This morning we have a few hours of walking by tobacco and buckwheat fields, past rocks washed smooth by the river, until we reach the hot springs in the centre of the small, terraced village of Tatopani, where we stop for lunch. A gentle climb through the woods past some spectacular waterfalls, across another suspension bridge and through a short section of forest path and we reach Dobhan.

Above Dobhan, the Budhi Gandaki descends in an impressive series of steep rapids. Here, our trail climbs high above the river to descend through what appears to be a huge gateway into some secret place; in front the valley widens, the river calms, and we splash through streams before coming into Jagat, the entrance to the Manaslu Conservation Area. It is worth wandering around this beautiful, paved village, where proud villagers have recorded how much they contributed to these paving schemes.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Trekking in the valley © Alex Treadway

After descending a long series of stone steps to the river, we climb a terraced hill to Saguleri, from where we can see the impressive Sringi Himal, 7187m. We pass through the charming, paved village of Sirdibas, where the local children might be selling oranges. Crossing the river again via a long suspension bridge at GataKhola, the path splits, with the right-hand branch heading off towards the Ganesh Himal.

Our route continues upstream, and again we have a steep climb to reach Philim and its Japanese sponsored school. It’s a shorter day today, only about three hours, so we have the afternoon free to explore the interesting upper village, or sit and enjoy the afternoon at our tea house.

Walking time: Approx. 3-4 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Local herder in Jagat taking his flock out to graze

At the start of our 7 hour day, we pass through Eklai Bhatti (means Lone Tea House), and then on through a narrow, dramatic gorge section with towering walls, and past a thundering waterfall just above us on the right of the trail. We cross the river three more times in the next two hours (often small, badly maintained bridges, Nepali style) to avoid the difficult valley sides; the first bridge, a new one, is at the intersection to Tsum valley. Entering the steep gorge leading into Tsum valley, we enter a purely Tibetan region untouched by Chinese intervention except for by mutual trade. We have about an hour of gradual climbing above the Shiar Khola through a light forest, much of it being cut down for timber, to reach the tiny hamlet of Lokpa at 1915 meters where we will stay en route back to Manaslu. We’ll have views of Shringi & Ganesh Himal from here. The staff will have lunch at the small teahouse, pick up the only green vegetables available in Tsum, and we’ll continue on, descending to cross two newly built metal bridges over the intersecting Sukki Khola and Shiar Khola (questionable name).

Once we reach river level we start to climb again, often steeply and on a somewhat exposed, switch backing trail. The trails through the Tsum valley have been greatly improved over the past few years, so once precipitous and exposed trails are now safe and well maintained. We continue on this cliff-side, undulating trail for about an hour and then drop back down to a small tea-house at Ghumlung from where we’ll cross the main Shiar Khola on a long suspension bridge. The hill-top village of Ripchet comes into sight across the steep-sided valley as we climb again on a nicely graded switchbacking trail to Chumling, a lovely village to the right and above our campsite at Hotel Ganesh Himal. Great mountain views from the guest house, so enjoy if you don’t feel like exploring the village. There is a gompa in the northern (right) section of the village across the suspension bridge just out of camp and Himal Chuli rises down valley.

Walking time: Approx. 7 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

House in Chumling © Alex Treadway

Venturing further into the Tsum valley, we have a lovely hike of 5-6 hours in front of us today to reach Chhokangparo, a twin village which translates as roughly ‘place of wisdom’. Just out of camp we cross the suspension bridge and descend slightly as the valley opens ahead of us with green, fertile villages adding color to the already spectacular setting. We pass several small villages and the tiny Dhampa Gompa (2365m), worth a look inside and meeting the old ani (nun) who lives alone at the gompa. Inside are hundreds of ceramic statues of Chenrisig, the Buddha of Compassion, which line three of the walls. This is unique to the Tsum valley as far as I know and we’ll notice these walls of Chenrisigs in most of the Tsum gompas. Descending once again to the small village of Rainjam where we’ll be welcomed by barking dogs, we take the left-hand trail up a bit, cross another suspension bridge and ascend to the small hamlet of Gho (2570m) where our friends next to the village tap might be weaving or spinning at their small house.

Passing the small shop, we continue to climb on a good trail for another few hours to reach Chhokangparo, where we’ll stop and stay at a homestay for the night. This is one of our favorite villages in the Tsum valley, a scenic and interesting village with friendly villagers and small lanes to explore. There’s a well-stocked shop in town and a local phone, and a home-stay sort of lodge owned by the same couple. The kids are eager to come and play so save some energy. We might have the chance to visit Tashi (of Tsum Valley Homestay)’s mother in their modest Tibetan home for a cup of salt-butter tea, and perhaps we’ll also visit another English-speaking friend, Namgyal, at his much nicer and lighter house. There is lots of weaving happening in this village as in most others in Tsum and Manaslu, and perhaps an opportunity to purchase a hook rug or other textile if you’re interested. The intricate, colorful woven belts adorning most women’s Tibetan-style chubas are unique to the Tsum valley as well.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Little Chorten at Gho © Alex Treadway

Heading north, our destination for today is Chhule, the furthest village in the Tsum valley. Leaving Chhokangparo via the long mani walls, it’s an easy hike through the lower section of the village (Paro) and back up past a long mani wall to a chorten across from Chhogu Gompa and village. Continuing to climb gradually past green barley and potato fields, we pass a school and soon reach Nyakyu village (3225m). It’s mostly flat walking to the next village, Lamagaon, which is a similar style to the last with narrow alleyways between the houses. This is the open, predominantly flat section of the Tsum valley where one lovely village runs almost into the fields of the next village, the trails are peppered with mani walls and small chortens and the scenery is sublime. Just past Lamagaon (3220m) to the left are two small hermitages (Milarepa Piren Phu Cave & Chi Phu Gompa), and to the right across the river is the nunnery called Rachen Gompa. We stay on the same side of the river, pass through Phurbe and Pangdum, both with small village gompas and between them an unusually shaped large chorten which dominates the skyline. Soon afterwards we reach Chhule village (3250m), we stay here tonight before heading further north tomorrow. This and Nile village accross the river are the last villages in the Tsum valley; Nyi Le means sun-side and Chu Le translates as water side.

Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lamagaon © Don Bethune

Heading further north towards the border of Tibet, our destination for today is the somewhat remote Mu Gompa, the furthest settlement in the Tsum valley. This last section of trail is more desolate and more difficult as we’ll gain 400 meters in the next two hours to Mu Gompa at our highest spot in Tsum. The trail sticks to the left of the river, passing still more mani walls and chortens as it climbs and contours towards the north. After crossing an old ‘slip’ and a small bridge over a glacial stream, we climb a bit more steeply past several larger chortens, with Mu Gompa just above us.

The gompa is Drukpa Kagyupa, affiliated with Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu, and filled with ancient, unrestored murals in the main lhakhang which has a very medieval atmosphere. The murals outside of the gompa, with the usual four guardian Bonpo ‘kings of the four directions’ at either side of the doorway. There are about 16 novice monks, or thawas, and another 5 or 6 mature monks and lamas residing at the gompa, and the central temple is surrounded by the monks simple dwellings.

There is a stunning view point 1 hour climb above the Gompa, where one can look south and East on the Ganesh Himal range. After visiting Mu Gompa we head back down the green valley back to Chhokangparo, which although easier as it’s mostly downhill, still takes about six hours to cover. On the way back we can cross the Khugyu Khola and pass through the large school at Lar to visit Rachen Gompa (locally called Gompa Rangjung), an ani gompa affiliated with Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu with a large number of nuns who stay during the summertime. Further along, past Lamagaon and Ngakyu, we’ll stop into the Chhogu Golden Temple for a look. Once back in Chhokangparo, we’ll be well-situated for our trip to Gompa Lungdang the next day …

Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Trekkers above Mu Gompa © Alex Treadway

It’s a harder day than it looks on the map to reach Gompa Lungdang but worth the effort to get there for the experience of staying with the friendly nuns and the mountain panorama of the Ganesh Himal peaks surrounding the gompa. Leaving camp the same way we came, we backtrack down the large hill on the switchbacking trail that we climbed a few days previously. When we reach the shop and our friend’s small house at Gho we’ll take a sharp left turn and descend through ferms and dense folliage to the Shiar Khola which we cross on a small, wooden bridge. A short hike through light forest brings us to the green hamlet of Dumje (2450m) where some of the young nuns from Gompa Lungdang stay and study, and the nuns have their barley fields. From where we’ll have an often steep three hour hike far above the Laudang Khola to reach Gompa Lungdang. The views are great along the way and there are plenty of resting points en route. Note that the first time you’ll see Gompa Lungdang from the second vertical prayer flag pole on a ridge it’s still a good hour and a few hundred meters away.
There’s a cozy kitchen on the other side of the courtyard and the nuns have a puja every morning and evening in the main gompa, very interesting to sit in on. Dinner and breakfast are usually a tsampa dhiro (mash) with timbur (mountain pepper) and stinging nettle sauce, and of course butter tea. There is also a smaller and older looking prayer room just to the right of the main gompa with some fantastic old murals, perhaps in the northern Indian style. And the views are superb!

Note it may not always be possible to stay at the Gompa, in which case we will return down the hill to Dumje and spend the night there.

Walking time: Approx. 6-7 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Trekking down the valley © Don Bethune

Today we ascent further up towards the big mountains and into the bowl that forms around Ganesh Himal BC. The ascent takes 4 -5 hours and from our little camp you have the best views of the entire Ganesh Himal Range.

Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Going high © Alex Treadway

Back down the steep hillside is easier for some than the ascent and should take us an hour and a half to reach the small nunnery outpost at Dumje. We stay on the opposite side of the river than our route in, we hike briefly along a narrow trail between wooden fences which actually passes through a local inhabitant’s barn and then drop down to a new suspension bridge over the Laudang Khola. After crossing to the other side we’ll have about twenty minutes of flat hiking before reaching an ancient, lichen-covered chorten and mani wall marking what seems to be the far reaches of Dumje. We continue, climbing very gradually, though a dense forest which looks as if it might be home to snakes, bears and monkeys (although we never saw any).

About an hour and a half after this chorten, after crossing another new suspension bridge, we climb briefly to reach the long village of Ripchet. Ripchet seems a bit poorer than many other villages in the Tsum valley, and is situated on a ridge far above the Shiar Khola with its fields in back. At the end of the line of simple wooden houses is another chorten and then a small school (20 students and 2 teachers on a good day). We then have a steep descent over a small stream and then straight down the hill to the small tea-house at Ghumling which we passed about a week ago. Just past here is a small pool for cooling hot feet, and the teahouse has drinks.

We leave Ganesh BC early morning and descend first to the Gomba and then starts our long undulating trail to return to Lokpa. In theory it should be easier to return to Lokpa as it’s lower than our starting point by a few hundred meters, but in reality it still a long day of ascents and descents, and after the last two bridges we should be good and tired upon reaching Lokpa! Lokpa has a nice small guest house and cold beers at the shop and is a welcome sight after a long hike.

Walking time: Approx. 8-9 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

View from Ripchet village © Mads Mathiasen

Today we rejoin the Manaslu circuit and retrace our steps down the valley to Jagat.

Walking time: Approx. 6-7 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Shringi Himal © Mark Beaumont

Today we continue down the valley to Maccha Khola.

Walking time: Approx. 7-8 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Gurung ex-armymen enjoying the quiet life © Alex Treadway

n the morning we say our goodbyes to the crew, load up the jeep and start the drive back to Kathmandu.

We will stop for lunch in Malekhu and get into Kathmandu by late afternoon.
We hope you have had an incredible trek and we will be looking forward to trekking with you in the Himalayas again!

Driving time: Approx. 8-10 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Rani Pokhari at night © Rocky Prajapati