Around Manaslu Trek
Nepal, Trek & Walk, 20 days - from $2,465 (land only)
- A challenging trek across the remote Larkya La Pass in Nepal
- Classic circuit trek around the 8th highest mountain in the world
- Linking the Burhi and Marsyangdi valley
- Rare views of Manaslu from the north
- Trek a section of the Annapurna Circuit
A challenging trekking holiday around Manaslu in the Nepal Himalaya. Manaslu at 8163 metres (26783 feet) is the eighth tallest mountain in the World. Situated close to the border with Tibet, some 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, the valleys to the north and east of Manaslu were a restricted area until the early nineties when KE Adventure Travel were one of the first companies granted permission to take groups trekking into the region. For the past few years the political unrest throughout Nepal has prevented groups from trekking into the Buri Gandakhi, but with the ending of the insurgency this classic circuit trek is once again possible. This area has always seen relatively few trekkers when compared to the more popular regions of the Annapurna and the Khumbu, partly because of the greater logistics required. The quiet trails and simple villages, together with the stunning scenery around Manaslu make this one of the classic yet unspoilt trekking advenutres in the Himalaya. Travelling via Gorkha on the south of Manaslu, we start from the town of Arughat and ascend the impressive gorge of the Burhi Gandaki for seven days, passing through tiny villages perched on the steep valley sides, to reach the Tibetan world beyond the village of Ghap. Here, the valley starts to open out, and there are remarkable panoramas of the peaks on the Nepal-Tibet border, as well as those of the Manaslu group. Few travellers penetrate this high and mysterious valley, which once had much more important trading links with Tibet than it does today, and we have the feeling of entering a secret Buddhist world of monasteries, mani walls and prayer flags. The scenery becomes even more impressive as we climb up into the alpine environment on the approach to the Larkya La (5135m), with big peaks on all sides. The principal peaks that we will see on this first part of our trek are Himal Chuli, Manaslu, Cheo Himal and Himlung Himal. Beyond the Larkya La, we drop down into the heavily forested valley of the Marsyangdi River, where we are now trekking beneath the giants of the Annapurna range, following the river down to a meeting with the roadhead. This is classic Nepal trekking as it used to be!
Is this holiday for you?
Much of the trek involves straightforward walking on good trails, and is within the capabilities of any fit and experienced hillwalker. The trek has been given the DEMANDING grade on account of the high pass crossing involved in this circuit trek and because there are a number of longer days. The first half of the trek ascends the Burhi Gandaki Valley on good paths through a mix of dense forest, terraced fields and hill villages. Occasional gorge sections require high level traverses with some degree of exposure, though these are always on good, well-maintained trails. Approaching and crossing the Larkya La, we will encounter rough glacial moraine, and a final short steeper section to the summit. Once in the Marsyangdi Valley we will descend the main Annapurna Circuit trail. It should be noted that trekking at altitudes above 3000m. / 10,000ft. makes greater demands on the body than walking at low elevations, and is of itself challenging even for fit hikers. Our itinerary is well staged to allow the best possible acclimatisation but you will need to ensure you are physically prepared for the trek. You should be comfortable with walking for 4 to 6 hours each day with the occasional longer day of 7 or 8 hours, and to do this for several days continuously.
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