Manaslu Circuit Trek

Right after breakfast, we will be starting a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu, which includes some landmarks such as Durbar Square, Sacred Hindu temple Pashupatinath, famous monkey temple i.e. Swoyambhunath, and the Buddhist shrine i.e. Bouddhanath. Then we will be ending the day with a brief pre-tip group discussion followed by trek preparation. Overnight in Kathmandu.
 

Today, we set off early for Sotikhola. Enjoying the views of the Nepalese countryside along with the mountain sceneries, we will be driving on a paved road from Kathmandu to Dhading Besi, the district headquarters of Dhading, and then on a rough road from Dhading Besi to Arughat. Finally, we drive further down towards Sotikhola, a major town in the region. Overnight in Sotikhola.

At the crossing of the bridge, we trek through beautiful Sal forests and climb onto a ridge above huge rapids on the Budhi Gandaki. Reaching Khursane, passing the ups and downs of the rocky trail, weaves past two tropical waterfalls on a steep, rocky trail clinging to the side of a cliff, and it eventually makes its way around the Gurung village of Labubesi. Further, we climb behind a rocky outcrop to the opening of the valley, where onwards Budhi Gandaki meanders among wide gravel bars. Walking along rounded stones, climbing over a side ridge, then heading down again to the river and crossing another suspension bridge, we reach Maccha Khola village. Overnight in Maccha Khola.
 

Through the minor ups and downs the narrow trail makes, we cross the Tharo Khola and reach Khorlabesi. A few more ascents and descents, and we come across a small hot spring in Tatopani, from where we climb over another ridge, cross the Budhi Gandaki on a suspension bridge. Now, at this juncture, we climb on a wide, well-crafted staircase, then across a landslide and over a ridge to Dobhan, and cross a suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola, then we climb the stone stairs, drop to the river, and again climb more stone stairs to Tharo Bharyang. Upon crossing the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki, we climb over a ridge, trek along the river, and then climb towards the village of Jagat. Overnight in Jagat.

Climbing over a rocky ridge to Salleri, we begin today’s trek and then descend to Sirsibas. Now the valley widens up a bit, the trail continuing up to Ghatta hola. Further walking upstream to a long suspension bridge in Philim, a large Gurung village, the trail turns north and stays on a fairly level trail as it crosses millet fields to Ekle Bhatti. Now, we enter a steep, uninhabited gorge, descend to the grassy land slopes, cross the Budhi Gandaki, and trek along the west bank, then cross to the east bank and then back again. As we continue through the trail, the valley widens, and we pass through bamboo forests to the Deng Khola. We now cross the Deng Khola to reach the tiny village of Eng. Overnight in Deng.

A brief walk beyond Deng, and we cross the Budhi Gandaki, climb to Rana at 1920m, climb a bit to join a trail from Bhi, then head west up the Budhi Gandaki valley. We also pass through forests and mani where we turn towards a corner that contours to Ghap. Now we take the route through Prok village, which has a viewpoint for a beautiful sight of the Siringi Himal. Crossing the Budhi Gandaki several times and coming across several gompas en route, the trail follows the river upstream through a dense forest. After crossing the river at an impressive spot where it thunders down a narrow gorge, the forest becomes less dense, and the pleasant walk continues, and after a last steep climb, we reach Namrung. Overnight in Namrung.

Enjoying a very beautiful view of Siring and Ganesh Himal, and also Mt. Himal Chuli in the south from the Namrung village, we climb steadily, pass through forests, and reach Lihi, a fine village with many chortens and barley terraces. The trail drops and crosses the side valley of Simnang Himal with Ganesh Himal always close by. We further pass through Sho, Lho, and Shyala villages before reaching Sama village. In Shyala village, we will be surrounded by high mountains like Himal Chuli and Peak 29 (Ngadi Chuli) to the left, Manaslu and large glaciers straight ahead, and other snow summits to the right, and at the far end stands Ganesh Himal. So we enjoy extraordinary views of Mt. Manaslu from Lho village and also explore the famous Ribung Gompa. Today, the journey ends in Samagaon, where we spend the night.

Today we spend the day at Samagaon for rest and acclimatization. We get acquainted with the rich Sherpa culture. We enjoy the sight of thousands of mani stones with Buddhist texts and pictures, and the Sherpa women clad in traditional clothes and ornaments. Overnight in Samagaon.

From Samagaon, we descend to the Budhi Gandaki River that has turned north and follow it to a bridge over a side stream. The Larkya la trail passes several mani walls as the valley begins to widen, while the trail to the left leads to the Manaslu Base Camp. We drop off the shelf, cross the Budhi Gandaki on a wooden bridge, and climb steeply onto a promontory between the forks of the river. Finally passing through Kani, we reach Sambo. Overnight in Sambo.

On this day, for proper acclimatization, we have two options. The highly recommended option is a hike up the valley directly behind the Sambo village. This hike takes us to one of the trade passes to Tibet for excellent views of Mt. Manaslu, along with other Himalayan ranges, including Simrang, Hiuchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo, and possibly Kang Guru behind the pass. En route to these viewpoints, we pass many seasonal herding settlements called dorkas and also get sights of beautiful mountain birds like the Lophophorus (the national bird of Nepal), Lammergeyer, and Himalayan Griffin. Another option for the day could be a trip to the Gy La (Large pass) to the north of Sambo, a more frequently used trading route to Tibet, but a rather longer hike (whole day), and hence could be a little tiring. Overnight in Samdo.

We continue to walk down the edge, cross the wooden bridge over Budi Gandaki, and begin walking upward. We cross two streams, witness the Larkya Glacier, go around the valley of the Salka Khola, and climb up again to the stone guest house, a kind of shelter called Dharamshala, aka Larke Phedi. The short walk leaves behind plenty of time for us to relax or acclimatize in the afternoon. Overnight in Dharamshala.
 

A short climb and we reach a valley on the north side of the Larkya Glaciers and enjoy great views of Cho Danda and Larkya Peak. Walking across moraines of the glacier, making a gradual ascent which becomes steeper only in the last section of the pass, we get to view outstanding Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kangguru, and the huge Annapurna II. Though a longer day than usual to Bimthang, the walk into these low pastures with the evening mist coming in with Mt. Manaslu looming close by is an overwhelming experience. Overnight in Bimthang.

Enjoying great views of Mt. Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal from a ridge at Bimthang, we descend further and cross a high pasture (Sangure Kharka), followed by a bridge over Dudh Khola. Walking through rhododendron forest and following a trail through a narrow valley, we reach the highest cultivated land of the valley at Karche, 2785metres. A short distance beyond is the village of Gho. We end the day at Tilije and stay overnight there.
 

Cross a small ridge, enjoy the stone-paved trail as it passes through a beautiful village, then cross the bridge over Dudh Khola, climb up through a chorten-shaped arch, pass a mani wall, and reach Thonje village. Go through a police checkpoint at the village, and we continue to Dharapani, where we enter the Annapurna circuit section. Further down, we come across Karte village, cross a bridge over Marshyangdi Khola, and finally reach the Tal village situated at the foot of a large waterfall, and stay the night there.

Following the trail to Chyamje village, crossing the Marshyangdi Khola once again, we will get to the Marshyangdi valley, open with its terrace fields and villages clinging very high to the hillsides. We then descend through rhododendron and pine forests to Syangje, and stay the night there.
 

We now drive from Syangje to Kathmandu via Besi Sahar along the banks of the Marshyangdi and Trishuli rivers, enjoying the scenery of hills and mountain landscapes, and also the terrace farming. Finally back to Kathmandu, we will now be escorted to our hotels. The remaining day can be spent either relaxing or with the last hour shopping. Later, towards the end of the day, we will be attending the farewell dinner. Overnight in Kathmandu.

The adventure comes to an end today. We trade emails with travel companions and organize the photos. We will be escorted to the airport and on our way back we will have all out time to plan for the next adventure in the beautiful country of Nepal.