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MANASALU BASE CAMP TREK

This trek was officially opened to tourist in 1991, but mountaineering expeditions have had long access to the area. In 1950, a party led by HW.Tilman trekked from Thonje to Bimtang and Col. Jimmy Roberts crossed Larkya La looking for an interesting mountain to climb. Manaslu (8156m) was attempted by Japanese Expeditions every year from 1952 until 1956, when the first ascent was made. Having become to be known as "Japanese Mountain", much of the information about the area was available in Japanese. The Japanese continued to dominate the climbing scene of Manaslu until 1971. A few trekkers, including peripatetic Hugh Swift, managed to obtain the trekking permit for the region, but otherwise this trek always has been the domain of the mountaineering expeditions. The journey around these legendary mountains is enjoyable and tough. Beginning from Gorkha Buri Gandaki valley river, over Larkya La pass, and descend to the Marsyangdi River, you will trek down to Besi Shar, from where we will drive back to Kathmandu.

Detail Itinerary for Manaslu Trekking

Day 1      Arrival in Kathmandu airport (1345 meters). There you will be met by our Airport Representative and transferred to hotel by private tourist vehicle. Overnight at hotel with breakfast included.

Day 2     Sightseeing around Kathmandu valley. Your sightseeing trip will start at 9AM in the morning after breakfast. We will provide a private vehicle and professional tour guide. We visit Pasupatinath temple, Buddhanath, Monkey temple, Bhaktpur durbar square and Kathmandu durbar square. The afternoon includes a final briefing and preparations for the trek. Overnight at hotel with breakfast included.

Day 3     Drive from Kathmandu to Arughat Bazaar (570m.) - seven hours. You drive along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway for the first part of the day then turn towards the hill bazaar of Gorkha. After Gorkha the road gets a bit rough but you will reach your destination Arughat Bazaar in approximately seven hours from Kathmandu. Stay overnight at camp in Arughat Bazzar.

Day 4     Trek from Arughat Bazaar to Soti Khola (530m.) - six hours. You trek over a flat leveled path along the bank of Budhi Gandaki River through mostly terraces, numerous villages, green hills, some pretty waterfalls and are almost surrounded by green forest. Today you take lunch at Arket Bazaar which lies mid way to Seti Khola. This is the best place to relax where you can enjoy swimming to ease your tiredness from walking. To reach Soti Khola, the trail fluctuates uphill and downhill through forest of Sal, Chilaune and other local vegetation. Soti Khola is a village at the bank of Budhi Gandaki. The swimming spot is near to this. Stay overnight at camp in Soti Khola.

Day 5     Trek from Soti Khola to Machha Khola (890m.) - six hours. The zigzagged path passes through forest, villages, streams, eye catching waterfalls and green valleys until you reach Lapu Besi. This is a village mainly populated by Mongolian inhabitants. Once again you traverse the zigzagged path to reach Machha Khola. There is a small market with a few shops, lodges and donkeys that are kept there. Stay overnight at camp in Machha Khola.

Day 6     Trek from Machha Khola to Jagat (1350m.) - six hours. You cross the Machha Khola [Fish Stream] and head upstream to the tiny village of Khola Bensi and the hot springs at Tatopani. The valley sides are steep until they are impassable and the route then switches to the left bank by way of a suspension bridge. The trail is quite exposed and challenging in places. After a short section of forest path you reach the single teahouse at Doban. Above Doban, the Buri Gandaki descends on an impressive series of rapids. Beyond this steep section, the river is much more placid, meandering across a broad gravel bed. At Lauri, you cross the river on another suspension bridge, and then climb on a high path to the fields of Jagat, where you camp. Stay overnight at camp in Jagat.

Day 7     Trek from Jagat to Philim (1700m.) - three hours. The early part of trek moves gently uphill and somewhat through a flat leveled path. You cross a suspension bridge over Budhi Gandaki before you enter Philim. Philim is a big village mainly inhabited by the Gurungs. Small monasteries, chortens and prayer flags fluttering in the sky, graves and typical houses will be seen around here. Stay overnight at camp in Philim.

Day 8     Trek Philim to Deng (2095m.) - six hours. You trek over a flat leveled path mostly through forest of pine, rhododendron and others. While walking, you cross a few bridges and can see villages at a far distance. A few houses are seen at Deng. From here, you can enjoy a pretty waterfall flowing at some distance. Deng is famous for its potatoes, buck wheat, barley, wheat, cabbage and spinach as people are mostly involved in agriculture in this area. Stay overnight at camp in Deng.

Day 9     Trek Deng to Namrung (2900m.) - five hours. In the beginning, you trek almost a flat leveled path and then the trail moves uphill all the way to Namrung through forest. From here, you can enjoy the spectacular views of Mt. Manaslu, rock hills, a green valley and ridges. Namrung is a Buddhist village where there are monasteries, a water turbine, hydro electricity power house, mani walls, chortens and prayer flags which can be seen fluttering in the sky. The typical houses remind you of Tibetan architecture. Stay overnight at camp in Namrung.

Day 10     Trek Namrung to Lhogaon (3100m.) - four hours. You trek over a winding path which moves through the inner Himalayan range. On the way, you can enjoy mountain views of Rupinala pass, Mt. Manaslu, Gorkha Himal, Dwijen Himal, Saula Himal, Lajing peak, and many other snow capped mountains and peaks. As you go up the vegetation decreases. In the afternoon, the area becomes quite windy. While walking, you once again come across mani walls, chortens, prayer flags and monasteries. Before you reach Lho Gaon, you pass a Tibetan village and Lihi Gaon. There is a monastery named Chon on a ridge and also a Buddhist school at Lho Gaon run by Buddhist monks. People mainly grow oat, barley, buck wheat, potatoes and vegetables in this area. You can catch panoramic views of Mt. Manaslu, Gorkha Himal, Dwijen Himal, Saula Himal, Lajing peak and others from Lho Gaon. Stay overnight at camp in Lhogaon.

Day 11     Trek Lhogaon to Samagaon (3390m.) - four hours. Leaving the village, you follow the right bank of the river, with views of Peak 29 ahead. As you continue on the main trail, you soon reach the fields of Sama Gaon, 3500m. You camp at Sama Gompa, 20 minutes beyond the village, or Samdo, near the Tibetan border. Stay overnight at camp in Samagaon.

Day 12     This is a day for rest at Samagaon to give you some acclimatization. Surrounded by mountains in a peaceful forest, you take a breather to acclimatize and relax. You can hike to Manaslu Base Camp for excellent views of Samdo (Pang phuchuli); Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier, Manaslu ice fall and you can see Birendra Kunda which is an ice lake nearby the Manaslu Base Camp. Stay overnight at camp.

Day 13     Trek from Samagaon to Samdo (3690m.) - four hours. You trek gently uphill all the way to Samdo through a desert path and windy valley. The Tibetan border is just four kilometers away from Samdo, but visitors are not allowed to pass the border. There is a Tibetan refugee village at Samdo. This is an excellent view point for Mt. Manaslu, Samdo (Pang phuchuli), Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier, Manaslu ice fall and several other majestic peals. Stay overnight at camp in Samdo.

Day 14     Trek from Samdo to Larkya La Phedi (4460m.) - three hours. The trail is rocky and zigzags all the way to your destination. Before you reach Larka La Phedi, there is a market called Larkya Bazaar (market) where seasonal fairs are held for the local folks. People bring goods from Tibet to sell it here. You will also find a Dharmasala at Larkya La Phedi. Stay overnight at camp in Larkya La Phedi.

Day 15     Trek from Larkya La Phedi to Larkya La (Pass) (5135m.) to Bimthang (3590 m.) - seven hours. Early in the morning you begin to trek a steep ascending path until Larkya La through a rocky and windy trail. Today you carry a packed lunch. From the top, you can enjoy the views of Larkya peak, sunrise, Mt. Manaslu, Ratna chuli, Cheo Himal and many other snow capped mountains and peaks. Crossing this pass, you hike to a steep downhill path through rock and ice. On the way, you will encounter many icy lakes. Bimthang is a broad and level ablation valley with a number of Mani walls and deserted houses. Stay overnight at camp in Bimthang.

Day 16     Trek from Bimthang to Dharapani (1860m.) - four hours. Crossing this high pasture, you descend the valley of the Burdin Khola to the area of the Base Camp for the West side of Manaslu. From a ridge at 4150 meters, you have excellent views of Manaslu to the South East and Annapurna II to the South West. Beyond a bridge over the headwaters of the Dudh Khola, you descend into a rhododendron forest and follow a trail through a narrow valley until you reach the highest cultivated land in this valley at Karche, 2785 meters. Walking down you cross a stream to reach Tilje. Here is an apple orchard which is quite famous for local wine. Leaving Tilje, you trek uphill for nearly 45 minutes to reach Dharapani crossing a bridge over the Marshyangdi River. Stay overnight at camp in Dharapani.

Day 17     Trek from Dharapani to Jagat (1800m) - six hours. You trek all the way over a descended path along the bank of Dudh Khola (river) and Marshyangdi River. On the way, you walk through pleasant villages such as Taal which is an attractive village with a pretty waterfall all the while enjoying the sight of lush green hills. Eventually, you come across Jagat which is a stone village situated on a shelf that juts into the precipitous Marsyangdi valley. Stay overnight at camp in Jagat.

Day 18     Trek from Jagat to Nagdi (850m.) - four hours. A steep trail descends from Jagat through Marshyangdi valley. You cross Marshyangdi River at Syange and walk through Ghermu Path (Ghermu field). This part of the trek is pleasant through a flat leveled path with views of green valleys and villages at some distance. Past this Ghermu field and a village, your trail goes uphill for nearly half an hour to reach Bahundanda. This village is mainly populated by Brahmins, Chhetris and a few other ethnic communities. At this point, you descend all the way to Nagdi. Nagdi is a Gurung village and the local lodges are run by people who have migrated from Manang and other places. Stay overnight at camp in Nagdi.

Day 19     Trek from Nagdi to Besishahar (823m.) - four hours. You trek over a flat leveled path all the way to Besishahar through villages such as Bulbule, Khudi and others. Your route cuts across terraces, ridges and sometimes even crossing small streams. Beshishahar is the district headquarters of Lamjung district. All the local government offices are situated here. From here, you can see some mountain peaks, natural sceneries surrounding the valley and the daily activities of the local people. This headquarters is the junction from where daily essential commodities are supplied to the different villages and numerous towns around the area. Stay overnight at camp in Besishahar.

Day 20     Drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu - seven hours. It is a picturesque drive on the way back to Kathmandu along the banks of the Marshyangdi and Trishuli rivers with splendid views of green hills, mountains, farming terraces and colorful villages on both sides of road. Stay overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 21     Transfer to the Airport for final departure. (Fly out from Kathmandu).

Manaslu Trekking

Manaslu Trekking

Altitude Sickness

Clothing

1. Down- or fibre-filled jacket for cold seasons (winter treks)
2. Pile jacket or jumper (sweater)
3. Hiking shorts (for men) or skirt
4. Waterproof jacket, poncho or umbrella
5. Hiking pants
6. T-shirts or blouses
7. Underwear
8. Sun hat
9. Swimwear (optional)
10. Footwear
11. Trekking or running shoes
12. Camp shoes or thongs
13. Socks (polypropylene)

Other equipment

1. Backpack or daypack
2. Sleeping bag (optional)
3. Maps, compass & guidebook (optional)
4. Water bottle
5. Torch (flashlight) and batteries

Miscellaneous items

1. Toiletries
2. Towel
3. Laundry soap
4. Toilet paper & cigarette lighter
5. Pre-moistened towelettes
6. Sunscreen (SPF 15+)
7. Small knife
8. Sewing kit
9. Iodine, water purification tablets or filter
10. Medical & first-aid kit *
11. Duffel bag (if you have a porter)
12. For treks with longer stay above 4000m
13. Clothing
14. Insulated pants
15. Nylon windbreaker
16. Nylon wind pants
17. Long underwear
18. Woolen hat (or balaclava)
19. Gloves
20. Gaiters
21. Footwear
22. Mountain trekking boots
23. Socks (wool) to wear with boots
24. Socks (light cotton) to wear under wool socks
25. Down booties (optional)

Miscellaneous items

1. Goggles or sunglasses
2. Sunscreen for lips
3. Optional equipment
4. Photographic Gear
5. Camera & lenses
6. Lens cleaning equipment
7. Film (about 20 rolls)
8. Navigation Aids
9. GPS unit
10. Altimeter
11. Thermometer

Miscellaneous items

1. Binoculars
2. Books/magazines
3. Small duffel bag or suitcase (to leave behind in Kathmandu)
4. Padlock
5. Stuff sacks & plastic bags

Departure Date for Manaslu Trekking

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