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Proceeding
counter-clockwise around the
base of Manaslu, you will begin
your trek from the historical
city of Gorkha (1,800m). Distant
Himal views will tease you for
several days as you rise and
fall through numerous valleys,
along panoramic ridges.
Populated by various peoples,
including the celebrated Gorkha
soldiers, and giving life to
endless fields of dan (rice),
kodo (millet) and makai (corn),
among others, the trail offers
brief glimpses into the simple
lives and ancient ways of the
areas inhabitants.
Here, the trekking is moderately
strenuous with ample opportunity
to stop, relax and catch your
breath amidst a land seemingly
lost in an earlier era. In a few
days, the Himal disappear from
view as you descend into the
Gandaki River Valley and proceed
upstream. Fed by innumerable
rivers and waterfalls, the
rushing, rumbling tumult of the
Gandaki's frigid waters accent
the silence of towering pines
and lush bamboo groves.
Depending on the time of year in
which you trek, riverside
lunches bathed in a warming
sunlight will provide a welcome
break along this relatively easy
portion of the trail. Be
forewarned, however, certain
sections are rather precariously
placed. By the end of your first
week, will find yourself in the
village of Phillim at an
altitude of nearly 2,700m. From
here, your trek takes on a
decidedly different flavour. As
the landscape becomes rocky and
mountainous, the weather cooler,
and the local culture more
closely linked to Tibet, the
trail cuts through a land of
nomadic peoples, yaks Buddhist
Gumpas and towering, snow
-capped peaks.
During the day, the sun shines
with clear intensity, while the
nights are a bit more than cold.
Moreover, villages and people
become less frequent as the
trekking becomes fairly
strenuous. At this point, you
are more likely to pass a yak, a
cow, or a sheep along the trail,
rather than a person.
Roughly eleven days into your
adventure, you will arrive at
the village call Samagau
(3450m). Having over one hundred
and fifty houses, Samagau is
surprising large and bustles
with the energy of remote
village life. When planning your
trek, consider stopping here one
full day.
Also, as you leave Samagaon,
consider taking the brief
one-hour side trip to see Lake-Birendra,
Named after Nepal's king when he
officially opened the area in
1992, this pristine, glacial
lake glistens in a frigid green.
From here, you will ascend
slowly, passing through the
villages of Samdo, (3900m) and
Lakya Bazar 4,400m) before
crossing Larkya Pass. A scant
fifteen kilometres from the
border, Samdo is the site of a
Tibetan refugee camp and affords
you a glimpse into the lifestyle
of the Tibetan people, while
stark white, snow-capped Himal
loom, they contrast sharply with
the rough and arid northern
terrain which rises to
constitute the Tibetan plateau.
From Larkya Bazar, a half-day
hike up the two hills situated
directly behind the single brick
building, which is the town,
reveals the surrounding
mountains in their pristine
grandeur.
Following Larkya Bazaar, the
trail rises to over 5,200m as
you cross Larkya Pass under the
glow of soft, winless moonlight
and twinkling stars. Buttressed
by peaks reaching over 6,500m
and covered by snow year round,
Larkya pass commands your utmost
energies and respect. Having
crossed the pass, you will
quickly descend through an area
whose vegetation is at once both
alpine and tropical.
Long-needled pines are draped in
soft, fine ferns. Maples and
elms share ground with bamboo.
Frigid, rocky steams are beached
by cotton-white, limestone sand.
Glacier lakes glisten with an
aqua-blue green. And colors,
sights, silence and sounds
embrace every turn of this
gently sloping section of the
trail.
With your arrival in Dharapani
(1,943m) on day sixteen (16),
the Himal will disappear behind
the brown, rocky, waterfalls
cliffs which form the Marsyangdi
River Valley, Hotels and
restaurants re-appear and
trekkers heading out for
Annapurna share the trail. As
you wind your way to finishing
in Beshishar (823m), the trail,
and the ridges which it crosses,
seems to recede endlessly,
timelessly in the distance,
calling your to walk forever. |
