, a day to restock for the Tsum valley ahead. After descending a long series of stone steps back down to the river from Jagat village, we climb on slab steps along a terraced hill-side to the small hamlet of Saguleri, just past where we’ll have our first view of the impressive Shringi Himal, 7187 meters high. Beautiful flame-leaf trees adorn the trail as we continue to climb and descend far above the river. We pass through the fly-blown paved village of Sirdibas, where the local children sell oranges in the Autumn and soon afterwards pass the local water-mill. Crossing the river again on a long, high suspension bridge at Gata Khola, we have a steep climb past green fields of wheat to reach Philim, the MCAP headquarters with a health post, a Japanese-sponsored school and a micro-hydro plant. We arrive at our guest house in time for lunch, and have the afternoon free to wash at the darapani (tap), to explore the interesting upper village and gompa, or sit and enjoy the afternoon in the village.

The upper village’s Gurung inhabitants are very poor, and we often spend the afternoon tending to wounds and sick villagers who have commented that our western medicine is ‘magic’. Notice the chorten with the Maoist hammer and sickle in the center of the upper village, the kane chortens with murals inside and the intricately woven baskets which both the men and the women craft. The exquisite gold heirloom necklaces that adorn some of the women come from Barpak. Be careful of village dogs as they do sometimes bite! (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Trek Chumling 2280m
We start our trek into the beautiful and remote Tibetan Tsum valley today. Leaving Philim along the main, paved trail we hike through corn and millet fields on a high trail over the Budhi Gandaki and soon pass Ekle Bhatti (which means one tea-house). Continuing on this spectacular trail, we hike through a narrow, dramatic gorge with towering walls, past a thundering waterfall to the right of the trail and more smaller ones along the way. White-faced langurs frolic in the trees above and remote villages cling to the opposite side of the gorge. Everything is green and in full bloom. About two hours past Philim, just as we reach the metal bridge which spans the Budhi Gandaki, we veer off the main Manaslu trail to the east, in the direction of the Ganesh Himal. Entering the steep gorge leading into Tsum valley, we enter a purely Tibetan region untouched by Chinese intervention except for by mutual trade. We have about an hour of gradual climbing above the Shiar Khola through a light forest, much of it being cut down for timber, to reach the tiny hamlet of Lokpa at 1915 meters where we will stay en route back to Manaslu. We’ll have views of Shringi & Ganesh Himal from here. The staff will have lunch at the small teahouse, pick up the only green vegetables available in Tsum, and we’ll continue on, descending to cross two newly built metal bridges over the intersecting Sukki Khola and Shiar Khola (questionable name).

Once we reach river level we start to climb again, often steeply and on a somewhat exposed, switchbacking trail. The trails through the Tsum valley have been greatly improved over the past two years, so once precipitous and exposed trails are now safe and well maintained. We continue on this cliff-side, undulating trail for about an hour and then drop back down to a small tea-house at Ghumlung from where we’ll cross the main Shiar Khola on a long suspension bridge. The hill-top village of Ripchet comes into sight across the steep-sided valley as we climb again on a nicely graded switchbacking trail to Chumling, a lovely village to the right and above our campsite at Hotel Ganesh Himal. Great mountain views from the guest house, so enjoy if you don’t feel like exploring the village. There is a gompa in the northern (right) section of the village across the suspension bridge just out of camp and Himal Chuli rises down valley. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Trek Chhokangparo 3085m
Venturing further into the Tsum valley, we have a lovely hike of 5-6 hours in front of us today to reach Chhokangparo, a twin village which translates as roughly ‘place of wisdom’. Just out of camp we cross the suspension bridge and descend slightly as the valley opens ahead of us with green, fertile villages adding color to the already spectacular setting. We pass several small villages and the tiny Dhampa Gompa (2365m), worth a look inside and meeting the old ani (nun) who lives alone at the gompa. Inside are hundreds of ceramic statues of Chenrisig, the Buddha of Compassion, which line three of the walls. This is unique to the Tsum valley as far as I know and we’ll notice these walls of Chenrisigs in most of the Tsum gompas. Descending once again to the small village of Rainjam where we’ll be welcomed by barking dogs, we take the left-hand trail up a bit, cross another suspension bridge and ascend to the small hamlet of Gho (2570m) where our friends next to the village tap might be weaving or spinning at their small house. Passing the small shop, we continue to climb on a good trail for another few hours to reach Chhokangparo, where we’ll stop and stay at a homestay for the night. This is one of our favorite villages in the Tsum valley, a scenic and interesting village with friendly villagers and small lanes to explore. There’s a well-stocked shop in town and a local phone, and a home-stay sort of lodge owned by the same couple. The kids are eager to come and play so save some energy. We might have the chance to visit Tashi (of Tsum Valley Homestay)’s mother in their modest Tibetan home for a cup of salt-butter tea, and perhaps we’ll also visit another English-speaking friend, Namgyal, at his much nicer and lighter house. There is lots of weaving happing in this village as in most others in Tsum and Manaslu, and perhaps an opportunity to purchase a hook rug or other textile if you’re interested. The intricate, colorful woven belts adorning most women’s Tibetan-style chubas are unique to the Tsum valley as well. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Trek Mu Gompa 3645m
Heading further north towards the border of Tibet, our destination for today is the somewhat remote Mu Gompa, the furthest settlement in the Tsum valley. Leaving Chhokangparo via the long mani walls, it’s an easy hike through the lower section of the village (Paro) and back up past a long mani wall to a chorten across from Chhogu Gompa and village. Continuing to climb gradually past green barley and potato fields, we pass a school and soon reach Nyakyu village (3225m). It’s mostly flat walking to the next village, Lamagaon, which is a similar style to the last with narrow alleyways between the houses. This is the open, predominantly flat section of the Tsum valley where one lovely village runs almost into the fields of the next village, the trails are peppered with mani walls and small chortens and the scenery is sublime. Just past Lamagaon (3220m) to the left are two small hermitages (Milarepa Piren Phu Cave & Chi Phu Gompa), and to the right across the river is the nunnery called Rachen Gompa. We stay on the same side of the river, pass through Phurbe and Pangdum, both with small village gompas and between them an unusually shaped large chorten which dominates the skyline. Soon afterwards we pass through Chhule village (3250m) and then cross the bridge to reach Nile village where the staff will be eating lunch. These are the last villages in the Tsum valley; Nyi Le means sun-side and Chu Le translates as water side. Many groups camp here and make a day trip of Mu Gompa, but we’ll continue on for another two hours, more strenuous than the first four, to reach our camp just below Mu Gompa. This last section is more desolate and more difficult as we’ll gain 400 meters in the next two hours to camp at our highest spot in Tsum. The trail sticks to the left of the river, passing still more mani walls and chortens as it climbs and contours towards the north. After crossing an old ‘slip’ and a small bridge over a glacial stream, we climb a bit more steeply past several larger chortens, with Mu Gompa just above us.

We can either visit the gompa this afternoon or tomorrow morning. One year we had snow all afternoon and evening so had a spectacular morning’s visit to Mu Gompa. The gompa is Drukpa Kagyupa, affiliated with Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu, and filled with ancient, unrestored murals in the main lhakhang which has a very medieval atmosphere. The murals outside of the gompa, with the usual four guardian Bonpo ‘kings of the four directions’ at either side of the doorway. There are about 16 novice monks, or thawas, and another 5 or 6 mature monks and lamas residing at the gompa, and the central temple is surrounded by the monks simple dwellings. (B, L, D)

Day 11 – Mu Gompa | Daytrip Bhajyo 4095m
Now that we’ve hiked all this way, let’s take advantage of our remote mountainous campsite and do some exploring. Our friend Mads, who biked the Tsum Valley earlier this year, found his favorite views of the trip from a hill-top vantage point above Mu Gompa. In June of 2012 we were lucky to catch the annual, monthly ‘fair’ at Bhajyo, which a local jokingly called the New York of Tsum valley. The commodity that brings hundreds of Tsum-pas to this grassy doksa for the month is yersa gumba, ‘summer grass winter insect’, a sort of worm or catipillar which becomes a host for paratical spores/fungus. To get to Bhajyo, head north from camp along a high trail to the left of the river, past several chortens and a slide area. About an hour later we’ll reach a small, wooden bridge which we cross and hike up for about 15 minutes to reach Kalung (3830m) where a seasonal Tibetan-styled teahouse is in action in June. Several doksas encamp around the Kalung area, at the intersection of the Changmam Khola and the Yangdol Khola, in both directions. Heading east along the later river, it’s a few hundred meters of altitude gain along a good trail, across a small bridge at the intersection of this river with the Salbu Khola, to reach Bhajyo. Here, many tea-houses do a good summer business, kids play on the grassy slopes and the older women sit spinning wool. Mules from lower down stop for the night here as they transport hundreds and hundreds of mule-loads of ‘satua’, a ginger-like medicinal root, to Tibet. All in all, an interesting early summer afternoon! (B, L, D)

Day 12 – Trek Chhokangparo
After visiting Mu Gompa we head back down the green valley back to Chhokangparo, which although easier as it’s mostly downhill, still takes about six hours to cover. On the way back we can cross the Khugyu Khola and pass through the large school at Lar to visit Rachen Gompa (locally called Gompa Rangjung), an ani gompa affiliated with Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu with a large number of nuns who stay during the summertime. Further along, past Lamagaon and Ngakyu, we’ll stop into the Chhogu Golden Temple for a look. Once back in Chhokangparo, we’ll be well-situated for our trip to Gompa Lungdang the next day … (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Trek Gompa Lungdang 3340m
It’s a harder day than it looks on the map to reach Gompa Lungdang but worth the effort to get there for the experience of staying with the friendly nuns and the mountain panorama of the Ganesh Himal peaks surrounding the gompa. Leaving camp the same way we came, we backtrack down the large hill on the switchbacking trail that we climbed a few days previously. When we reach the shop and our friend’s small house at Gho we’ll take a sharp left turn and descend through ferms and dense folliage to the Shiar Khola which we cross on a small, wooden bridge. A short hike through light forest brings us to the green hamlet of Dumje (2450m) where some of the young nuns from Gompa Lungdang stay and study, and the nuns have their barley fields. From where we’ll have an often steep three hour hike far above the Laudang Khola to reach Gompa Lungdang. The views are great along the way and there are plenty of resting points en route. Note that the first time you’ll see Gompa Lungdang from the second vertical prayer flag pole on a ridge it’s still a good hour and a few hundred meters away. We’ll camp in the slate courtyard of the gompa unless they’ve decided to build a camping platform. It’s a good way to get to know the very friendly family of nuns, all from the nearby village of Ripchet, who live at the gompa. There’s a cozy kitchen on the other side of the courtyard and the nuns have a puja every morning and evening in the main gompa, very interesting to sit in on. Dinner and breakfast are usually a tsampa dhiro (mash) with timbur (mountain pepper) and stinging nettle sauce, and of course butter tea. There is also a smaller and older looking prayer room just to the right of the main gompa with some fantastic old murals, perhaps in the northern Indian style. And the views are superb! (B, L, D)

Day 14 – Gompa Lungdang
We’ll have a rest day at this wonderful spot, a chance to get to know the lively nuns better and go for a walk. We’ll have an optional hike up the valley towards (but not all the way to) Ganesh Himal Base Camp which will be quite strenuous but spectacular. Or just sit, enjoy your surroundings, do some peak-gazing and enjoy the company! (B, L, D)

Day 15 – Trek Lokpa 1915m
Back down the steep hillside is easier for some than the ascent and should take us an hour and a half to reach the small nunnery outpost at Dumche. Heading further to the south than our route in, we hike briefly along a narrow trail between wooden fences which actually passes through a local inhabitant’s barn and then drop down to a new suspension bridge over the Laudang Khola. After crossing to the other side we’ll have about twenty minutes of flat hiking before reaching an ancient, lichen-covered chorten and mani wall marking what seems to be the far reaches of Dumche. We continue, climbing very gradually, though a dense forest which looks as if it might be home to snakes, bears and monkeys (although we never saw any). About an hour and a half after this chorten, after crossing another new suspension bridge, we climb briefly to reach the long village of Ripchet. Ripchet seems a bit poorer than many other villages in the Tsum valley, and is situated on a ridge far above the Shiar Khola with its fields in back. The dogs are a bit ferocious and the flies are plentiful, so it’s more scenic and interesting to view the village from the fields above. At the end of the line of simple wooden houses is another chorten and then a small school (20 students and 2 teachers on a good day) where we’ll stop for lunch. Afterwards we have a steep descent over a small stream and then straight down the hill to the small tea-house at Ghumling which we passed about a week ago. Just past here is a small pool for cooling hot feet, and the teahouse has drinks. Now starts our long undulating trail to return to Lokpa. In theory it should be easier to return to Lokpa as it’s lower than our starting point by a few hundred meters, but in reality it still takes a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours of ascents and descents, and after the last two bridges we should be good and tired upon reaching Lokpa!

Lokpa has a nice, terraced campsite, small guest houses and cold beers at the shop and is a welcome sight after a long hike. Note the large, green village on the flat plateau high above the Budhi Gandaki on the opposite side. This is Nyak, a village of Gurung’s who graze their sheep and goats far below Barpak and who we probably met en route. (B, L, D)

Day 16 – Trek Deng 1865m
We’ve scheduled a short-ish day today to recover from the last few long ones. Leaving wonderful Tsum valley, we descend for half an hour to where we left the main trail at the river junction, cross the Budhi Gandaki on a steel Bailey’s bridge, and continue further north into more Tibetan border regions. After the bridge and passing the trail to Nyak on the left we ascend gradually along a wide, hillside trail through an open pine forest, and then cross the river two more times on newly built steel suspension bridges (thanks to a benevolent Gurkha society), trekking through dense woods of rhododendrons, bamboo and wild flowers. As we climb, look back for views of Ganesh Himal IV. A few hours later we pass the riverside campsite and teahouses of Pewa where the staff will eat lunch.

After another 45 minutes of relatively easy climbing we leave the narrow gorge, cross the Dyang Khola on a metal suspension bridge, and climb briefly to the hamlet of Deng. Deng is the start of the lower Nubri region called Kutang, where the people are ethnically Tibetan but speak a different dialect than the people of upper Nubri where the people are purely Tibetan. The Kutang dialect, called ‘kukay’, is a mix of Tibeto-Burman and Gurung. We have views of the Ganesh Himal to the rear, as well as Lapuchen and Dwijen Himals to the north. We stay right in the middle of the small village, which now has a few new lodges, and get fresh greens from the family that owns the land. It’s worth a visit to the upper floor of their house above us, perhaps for a glass of local ‘chang’, or Tibetan beer (which the husband has undoubtably already started into). It starts to feel like a piece of old Tibet again. (B, L, D)

Day 17 – Trek Namrung 2540m
The valley is still steep-sided and impressive as we leave camp in the morning, descending briefly to a metal suspenion bridge which we cross as we head along the undulating trail to Nupri. We switchback steeply, once climbing a notched wooden ladder, up to the small, poor village of Rana where the women usually have their looms out. After more climbing through lovely woods of pine and crossing another bridge, we reach Bihi Phedi, where there is a new lodge and views of Kutang Himal. From here we start to see very artistic mani stones (prayers etched onto wayside rocks, particularly mani stones with pictures of gods and goddesses in this region), a sure sign that we are entering another of the tiny Tibetan footholds that mark the high Himalayan places. These particular mani stones were carved by stone carvers from Bihi, above Bihi Phedi, famous in the region for this craft. We have several more hours of ascents and descents ahead of us, twice crossing tributary streams on metal suspension bridges, staying high above the Budhi Gandaki. The walk through the gorge is breathtaking but hot, with spectacular views. Five hours past Namrung, just past a beautifully painted kane chorten and after crossing a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki, we reach the outskirs of Ghap. Again, note the elaborate mani walls with Buddhas in several asanas which were carved by the famous Bihi stone-carvers, and the egg-shells strung above the local ‘tea-house’ doors in Ghap prevent the evil spirits from entering the house. Past the bridge, it’s a good half hour to reach lunch at Hotel Kyimolung.

TREK NOTE | We don’t stay at Ghap but across the Bhuri Gandaki and up steeply up for 45 minutes is the village of Chaak, where the son of the tea-house and campsite owner in Ghap lives with his family. There is a small, deserted gompa, carved mani stones (the style here is distinctly different that most other Tibetan Buddhist regions), and some Tibetans from Samdo who graze their yaks here. In the village, they will be drying their maize to grind into flour, and then trade with the people of upper Nubri. Across the river are great views of the village of Prok perched on the plateau jutting over the river below us. From Chaak, you can trek further to Kwak, and there is a trail up to Shringi Himal base camp. A fire recently destroyed the gompa at Kwak.

Soon after leaving Ghap, we ascend for two hours through a dense, cool forest of fir, rhododendron, bamboo and oaks, crossing the now narrow Budhi Gandaki twice on newly built suspension bridges, and continue to climb, often on smooth, stone steps. We might spot danphe, the national bird of Nepal, or grey langur monkeys with white faces along the trail. As we gain altitude, we reach alpine territory and are treated to increasingly broad mountain views. We eventually reach Namrung, the first village in Nubri, a region of purely Tibetan inhabitants speaking a dialect of western Tibet. Our guest house at Namrung is small and grassy; it’s a spectacular spot when the weather is good but can be chilly if in the clouds so bring something warm in your daypack. It’s a long day for the porters so expect your bags a bit later than usual.

We are now entering the Tibetan region of upper Nupri; Nupri means ‘western ridge’ or ‘western mountains’. (B, L, D)

Day 18 – Trek Lho 3180m
Another wonderful and diverse trekking day awaits. Above Namrung, the valley opens out and there are extensive barley fields and bear watches to guard them (note the bamboo structures in the fields at the nearby village of Banzam). An hour and half of undulating trails later we reach the village of Lihi at 2840 meters, a substantial altitude gain. Lihi houses two old gompas, and is spread along the trail with billowing fields of barley, guarded by more bear watches. Lihi is known for its unusual architecture which we’ll see further north in Nupri as well – apartment-like units with a common roof. From Lihi, you can head east to the newly opened village of Hinang, which also has an important gompa.

We climb gently through the village past the lodge campsite, descend to the Hinang Khola which flows from the Hinang and Lanjam Glaciers, and climb again, with views of Ngadi Himal and Manaslu north opening up aheadof us. Soon we reach the kane chorten and the picturesque Tibetan village of Shyo at 3000m. Shyo has a small lha-khang and two newly rebuilt gompas (with help from the Taiwanese?), one across the river. Look for the bear claw on the upper deck of one of the slate-terraced house at the far end of the village. Across the river are said to be the ruins of an old Tibetan fort as well as the resplendent new gompa. From Shyo, the views of Ngadi Chuli are spectacular, and further on, towards Lho, we are finally treated to breath-taking views of Manaslu itself, an impressive afternoon!

One more small descent out of Shyo, past a fly-blown teahouse and a small stream, and we start to climb up to Lho. We’ll stop for lunch at one of the new lodge decks in the lower reached of Lho. From here it’s a short but steep switchback up to Lho.

We stay near the top of Lho, a lively, green and sprawling village adorned with many prayer flags, in the yard of a small lodge just above the new chorten that was built with the help of the Taiwanese in 2009. The local household deities in Lho are called ‘pholhas’ and are revered at small altars in all of the houses. The small gompa just below our old campsite and new lodge is worth a visit as is the new Nyingma Rimjung Gompa, adorned with multi-colored prayer flags just up the hill from our campsite. The large gompa houses 150 monks (both novice monks and lamas) from such far away Tibetan regions as Manang, Dolpo and Bhutan. The gompa was a join venture of these same Taiwanese and Kempo Tashi Tsering.

From the guest house, sunset and sunrise are wonderful, with breathtaking views of Manaslu and Manaslu North just ahead of us. (B, L, D)

Day 19 – Trek Sama Gaon (Ro) 3525m
We wake to a misty, golden sunrise and spectacular views of Manaslu and Manaslu North from the campsite. Walking through the upper reaches of Lho, with the snowy peaks of Manaslu rising behind the gompa, we pass billowing green barley fields, a long mani wall and large, old chortens followed by the kane chorten where we’ll get the best views of Manaslu. We descend, cross a small stream on wooden bridges and then ascend through light forests next to a small river until we reach a small hydro-electric hut. From here we’ll hike up through a once dense forest of pine, now nearly deforested. Locals from Lho and Sama Gaon have cut almost all of the large pines to transport by yak to Tibet where it will be sold and other Chinese goods purchased. Soon we reach Hong Sangbu Gompa, once a small village gompa and now dwarfed by the larger, newer gompa which will apparently be used for meditation. The gompa is near Musithang kharka, a seasonal herding spot, and has fantastic views of the surrounding peaks.

Leaving the gompa and barking dogs, we descend just a bit to an old mill where local women who stay in Shayla are often roasting barley and grinding it to make tsampa. Soon we reach the high, idyllic summer settlement of Shayla, where we’ve found pelts of blue sheep tucked away in the rafters of the now-deserted settlement. There are extensive mountain panoramas from here as well, and new lodges. Once past Shayla we have two hours of trekking through classic alpine scenery, crossing two small bridges over glacial streams. Our trail leads us past Tibet grazing settlements, the trail to Pung Gyan Gompa to the left, several doksas (kharkas), a large school and eventually past checkered fields of barley and potato to Sama Gaon, or Ro, as the locals call it. Pung Gyan Gompa sits at 3870 meters and is a stunning walk up an often icy and slippery trail along the Numla Khola and the Pung Gyan glacier past Tibetan ‘kharkas’ or seasonal herding settlements. There are unbeatable views of Manaslu near the gompa. The gompa was mostly destroyed by an avalanche in 1953, and recently rebuilt. The complex includes a cave gompa as well, which affords even better views of the valley.

Back down the valley to the school, it’s just a half an hour’s walk to Ro. Sama Gaon sits in a bowl at the foot of the pastures leading to the high peaks. It’s a lovely village of mani walls, household monks, gompas and tightly packed rows of houses. Just above the village is the extensive Pema Choling Gompa which acts as a retirement home for many of the elders of Sama. The people settled here from Tibet over 500 years ago, and the two gompas (one in the lower village) date from this time, both having unique architecture, colorful doors and windows and built of wood. The Tibetan villages in this region of Manaslu have distinctive entrance gates (kanes), and they maintain an active trade with their co-religionists in Tibet over several high passes nearby (notice the Chinese brandy and beer for sale in the small shops). Taxes were actually paid to the Dzongka Dzong (fortress) at the border of Tibet, a few days walk from Sama Gaon, as late as the 1940’s until it was taken over by the Gorkhas in the late 19th century. Later, after 1959, the region was home to Tibetan guerrillas, and thus closed to trekking until 1992. The economy is based on farming, herding and trading.

Take the afternoon to hike up to the old Kagyu Pema Choling Gompa settlement just north of the village. This is locally called Labrang, or Lama’s place, and houses several lamas and their families as well as many nuns. The lamas and monks in Sama are all married, and there are about sixty of them. There are frequent pujas at the gompa and many prayer rooms with old murals and statues, worth at least an hour to explore. It’s also endlessly fascinating to wander the dirty alleyways of Sama, it’s stone houses with wooden decks and shingles a similar style to the ones in Lho and Lihi. Yaks and dzobkios share the narrow alleys, which have small waterways running in the middle of them and planks to bridge the two sides. If the weather is good, you will see the village women weaving wool (phal) from Tibet as well as local sheep and goat wool into lengths of fabric which eventually become chubas.We often shop for hook rugs (den) and other Tibetan artifacts in the village, a good way to interact with the villagers.

Geoff Child’s ‘Tibetan Diary’ is a must-read before (or after) spending time in Sama Gaon. (B, L, D)

Day 20 – Trek Samdo 3850m | via Manaslu Base Camp (Birendra Tal Lake)
Another day of mountain views as we trek past craggy woods of Himalayan birch during the walk up to Samdo, an easy 3 or 3 1/2 hours away. For those who want an extra excursion we’ll hike above the lake up Manaslu Base Camp valley. Half an hour after leaving Sama Gaon, cross the small bridge, hike through the gate of the grazing wall and head west towards Manaslu Base Camp along the grassy lateral morraine. En route, we’ll pass two seasonal kharkas, looking like they’ve not been used recenty. As we hike up through the woods on a dirt trail, past birch, juiper and rhododendron, the lake opens up below us and we get closer to the impressive icefall of the Manaslu Glacier. We’ll hike up to a cave at just over 4000 meters before calling it a day and returning back to the valley, crossing the small stream and heading north again.

We pass by the left side of the long mani walls at Kermo Kharka and 1/1/2 hours afterwards spot the entrance chorten of Samdo high on a bluff. We descend back to the Budhi Gandaki and cross a small bridge leading to a short climb to the ‘kane’ entrance of Samdo. The villagers of Samdo came across the border from the village of Riu in Tibet after 1959 and built their new village here, at their old herding settlement. Like the people of Ro, Samdo inhabitants are Tibetan, and were ceded the land by the king of Jumla over 500 years ago. Unlike the Ro people, they only claimed their land after the Chinese takeover in the early 1950s. Since then they have established a trade with China and India, marketing among other things, the aphrodisiac root that grows in the region. We have lots of friends in the village so will probably be invited to visit and share some chang (Tibetan barley beer), salt-butter tea and perhaps do a bit of carpet or textile shopping. Take a walk around the village where the inhabitants live an essentially Tibetan lifestyle, herding their yaks, sheep and goats, training their horses and planting barley. There is a small gompa in a house mid-village which we visited in a previous year where a puja was held by several of the reincarnated lamas of Samdo.

We have a connection with a family in Samdo that Clint Rogers, who wrote the book about Samdo ‘Where Rivers Meet’ (also in our library), lived with years ago. We helped the wife, Nima Dikki, get over her four-year postpartum depression, and knew her husband Tsewang Gyurme and their kids well. Sadly Tsewang Gyurme died fighting a forest fire in January 2011 (see memorial in Kamzang Fund section) and Nyima Dikki is now trying to make ends meet by running a small local tea-house. We’ll visit them later in the afternoon and anyone is welcome to come sit by the warm fire. The oldest daughter, Menden Samo, age 14, is now home helping her mother run the household. (B, L, D)

Day 21 – Trek Dharamsala High Camp (Larkya Phedi) 4480m
It’s a short 3 -4 hour day as we head to our high camp for Larkya La. We leave Samdo on the old trade route towards Tibet (Sherpas from the Khumbu region used to bring their yaks into Tibet and then across the Larkya La down into Nubri on their extensive trade-circuit in years past), cross a small bridge, and climb westwards above the ruins of Larkya Bazaar. The bazaar was one of the trade markets, a seasonal tented camp, that flourished years ago, before the closing of the Tibetan border. Ascending through grazing lands, open, grassy plateaus filled with dwarf rhododendron, juniper bushes and lichen-covered granite, the panoramas become increasingly awe-inspiring. We soon reach the view up to Syancha Glacier on the other side of the valley which tumbles down from Manaslu & Manaslu North. The route up Manaslu is visible from one of the many spurs that we crest this morning. Finally we come to the developping campsite at Dharamsala, the high camp for the Larkya La pass. We’ll have lunch here while the staff sets up camp and gaze out at the views. You’ll feel the altitude and the cold here, so perhaps enjoy a leisurely afternoon and keep warm. We’re in blue sheep territory, so keep an eye out for herds of them grazing nearby on the barren hillsides.

If you’ve still got energy to spare hike up either of the ridges that form the boundery of our valley, or hike up alongside the small spring-fed stream in back of camp and enjoy the birds, marmots and blue sheep. Either way you’ll have good views of Naike Peak to the south and the tip of Manaslu in front. We’ll have an early dinner in preparation for our pass crossing tomorrow. (B, L, D)

Day 22 – Trek Bimtang 3590m | Cross Larkya La (5140m + 5160m) 
Thank God for fresh-brewed coffee! It’s dark and cold as we pack up our gear and tents in the morning and head off on our eight to nine hour trek over the Larkya La to Bimtang. Bring your trekking poles, and ‘yak tracks’ if you have them. After a short climb directly above the campsite, we hike along the right side of the lateral morraine, soon following the narrow bottom of this valley. Look for blue sheep, pika, marmot and Tibetan snow-cock tracks in the snow – and we’d be lucky to see snow leopard prints. We’ll soon reach the ablation valley on the north side of the Larkya Glacier where we’ll have views of Cho Danda and Ganesh Himal l to the east and then of Larkya Peak (6250m) to the west. We continue across the often snowy, undulating moraine of the glacier, past the many snow markers, and in about two hours reach a small hut, mostly unused, at 4920 meters. From here we’ve got another two hour push to reach the pass. We continue to ascend on small ridges and past a lovely frozen lake, often through the snow, making a gradual ascent which becomes steeper only in the last section to the pass.

The views from the top of the Larkye La are wonderful, mountain panoramas equally amazing from both sides of the double pass. From the east, the direction we just hiked up, we’ll look down on Samdo Peak and the peaks bordering Tibet, and Larkye Peak to the southeast. To the west towards the Annapurna region rise Kang Guru (ridge only), Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal and a bit further down the pass the views open up to included Gyagi Kung and Annapurna II. After hanging our Tibetan prayer flags and yelling ‘Ki ki so so lha gyalo’ (may the Gods be victorious), get ready for a steep climb down a razor-edge ridge and then a descent, often slippery and icy and slightly precipitous, to a trail following the left side of the Salpudanda glacier moraine. We’ll lunch after reaching a flat area with smooth rocks if there’s no snow, once we’ve crossed the rock-fall area. From here we continue to traverse downhill with another steep section ahead, soon reaching a flatter valley full of primulas and azalea bushes. We still have a good 2-3 hours to go to reach our campsite, a long haul. A boulder-strewn, circular descent lead us, finally, to Bimtang, which means ‘plain of sand’, the region where the Samdo people keep their yaks and horses in the summer and winter months. The three sisters of the ‘Three Sisters Hotel’ are on hand with chilled beer as the evening clouds gather, turning pink behind the surrounding peaks. (B, L, D)

Day 23 – Trek Tilje 2300m or Gowa 2620m (Lodge)
A chilly but beautiful morning as the sun behind the ridge hits the Himalayan peaks around you long before the lodge. Leaving the frosty grazing fields of Bimtang, you’ll climb to a ridge over the moraine and look down on the opaque, turquoise lakes below, soon afterwards descending and then crossing a boulder-strewn river, often flooded, on a wooden bridge. We ascend and then head down through open forests of brilliantly blooming rhododendron, juniper, birches and spruce past the doksas below Bimtang. En route you might pass Samdo-pa returning from their shopping in the Manang region with their loaded horses. Butterflies flutter peacefully around us, hummingbirds dart from tree to tree, and white strawberry flowers and azalea bushes are underfoot as you descend through forests of rhododendron, with the west side of Manaslu opening up impressively in front of you. You’ll continue to hike along the rocky river-bed, often on trails which traverse sliding hillsides, and stop for a break at the 2 small lodges of Yak Kharka (we like the lodge on the left of the trail). You’ll follow the intersecting glacial rivers, increasingly large as we drop, and eventually cross a steel Bailey’s bridge and reach the small hamlet of Karche, where you might stop for lunch at 7 Sisters Lodge …

After lunch, you have a medium sized climb, more green fields and wild flowers, and an undulating trail as you trek past several small, green and tilled villages  a sign that we’ve reached lower altitudes. You’ll pass through the vibrant green barley fields (protected by local scarecrows) of Gowa village, where you stop for the night at the nice Nirvana Garden Inn, run by the lovely daughter Angina. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13.14 km Elevation Gain: 60m Elevation Loss: 1,334m

Day 24 – Trek Tal 1860m | Annapurna Region (Lodge) | via Nache 2230m
You have an hour’s hike through a cultural region to reach Tilje, whose inhabitants of Tilje are a mix of Manangis, Ghale Gurung and Chettris (Hindus) so have developed a unique architecture and culture, and eat a mix of foods ranging from dal bhat and buckwheat dhiro to tsampa to Tibetan salt-butter tea. The deep gorge ahead marks the land of apple pie, cold beers and hot showers, otherwise known as the Annapurna Circuit.

Leaving Tilje, hike along a relatively easy trail following the Dudh Khola through bamboo forests, high above the river, descending towards Dharapani, an atmospheric Tibetan village with prayer flags fluttering in the wind, stopping en route at the Nyingma Tangbarang Gompa (2260m) in Thongje on the old Annapurna trail. Generally you take a higher trail and miss the last descent to Dharapani, a great, off-the-map hike up to the beautiful Gurung Nache village. The hike is a longish uphill, crossing a very long suspension bridge over an incredibly steep gorge, to reach Nache, with its green barley fields billowing in the breeze, and a small village monastery. You will find some locals or a local teahouse for a traditional lunch, and then begin a steep drop down stone steps to Marshyangdi (or Marsyangdi) River.

Trekking south on the main Annapurna Circuit trail, you soon arrive at a long suspension bridge over which you cross the Marsyangdi River to reach the small village of Karte, re-crossing it soon afterwards. You’ll continue along a high, winding, stunning cliff-side trail past several small teahouses at Khorte, and then switch backing down the steep trail before crossing the Marsyangdi River yet again. There have been many landslides over the past few years, so the bridges and number of crossings, and of course the trails, are a bit unpredictable on this short stretch of trail and road. Ahead, descend to river level and spot the wide plain and waterfall at scenic Tal, the last village of the Lower Manang region. Tal means lake, and the area here was formed when the valley was blocked by a landslide and a dam formed behind. The lake has long gone and now the village of Tal sits on the river flats.

You will stop for our last night of the trek at the first lodge on the left once you reach Tal. In 2022 & 2023, we reached this by crossing the river on a small, bamboo bridge instead of hiking to the end of town and crossing the large suspension bridge. You’ll celebrate our epic journey through the wilds of Manaslu & Tsum Valley this evening with the team, and get ready for a jeep ride to Bandipur tomorrow!  (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 15.75 km Elevation Gain: 1,663m Elevation Loss: 1,448m

Day 25 – Drive Kathmandu
Back to the lush, semi-tropical middle hills of Nepal. You’ll have a bumpy drive to Besi Sahar, the old start of the Annapurna circuit, and then continue driving for five (plus) hours back to Kathmandu, so we recommend heading off early and stopping for lunch en route back. It is a different world back in the Nepali hills, and the gentle light sends us on our way back to the bustle of Nepal’s capital. Finally, back at the Kathmandu Guest House, a hot shower and dinner out in Thamel to celebrate a wonderful trek in the Himalaya! (B, L)

Day 26 – Trip Ends | Transfer TIA
Transport to TIA Airport for your flight home. Namaste! (B)

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Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.

Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.

Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.

Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

Dates
Custom Departures

Trek Prices
$3680
Classic Manaslu & Tsum Trekking Route 
24 Days

$3880
High Manaslu & Tsum Trekking Route
26 Days

$3380
Classic Manaslu & Tsum Trekking Route Short
21 Days

$3580
High Manaslu & Tsum Trekking Route Short
23 Days

$Inquire
Manaslu & Tsum Helicopter Trek
18 Days

+ Price based on 2+ Trekkers

Lodge Upgrades
+ Single Upgrade Lodges – $375 (Subject to Availability)

Kathmandu Guest House Single & Double Upgrades 
+ Deluxe Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $135
+ Suite Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $225

Kathmandu Guest House | Extra Nights Room Price
Includes Breakfast & Taxes

Standard Single – $55
Standard Double – $65
Deluxe Single – $100
Deluxe Double – $110
Suite Single – $130
Suite Double – $140

Includes

• Kathmandu Guest House
• Airport Pick-ups & Drops
• Transportation by Private Vehicle
• Manaslu Conservation Area Permit, Manaslu National Park Permit, Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, Tsum Valley Permit
• Lodge/Teahouse Accommodation & Meals
• Nepali Guide & Porter(s)

Excludes

• Insurance (Travel & Medical)
• Nepal Visa
• Helicopter Rescue Service Cost
• Meals in Kathmandu
• International Flights to/from Nepal
• Equipment Rental
• Alcohol & Soft Drinks
• Laundry
• Tips

Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $250 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and tips. We recommend $250-$300 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

Travelers’ Reviews & Highlights
Trekkers’ Comments

Trek Highlights

• Remote, green Tibetan Tsum Valley
• Mu Gompa & Gompa Lungdang
• Ganesh Himal range
• High Gurung villages of Laprak & Barpak
• The high Manaslu route from Gorkha (optional)
• Laprak & Barpak Gurung villages (optional)
• The Larkya La pass (5400m)
• The Tibetan region of Nubri
• The mixed Tibetan & Gurung inhabitants of Kutang
• Tibetans of Samdo & Sama Gaon villages
• Tibetan Buddhist gompas (monasteries)
• Manaslu Base Camp day trip
• Pung Gyan Gompa
• Incredibly diverse scenery and cultures
• Spectacular Himalayan views & great side-trips

Trip Advisor Reviews

Client Comments
Simply the best! I cannot recommend Kim and her Kamzang Journeys team highly enough if you are looking for trekking experts in Nepal, India and Tibet. The High Himalaya are Kim’s playground and she is expert at sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with her groups. I have been trekking with them since 2007, and each year I return enthused and excited because I just know it is going to be so much fun.

Kim is completely professional setting her itineraries to make sure her clients acclimatize properly, she never skimps on staff so you can go at a pace that suits, and the food is the best I have ever had while hiking. Unlike many companies, Kim has a core group of excellent guides and kitchen crew, there is no single supplement, her gear is always the best, and Kim and Lhakpa’s personal leadership ensures local interaction along the way, almost as if we were visiting old friends. And for sure you will make new friends with your fellow trekkers in Kim’s famous Tibetan dining tent, the social hub of the group.
This trek with Kim and Lhakpa was the best of the ten or so we have done in the Indian subcontinent. No detail was overlooked, making for a camp that was the envy of other groups! Kim’s ability to engage with local villagers added another dimension to our experience as the locals invited us to join them in their schools, homes and daily tasks. The food was imaginative, well-presented and plentiful, and served with a smile. Kamzang crew were unfailingly helpful and generous with their time, responding to individual needs as far as possible. An experience not to be missed!
– Marian D (New Zealand),  GHT | High Manaslu, Annapurnas & Upper Mustang Trek + more

I have been with Kim and her crew on four separate treks into the Nepal Himalayas. Each one has been unique, exciting, challenging, and totally amazing. Kim has the best crew around and they provide a comfortable camp and great food. I would highly recommend Kim, Kamzang Journeys and her group.
– Allan B (USA), High Manaslu Trek + more

Thank you so much for all of the effort, help and patience that you put in to make the trek special for us.  We had such an amazing experience, and we will always have such incredible memories that we will remember for the rest of lives.  It was truly an experience of a lifetime! I was so impressed with your whole operation; I don’t know how you juggle it all.  You are not only an amazing operator, pulling all the levers, but you are a gifted guide which makes the trip truly special for everyone.  Also, your attention to detail is impressive, you can tell you put a lot of thought into how to make the whole experience as comfortable and pleasurable as possible.
– Rob B (USA), High Manaslu

Kim’s support team are uniformly excellent, and all pitch in to ensure a smooth operation and to make sure that you are OK at all times. The equipment is all top-notch and the food is very, very good. In addition, the smaller, more “informal” style really promotes interaction between members of the group and the guys helping out, which is a rare thing. They are all really friendly, down-to-earth people and have a great deal of knowledge about the trekking regions, local history and customs, and are very happy to answer any questions you have. A good measure of the success of these trips is the number of returning trekkers and climbers that choose them again and again for their holidays. I’d have to say that every trip I’ve made with them has been a really special experience. Suffice to say, not once have I been tempted to join any other trekking group.
– Beau M (UK), High Manaslu Trek

Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Travel Reading
Travel Books

Online Articles & Films on Manaslu & Tsum
Journey to the Mountain of the Spirit – Nepali Times

Forty Years of Trekking in the Himalaya – William & Anne Frej

The Vivid Shades of the Tsum Valley – Inside Himalayas | Article Hannah Price, Photos Kim Bannister

Nepal’s Road Building Spree Pushes into the Heart of the Himalayas | Yale Environment 360

Ramble to Manaslu – The Himalayan Times

Home Away form Home in Tsum – Nepali Times

In the Mountain of the Soul – Nepali Times

Academic Article on Manaslu – Nepali Mountaineering Association

Manaslu Avalanche – BBC

Unmistaken Child  – Film on Tsum Valley

Nupri Women’s Health Training – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)

Lower Tsum Clinic – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)

Kami Kids in Sama Gaon School – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)

Kyimolung, the Blessed Land – Nepali Times

Soul Mountain – Nepali Time

Spirit Mountain – Nepali Times

Manaslu Region (Lower Manaslu, Kutang & Nupri)
Manaslu, the 8^th highest peak on the planet (8163m), ‘Mountain of the Spirit or Soul’, is one of the most spectacular snow-peaks in Nepal. The Manaslu Circuit, officially open for trekking in the early 90s and following an ancient salt-trading route between Nepal and Tibet along the Budhi Gandaki River, is a cultural trek par excellence, and the Larkya La, separating the Manaslu and Annapurna regions, is one of Nepal’s most spectacular Himalayan passes. A trek around the beautiful high Manaslu Circuit is a step back in time, a glimpse of traditional Nepali and Tibetan villages, and a journey through a remote Himalayan paradise. The diversity of the trek, from the sub-tropical Himalayan foothills to the Tibetan Trans-Himalayan high pastures – as well as the awesome mountain scenery of the Manaslu, Annapurna and Ganesh Himals – make the Manaslu Himalayan trek one of the most culturally interesting and challenging, treks in Nepal.

HW Tillman and his team were the first mountaineering expedition to explore the region in 1950, and the Japanese the first team to climb it in 1956; since then, Manaslu has been known as a Japanese mountain, and because of its sensitive location right at the border of Tibet, few western trekkers ventured into the region. Up to the 1840s, Kutang and Nupri were part of western Tibet and paid taxes to Dzongka Dzong in Tibet. Nupri only incorporated into Nepal in the mid to late 19th century when Gorkha power finally extended into the region. The Manaslu region was closed after 1959 due to Khampa guerillas encamped in Nupri, and recently was severely damaged by the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, most of its villages flattened and thousands of locals dying in this tragic few years of earthquakes and aftershocks.

The Manaslu region encompasses the Gurung villages of Lower Manaslu, such as Laprak and Barpak (the epicenter of the 2015 earthquakes), Khotang and Nupri, the former a mix of Gurung and ethnic Tibetan villagers and the later purely a Tibetan region. The Manaslu region has always been an important stage in the ancient salt trade route between Tibet and Nepal, and maintains close ties still to Tibet, with neighboring villages across the borders in Tibet, and yearly trade routes still used at certain times of the year, when the Nepali and Tibetan governments open these now-sensitive borders. Some of the other big (6-7000 meter) Himalayan peaks in the region include Himalchuli (7893m), Ngadi Chuli (7871 m), Baudha Himal (66712m) and Shringi Himal (7187m).

“Manaslu is known in the Tibetan language as “Kutang l”, in which “tang” means the Tibetan word for a flat place. It is a very large peak with an elevation of 8156m (26,759’) (the world’s 8^th highest mountain). In view of its favorable topography of long ridges and glacial valleys, Manaslu offers several routes to mountaineers. Important peaks surrounding Manaslu include Ngadi Chuli, Himalchuli and Baudha. A glacial saddle known as Larkya La, with an elevation of 5106m (16,752’), lies north of Manaslu. The peak is bounded on the east by the Ganesh Himal and the Buri Gandaki River gorge, on the west by the deep fissures of the Marysyangdi Khola with its Annapurna range of hills, to the south is the Gorkha town at the foot of the hill (from where trekking operates during the season), which is an aerial distance of 48km (30 miles) to the peak. There are six established trek routes to the peak, and the south face is reportedly the most difficult for climbing.
– Wikipedia

Tsum Valley (Chekampar)
Tsum Valley, only open to trekkers in 2008, shares the honor of being one of the few sacred ‘beyuls’, or spiritual sanctuaries discovered by Guru Rimpoche. Tsum is sheltered in the mountainous border regions of the Nepal and Tibet Himalayan regions, and named a non-violent zone about 100 years ago. The Buddhist saint Milarepa is believed to have meditated in scattered caves in this remote valley, and Tsum is home to over 100 monks and nuns at Mu Monastery and Rachen Gompa (nunnery). One of Tsum valley’s most revered lamas is Drukpa Rinpoche from Tibet, and its most important Buddhist ritual is the Shringa Kyirong Circuit, a sacred Buddhist kora which takes 10 days …

Tsum valley encompasses 18 small villages and about 4000 Tsumbas (locals), all of Tibetan origin and practicing Buddhism and Bon religions. The movie ‘Unmistaken Child’ recounts the true story of a reincarnated lama, called a ‘trulku’, who was discovered in the Tsum valley. Tsum valley follows a policy of non-violence, not even hunting honey and in theory not eating meat, though how much this is practiced is questionable. One of their main trade items is a root plant called ‘saduwa’ which is traded with Tibet from the border, generally above Mu Gompa.

There are many traditional Tibetan villages to explore, ancient Tibetan Buddhist monasteries with exquisite murals to visit, sublime views of the little-known Ganesh Himal (seven peaks in all) and salt butter tea to be shared with the local Tsumbas and the friendly Buddhist monks and nuns. Tsum is a fantastically green valley in planting and growing season, from March – August, and sees few other trekkers though numbers are increasing yearly. Tsum is surrounded by soaring Himalayan peaks: Baudha Himal and Himal Chuli to the west, Ganesh Himal to the South and Sringi Himal to the north. The north of the valley is connected by three high passes to Tibet, (Ngula Dhoj Hyang (5093m) to the east and Thapla Pass (5326m) to the west). The yeti, known locally as ‘mehti’ as it is in Mustang and other Tibetan regions, is also a visitor to Tsum according to many residents …

‘Tsum Valley is the starting point for the holy Kyimolung Trail, the 120km sacred circumambulation in Nepal and Tibet of Siringi Himal. Pilgrims used to trek around the mountain till Tibet became out of bounds, but they still do the partial trek on the Nepal side. Tourism in the Manaslu Circuit has been picking up with nearly 4,000 trekkers in 2012, but only one-fourth of that number went to Tsum which was opened only in 2008 as a restricted area for which visitors need a permit from the immigration office in Kathmandu.’ – Sonam Lama, from article ‘In the Mountain of the Soul’, Nepali Times.

The Nepali Times wrote of Tsum in an article from 2004, now a bit dated but still essentially ringing true: “Beyul are havens of peace, prosperity and spiritual progress and refuges for believers. In 17th century Tsum (Chekampar), a valley that branches off the Budi Gandaki towards the north of Ganesh Himal in upper Gorkha, was named Beyul Kyimolung. Even non-Buddhists understand why Tsum is perceived as a blessed land. Perhaps one of Nepal’s most beautiful valleys, it is cut off from the southern lowlands of Nepal by deep, forested gorges and swift rivers, and from Tibet in the north by snow-covered passes. The surprisingly flat valley floor provides for some 4,000 inhabitants of almost exclusively Tibetan origin. Clusters of stone houses with slate roofs dot the landscape, enclosed by gentle forested slopes and snow-capped mountains with cascading glaciers. This is century-old Buddhist heartland, with monasteries, bonpa, chortens and mani walls omnipresent.”

“Beyul Kyimolung means “the valley of happiness”, a name echoed in the people, who appear proud and content, an attitude perhaps influenced by a strong feeling of identity, strong social cohesion and small income disparities. The generous Tsum-pa hospitality is the highlight of a visit – countless cups of butter tea, dhindo and boiled potatoes shared generously with strangers. And yet, one cannot help but wonder if the people’s happiness and well-being is not seriously compromised as they struggle with illness, lack of education and income shortages. Tsum has been almost completely neglected by development efforts, and now this isolation is perpetuated as people see themselves living in an area controlled by the Maoists and de-linked from the central government ….

For centuries people have depended on subsistence agriculture, cattle rearing and all-important trade links to Tibet: to the east, Kyirong is only a day and a half walk over the mountains. But the cross-Himalayan trade of Tibetan salt for rice and goods from the Nepali hills has given way to one-sided shopping trips. There is hardly anything that can be bartered from the Nepali side and the once well-stocked village storages that awaited transport to Tibet are now empty. Except for the yearly yarchagumba rush in May, all other traffic over the high passes is one-way into Nepal as even rice and vegetable oil is cheaper in Tibet. The Tsumpa depend on several excursions every year, sometimes risking their lives, to earn small profits from retailing. Still, the challenges in income are nothing compared to problems in health, sanitation and education. One village was completely devoid of children.”

Teachers posted by the government only show up sporadically. Irregular classes result in a low attendance rate, and … the primary enrollment rate has dropped to almost 20 percent. Only half of those enrolled attend school. For most children, the only alternatives are no school at all or the monastery. Samten Dorji, who runs classes in Tsum’s main monastery, Rachhen Gompa, tells us, “Up to 30 percent of children are sent to monastic schools in Boudha and India where they become monks and nuns. … since local elections were suspended in 2002, traditional village-based self-help systems for small repair and maintenance work have revived. The village headman oversees this, and, together with a group of elders, resolves small disputes over issues like trespassing cattle and unpaid debts. In a place where state services don’t exist, self-help initiatives are the only option. Tsum, it seems, is too remote to be of critical importance for those with the power to help.”
– Nepali Times