April 1 Day 1: Arrive KTM,
reception at airport and transfer to the centrally located
3 star Manang Hotel where you will receive a briefing on
your program and be provided with the duffel bags used on
the trek. Please note weight should be kept below 15 kg
per person. There will be a welcome dinner with your
Kathmandu representative at a local restaurant. O/N Yak &
Yeti Hotel
April 2 Day 2: After breakfast,
transfer to the airport for a 35-minute flight to Pokhara,
the rural capital of western Nepal. Transfer to the
luxurious Shangri-La Village Resort. After lunch, there
will be a trek briefing. We will also be provided with
walking sticks, rain ponchos, sleeping bags, sleeping bag
liners, warm hats and gloves, gators, as well as souvenir
sun hats and scarves. Any items not needed on trek can be
checked in at hotel Store Room.
April 3 Day 3: After an
early morning breakfast, we transfer to the airport for
the 30-minute flight to Humde at 10,925 ft/3330 m. Here
we find the Manang airstrip and a few houses and lodges in
a small spread out settlement. One of the longest prayer
wheels in the region, consisting of 266 wheels, runs
through the center of the village.
From Humde, we will trek to
lower Pisang (10.500 ft/3200 m), via the high route. First
we climb to the village of Ngawal at 11,998 ft/3657m
before reaching Ghyaru and onto Pisang. The mountain
scenery is along this route is superb. Ngawal is a
medieval village, with flat roofed stone buildings and
ladders to reach the living quarters. From here, we
continue to climb to Ghyaru at 12,041 ft/3670 meters. Also
a medieval village, Ghyaru has stunning views of Lamjung
Himal, Annapurna lll, and Gangapurna. Finally, we descend
to Pisang. It takes about 4 hours from Humde to Lower
Pisang.
April 4 Day 4: Today is an
acclimating day in Pisang. We’ll explore Upper Pisang and
trek to the temple above the village, which contains a
terracotta statue of the Maitreya (the future Buddha). We
can also continue beyond the temple to an old ruin with
good views of Paungda Danda.
April 5 Day 5: Today we
climb to Braga at 11,614 ft/3540 m). We’ll take the
quicker route to Humde, which, except for a climb to the
viewpoint, is fairly level. It is a pleasant walk through
the forest, climbing gently at first, with one steep
section to reach the viewpoint at the top of the spur.
There are tall prayer flags and a small shrine here. We’ll
then cross the Marsyangdi River just before the small
village of Munji. The high trail from Ghyaru and Ngawal
join here. In about 1 ½ hours from Humde, we reach the
village of Braga (11,310 ft/3450 meters).
The flat roofed houses of
this photogenic village are built in steep tiers against
the craggy cliffs that form a natural amphitheatre around
the meadow below. Above them is the region’s oldest and
most interesting temple (Gompa), a complex of several
buildings with the 3-storied temple at the top. We’ll
drop our things off at our guesthouse, have lunch, and
visit the Gompa.
Believed to be 500 years
old, this Gompa comprises 3 main buildings and belongs to
the reformist Kagyu-pa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Kagyu-pa
was inspired by the monk Marpa who, in the 11th
century, sought to make Tibetan Buddhism more spiritual.
The main temple is dark, mysterious and powerfully
atmospheric. In the afternoons, the monks worship and
building is filled with the fragrance of burning juniper.
April 6 Day 6: This
morning we’ll trek to a Tsamkhang. Halfway up the northern
cliff that rises above Manang, in a cave, is a Tsamkhang
(Hermitage) where a colorful old lama conducts a short
puja on trekkers about to cross the Thorung La. Even
without the blessing the steep climb will help us
acclimatize and the views across the valley are
stupendous. We’ll return to Manang for lunch at 11624 ft/
3540 m). Manang is the largest village in the valley. The
200 or so flat roofed houses are packed tightly together
with prayer flags on long poles above them. In the
afternoon, we can visit the HRA health post for their
daily lecture on AMS.
April 7 Day 7: Today we
will trek to the village of Khangsar, about 2 hours from
Manang at 12,234 ft/3730 m. On the way, we can make a
detour to small lake at the Gangapurna glacier. There
about 70 houses in Khangsar as well as a monastery named
Tore Gompa. From the village, there are superb views up
the Khangsar Khola (river) to Tilicho Peak and the Grand
Barriere.
April 8 Day 8: In between
Tore Gompa and Tilicho lake, there is a big, grassy field
where Blue Sheep are often seen. About one kilometer from
the field, we reach a hill. Climbing this hill (15,744 ft/
4800 meters affords us a view of the entire valley. A
steep descent will bring us to Tilicho Base Camp, where we
find our lodging for the night.
April 9 Day 9: If weather
conditions are favorable, we’ll make our day trip to
Tilicho Lake, the highest lake in the world at 17,056
ft/5200 m. The lake is 4 kilometers long and 2.5
kilometers wide. It is the main source for the Marsyangdi
River. It is about 3 hours from the lodge to the lake.
We’ll have a picnic lunch before returning to the lodge.
April 10 Day 10: Today we
return to Khangsar and continue our trek to Gunsang
village at 12,792 ft/3900 m. We’ll celebrate having
reached the highest place on earth – if the sign at the
Marsyangdi Hotel is correct, we are 3850 kilometers above
see level!
April 11 Day 11: Beyond
Gunsang, we come to Yak Karka which means Yak pastures.
True to the name, grazing yaks are to be seen in this
area, and across the river on the mountainside. We’ll
arrive at Letdar (13,780 ft / 4200 m). Although it is just
a half-day’s trek to Letdar, we’ll stop here for the
night, in order to acclimate for our further ascent.
April 12 Day 12: Today we
trek to Thorung Phedi (14,600 ft/4450 m), which literally
means “the foot of Thorung”. The place can get very busy
but the staff at the lodges does a good job of creating a
lively atmosphere.
April 13 Day 13: Since we
should be well acclimatized by now, we’ll shorten the trek
across the Thorung La Pass by spending a night at a lodge
about an hour’s steep climb above Thorung Phedi, at 15,744
ft/ 4800 m.
April 14 Day 14: Today
we’ll cross one of the world’s highest passes. It will
take us about 2-3 hours to get to the top and as much as
down to 4 ½ hours to Muktinath. We’ll cross a small
valley, descend to the stream, and climb across the far
slope. At 16,781 ft/5115m, there is a small teashop. From
here, a seemingly never-ending series of false summits
follow as the trail weaves through the stony moonscape. 20
minutes beyond is a large chorten and a short distance
after this there are the prayer flags marking the top of
the pass at 17,769 ft / 5416 m). We’ll be standing on the
equivalent of 4 Ben Nevises, 2 ½ Mt Kosciuskos, 1 ½ Mt.
Cooks and 938 m / 3077 ft above Matterhorn and 608/1998 ft
higher than Mt Blanc!
The descent can be tough
on the knees, although it is not steep at first. At about
4300 m/14,108 ft are the ruins of a yak herder’s hut. The
trail continues steeply down from here, crossing a stream
to another collection of huts. From here it’s about an
hour to the temples of Muktinath and the lodges of
Ranipauwa.
April 15 Day 15: Today
we’ll visit Muktinath temple. The walled temple complex of
Muktinath has been attracting pilgrims, both Hindu and
Buddhist, for centuries. For Hindus, it’s the next holy
place in Nepal after Pashupatinath (near the KTM airport).
Muktinath’s fame rests mainly on a natural phenomenon that
can be seen beneath the alter at one of the small temples
within the complex. A nun lifts a grubby curtain to reveal
a thin blue flame of natural gas burning from a hole that
also emits a trickle of water. The Hindus believe this
miracle of lighting a fire upon water was an offering made
by Brahma (the Creator) himself. The fact that this is now
very much a Buddhist temple doesn’t seem to worry Nepali
Hindus with their mix-and-match approach to religion.
When visiting the temples of Muktinath, you should be
modestly dressed, take your shoes off when going inside
temples and leave donations. From Muktinath, we’ll
descend for about 1 hour to Jarkot for our overnight
accommodations. Jharkot, another medieval town, is at
3550 meters/ 11,644 ft.
April 16 Day 16: Today we
trek to Jomsom. It is about 3 hours and we end up
following the Kali Ghandaki River Valley. The Kali Gandaki
riverbed is about a kilometer wide here but the water
flows in several separate streams. Some parts of the trail
are over the pebbles and rocks by the river, others high
above the banks. The winds can be very strong.
April 17 Day 17: This
morning we’ll fly back to Pokhara and continue to
Kathmandu, by flight. We’ll have the afternoon free to
explore Kathmandu. Overnight Yak & Yeti Hotel
April 18 Day 18: Another
free day in Kathmandu before departing Nepal. Overnight
Yak & Yeti Hotel
April 19 Day 19: Transfer
to the airport for departure
Rate: 1700$ per person,
based on twin sharing
Rate includes:
3 nights accommodation at
the centrally located 5 star Yak & Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu,
B&B
1 night accommodation at
the 5 star Shangri-La Village Resort in Pokhara, full
board excluding beverages
14 nights trekking, full
board, excluding bottled beverages
Local Guide and porters,
Western Escort (Rachel Baker)
Trek packs including:
Duffel bag, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, walking
stick, rain poncho, warm hat and gloves, souvenir sun hat
and scarf
Round trip domestic flight
Kathmandu-Pokhara-Kathmandu
Domestic flight from
Pokhara to Humde
Domestic flight from Jomsom
to Pokhara
All ground transfers
Trek permit
domestic departure taxes
Rate excludes:
International airfare and international departure tax,
meals in Kathmandu, and gratuities
This trip can be done with
other itinerary as well.
