Manaslu Circuit Korte Trek

Today, the trek to the Manaslu circuit officially begins with a drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola by bus and jeep. The road to Dhading has asphalt, while the road from here can be quite impassable in the monsoon season due to heavy rainfall. 

In such an occurrence, you will have to walk for 3–4 hours to reach Arughat Bazar, which is a small market town on the river side of the Budhi Gandaki River, and take a jeep to Machha Khola to stay overnight in the local tea house. 

The trek to the restricted area typically begins this day along the slope with rice paddies and farm fields, and the valley starts to become wider with several glimpses of Sringi Himal, also known as Chamar, at an elevation of 7,187 m.

The trekking path then descends to the shores of white sand that moves forth to numerous tiny settlements and reaches Kholabesi, where you will leave behind and continue the trek, following the narrow path till the natural hot spring of Tatopani and afterward Jagat.

Today will be an easy day for us, as the trek will be short in terms of distance and time, but with magnificent views around.

Trekking a bit uphill the trail will divert to the leveled path, crossing the suspension bridge above the Budhi Gandaki River will lead us all the way to Philim, a big settlement village in the hills mostly inhabitant by the Gurung community.

Gurung community are famous for their warfare activities, as they are known for their bravery, mainly involved in the military services. We will have time to explore the local village and observe their daily activities and lifestyle

Now, you will leave Deng village and make a small ascending traverse that goes down the river bank, offering a pleasing trek, then onwards through the forest of bamboo to the Deng Khola. 

The path goes all the way down to the riverside to continue to the valley surrounded by cliffs and moves forward to pass more forest area, cross a few wooden bridges over the Budhi Gandaki, and reach the destination of the day, Namru village, after a steep walk. 

By then, the Tibetan border will be only a few kilometers to the north! 

On the 9th day, you will trek through several villages and cross the Hinna Khola to reach a large village with packed houses and fine historical gompas, Lho with stunning views of Naike Peak, Manaslu North Peak, and Manaslu with widely farmed fields on the gentle hills.

The overall view from the valley of Lho is so breathtaking that you will take it all in while you cross the Pungen glacier, which opens up the relative villages further. Moving forward, you will see several chorten, and the continuity of the trek from one chorten to another leads surprisingly to Sama. 

By overpassing the magnificent Manaslu Glacier, you will pass the trail that heads off to the base camp of Manaslu and enter the woodland sheltering marmots in the bushes of juniper and birch. 

With the last steep ascent, you will have arrived at the lovely village of Samdo with a well-established community of Tibetan refugees, while Tibet is only a morning’s walk away from Samdo. 

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The much-needed acclimatization day is here before we hope for further elevation gain in the higher Himalayan land. So, you will utilize this buffer day by exploring the naturally and culturally rich Samdo to adapt to the precarious mountainous weather when you do not acclimate properly.

Basically, on this rest day of the 15-day Manaslu Circuit Trek, you will venture to the scenic Samdo village, relish its traditional Tibetan culture and architecture, and take a leisurely walk to visit ancient monasteries with antique artifacts. 

To make your trek extra special, you can engage yourself in interaction with the hearty locals, take pictures of their day-to-day lives with their consent, including the extraordinary landscapes and mountains, or enjoy the day catching up with your journal in the tranquility of the Himalayas. 

The journey today starts early in the morning as an easy first section of the trek with a downhill walk up to the Budhi Gandaki River, which gradually rises through the Larkya La Glacier fleeting via the juniper and tundra.

Then the trekking trail marches upward to the Dharamsala, which will take you around 4 hours in total to cover 7 km on a normal day that resides at the Spartan Larkya Guest House. 

through juniper and tundra with a viewpoint overlooking the Larkya La Glacier.  Climbing further, we arrive at the Spartan Larkya guest house.  

It is one of the majorly highlighted days of the Manaslu Circuit Trek when you will cross the high mountain pass above 5,106, Larkya La, with the most panoramic sight to behold, all festooned with numerous Buddhist vibrant prayer flags at the highest point of trekking. 

So, you will begin in pre-dawn to avoid the anticipated heavy storm in the afternoon at the top of the pass that has the heavenly beauty of some of the top mountains of Nepal, such as Annapurna II, Himlung, Cheo Himal, and Kang Guru, along with the Mani walls.

At the moment, you will encounter the four shimmering frozen lakes just below the head of the moraine at an elevation of 4,700 m to spend some conquering time and bid farewell with a descent into yak pasture to finally reach the group of summer settlements called Kahrakas named Bhimthang. 

The trekking trail of the 13th day is easier than the previous one through the meadows and forest of pine and rhododendron until Hampuk, from where the route levels off, following the bank of Dudh Khola. 

Crossing the suspension bridge over the steam fed by the snow of Kichke Himal, you will be at Kharche and the village of Gho, where you will revisit the menu that involves rice in the Nepalese Dal Bhat. 

Keeping completely to the west bank of the river throughout the afternoon with a gradual descent to the Gurung settlement of Tilije, which again descends to Thonje and crosses the famous Marshyandi river to reach the final destination, Dharapani, to stay overnight in a guest house. 

The drive of this day is a long one with a full day of traveling. It sounds arduous, but the classic scenery along the way makes up for it.

Watch out! A few hours of riding are likely to be bumpy, which lets you enjoy the pleasurable natural beauty on the way to Kathmandu or Pokhara.