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Slow start: Ārughāt Bāzār – Namrung (300-2600 m)
7. Lho (3180 m)
10.6 km 950 m up over 3300 m 250 m down
Namrung – 1. view of Manáslu – Lho (3180 m) (Monastery)
Good time for an acclimatizationday.
8. Samagaon (3500 m)
7.5 km 510 m up over 3570 m 310 m down
Lho – Sama – Samagaun (सामागाउ)
9. Samdo (3850 m)
8.2 km 400 m up over 3870 m 50 m down
Samagaun – Samdo (3850 m)
We did an acclimatization climb to the peak just above Samdo.
Samdo (3850 m) – gaining altitude
Nowadays, a small off-road bus travels all the way to Machu Khola, and the track remains accessible to off-road vehicles for nearly two more days. Fortunately, traffic is minimal. The route may become impassable for cars after the September monsoons, so it's advisable to verify the conditions beforehand.
We were walking a bit slow the first days. You can merge some days or choose different villages to overnight in before you start gaining altitude.
0. Ārughāt Bāzār – Soti Khola (600 m)
11.8 km 370 m up over 630 m 280 m down
Ārughāt Bāzār (520 m) – Akhet – Soti Khola (600 m)
Easy, low-altitude start.
There goes a bus there now.
In Soti Khola accommodation, we were woken up by bedbugs (Nepali: džumbrá!) crawling out of our accommodation bed. It was so bad and plenty of them, some of us went sleep outside.
It was back in 2008 though…
1. Machu Khola (900 m)
13.1 km 1050 m up over 890 m 850 m down
Soti Khola – Lapu Besi (800 m) – Machu Khola
It is possible to even Machu Khola by bus now.
It might not be possible after September monsoons though.
2. Tato Pani (900 m)
10.3 km 430 m up over 950 m 370 m down
Machu Khola – Khorlabesi – Tato Pani (900 m)
3. Jagat (1370 m)
8.3 km 830 m up over 1400 m 420 m down
Tato Pani – entering Manaslu conservation area – Jagat (1370 m)
4. Ekle Bhatti (1620 m)
13.4 km 560 m up over 1620 m 260 m down
Jagat – Philim – Ekle Bhatti
Here starts an alternative trek to Tsum valley.
5. Bihi Pedi (2000 m)
13.6 km 1100 m up over 2100 m 720 m down
Ekle Bhatti – Deng (1865 m) – Bihi Pedi
6. Namrung (2600 m)
10.6 km 1400 m up over 2700 m 780 m down
Bihi Pedi – Namrung
What's nearby:
Dharmashala without tent?
There was one night the tent was needed for.
Although Dharmashala (Larkya Resthouse) is a great place to sleep, it's used by sherpas and porters, and it can get overcrowded, and they might not want to let you in. We persuaded them to make some space for us only after an hour of discussion that had to be conducted in French, because their sherpa (guide) did not speak English. It was a freezing night full of smoke of sherpa's fire.
Now lodges?
Now there seems to be a lodge there, but we are not aware of anybody who reviewed it yet.
There is a Larkya Phedi (Dharamsala) lodge with 64 beds and Zambala and the Larkya La (pre-fabricated modules, 100-120 beds).
Cold, dirty and crowded.
10. Dharmashala (Larkya Resthouse) (4460 m)
6.2 km 700 m up over 4470 m 100 m down
Samdo – Dharmashala (Larkya Resthouse) (4460 m)
11. Bimtang (3700 m)
15.6 km 720 m up over 5140 m 1490 m down
Dharmashala – Larkya La (5130 m) – wilderness bivouac (ruins with open sky) & Bimtang (3590 m)
Permanent snow line is above 5000m.
No equipment needed, just good boots.
12. Surki Khola (2700 m)
9.6 km 90 m up 1090 m down
Bimtang – "3 sisters" Surki Khola
13. Tal (1600 m)
19.8 km 630 m up 1670 m down
Surki Khola – Dharapani, merging into Annapurna trek – Tal
After merging with the Annapurna trek, the fairytale is over… The road gets wider and traffic increases.
14. Syange (1300 m)
8.5 km 380 m up 750 m down
Tal – Syange
We hired a jeep before reaching Syange.
There is quite a traffic from Annapurna circuit there now.
Dharmashala (4460 m)
Larkya La (5106 m)
Beyond Bimtang and down
Permits for the area and guide needed
Permits acquired by namastetrek.com.np (Jangbu Sherpa)
Minimal group is 2.
A guide is required. Clerks near Manasclu conservation area entrance checks that and are unvilling to pass groups without a guide.
Alternatives
The trek can be spiced up by a peek into a Tsum or Nar-Phu valley.
Equipment
No special equipment, just water desinfection and good boots are needed.
Lodges and food is possible to buy. The Dharmasala lodges before the top pass can be crowded though!
Acclimatization
The elevation starts to climb very slowly. The acclimatization day is needed above 3000 m.
We did the first days quite easy. It's possible to join them and make it faster.
Best time to trek
Mar-Jun or Sep-Nov (Oct-mid Dec is best).
Busiest is October. Limits are the monsoon (June to September) and winter snow and Larkya Phedi lodge closures.
Geting there and back
Bus from Kathmandu to Soti Khola: 8-9 hours
Drive back from Syange to Kathmandu: 7-8 hours.
Water safety
Disinfection is needed. E. g. by Ozone or Sanosil DDW.
2008
Back in 2008 it was a very remote area. We met just coule of groups. With the growing popularity there were 8000 trekkers in 2019.
Map of Area
General info
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