Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek 18 Days

From today our official trek begins as we have a delicious breakfast and begin our trek. Walking along the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River and through the lush alpine forest filled with oak and rhododendron trees, we come across small village settlements. Crossing a few suspension bridges and farm fields, we will finally arrive at Machha Khola. 

The word “Machha Khola” translates to “Fish River,” which got its name because you can find plenty of fish in the river. After settling in the teahouse for the night, you can spend the remaining time before dinner exploring around the village and enjoying the fresh mountain air filling up your lungs. 

Continuing our trek, we move from Machha Khola to a place called Jagat. A fun day ahead as you trek through the ups and downs of the trail with stunning views left and right. Again crossing a few suspension bridges, you arrive at a place called Tato Pani, which means “hot spring.” 

From Tato Pani we resume our walk and arrive at a small village called Dovan, crossing through a landslide area. The journey continues through other small settlements throughout the trail and climbing up the stone stairs path. And after around seven hours of hiking, we finally arrive at Jagat, a peaceful and pretty location as well as the main entry point of the Manaslu Conservation Area, where we will get our permits.

As usual, we begin our trek after an early breakfast. Today we ascend even higher and not only will we see stunning landscapes but also have bright interactions with the local people. The communities are filled with Khampa and Tsumba castes who immigrated from Tibet but are now Nepalese. Their culture and traditions are very similar to Tibetan culture and they are followers of Tibetan Buddhism. 

You can see the Tibetan Buddhism influences on the trail as it is filled with small monasteries and prayer flags fluttering, making the experience spiritual. The route is also filled with yaks and mules transporting goods for the hotels or the locals themselves. And after around six to seven hours of trekking, we will arrive at today’s end destination, a small village called Chumling.

From this village you can see the majestic mountains of Himalchuli, Naike Himal, and Boudha Himal, and if you're lucky, a glimpse of Manaslu I.

Today we will be blessed with some of the most beautiful scenes of the Ganesh Himal. The route goes through a landslide area and along the ridge, making it an adventurous journey. The winds make the prayer flags draped around the monasteries flutter, and the stunning landscapes and local people on the trail create an unforgettable memory. 

We leave the lower Tsum Valley and enter the upper Tsum with Chokangparo village. The village lifestyle is very rooted in the mountains and Buddhism. The local communities might be miles away from all the facilities you get in the cities but their hospitality and sense of humanity are above all. The local house architecture is very similar to Tibetan style, as their ancestry is connected with Tibet. Overall, this day will be full of exciting encounters and mesmerizing mountain views until the moment you reach Chokangparo village.

The seventh day of the trek and it just keeps getting better and better. After an early breakfast, we will begin our hike to another village called Nile. Walking through the jungles, crossing the small suspension bridges and seeing caves. One in particular being Milapera Cave, a significant landmark as it is where the Tibetan Buddhist yogi and poet Milarepa is said to have stayed during his time in the 11th century. There are walls with scriptures of mani, prayer flags and small monasteries 

After walking for hours, just like any other day of trekking, we will finally arrive at the village of Nile. But the entire day is full of adventures of visiting caves and monasteries, including Pigeon Cave and Rachen Gompa, along with small villages such as Phurbe and Pangdun. Nile village is a beautiful location that is very close to the Tibetan border, so you will see a heavy influence of Tibetan culture in the communities.

An early rise and an early breakfast to fuel our stomachs, we begin our day for yet another exciting journey. Today we will advance towards Mu Gumba, which is the biggest monastery in the region. Rich in cultural and religious heritage, the monastery provides an opportunity to dive deep into the way of life of Tibetan Buddhism and enhance your own spiritual energy. 

This is the day where you will get the most authentic experience of a cultural trek, as there are no tea houses or lodges to stay at, so you will be staying in the monastery itself. They provide you with the food and accommodation; however, they will be very basic so it would be wise not to expect anything extravagant. But on the bright side, you can observe the monks go about their day performing rituals and puja every morning and evening.

After a unique experience of staying the night at a monastery, you will have some time to explore the area of Mu Gumba. The morning sunrise comes through the majestic mountains of the Ganesh Himal Range, Himalchuli, Nagi Himal, and other lesser-known peaks. The blend of nature and culture with a strong spiritual connection, as the monastery supposedly houses the statue of Avalokiteshvara, along with the images of Guru Padmasambhava and Tara. 

After exploring the area to our heart’s content, we head back to Chokkangparo. Retracing our steps back, after 5-6 hours, we will be back at the village where you can finally enjoy the warmth of the teahouse dining hall and clock in for the night after a hearty dinner.

 Another exciting day as we begin our trek from Chhokangparo village to Lungdang. It is mostly retracing our steps back till we arrive at Gumba Lungdang; it comes right after Chumling and before Gho village. The monastery is a nunnery with around 40 nuns and is known for its spellbinding puja. Along with the religious performance, the scenery from the viewpoint of Gumba Lungdang is considered to be one of the best views of the trek.

The eleventh day is full of adventure and challenge as we ascend to the highest elevation of this trek. A true testament to a wilderness experience, as the trails are off-beat and you will require both physical and mental strength to do this. Which is why you will need your guide more than ever, because they will show you the right path to walk on as the trails are not well formed. 

The hike is a challenge but the views make it totally worth it. After about four and a half hours of hiking, you will finally reach the Ganesh Himal Base Camp, from where you can get the panoramic view of the entire Ganesh Himal mountain range: Ganesh Himal I (7,422m), Ganesh Himal II (7,118m), and Ganesh Himal IV (7,140m), along with other known and unknown peaks. At 4200 meters, this will be the highest elevation on the entire trek. After exploring for some time, we will make our way back to Gomba Lungdang.

From today onwards, we will just be retracing our steps back till we reach the very place where our trek began. The trail will look familiar as we walk up and down the route through the lush, dark forest of oaks and rhododendrons, as well as a plant known as Lokta, which is used to make papers and bags. Walking along the banks of small rivers and crossing suspension bridges, we will arrive at Lokpa village, where we will rest for the night.

Again, an early morning breakfast and walking along the same trail when we were ascending and the villages we passed along the way, we will make our way to Lapubesi. We stop here for lunch as we eventually resume our hike back to Jagat, where we will stay for the night and reminisce about our past trekking days as it is coming to an en

Accommodation: Tea House or Lodge

Distance: 710m (2,329 ft) / 535m (1,755 ft)

Time:  22 km (to Soti Khola)

Altitude

The last official day where you will use your sturdy feet for trekking before eventually getting on a vehicle to the city of chaos. After breakfast, you will pack your bags, lace up your boots and make your way to Soti Khola or Arughat, depending on the situation. You will hear the same reverberating sound of the Budhi Gandaki River and experience a pleasant trail with pleasant views and lovely people before arriving at your chosen destination.

The final day of the trek and all you have to do is sit back and relax as you board a bus back to the capital city. Leaving the peaceful and spiritual place of Tsum Valley, you will soon start to hear the familiar honkings of vehicles. But the ride is filled with scenic views of the terraced farmed fields, green hills, and snow-capped mountains, which make it all the more enjoyable. After a tiresome ride of 8-9 hours, you will finally arrive in Kathmandu, where you will be dropped off at your hotel and you can finally rest. As per your schedule, Alpine Ramble gives a complimentary ride back to the airport or assists you with any further plans you have regarding trekking. Thank you for choosing us. We hope we can be of assistance in your future endeavors in Nepal as well.