Tsum Valley and Manaslu Trek

Today, we will meet in Gongabu, Kathmandu in the morning, from where our bus will depart.  From here, we will be travelling with locals to reach Maccha Khola. Along the way, there will be a couple of breaks for breakfast and lunch. As we traverse through the everchanging landscape, make sure to take glimpse of the approaching mountains. We will reach Maccha Khola after about 8 hours, where we will stay the night today.

Note: Alternative means of transport is also available with extra pay.(Private Jeep)

We ease through Khorlabesi during the early part of the day and make our way to Tatopani, famed for its natural hot springs. A steep climb takes us up to Dobhan as we enter the Manaslu Conservation area and on to the scenic village of Jagat and its rugged setting and narrow paved lanes.

A series of striking suspension bridges dominate our path today as we steadily make our way up the trail past numerous waterfalls towards the Gurung village of Philim and its pretty setting. From there the trail climbs again and branches away into Tsum Valley, with the striking image of Ganesh Himal and Shringi Himal drawing our attention as we make our approach to Lopka to end our day on the trail.

Lush jungle and three more suspension bridges usher us into the mystical Buddhist valley, and after an initial sharp climb, the rest of our hike to Chumling is a fairly leisurely one that allows us to relax and take in the beauty of the valley.

Glorious views of the Ganesh Himal serve as our backdrop during the day as we steadily ease higher along the Shiar Khola, a minor tributary of the Budhi Gandaki, a small Tibetan monastery along our path reminding us of the valley’s strong Tibetan influences. The day finishes off with our arrival at Chhaikampar, the largest settlement in the valley.

With the tributary still acting as our guide we make our way deeper and higher into the valley, following the ancient trade route to Tibet as we make our way past chortens, stupas, mani walls, monasteries, and nunneries, all reminders of the close cultural and historical bonds to Nepal’s mystical neighbor to the north — not for nothing is Tsum Valley known as ‘Little Tibet’. We can pause briefly to inspect Milarepa cave before we arrived at the monastery of Mu Gompa where we’ll stay the night and enjoy the hospitality of the resident monks — truly one of the cultural highlights of the trek.

We retrace our steps from Mu Gompa as far as the village of Lar then take an alternate route back to Chhaikampar via Rachen Gompa, home to the valley’s most famous nunnery.

Our day begins with a descent to the village of Dumji, after which we change direction and take a steep trail through dense pine and rhododendron forests until we reach Gompa Lungdang and its serenely situated monastery below Ganesh Himal.

The ascent to the base camp takes approximately four hours, perhaps a little less, and once there our efforts are rewarded with some of the finest views on offer of towering Ganesh Himal and the surrounding alpine wilderness. After a suitable amount of time to savor the view, we retreat down the trail to Gompa Lungdang.

Our return path takes the alternative route towards Ripchet, which gives us a new and rewarding perspective on the landscape as we make it overnight.

As we leave behind our stay in the magical Tsum Valley our attention refocuses on the trail through the Manaslu region and our ultimate goal of Larkya La pass. Our old friend, the Budhi Gandaki River, greets us and leads us westward towards Pewa and on up the steep-sided valley to Deng.

An undulating trail leads us steadily through forests until we arrive at Ghap, then continues gaining altitude steadily as we trail by the tumbling white water of the river close at hand. A final steep climb leads us into Namrung.

The lower temperate forests give way steadily as we break free of the tree line and hike higher into the mountains, the lush greens of the lower valley giving way to the muted browns and grays of the Himalayan terrain and the vivid blue skies one only experiences at altitude. Our first destination for the morning is the scenic village of Lho with its gorgeous views of Manaslu and Rebung Gompa perched atop a hillside nearby. From Lho we hike to the equally impressive village of Shyala and its own spectacular vistas, then climb steadily through yak pasturelands to Samagaun.

Samagaun is our temporary home for the day as we give our bodies time to acclimate to the altitude, and the choice is a good one as the village provides multiple choices for day excursions, including a short excursion to the pretty lake of Birendra Taal nearby, the highly rewarding and dramatic hike to Manaslu Base camp, or the alternative walk to Pungen Gompa and its serene setting amidst the mountains.

Onward and up is the motto of the day as we put our heads down determinedly with the goal of Larke La ever nearer. The trail leads us on a short and gradual climb alongside the river then begins to steepen as it leads us up to Samdo around midday. There is plenty of time in the afternoon to explore and perhaps hike to a higher altitude briefly to help in the process of acclimatization.

Another rest day to help acclimate, with the rare option to spend the day on a return hike to the border with Tibet at the pass of Rui La 4998m. The views of the Himalayas and Fukang Glacier add another level to the day’s journey.

Our trek to the high-altitude camp of Dharmsala brings us to the very threshold of Larkya La, with snow more evident and the air feeling thinner with each step toward our destination. Another brief hike to higher ground is recommended to help our bodies get used to the altitude and sleep better during the night.

The typical method for crossing Larke La is to head out before daybreak, our head-mounted lights bobbing in the dark as we clamber up the path in the cold morning air, our breath apparent in the glow of the lamps. The trail to Larke La is a deceptive one of constant switchbacks, promising everything one minute and snatching it away the next as one false ridge leads to another. Finally, we catch a glimpse of the first prayer flags and our goal is finally attained as we stumble wearily to the marker and pose proudly for our cameras to mark the achievement. After pausing to luxuriate in the accomplishment and take in the magnificent views we begin the descent to Bhimthang and put our trekking poles to good use to spare our tired legs and knees from the steep descent to the arid valley below.

With views of Manaslu to our left and the Annapurna ranges to our right we descend from Bhimthang through yak pastures to the first signs of the Dudh Khola’s headwaters trickling down the slope. A bridge across leads to a path that gradually leaves behind the alpine climate and takes us down through familiar rhododendron forests to a narrow valley of terraced fields and patchwork crops. We reach the small and picturesque village of Tilje and then make our way uphill to Dharapani, the major trekking confluence in the region and modern starting point for trekkers heading out on the Annapurna Circuit and their goal of reaching Thorong La pass. With time and intent, we too can head in the same direction.

After a hearty breakfast, continue on your journey to Tilje. The hike from Bhimthan to Tilje takes 6 hours. The route descends steeply along Dudhkhola. We can see little hydropower plants being built along the road till we reach Chaulikharka, which takes 2 hours. Chaulikahrka is a tiny teahouse stopping point. After passing through Chaulikharka for around 1 hour and 15 minutes, we go to Surtikhola. Surtikhola provides lunch. After roughly an hour of driving past Sutikhola, the highways that eventually link to Goa appear to be well-built. Goa is a lovely Gurung village with a rocky mountain backdrop. We arrived in Tije after roughly an hour of walking. Tilje has a suspension bridge, an old traditional home, and various caves. Dinner, and overnight stay in Tilje.