Day
1:
Arrival in Kathmandu [1,300m/4,264 ft]
Upon our arrival in the Tribhuwan
International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a
representative from Red Dragon Travel Bureau who will drop us off at our hotel.
After checking in, we take a rest or visit Red Dragon Travel Bureau’s office.
We may also stroll in the streets of Thamel, a tourist hub in Kathmandu for
some souvenir shopping. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted
by Red Dragon Travel Bureau. For dinner, you will be served excellent Nepalese
cuisine which will introduce you to the country's authentic food culture.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day
2:
Kathmandu: Sightseeing and Trek Preparation
Today after breakfast we start a guided
tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu.
Some of these landmarks including the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu
temple of Pashupatinath, the famous 'Monkey Temple' (Swayambhunath) and Buddhist
shrine (Bouddhanath) which is one of the largest stupas in the world are listed
as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There will be a brief pre- trip group
discussion followed by trek preparation during late afternoon at Red Dragon
Travel Bureau’s office in Thamel around noon. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day
3:
Drive from Kathmandu to Sotikhola [710m/2328 ft] 8 - 9 hours
We set off early today for Sotikhola.
During the drive, we enjoy views of the Nepalese countryside along with the
mountain sceneries. We will be driving on a paved road from Kathmandu to
Dhading Bensi, district headquarter of Dhading (1050m)but the drive from
Dhanding Bensi to Arughat will be on a rough road. Upon reaching Arughat, a major town in the
region we drive further towards Sotikhola. Overnight in Soti Khola.
Day
4:
Soti Khola - Maccha Khola [900m/2952 ft]: 6 - 7 hours
At the crossing of the bridge, we trek
through the beautiful Sal forests, then climb onto a ridge above huge rapids on
the Budhi Gandaki. We then reach Khursane upon which the rocky trail weaves its
way up and down, past two tropical waterfalls on a steep, rocky trail clinging
to the side of a cliff. It eventually makes its way down and past a few rice
terraces, then up and around to the Gurung village of Labubesi. We further
climb behind a rocky outcrop, where the valley opens up and the Budhi Gandaki
meanders among wide gravel bars. Dropping to the sandy river bed, we walk along
rounded stones before climbing over a side ridge. We head down again to the
river and cross another suspension bridge to reach Machha Khola village.
Overnight in Machha Khola.
Day
5: Maccha Khola -Jagat [1410m/ 4625 ft]: 6 - 7
hrs
The narrow trail makes some minor ups
and downs and eventually crosses the Tharo Khola and reaching Khorlabesi. After
a few more ascends and descends we come across a small Hotspring in Tatopani.
From the hot spring, we climb over another ridge, then cross the Budhi Gandaki
on a suspension bridge. At this juncture, we climb on a wide, well-crafted
staircase, then across a landslide and over a ridge to Dobhan. Upon crossing a
suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola, we climb the stone stairs and then drop
to the river and again climb more stone stairs to Tharo Bharyang. 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.
Day
6: Jagat - Deng [1,804m/5917 ft]: 6 - 7 hrs
We begin today’s trek by climbing over a
rocky ridge to Salleri, and then descend to Sirdibas. The valley widens a bit
as the trail continues up to Ghatta Khola. We further continue walking upstream
to a long suspension bridge in Philim, a large Gurung village. The trail turns
north just above the lowest house in the village and stays on a fairly level
trail as it crosses millet fields to Ekle Bhatti. The route now enters a steep,
uninhabited gorge. At this point, we descend to the grassy land slopes, cross
the Budhi Gandaki, then trek along the west bank for a while, 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. Upon crossing the Khola, we reach the tiny
village of Deng. Overnight in Deng.
Day
7:
Deng - Namrung [2630m/8626ft]: 6 - 7 hrs
After a brief walk beyond Deng, we cross
the Budhi Gandaki and climb to Rana at 1910m. From the bridge, we climb a bit
to join a trail from Bhi, then head west up the Budhi Gandaki valley. The trail
also passes through forests and mani where we turn towards a corner that contours
to Ghap. Even though there is another route, we take the route through Prok
village. Prok village has a viewpoint for a beautiful sight of Siringi Himal.
We further cross the Budi Gandaki several times today and come 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 trail is fine again. The pleasant
walk continues and after a last steep climb we reach Namrung. Overnight in
Namrung.
Day
8: Namrung – Samagaon [3530m/11,578 ft]: 6-7
hours
Namrung village is a good viewpoint for
Siring and Ganesh Himal and from the village one can also see Mt. Himal Chuli
in the south. We climb steadily and 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. We enjoy
extraordianary views of Mt. Manasly from Lho village and also explore the
famous Ribung Gompa. 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. Today’s journey ends in Samagaon where we spend the night.
Day
9: Samagaon - Pungyen gompa - Samagaon: 6 - 7
hours exploration
We spend the day at Samagaon both for
rest and acclimatization. Today, 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. On a
little hill near the Sama village is an old Gompa (Pungyen Gompa), a monastery
with great views of the glacier. It is named after Manaslu, Pungyen means
bracelet, a good description of the two peaks. It was destroyed a year after
the first unsuccessful Japanese attempt to climb Manaslu. The locals believed
that the climb angered the gods, and when the Japanese came back a year later
they met with a lot of resistance that they had to give up their attempt. They
were finally successful in 1959. Overnight in Samagaon.
Day
10: Samagaon - Samdo [3860m/12,660 ft]: 4 - 5
hours
Today, we descend to the Budhi Gandaki
River, that has turned north and follow it to a bridge over a side stream. The
trail to the left leads to the Manaslu Base camp. The Larkya la Trail passes
several mani walls as the valley begins to widen. It is an easy trail on a
shelf above the river passing the juniper and birch forests of Kermo Kharka. We
drop off the shelf, cross the Budhi Gandaki on a wooden bridge and climb
steeply onto a promontory between two forks of the river. From a stone arch we
can view a large white kani. Finally passing through the kani we find Samdo.
Overnight in Samdo.
Day
11:
Rest Day in Samdo
This is another day set aside for proper
acclimatization. There are two options for us today. The option that we highly
recommend is a hike, up the valley directly at the back of the Samdo village.
This hike will take us to one of the trade passes to Tibet for excellent views
of Mt. Manaslu along with other Himalayan ranges including Simrang, Hiunchuli,
Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo and possibly Kang Guru behind the pass. En route to these viewpoints we pass many
seasonal herding settlements called doksas and sight some beautiful mountain
birds like the Lophophorus (the national bird of Nepal), Lammergeyer and
Himalayan Griffin soaring high above us. Another option for today could be a
trip to the Gya La ('large pass') to the north of Samdo, a more frequently used
trading route to Tibet. But, this is a rather longer hike (whole day) and hence
could be a little tiring. Overnight in Samdo.
Day
12: Samdo - Dharamsala/Larkya B. C. [4460m/14,
628 ft]: 4 - 5 hours
Even today, we continue our walk down
the edge, cross the wooden bridge over Budi Gandaki and begin walking upward.
Upon crossing two streams and witnessing the Larkya Glacier we go around the
valley of the Salka Khola and climb up again to the stone guest house (4450 m),
which is not a lodge but a kind of shelter called Dharmshala, also known as
Larke Phedi. The short walk today also leaves plenty of time for
acclimatization and relaxing in the afternoon. Overnight in Dharmashala.
Day
13: Dharamsala - Larkya la [5160m/16, 924 ft] -
Bimthang [3720m/12, 201 ft]: 8 - 9 hours
After a short climb, we reach a valley
on the north side of the Larkya Glaciers from where we can enjoy great views of
Cho Danda and Larkya Peak. Finally, we walk across moraines of the glacier,
making a gradual ascent which becomes steeper only in the last section of the
pass. From the pass, there are outstanding views of Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal,
Kangguru and the huge Annapurna II. It is a longer day than usual to Bimtang,
but to walk into these low pastures with the evening mist coming in with Mt.
Manaslu looming close by is an overwhelming experience. Overnight in Bimthang.
Day
14:
Bimthang - Tilije [2300m/7544ft]: 5 - 6 hours
From a ridge at Bimthang, we can enjoy
great views of Mt. Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal and Cheo Himal. We
descend further and cross a high pasture (Sangure Kharka) followed by a bridge
over Dudh Khola. We walk through rhododendron forest and follow a trail through
a narrow valley until we reach the highest cultivated land of the valley at
Karche, 2785 meters. We pass across fields before making a steep climb over a
ridge. The trail comes off the ridge in a big, sweeping arc to the river bank
at 2580m. A short distance beyond is the village of Gho. Due to yesterday's
tiredness we might take an overnight rest at Gho but better lodges are
available at Tilije, so Red Dragon Travel Bureaurecommends we stay at Tilije.
Overnight in Tilije Village.
Day
15: Tilije - Tal [1700m/5576 ft]: 5 - 6 hours (1700)
We climb over a small ridge and enjoy
the stone paved trail as it passes through a beautiful village. We then cross
the bridge over Dudh Khola and climb up through a chorten-shaped arch, pass a
mani wall and reach the Thonje village. At the village, we go through a police
checkpoint and continue to Dharapani. We have entered the Annapurna circuit
section from Dharapani. Further down, we come across Karte village and after
quite a bit of walking we cross a bridge over Marshyangdi Khola. We also come
across some mani walls before reaching the village of Tal, situated at the foot
of a large waterfall. Overnight in Tal.
Day
16: Tal - Syange [1080m/3542 ft]: 6 - 7 hours
We follow the trail to Chyamje village
crossing the Marshyangdi Khola once again. The Marsyandi valley opens with its
terrace fields and villages clung very high to the hillsides. The trail then
descends through rhododendron and and pine forests to Syange. Overnight in
Syange.
Day
17:
Syange - Kathmandu: 8-9 hours
The drive from Syange to Kathmandu via
Besi Sahar offers one an opportunity to enjoy both hill and mountain
landscapes. The drive is often along the banks of the Marsyangdi and Trishuli
rivers. We also drive by some beautiful villages with farming terraces on both
sides of the road. In Kathmandu, we will be escorted to our hotel. The day in
Kathmandu can either be spent in leisure or perhaps we catch up with some last
minute shopping. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will
have a farewell dinner in the evening.Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day
18:
Final departure
Your adventure comes to an end today.
There is nothing to do but we trade emails with travel companions and organize
the photos. A representative from Red Dragon Travel Bureau will escort you to
the airport approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight.On our way to
home, we will have plenty of time to plan our next adventure in the wonderful
country of Nepal.
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