LANGTANG GOSAIKUNDA TREK

We will meet your arrival flight at the Kathmandu International Airport and transfer you to your hotel. You will have time to rest or enjoy strolling around on your own to see some of the local sights. Your ITrekEverest representative will provide you with an initial briefing about your itinerary and answer any questions you might have.

Half day sightseeing around UNESCO Bhaktapur / Kathmandu where your guide will escort you on a tour of Buddhist and Hindu temples and shrines reflecting ancient local traditions. There is time to explore the city’s many places of interest on your own or take a rest while trekking permits are finalised. In the evening sample a delicious traditional Nepali dinner. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Drive to Dhunche and continue on to Syabrubesi via Trisuli Bazaar by private transport. Overnight in Syabrubesi. (4WD is necessary because of the rocky un-asphalted road).

After leaving our hotel we cross the Bhote Kosi river by a suspension bridge towards ‘old’ Syabrubesi, a cluster of houses and a school opposite the river. Another suspension bridge carries us over the south side of the Langtang Khola, this river we will be following upwards for the next couple of days. We climb slowly to Doman (1680m) and continue over a rocky ridge to Landslide Lodge and Hot Spring restaurant; named after a small hot spring on the opposite river bank at 1810 meter. The trail now climbs gently up to Bamboo Lodge where we will enjoy our lunch. Opposite the river we will see near vertical cliffs covered with cactuses. After Bamboo we cross the Langtang Khola on a new suspension bridge to the north bank. The forest becomes sparser and drier on this side of the river, consisting mainly of scrub oaks and nettles. We climb steeply on a good trail to Rimche (2510m). We have now finished most of today’s climbing and descend slowly to Lama Hotel where we will spend the night (6 hrs).

The day starts with a gentle climb, but it soon becomes steeper, climbing through a forest of hemlocks, oaks, maples and rhododendron. Beautiful views of Langtang Lirung (7246m) can be seen from the trail. After little more then an hour we pass two lodges in the forest at Gumanchok (2800m), from where we climb to a Nepal army post and a national park checkpoint at Ghora Tabela (2970m). The trail asvends gradually, as the valley becomes wider. We will pass a few teashops at Thangshyap at 3140 meter, where we will have our lunch. The route is now in open country, and passes many mani stones, water-driven prayer wheels and a few scattered Tamang villages before arriving in Langtang. This is a small village consisting of guesthouses and yak farms. The surrounding fields containing buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, turnips and barley have typical stone fencing walls (5 hrs).

Walking through the village of Langtang we will pass many stone mani walls, covered with Tibetan inscriptions to please the gods. It then climbs up gradually past the small villages of Mumdu and Sindum. The trail continues through yak pastures. After crossing the Langtang Khola to its south bank we climb up through a landscape scattered with large boulders to a moraine where we will have the first views of Kyanjin Gompa ahead of us, and the dramatic icefall flowing from Langtang Lirung and Langtang Kinshung (6781m) north of us. Our route weaves through the large boulders to a gompa and from here it’s a short descent to Kyanjin Gompa. It is easy to reach our destination before lunch, allowing time to acclimatize and explore the surroundings. One of the options is a hike to one of the good viewpoints. To the north of Kyanjin Gompa is the Kyanjin Ri (4773m), which is a two-hour climb. From here we have a great view over the mountain range in the west, including Langshisha Ri (6370m), Gang Chhenpo (6388m) and Dorje Lakpa (6966m). (3hrs, to the viewpoint and back is about another 3 hrs).

Today we follow our route back to Lama Hotel, the trail goes with a few short exceptions most of its way downwards, descending around 1400 meter back to Lama Hotel (5 hrs).

We take the same route until we reach the Landslide lodge where we take the upper trail to reach Thulo Syabru. The trail goes up for around 400 meter, and passes a bhatti at U Kyang on the ridge before arriving at the pleasant village of Thulo Syabru, with its many elaborate carved windows (6 hrs).

Today we start our trek passing the gompa, school and army post, and then switchback up the steep hill above the village to Dursagang (2660m). The trail continues less steeply from now, mostly in forest of hemlock and oak to the top of the ridge at Foprang Danda, where we will have lunch. The trail to Sing Gompa cuts across the ridge top, staying fairly level as it crosses the head of the valley. After passing the final ridge at 3260 meter we will arrive at Sing Gompa (4 hrs).

The trail of today climbs steeply up the ridge, which creates a transition zone between rich, moist forests on the northern slopes and dry scrub vegetation on the slope facing south. The area on the northern slope is a sanctuary for the red panda, an endangered species that the Nepali calls cat bear. The trail crosses behind the ridge and stays in the deep forest for a while before emerging onto a saddle at Chalang Pati. From here we enter the Goisakund protected area where the killing of animals, lighting of wood fires and grazing of goats is prohibited. As the trail ascends there are outstanding views across Langtang valley to Langtang Lirung. It is possible to continue to Goisakund on the same day, but for acclimatization reasons it is wiser to stay in Lauberina Yak. Morning views from this small settlement are excellent – we can see the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and Langtang Hirung (3 hrs).

We start by climbing further along the ridge till we see the first lakes at around 4100 meter. The trail now leaves the ridge and heads high above the Trisuli valley. After the trail crosses a spur, the second lake in the chain (Bhairav Kund) comes into view. The trail climbs gently but continuously to the third and largest lake, Goisakund. Goisakund lake has a black rock in the middle, said to be the head of Shiva. According to the legend, Shiva created the lake when he pierced a glacier with his trident to obtain water to quench his thirst after consuming poison. Hundreds of pilgrims come here to worship and bathe during the full-moon festival each August. It takes about 45 minutes to walk around the lake (3 hrs).

The first part of the trail climbs further through rugged country passing three more small lakes towards Laurebina La pass (4610m). There is a good view from this pass in both directions. After the pass, the trail descends alongside a stream through alpine country to the national park post at Bhera Goth. We continue descending over a rocky trail along the middle of the valley to Phedi (3740m) for lunch. From Phedi the route drops to a stream and then climbs through scrub bamboo to a crest at 3750 meter. From here we climb in and out ravines across the head of the valley to Gopte (7 hrs).

The trail continues up ravines and across the boulders of old moraines below the wreckage of a Thai Airlines plane that crashed here in bad weather in 1992. Make a final ascent to Tharepati on the ridge at 3490m from where we can see the Helambu region. We will arrive around noon and rest of the day we can just relax (3 hrs).

In the morning we walk through the alpine country side with meadows and scrubs typical for high elevation. We will enter the forest again and follow the ridges before descending to Magen Goth.
Two lodges are remaining from a former army camp. The trail gently climbs to a small pass at Mere Danda at 3510 meter before descending through rhododendron forest inhabited by only a few shepherds’ huts. The trail continues further down to Kutumsang from where we continue to the nearby Gul Bhanjyang , which is a delightfullk classic hill village (6 hrs).

We start by descending down a forested ridge to the long, strung-out village of Thodang Betini (2260m). From here we climb up around 200 meters to the top of the Jhogin Danda ridge and descend over a stone staircase to the teashops at Chipling. Continuing our way down past Brahman and Chhetri villages and through meadows and fields we finally reach Chisopani, which resembles an unfinished tourist resort (5 hrs).

We start the day by climbing up the last pass of the trek at Borlang Bhanjyang, which lies at 2240 meter. From here we descend steeply through deeply eroded chasms towards the Tamang settlement of Mulkharka at 1800 meter. From here on it is a short bit to Sundarjial as we walk past the local water supply system and follow the water pipe to this village. From Sundarijal we can take local transportation, or have our private transport waiting for us to bring us back to Kathmandu (4 hrs). Overnight stay at hotel.

Departure from Kathmandu.