Manaslu Circuit Trek


Manaslu from Lho (Photo: John Balha)

Manaslu Circuit Trek (24 days, 23 nights)
The trip is to the remote and less-frequented circuit around Manaslu, the world's seventh highest peak at 8,156m. The Manaslu area is a beautiful and fascinating region located along the border of Nepal and Tibet. It is a fairly long trek, but the rewards of the trek are well worth the commitment. The Manaslu area was opened for trekking only in 1991. In addition to a Conservation Area fee, there is also a trekking permit that is required for this region, thus relatively fewer tourists visit this region, and you will be sharing the trails with few others.

This trek is geographically spectacular and culturally fascinating. The inhabitants of the lower Buri Gandaki region are Hindus (Brahmin/Chhetris) and Gurungs (Bonpos and Buddhists), while the inhabitants in the upper parts of the Buri Gandaki river are Buddhists and direct descendents of Tibetan immigrants who settled here in the early 1600s. The mani stones around Ghap (6,800ft) are particularly outstanding. A day beyond Ghap, you will enter truly high alpine country with spectacular close-up views of Manaslu at the head of the valley. The high pass of Larkya La (16,700 ft.) is one of the most dramatic pass-crossings in the Himalaya.

This trek is non-technical and suitable for anyone in good shape who likes to hike. This is not a backpacking trip: porters will carry your gear. It is a camping trek: you will be sleeping and eating in campsites in tents along the trail.

 

 

itinerary

Day 01- Kathmandu

Arrive Kathmandu. Met at the airport and transfer to hotel. Welcome dinner. Overnight Hotel. (Dinner)

Day 02 - Kathmandu

Sightseeing in Kathmandu. Overnight Hotel. (Breakfast and lunch)

Day 03 - Bus Kathmandu to Arughat (600 m/1,970 ft.)

Board a chartered bus with your staff to Arughat. Overnight tents. (All meals)

Day 04, 05, and 06 - Arughat to Jagat (1,410 m/4,630 ft.)

From Arughat, walk through the typical low hills of Nepal with terraced rice fields through villages inhabited by the Brahmin and Chettri ethnic groups to Machha Khola. Then walk through wheat and buckwheat fields to reach hot-springs at Tatopani (930m). Spend some time soaking in the hot-springs, before heading out to Dobhan (1,000m). Above Dobhan, the Buri Gandaki descends in an impressive series of steep rapids. Here, the trail climbs high above the river and then descends through a huge gateway that opens out into a wide valley where the river is calm again. Continue on to the campsite below Jagat (1,410m).

Jagat is a beautiful stone-paved village with a rudimentary trekker's hotel, shops, and a customs office. Jagat is the entrance to Manaslu Conservation Area, an area where the concept of integrated conservation and development is being implemented to achieve conservation and sustainable development objectives. There is also an MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area Project) office here where your permits will be checked. Overnight Camp. (All meals)

Day 07 - Jagat to Philim (1,585 m/5,200 ft.)

Descend a long series of stone steps to the river, then climb a terraced hill to Saguleri (1,440m) from where you can get an impressive view of Sringi Himal (7,187m). Past Saguleri, pass through Sirdibas village (1,430m). Cross the Buri Gandaki again over a long suspension bridge at Ghatta Khola, then follow the route upstream. Climb up a steep incline to reach Philim (1,590m). Philim (1,590 m) is a large Gurung village with fields of corn and millet. The hillsides become steeper beyond Philim until Aga. Overnight Camp. (All meals)

Day 08, 09, 10 and 11 - Philim to Lho (3,180 m/10,430 ft.)


Manaslu from Bihi (Photo: Jwalant)

Trek through a narrow, dramatic gorge with towering walls, and past a thundering waterfall. Cross the river on locally-built bridges and then leave the gorge to climb to the small village of Deng (1,800m). The "Nupri" region starts here at Deng. Nupri translates to "the western mountains" and the people of Nupri are direct descendants of Tibetan immigrants who settled here in the early 1600s. Cross the Buri Gandaki again into the north bank and climb to the village of Rana (1,980m). Here, you will start observing mani walls (stones carved with prayers on their surface and stacked to form a wall) – a sign of Tibetan Buddhism being practiced in the area. The trail is level, then climbs and drops and climbs again to the village of Ghap (2,110m). Here, you will also walk through a kaani – an archway over the trail decorated with paintings or carvings on the inside. The mani wall in Ghap has elegant carvings said to have been made by a family of stone carvers from Bhi, high on the hillside above the village. Many of the carvings depict the Buddha in various meditative poses, and others are of Milarepa – the Tibetan hermit who traveled and meditated in this valley.

Walk through barley fields lined with mani walls and continue on towards a fir forest, where you might catch sight of the danphe –impeyan pheasant which is also Nepal's colorful national bird. Continue climbing into a dense, rhododendron-fir forest and enter Namrung (2,660m) through a stone kaani arch.

Beyond Namrung, the trail enters upper Nupri where the residents are more Tibetans than in lower Nupri. Climb past a mani wall and the many fields and houses of Barsam, then up through a fir-rhododendron-oak forest to a promontory. The trail passes through another stone kaani and enters Lihi (2,900m). Lihi is a closely-packed village with unusual architecture: the stone houses are grouped together into units of five or six that share a common roof and courtyard. Most roofs are made of heavy wood shingles.

Head towards Sho (2,960m), whose closely-paced houses you can see on the ridge ahead. From Sho, the views of Ngadi Chuli are spectacular. From here onwards, you will also encounter children who will hassle you for shim shim – i.e. sweets or candy. From Sho onwards and towards Lho (3,180m), you will also start viewing Manaslu, Manaslu North (7,157m) and Naike Peak (5,515m). Overnight tents. (All meals)

Day 12 and 13 - Lho to Sama gaon (3,530 m/11,580 ft.)

Sama Gaon – or Ro, as the locals call it – sits in a bowl at the foot of the pastures leading to high peaks. There are two gompas (monasteries) here with unique architecture. The residents of Sama Gaon are Tibetan descendents, and they continue to maintain an active trade with Tibetans across the border. A lay over day is planned at Sama gaon. Overnight Camp. (All meals)

Day 14 and 15 - Sama gaon to Samdo (3,860/12,660 ft.)

Trek to Samdo. Another layover day is planned for at Samdo for exploration and acclimatization. Overnight tents. (All meals)

Day 16 and 17 - Samdo to Bimthang (3,720 m/12,200 ft.)


The team on Larkya la pass

Trek to the base of Larkya la pass. This is a short day and we camp and go to bed early to prepare for an early and long pass crossing day. Camp is at 4,480 m/14,700 ft.

Cross Larkya la (5,100 m/16,700 ft.) to reach Bimthang. A long day which can take between 7 to 10 hours. Overnight tents. (All meals)

Day 18 and 19 - Dharapani (1,960 m/7,100 ft.)

You rejoin the main Annapurna Circuit trail at Dharapani and then follow it till Bagarchap. The trail to Nar-Phu turns right here. Overnight tents. (All meals)

Day 20 and 21 - Dharapani to Bhulbhule

Descend to Bhulbhule from where your chartered bus will meet you and your crew. Overnight tent. (All meals)

 
Day 22 - Bhulbhule to Kathmandu

Drive back to Kathmandu. Over night Hotel Tibet or similar (Breakfast and Lunch)

Day 23 - Kathmandu

Full day of sightseeing and shopping in Kathmandu. Farewell dinner. Overnight Hotel Tibet or similar. (All meals)

Day 24 - Final departure

Transfer to the airport for your departure. (Breakfast)

EXTENSIONS TO NAR-PHU OR THORUNG LA PASS (ON THE ANNPURNA CIRCUIT) ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE INQUIRE FOR DETAILS.

Price includes:

Price does not include:

TO BOOK THIS TRIP:

A completed reservation form must be either faxed to us or scanned and emailed as an attachment.

Email: info@crystalmountaintreks.com
Fax: 977 – 1- 4412647

You must also send us a non-refundable deposit of GBP/EURO/AUS$ 300 per person through bank transfer. Wire details will be provided. The balance must be paid on arrival, either in traveler’s checks, cash or by credit card (VISA card only). If you plan to pay by credit card, the payable amount will be converted to US$ and a 3% surcharge will be added.

Download reservation form (Word)»

Cancellation policy:

- Cancel 30 days prior to the beginning of the trip, deposit valid for any trip undertaken within a year with us in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India.
- Cancel anytime prior to the beginning of the trip, forfeit trip deposit.
- No refunds once trek begins.

Currency of payment:

Prices are guaranteed for 2011. You may choose to pay in US$ or your country's currency. If you pay by credit card, you will be billed in US$.

North American clients:

Please book this trip with our US based sister company - Grand Asian Journeys. (Separate booking and cancellation policy applies.)

Grand Asian Journeys
PO Box 608
Indianola, WA 98342
Toll Free: 1-888-586-7750
Email: info@grandasianjourneys.com

REFERENCES:

Crystal Mountain Treks organizes treks and tours in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Tibet for hundreds of satisfied travelers every year. Our previous trekking clients have included travellers from the USA, UK, Australia, France, Germany and Russia. Feel free to ask us for references who can tell you about their experience with us. We may be able to get you in touch with a previous client from your native country.

TREK RATING:

This trek is rated Challenging and involves trekking at high altitude (5 on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being easy and 5 being challenging). Highest altitude reached on this trek is 17,100 ft. at the Larkya La pass. Highest overnight elevation is around 14,000 ft. The entire trip involves a lot of up and down. Physical conditioning is required. Nothing prepares you for hiking like hiking. So besides hitting the tread-mill or the stair-master at the gym, do include hiking in your training regimen which should begin at least two months prior to the trek if not earlier.

No technical climbing experience is required for participation on this trip.

WHY BOOK WITH CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN?:

There are over 500 and counting trekking companies in Nepal plus numerous adventure companies based outside of Nepal selling treks in Nepal. We are aware that you have lots of options. But, we believe there are reasons we stand out from our competitors. Our most compelling argument is that we provide the BEST VALUE. When you book with us, cost of all your meals on your trek are included. And you may choose anything or any amount from the menu. A lot of trekking companies have hidden costs - cost of meals while on the trek are not included. Prices at lodges in the Everest region are highly inflated and each meal can cost upto GBP 5 per person meaning an additional GBP 200 per person on the Ultimate Everest Trek. Also, we provide boiled water for your water bottles at breakfast, lunch and dinner. With other companies, this would be extra. All these costs add up very quickly. We've listed more reasons why we are different here...

FLYING TO NEPAL:

Flying from the UK:
Most economical options are either flying through Abi Dhabi (Etihad Airlines) or through Delhi (Jet Airways and Air India). Other options include flying through Bahrain on Gulf Air and through Doha on Qatar Airlines.

Flying from Australia:
Your best options are either flying through Bangkok (Thai Airways), through Singapore (Singapore Airlines), or through Delhi (Jet Airways).

Check out the following sites to compare prices for flights to Nepal:

www.kayak.com
www.sidestep.com
www.cheapoair.com

NEPAL TREK PREPARATION:

Click on the link for useful information that should help you better plan/prepare for your trekking journey in Nepal. This page will be continually updated based on client feedback/experience: NEPAL TREK PREPARATION

QUESTIONS:

Email: info@crystalmountaintreks.com

Phone
Land Line: + 977 1 4416813

Mobile phone: + 977 98410-00724

Or feel free to provide us your Skype address/telephone number and a time convenient for you and we would be glad to call you from Kathmandu to answer your questions.