Around Manaslu Trek

Around Manaslu Trek Overview

A challenging trekking holiday across the remote Larkya La Pass in Nepal

A challenging trekking holiday around Manaslu in the Nepal Himalaya. Manaslu at 8163 metres is the eighth tallest mountain in the World. Situated close to the border with Tibet, some 100 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, the valleys to the north and east of Manaslu were a restricted area until the early nineties when KE Adventure Travel were one of the first companies granted permission to take groups trekking into the region. This area has always seen relatively few trekkers when compared to the more popular regions of the Annapurna and the Khumbu and the simple villages, together with the stunning scenery around Manaslu make this one of the classic yet unspoilt trekking adventures in the Himalaya. Travelling via Gorkha and Arughat to the south of Manaslu, we ascend the impressive gorge of the Burhi Gandaki for several days, passing through tiny villages perched on the steep valley sides, to reach the Tibetan world beyond the village of Ghap. We have the feeling of entering a secret Buddhist world of monasteries, mani walls and prayer flags as the valley starts to open out, and there are remarkable panoramas of the peaks on the Nepal-Tibet border, as well as those of the Manaslu group. The scenery becomes even more impressive as we climb up into the alpine environment on the approach to the Larkya La (5135m), with big peaks on all sides. The principal peaks that we will see on this first part of our trek are Himal Chuli, Manaslu, Cheo Himal and Himlung Himal. Beyond the Larkya La, we drop down into the heavily forested valley of the Marsyangdi River, where we are now trekking beneath the giants of the Annapurna range, following the river down to a meeting with the roadhead. Once only accessible to fully self-sufficient camping groups, the Manaslu circuit can now be completed using local lodges and tea houses giving a unique opportunity to interact with the local people who live in these high Himalayan valleys. PLEASE NOTE: From 2023 we will drive to Macchu Khola on Day 3 of the itinerary and start the trek from there on the following day. This means that the 2023 itinerary will be shortened to 17 days.