Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 3 | Page 26

Trekking around Manaslu
A trek through this region takes you on a tough route through
some of the wildest and most beautiful scenery you’ll see
anywhere. Including the most dramatic Himalayan pass, the
Larkya La (5,231m), the 177 kilometer route that generally
takes about 20 days to complete skirts the Manaslu massif
down to Annapurna, following an early salt-trading route
along the Budi Gandaki River. Over ten Himalayan peaks over
6,500m can be seen from this route. Manaslu (8,156m), is
the eighth highest mountain in the world.
The Manaslu trek begins at Gorkha, about 5 hours by road
from Kathmandu. Once a kingdom in its own right, in the 18th
century, its king, Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to conquer and
unify Nepal. This resulted in the Shah Dynasty that ruled the
country for around 250 years.
From Gorka, you start by hiking a couple of hours to Charkot
(600m), continuing the following day to Siangdi Khola
(650m). Trekking the next day on the level trail to Durondi
Khola (750m) for about four hours or so, you carry on walking
along the Durondi Khola, and then start climbing steadily to
Barbak (1,900m) and then to Kharka Pass (2,850m). Walking
downhill the following day along the sheer cliff faces of the
Budi Gandaki River, you’ll pass waterfalls, large bamboo
groves, forests of rhododendron and fir, and mani walls with
Buddhist inscriptions. Overnighting at Gumda (2,050m), you
continue to Jagat (1,360m), then the next day uphill to Nyak
(2,300m). On to Ghap (2,380m), you then pass through fir
forests teeming with birds (keep an eye out for the Impeyan
pheasant, the danfe, Nepal’s national bird). Eventually
reaching Namrung village, you enter the Nupri region, where
most people, men and women, are wearing traditional Tibetan
dresses. Here you see many chortens and prayer wheels
along the route, as well as tall watchtowers in the fields. These
are to protect the wheat and buckwheat crops from being
eaten up by marauding bears. From Bengsam (2,900m), the
next couple of days takes you to Sama (3,360m), and Kermo
Samdo (3,780m).

Locals on daily Routine. Photo: Denis Olivier Poulet.

After about two weeks of trekking, you reach Larkya Bazaar
(4,400m), and the following day, the climax of your trek with
challenging climb up to Larkya La, the pass situated at 5,100
meters. From here, you can see Annapurna II (7,937m).
Himlung Himal (7,126m), Gyaji Kung (7,030m), Kang Guru
(6,981m), and Cheo Himal (6,820m).
Descending to the vast Bimtang valley (3,630m), you are
surrounded on all sides by impressive Himalayan peaks. This
valley was once a staging area for Khampa guerilla activities
during the time of the Khampa insurgency in 1974-1975. The
following few days take you back down through lovely forests
and along the Marsyangdi gorge to Tilche (2,640m), Tal
(1,680m), Bahun Danda (1,260m), and finally to Besisahar
(760m) from where you drive back to Kathmandu.

Sacred Buddhist mani stones. Photo: Denis Olivier Poulet.

26

www.royalmt.com.np

May 2014