Round Manaslu

Trail Profile:
The trek around Manaslu is one of the classic treks in Nepal. The trail up the Budhi Gandaki is one of the most difficult routes in Nepal and there is huge amount of climbing as you trek up and down over ridges and onto shelves to bypass cliffs. The trail is rough and steep and it offers literally hangs on a bluff high above the river and many bridges. This trek is geographically spectacular and culturally fascinating.

Itinerary:

Day 01: Kathmandu to Gorkha
The bus ride from Kathmandu to Gorkha follows the Pokhara road as far as Abu Khaireni, the climbs 24 km. to Gorkha. It takes about 5 hrs. Gorkha provides an excellent starting point for the Round Manaslu trek. It is also known as the birthplace of the present Shah dynasty. There is the old royal palace and many temples in the village. The palace offers a marvelous panoramic view of the Annapurna Himal, Manaslu, the Ganesh Himal and Langtang Himal.

Day 02: Gorkha to Khannchowk (1000m.)
Descend carefully by the stone paved path until you reach Ahle village. From here to Taple, the path becomes a gentle ascent. After Taple, you will reach a pass and continued for a while on the ridge with an open view. Descend the steep slope by the well-maintained path with stone steps and you will reach Khanchowk. 

Day 03: Khannchowk to Aarughat (530m.)
The trail makes an abrupt descent to the valley. When you reach the river shores, move on downstream switching from one bank to another. Ahead this point, the trail traverses high on the flank. And you overlook the Budhi Gandaki. Cross the suspension bridge over the tributary and you reach Aarughat, the largest village in the Budhi Gandaki

Day 04: Aarughat to Khursani Bari or Korsandhare
The trail ascends through rice paddies and farm fields until you pass the Kokethar hamlet. Continue on the level path and you will see a huge rock to your left. From Kyoropani, repeating ascents and descents you will be traversing until you come down to the shores of Soti Khola. From here, the trail repeats ascents and descents. After finishing a steep ascent you will reach Kosandhara.

Day 05: Khursani Bari to Maccha Khola
From Lapbesi traverse the slope that has farm fields and rice paddies. The trail soon goes down to the shores of white sand and goes back again on the mountain flank. In about an hour you will reach the Maccha Khola.

Day 06: Maccha Khola to Jagat
Cross the suspension bridge to the left bank, pass the forested area, follow the path that looks like it is carved in the rock and you will reach Doban Khola. Trek for a while on the path in the farm fields and you will reach Jagat. This is a small village with a police check post and small lodges.

Day 07: Jagat to Filim
Leaving the village, descend the stone steps to the wide river shores. Cross the Pangour Khola that flows in from the left, move on traversing repeatedly and you will reach Saguleri, from where you see Sringi Himal beyond the valley. Move further on the right bank and start ascending until you reach Filim. Though it is a Nepalese Gurung village, it has a strong Tibetan influence.

Day 08: Filim to Deng
Leave the village and a small ascending traverse; the trail then goes down to the river shores. Ascend a little while along the Budhi Gandaki and cross the suspension bridge to the opposite bank.

Day 09: Deng to Namru
Cross the right bank of the Budhi Gandaki using the wooden bridge and move on through houses and farm fields. The path then enters a forested area where Himalayan leaders stand out. Move on through forest and cross over a wooden bridge again. Keep ascending in the forest until you reach Namru.

Day 10: Namru to Lo village
The trail becomes descend and then ascend for a while until you reach a meadow. After passing the meadow, you will enter Bengsam village. When you walk through the village, the view opens up. Here, you can see Naike peak, Manaslu North Peak (7157m.) and the long awaited Manaslu (8163m). The houses in the Sho village are scattered in the farm fields on the flank. Leaving Sho and going through the Kanni, you will reach the neighboring Lo village (3150m). It is a large village with many houses and a fine Gompa.

Day 11: Lo village to Sama Gaun
From Lo village, the path descends to the valley of Damonan Khola. Cross the wooden bridge over the stream and climb back up the steep slope. The trail will continue for about 10 min. along this stream and it will fork into two. The path that goes straight will lead directly to Sama and the other that turns to the left will go Sama via Honsanho Gompa. From Honsanho Gompa descend along the stream in the forest and you will join the main path. The valley ahead of you will soon open wide and you will descend to the wide, flat meadow, where yaks are left to graze. You will see many potato fields and you will soon reach Sama

Day 12: Sama Gaun (Rest day for acclimatization)
You can visit Sama Gompa in about 20 min from this village. The Gompa on top of the hill is very fine and worth visiting. After passing the Gompa, there is a wide grassy land from where you can see Manaslu in the evening and in the morning so beautifully that you may feel as if you were in another world.

Day 13: Sama Gaun to Samdu/ Dharmasala
Descend to the Budhi Gandaki which has now turned north again and follow it to a bridge over a side stream. There is a trail to the left that leads to the Manaslu base camp. When you enter the meadow from the path on the river shores, you will reach Kermo Kharka, looking up at the Manaslu right in front of you. Pass the Kharka and you will be going by a long meadow. The valley narrows gradually and the path traverses up the flank. Follow the path down on the gentle flank and ascend again. To your left you will be overlooking the Larkya Bazar. Cross the two streams and you will see the great Larkya Glacier. If you go around the valley of the Salka Khola and climb again, you reach the stone guest- house (4450m). It is not a lodge but a kind of shelter called ?Dharmasala? to be used for crossing over the pass.

Day 14: Samndu / Dharmasala to Bimthang via Larkya Lo
The route starts up the ridge in front of the guest house, eventually a long gentle climb beside a moraine. Cross a small ridge, descend a bit to a lake and keep climbing the ridge until you reach the top of the moraine at 4700m. The trail becomes rougher and indistinct as it crosses the moraine to the south of steep grassy slopes. It takes about 3 to 4 hrs from the guesthouse to the Pass. It is extremely cold and windy during the climb on the Larkya Lo in snowstorms. The descent follows along the top of a moraine to the west, then drops steeply and traverses scree slopes. It makes a long set of steep, rough, switch backs, crosses the moraine and then descends more gently. The trail becomes better and easier until you reach a large meadow, a Mani wall and a small rest house. The place is called Bimthang. It?s a Tibetan name meaning ?Plain of sand?.

Day 15: Bimthang to Tilje
The trail drops from Bimthang meadow and crosses a glacial stream, the headwaters of Dudh Khola on a wooden bridge. Climb over the side of the moraine and descend into a pine and rhododendron forest to Hompuk (3430m). The walking improves as the trail descends, switch backing down to a fork of the Dudh Khola, and then follows the river through forests to a Goth (3030m). Continue through fields, over a clear stream past houses and more fields interspersed with rhododendron and oak forests. Stay on the north bank and reach Tilje.

Day 16: Tilje to Bagarchap
Cross past fields then through stands of bamboo and rhododendron to an exposed trail that traverses high above the steep riverbank of the Marsyangdi. The trail crests a ridge marked by an ugly cement archway as the valley suddenly opens into a large plateau of the Manang district. The Buddhist influence is apparent from the small white chorten on a nearby hill. Take the lower, right-hand trail until you reach to Bagarchap through a forest of blue pine, spruce, hemlock, maple and oak.

Day 17: Bagarchap to Chabe
This section of the trail offers rough and rocky climbing up to Tyanja at 2360m and then continue through pine and fir forest up to Chabe. It is the headquarters of the Manang district. There are fine views of Annapurna II from Chabe.

Day 18: Chabe to Pisang (3200m)
The trail runs through deep forest in a steep and narrow valley, crossing a river on a long bridge at 3040m. Nearing the village of Pisang one has a view of the whole of the Manang valley, a wide U-shaped valley between two huge peaks. 

Day 19: Pisang to Manang (3540m)
There are two options to go to Manang from Pisang. You can go either directly from Humle or through Gyaru which is on the elevation of 3700m.You can have a tremendous view while you get to Ngawal. And it takes about 8 hours upper way to get to Manang where you will be finishing your trek.