Hotel

The Manaslu expedition itinerary’s second day is about briefing, preparation, arrangement, and shopping. We are about to start one of the most exciting expeditions. For that, we must prepare thoroughly.

Firstly, we will meet our expedition team of guides and staff to discuss the trip. Our team lead will give us all the necessary pre-boarding information. After this, Our team will arrange all the trek and climbing permits.

We will also need special gear for the expedition. Therefore, we will do last-minute shopping to have every essential item in our backpack. If time allows, we will also visit one or two of the city’s tourist attractions. After doing all the to-do work, we will return to our hotel for the night.

9-10 hrs Drive  Hotel/Lodge

Drive Duration: 9-10 hours

Accommodation: Lodge

We head off to Manaslu! By leaving the boisterous streets of Kathmandu, we will guide toward Dharapani. It is a long bus ride of 10 hours through typical Himalayan roads that runs via the banks of rivers, villages, and woods. The drive will offer us amazing views of Nepal’s countryside. The exciting ride will happen on the Prithivi Highway at first.

Then our bus/jeep will run on the Himalayan roads of the middle hills of Dumre. We will enter Marsyangdi Nadi valley in Dumre. From there, we will head towards Besisahar, a popular trekking stop. Dharapani is still 45 km away from Besisahar. We will drive on a bumpy road for 2-3 hours to reach Dharapani via Syange, Tal, and Chamje. Overnight in Dharapani.

6 hours Trek  Teahouse

Dharapani is not the main gateway to Manaslu Region. The stop is relatively more popular for Annapurna region trips. We intend to go through a new route, so we are in Dharapani.

Taking our breakfast, we will start our hike to Tije. There is a checkpoint for MCAP and ACAP cards, where we will show our permits. After the approval of our tickets, we will start by crossing a bridge on the Marsyangdi River. Our walk will happen at first on a broader road, where vehicles hardly run.

Then we will join an uphill path of rhododendron and fir trees for some hours of walking. We will gently descend via paddy fields and villages. On the last part of the walk, we will climb an easy uphill to reach Tilije. Overnight in Tilje.

6 hours Trek  Tea House

We will wake up in Tilije to begin our walk to Bimthang. It is a pleasant day of trekking. So we will have a good breakfast and join the trial. The route runs through rural villages and sub-tropical woods. It means we will explore the daily lifestyle and people briefly. We will come across household animals like sheep and cows.

In a while, we will reach Karche Pass, a small hillock. It will provide the first glance at Mt Manaslu. After a short break at the place, we will trek towards Yak Kharka, an average area for lunch. Following our lunch, we will continue the last part of the trek, which is a steep uphill. We will gently climb the hill and reach the valley of Bimthang. Overnight in Bimthang.

Tea House

It will be a rest day to acclimatize in Bimthang. The village is a popular destination with several tourist attractions. Leaving all our bags at our lodge, we will wander around Bimthang.

There are Ponkar and Nyamlo Lakes. Likewise, the place has three glaciers, Ponkar, Salpudanda, and Kaechakyu. A walk to these sites offers refreshing views of lakes, glaciers, and peaks. Kang Garu, Gyalji Kang, Mt Manaslu, Phungi Himal, and others are visible during the walk. Enjoying a great day of exploration, we will have a good stop in Bimthang. Overnight in Bimthang.

 10 hrs Trek  Tea House

We will wake up early as it is a long and demanding day of trekking. We will leave Bimthang behind by joining an ascending trail. As we ascend, we will catch glimpses of glaciers and mountains. It is a long climb that ends in Larkya La Pass(5,215m). So we will trek gradually by enjoying the excellent view.

After a long climb, we will reach Larkya La Pass, the central mountain pass of the region. We will see the famous panorama of the place and take some time to catch our breaths. Various ranges, including the Annapurna Range, can be viewable from this pinpoint.

Spending enough time at the top, we will descend towards Shamdo, our day’s destination. It is going to be a regular descent to Samdo village via Dharamsala. We will cross rough and dry terrain along the walk and reach Samdo village.

 3 hours Trek  Tea House

Now, we will be off to Samagaon from Samdo. It is the easiest and shortest day of the Manaslu Expedition. We need to gain altitude to traverse to Samagaon, a lovely hamlet. We will start the day with a straightforward walk. Then we will drop to the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River. We will cross the river using a wooden bridge to enter a birch and juniper forest. The rest of the party descends through the valley until Samagaon. We will reach the village early and explore its ancient monastery, iconic houses, and friendly people.

4 hours Trek  Camp

We are now in the middle part of the Manaslu Expedition. To keep the journey on, today, we will head towards Manaslu Base Camp. It will not take us long to reach the base camp of the world’s eighth-tallest peak. But we have to set up a camp there. So we will start the walk early in the morning.

Walking on a muddy trail, we will first reach a scenic village of rhododendron and juniper. We will leave the woods and walk for several hours to get to the picturesque Manaslu Base Camp. Our team will install a camp while we enjoy the good angles of the place. Overnight in Manaslu Base Camp.

Tent/Camping

The climbing period begins from here. We will be in the mountains from day 10 to 30. It will be time to prepare well, climb the peak, and return to base camp.

For the first few days, we will not leave Manaslu Base Camp. We need pre-climbing training and proper acclimatization. Our climbing guide will teach us about using ropes, ice-axe, ascenders, carabiners, and other gear during the period. Using the kit, we will also do snow climbing, crevasse crossing, and other activities to boost our confidence. The practicing ground, which will be steep and snowy, will condition us for the upcoming climb.

Once we do enough training, we will climb to Camp I. It will be an ascent on steep and average curved slopes. Upon reaching Camp I, we will return to the base camp and climb the route again. It is to make us more rigid and tougher, mentally and physically. We will stop at Camp I.

After Camp I, we will approach Camp II if everything is in our favor. We will successfully climb Camp II and repeat our ritual of retracing back to the base camp. That means we will descend back to base camp from Camp II just to climb it all over again. This routine will make us sturdy in the even tougher Manaslu. We will continue to do the same until we reach Camp IV.

Following Camp IV, our climbing will progress by using fixed ropes. Our climbing guide will help us to move on small ice bulges. Ahead, we will cross sets of snowy slopes and plateaus. The last stretch to the summit involves crossing a sharp snowy mound. We will do that, and Mt Manaslu will be ours.

It will be an impeccable achievement when we are on the world’s eighth-highest mountain. Every sweat, breath, step, pain, and second of the entire journey will turn priceless here. We will celebrate this success that we deserve.

After the victorious climb, we will descend to Camp IV, III, II, I, and Base Camp. We will take our time to drop gradually. Rushing in an expedition like Manaslu can be life-threatening. Following the lead of our Sherpa guides, we will return to the base camp.

Upon reaching Manaslu Base Camp, we will take care of our waste. Our team, including us, will clean our disposal, which is our responsibility to look after our nature. We will collect all the waste. After that, we will also prepare for our return to Kathmandu, starting tomorrow. We will stay in our base camp for the night.

Finally, we leave Manaslu Base Camp by descending towards Sama Gaon. We will drop via rough terrain at first and then enter a forested route. It is not going to be a hard one. Walking comfortably, we will pass via Birendra Lake, a glacial lake, and several villages to reach Sama Gaon.

5 hours  Teahouse

Now we will trek down to Namrung from Sama Goan. We will take good memories from the village and cross several Tibetan villages. The walk throughout the day is comfortable and short. So we will trek unhurriedly to reach Namrung.

Today we will trek towards Philim village. It is going to be a more extended day than the last one. The path is relatively easy and mostly downhill. We will have a good walk on the trail. During the walk, we will cross terraced millet fields, banks of Budhi Gandaki River, mani walls, gompas, forest, and more. Overall, we will have a good time on the trail and later overnight in Philim village.

The rest of the journey to Kathmandu is on the highway. We will hop on a jeep/bus in the morning. And for the remaining day, we will be experiencing a Nepalese highway ride again. We will catch unique villages, rivers, hills, greenery, and highway bumps. Overall, It will be an exciting ride back to Kathmandu’s hustle and bustle.