Around Manaslu Trekking

After exploring the beautiful country of Nepal for the first time by hiking the Annapurna Circuit in 2008, we knew there had to be more to come. ‘More’ finally materialized in October 2011, when we visited Nepal again, by trekking the Manaslu Circuit and rafting the Trishuli river. Our second visit to Nepal was carefully planned and organized by our friend Hari and the employees of his company Himalayan Eco Treks & Travel. As will be described in more detail in what is to follow, Hari’s company made a terrific effort in providing us exactly the holiday we needed: everything went smooth, we did not have to worry about anything during the full three weeks and most importantly: for three weeks we were surrounded by the most friendly, helpful and enthusiastic crew we could imagine. Therefore, we will definitely and confidently refer future travelers to Nepal to Himalayan Eco Treks & Travel, in order to be able to share the experience.

Manaslu Circuit & Trishuli River Rafting

Having the very positive experience of trekking the Annapurna circuit in 2008 in mind, we decided to look for a trekking with some similar characteristics: trekking in a circuit (preventing walking back and forth the same trail), trekking in an area that is not too crowded with tourists (which was the case in the Annapurna region in 2008) and finally trekking in an area that does have some tea houses if desired. It turned out that Manaslu circuit satisfied all wishes.

Arriving at the start of the circuit in Arughat was an adventure in itself. After comfortably travelling from Kathmandu in a 4×4 for hours, we left the main road in Dhading. What was to follow was a spectacular dirt road which even required some ‘pushing the car’ action from ourselves. All thumbs up for the driver!

The first week of the circuit (up to Shyala) is characterized by walking alongside (and on) the walls of the Buri Gandaki Valley. Although the day-to-day gain in altitude is rather limited (enabling good acclimatization), the number of altimeters covered is certainly not (the total number of altimeters on the Manaslu circuit is over 10000!). Compared to Annapurna circuit, the trail is often rough and steep and leads you to the most amazing viewpoints, on cliffs high above the Buddhi Gandaki river.

Going up the valley day by day gets you into the rhythm of trekking quite quickly. Getting up early in the morning, having a wake-up tea and breakfast, pack the bags and go for the majority of the days’ hike before lunch. After lunch, a few hours of walking remain, and lucky days do even provide some quality time in the afternoon sun with a book. Leaving behind the stress and busyness of life at home goes seemingly effortless, especially since almost nothing that surrounds you reminds of the every-day western life. In this context, the last possibility to take a ‘shower’, in Namrung, is worth mentioning!

Starting from Shyala, views of the snow peaked tops of Himalayan giants appear. Compared to Annapurna circuit, the snow peaks are much more abundant and certainly appear closer. Furthermore, the surroundings of the trail are more and more influenced by Tibetan culture. One of the highlights of the trek was Samagaon, where we visited the local school. In line with its philosophy, Himalayan Eco Treks & Tours set aside part of our holiday fee for providing a local school along the route with new teaching material. We were happy to present the material to all children and teachers and were rewarded with some beautiful songs!

From Samagaon to Samdo and the next day to Dharamsala provided spectacular scenery. We walked gently up and had beautiful views of the Larkya Glacier and Samdo peak. At Dharamsala, we were happy to stay in the teahouse (which had just opened a few months earlier), as staying in the tent is a real challenge here due to the very low temperatures. Next morning we got up very early in order to be able to reach the highest point of our trek (Larkya La) before the heavy wind would set in. Reaching the top of the pass went rather smoothly, again with stunning views and some big avalanches being both visible and audible. After the top, the descent to Bimtang begins very steep and slippery. By taking it easy and enjoying the extraordinary scenery, we finally reached our destination in the early afternoon, again being glad to enjoy the wealth of sleeping in a teahouse!

The final days of the circuit go by really quickly as you descent further and further towards Bhulbhule. Physically you feel really fit as more and more oxygen fills the air and the temperature goes up. The Manaslu Circuit joins the Annapurna circuit in Dharapani, which enabled us to catch up with memories of our earlier journey. Different to our last visit, Dharapani was now all set for a volleyball tournament (!) in which the winners’ price was a buffalo! Apart from this obvious difference, a lot has changed on the Annapurna circuit in the past years. We were amazed by the vast amount of tourists hiking the trail and by the enormous amount of tea houses that is present. Although it may be economically good for the region, it does take away some of its magic, which was certainly in its tranquility.

Although basic, accommodation along the Manaslu Circuit is decent and one can do a full tea house trek. The luxury of having a tent available is highly recommended as it enables you to be flexible and wake up in the most amazing places with the most amazing views. The number of tourists on the Manaslu Circuit is still quite low (especially when compared to Annapurna Circuit). However, we did come across some big groups which were doing the circuit by tents. When having a tent available yourself, you have the flexibility to avoid walking along the groups for days.

We finished our trip to Nepal with a two day rafting experience on the Trishuli River. Once in the raft, we realized that this was exactly what we needed after nearly three weeks of hiking in the Himalaya. It provided excitement with some thrilling rapids, it provided relaxation with the combination of the sun and the quiet passages of the river and it provided excellent fresh food to recharge our energy levels! But above all it provided a really good time with the crew and Hari, who joined himself in the front of the raft to catch some of the waves.

Himalayan Eco Treks & Travel

Himalayan Eco Treks & Travel did an excellent job in providing us exactly the holiday we needed. Before the start of the holiday, Hari helped in finding the trek we were looking for and provided us all the information we needed. From the airport pick-up at our arrival to the airport drop-off at our departure everything was organized very well. What helped a lot too, was the openness of the crew to listen to our feelings and wishes at any time, so that the travel plans could be adapted at any point if necessary.

The pre-trek briefing in Bhaktapur was very clear and we were happy to meet our trekking guides in advance of the trek. The good briefings were continued in the weeks to come, with every evening a short summary of the next day’s hike. Furthermore, the guides provided us with excellent hiking hints and were able to tell us a lot about the cultural background of the areas we visited and the people we encountered. Another good thing was the guides asking our preference regarding a tented camp or a teahouse visit every day.

Besides the guides, Hari organized a crew consisting of two porters, one of which was also an excellent cook. It is advisable to have a cook along who can check the food that is prepared at teahouses or can cook himself if needed. As the Manaslu Area is still developing in terms of hosting tourists, there is the danger of the food leading to sickness (as a result of our stomachs not being used to the local food and hygiene ). As a result of the excellent porter/cook in our team, we did not feel sick for one single day.

Even more important than the organizational excellence, was the sincere kindness and friendliness of the staff. Hari as well as our guides Sanjeet and Raj Komar were always willing to help and always willing to listen to our specific needs. Furthermore, they were sincerely interested in us and were very enthusiastic in providing us with a flawless holiday.

We will never forget the wonderful weeks in Nepal and hope to be able to return in the future at Himalayan Eco Treks & Travel.