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Prayers at Thumptenchoeling © Asbjørn Johansen
View of Junbesi (Serlo) Monastery © Peder Søgaard
View from Phurteng © Peter Brøgger
Phaplu houses © Clare Mathiasen
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HomeShort Treks Solu – The Sherpa culture trek
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Pikey Peak and Everest Enduro MTB

Solu – The Sherpa culture trek

This wonderful little trek in the lower Everest region, Solu, is designed to let you experience not only traditional Sherpa culture but also get up and close with Tibetan Buddhism. The area also offers magnificent views of Mount Everest and lots of other stunning mountains.

  • Starts In: Kathmandu
  • Ends In: Kathmandu
  • Duration: 6 Days
  • Difficulty Grade: Easy

Highlights

  • Get views of Everest and many other Himalayan peaks
  • Experience Sherpa hospitality in local tea houses
  • Get off the beaten path in Solu the lower Everest Region
  • Get an insight into Tibetan monastic life and stay in a monastery guest house

Itinerary

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Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to Phaplu, Trek from Phaplu to Junbesi [2675m]

Today we have an early morning start from our hotel to get to the airport for our short flight to the mountains of the Everest Region. As we fly into the airport at the little village of Phaplu we can see the classic style of the sturdy Sherpa houses, giving us a taste of the days ahead. After landing and meeting the rest of our trekking crew, we hit the trails on our way north. We are headed to the charming town of Junbesi, located in a lovely green valley on the main Jiri to Everest trekking and trade route. We set out following the course of the river which will be our guide for most of the day as we trek through small villages, terraced fields, and lush forest. Junbesi is a large village for this area and it is home to one of the famous ‘Hillary schools’ and a hydropower plant. The large monastery, built-in 1635, is claimed to be the oldest monastery in the Solukhumbu region (although a few other monasteries lay claim to title this as well).

Walking time: Approx. 5 hours

Accommodation: Tea House
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner

Flying East © Elisabeth Hellenes

Day 02: Visit Thubten Choling Monastery

Today we head up the lovely valley northwards to Thubten Choling, one of the largest Tibetan resettlements in Nepal. The large monastery here was established by the highly esteemed Trulsik Rinpoche, who fled from the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet in the 1950s. As one of the few remaining high lamas who was born and educated in Tibet, Trulsik Rinpoche is of immense importance to Buddhism, in particular, the Nyingma sect to which he and the Thuptencholing Monastery belong.

The monastery was built in the 1960s as a ‘temporary’ monastery until the Rinpoche could return to Tibet, however it has now been reconstructed as the permanent home of this Nyingma legacy and the Rinpoche’s reincarnate will be on this site, not in Tibet. In addition to the monastery, there is a Tibetan Medical school and hospital, so this is a great chance to learn about this ancient healing art.

In the afternoon we will return to Junbesi for a hearty dinner in our cozy tea house.

Walking time: Approx. 3-4 hours

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

Nuns at Thupten Choeling Monastery © Anette Guldager Gernow

Day 03: Trek from Junbesi to Taksindu [2960m], Views of Mt. Everest

This morning we bid farewell to Junbesi and hit the trails again, bound for Taksindu. We cross the river at the ‘bottom’ of town and climb through forest up to Salung from where we get views of Mount Everest (8848m), Chamlang (7319m) and Makalu (8481m), weather permitting.

From here we also have gorgeous views out across the valley to Chiwong Monastery and on down towards Phaplu. We continue on the trails, contouring and then dropping down to a stream before a short climb up into Ringmo, famous for its apple orchards and interesting apple products such as apple rakshi (alcohol), cider and apple pie.

From here we have a final short climb to Taksindu La, from where we again have great mountains views and then a short descend to the Taksindu Monastery and our lodge. The Taksindu Monastery was built in 1946 by the Tengboche Lama and is usually open early morning or late afternoon, please make sure to leave a donation if you visit.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

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

Sinsare Danda View © Mads Mathiasen

Day 04: Trek from Taksindu to Chiwong Gompa

Today we leave the main trekking route again and take a beautiful path down to Chiwong Gompa through the forest and along the ridgelines, a great walk. Chiwong Gompa is perched high on a cliff overlooking the valley. This monastery was founded in 1923 and has magnificent celebrations for the Mani Rimdu festival in autumn.

We will spend the night here, observing how the monastery functions and enjoying the view over Phaplu, staying at a newly build guest house right at the monastery.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

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

Young Monk at Chiwong Monastery © John Ehbrecht

Day 05: Trek from Chiwong via Chyalsa to Phaplu

This morning we have a choice of setting out early to climb to the ridge all the way to Ratnagi for another chance of great mountain views, including Everest. If you have already seen plenty of mountains and want to take it a bit easier, we take a lower trail.

We head south to Chyalsa where we see the Tibetan camp and have lunch in the village. We will also see the Monastery here before returning Phapku via Sallari, which is the district headquarters and have been the bazaar town of the area for hundreds of years.

Walking time: Approx. 5-6 hours

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

Chyalsa Monestery © John Ehbrecht

Day 06: Fly from Phaplu to Kathmandu

Today we bid farewell to the mountains and take the flight back into the Kathmandu Valley. In Kathmandu, we take you to your hotel.

The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the luxuries of the city (and a hot shower!), just let us know if you would like any assistance organising anything for today.

Meals included: Breakfast
Phaplu airport © Finn Dyhr Jensen
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Gallery

Rai lady in the Solu the lower part of the Everest region in Nepal Sherpa lady in the Solu the lower part of the Everest region in Nepal

Included In Price

  • Tea house accommodation while on trek
  • Meals as per the itinerary (all meals on trek, with filtered drinking water)
  • Transportation as per the detailed itinerary (includes the flights to and from Kathmandu for you and your guide, including transfers and airport taxes)
  • Your trekking guide and porters, with all their transport, equipment, insurance, meals and accommodation
  • A first aid kit with basic supplies appropriate for the group size and trek route – if you require or are taking specific medications it is critical that you discuss this with us prior to your trip departure
  • Trekking permits and registration fees

Note: The local tea houses are basic but clean and they do not often have attached bathrooms or hot showers. The price is based on twin shares and does not include any extra charge that lodge owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms, or hot showers (if these facilities are available) or for battery charging. We can’t know in advance what they may charge for such things in the different lodges along the way, so we prefer to leave this cost out, rather than pass along an estimated charge to you. The meal inclusions on the trek are breakfast (one set breakfast and a tea or coffee), lunch (one main meal and a tea or coffee), and dinner (soup, main, and dessert with a tea or coffee).

Not Included In Price

  • Single supplement, please see single supplement charge
  • International flights to and from Kathmandu; Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes; any excess baggage charges
  • Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and emergency rescue / evacuation that covers all of the activities you will undertake during your trip should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)
  • Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary above (eg additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours)
  • Any gear or equipment that you may need to rent/buy – please ask us if you would like any advice about gear to bring/buy/rent
  • Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks, etc)
  • Any extra charge that tea house owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms, or hot showers (if these facilities are available) and charging of batteries
  • Tips for your city guide, drivers, hotels, restaurants, etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)
  • Costs incurred due to unforeseen events (eg caused by natural disasters, adverse road conditions/flight delays, labor strikes, fuel shortages, extreme exchange rate changes, etc)
Adventure travel: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in the mountains, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of fellow travelers can all contribute to changes. We will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy- going nature will be an asset!

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Google reviews

Highly recommended! Hiked to BC, followed by an epic 3-High-Passes trek. This was the third time I travelled with the Himalayan Trails team. Mads, the backoffice team, guides (Tendu) and porters always go above and beyond to make this it memorable experience! This time - despite adverse weather conditions - (we've lost 4 days at the beginning of the trip) they somehow managed to get us to the end without missing out on anything. I will be back, for sure!

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thumb Felix Haslimeier
07.02.2020

A wonderful 11 day trip in Nepal was created for us by Kripa. She was excellent at listening to what we wanted and creating the perfect trip for us. I am not the strongest hiker, but I really wanted to experience small villages, treking and feeling close to the amazing mountains in Nepal. Our trek exceeded my expectations. Tendu was an amazing guide and our porter was wonderful. We learned so much and had such fun on our journey. They really pampered us. I am not used to people anticipating what we might like before we even thought of it. They also knew great photo views and were flexible enough to discuss a few possible changes that improved the trek for us! ( more orchids, less stairs maintaining stunning views etc..). Our time exploring the greater Kathmandu area was wonderful also. We stayed at delightful character properties ( a wonderful organic farm as well as in town properties near walkable ares to explore. ) Our guide, Pratikshya, was wonderful. In addition to teaching us about the sites we were seeing, she answered all our questions ( we ask ALOT of questions!) so that we gained so much insight into Nepal that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Thank you so much for a trip of a lifetime!- Nancy

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thumb nancy koppl
01.06.2020

Himaĺayan Trails was fantastic!! Seven of us went on a two week trek in the Manaslu Circuit and had a fantastic time. Erin coordinated the trip and was always quick to answer any of our questions stateside, as well as available to solve problems once we got into Nepal. She was very enthusiastic, upbeat, and understanding.

Our guide for the trek was Sonam who we all highly reccommend. Our safety was forefront to her and we always felt like she was looking out for us. We were a mostly all female group and it was super cool to have a female guide. Her group of four porters and the assistant guide far exceeded our expectations. Everyone had a great attitude and was always there to make our experience special. They did a few things that really stood out as beyond the call of duty. A few times the assistant guide or porter would run ahaead to our lunch spot, make tea, and run back to meet us on the trail with a thermos of tea. It was such a morale booster when we were tired to get some tea on the trail. One day one of the group wasnt feeling weel and the assistant guide carried her daypack the whole day. So kind!

The crew was also super fun! We sung, danced and laughed together and by the end we felt we had made new friends.

It is without reservation that i recommend Himalayan Trails, and if you want a fantastic guide, ask for Sonam!!

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01.06.2020

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We escaped the madness and got into the mountains! We escaped the madness and got into the mountains! Sad that people are missing out this season because of the coronavirus and travel restrictions. It was glorious up there! The autumn months are gonna be magic too... just sayin 😊 ⛰ 🥾 💖 #nepaltrekking
Illuminated snaps from our guest/ friend Corinna a Illuminated snaps from our guest/ friend Corinna and guide Pasang on the Manaslu Circuit trek. They’re having a Great time! Thanks for sharing!! #nepaltrekking #manaslu #manaslucircuit @himalayantrails
Hello from our intrepid trekkers’ early morning Hello from our intrepid trekkers’ early morning jaunt to Thronga La. As you do at the end of an almost outer-worldly trek through Upper Mustang, if you’re as ambitious as Georgina and Claire! 🏔 🇳🇵 #uppermustang #nepaltrekking
They got big air in very thin air! Spectacular sho They got big air in very thin air! Spectacular shots from @bjpartyof3 ! Thanks for posting such gorgeous, and athletic, shots from your trek with Chiring! 😊💥 -check out their feed, it’s inspirational and beautiful! #treknepal #gokyolakestrek #ebc
Happy Birthday Raj! Raj is the powerhouse behind t Happy Birthday Raj! Raj is the powerhouse behind the scenes, making HT Treks and Awesome Expeditions run smoothly. He got about 10 mins to celebrate today, with the rest of the operations staff, because we have a ton of adventurers arriving and on trail. He’s thinking of moving his birthday until July 🤣 Cheers Raj!! #lovethefireworkcandles! #treknepal
These guests weren’t up for trekking but wanted These guests weren’t up for trekking but wanted to see the tallest mountains in the world. The peaks were  so close you could almost touch them. This was our heli ride to Lukla, then a jaw dropping photo stop at Kala Patar, followed by a bit of brekkie with views of the tallest mountain in the world, and then back to the Kathmandu valley. Not bad for a Monday morning. #nepal #everestandfriends #areyoukiddingme! #windyheli 🤣
Awe man, this adventure is happening Now! Our gues Awe man, this adventure is happening Now! Our guests, guide, and porter trekking to Everest Base camp and and Gokyo Ri. Absolutely gorgeous! #nepal #trekking #gokyovalleytrek #ebc
Exploring Phaplu and Junbesi in the summertime wit Exploring Phaplu and Junbesi in the summertime with @delecca and the Puppies!
Well he’s a tad older than the 2 ‘candles’/ Well he’s a tad older than the 2 ‘candles’/ cake-fireworks suggest; he’s 100! Happy Birthday Mads! @himalayantrails #happynepalinewyear #2076!
Out for a little ride.... Out for a little ride....
Who’s the mystery man contemplating the view in Who’s the mystery man contemplating the view in Panchase? Loving the uncrowded short treks in Nepal- let’s keep this amongst ourselves ... 🤫. #nepaltrekking #trekkinginnepal #stopandsmellthemountains ...but if u want to make this happen we will.. discreetly.
Not many other souls in sight while revisiting the Not many other souls in sight while revisiting these trails that haven’t seen much traffic for years. #whereisthis?#nepaltrekking #trekking #camping #sunrise #himalayas #thatsenoughclues.
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