I have just got back from KE Adventure’s guided-group Around Manaslu Trek (also my first time ever in Nepal) and what a trek it is! For anyone planning their first or next trip to Nepal, I would look no further: this trek has it all — from varied scenery, beautiful villages and of course, incredible views of Manaslu itself — the 8th highest mountain in the world.

The Manaslu circuit is truly breathtaking, right from the get-go. I remember the first day very well: following the river gradually up as it goes through some incredible rapid sections — with amazing scenery below you, at eye-level and above you! I lost count of the number of times I thought “there’s another incredible waterfall” — there are dozens of them, all incredible. This is just the start of an amazing 13-day trek, in which the scenery changes so much as you steadily trek upwards: from towering waterfalls and bamboo plants at the start of the trek, to the beautiful Alpine/rainforest section around 2,000m, to the valley opening up to barley fields and juniper trees at 3,000m, to the harsh but beautiful ‘tundra-like’ landscape above 3,800m. One of my favourite things about the Manaslu circuit is how much variety and change you get in the views you’re seeing. There is a pleasing circularity to the circuit as well and I really enjoyed the last couple of days trekking once we had crossed over the main pass and dropped down the other side — when we were once again treated to the forest, Himalayan flora and the incredible waterfalls.

Of course the main attraction of the circuit is the mountain scenery and after the first few days, the Himalayan giants start to properly come into view. You end up surrounded by snowy 6,000m and 7,000m peaks on all sides, a truly incredible (and slightly humbling) experience. Manaslu, the king of them all, is particularly elusive at first but it is well worth the wait and you will be treated to some incredible panoramas after its twin peaks first appear on the horizon. From this point on I could not believe how much of Manaslu I got to see and for several days the group and I could not get enough of it — including getting up at 6am in time for sunrise on Manaslu from the top terrace of our lodge one morning! By the time you get to Somdu the mountains are all around you, with breathtaking Himalayan views accessible from your lodge bedroom window are even better. A few of us scrambled up to a viewpoint above the village and the view is just otherworldly — well worth the steep climb to get there! The photograph of the sunrise on Manaslu was taken one of our group members, Philip Mason. 

Whilst you do climb high, this is done very steadily and I was very impressed with how well the acclimatisation is taken care of on the trip. With two dedicated days spent adjusting to altitude on the trip at Samagaon and Somdu, you will be well equipped for the big day of the trip — crossing over the Larkya La Pass and reaching over 5,000m altitude. This was an experience like no other I had ever had, and few things will top the feeling of jubilation I felt when I reached the summit cairn and the prayer flags at the top of the pass. Acclimatisation is not something to mess around with and we as a group owe our successful crossing of the Larkya La entirely to the careful, in-built acclimatisation process throughout the Around Manaslu Trek and to the expertise of our guides in choosing some excellent walks on our acclimatisation days.

I also have to mention the different villages we passed through on the circuit - a really interesting and authentic cultural insight into local life in the far North of Nepal. More on that topic soon!

It was a trip filled with incredible moments but if I had to pick my top three highlights, these would be: playing football with a couple of locals in a monastery above Lho; stopping for lemon and ginger tea at a cafe in Shyala with incredible views of Manaslu and climbing into the sunrise on the Larkya La Pass (around 1 hour from the top) surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Overall, I cannot recommend this trip highly enough for anyone looking to take on a challenging but unbelievably rewarding high-altitude trek. All of the main factors are taken care of on this trip: your bags are carried, meals cooked, accommodation pre-arranged, acclimatisation handled and permits secured — as well as being fully led by our expert team of guides throughout — meaning that you can just focus on the trekking and enjoying the amazing scenery this fantastic circuit has to offer. If you are a regular trekker or walker and can string back-to-back days of walking together over varied and hilly terrain then you are definitely suitable to give this trip a go and if in doubt just ask us!

For my first time trekking in Nepal, I could not have landed a better trip than the Around Manaslu Trek. While Nepal is full of amazing trekking routes, this one stood out, and it was great to hear from some of the experienced Nepal travellers in my group that this trip ranked right up there as one of the best – if not the very best – they had done in Nepal. For your first (or next) time trekking in the Himalayas, the Around Manaslu Trek is where I would look straight away.