A view of Manaslu from Sama
Cars flying around me on 'the wrong side of the road', darkness covering the city streets, dust collecting in my lungs, my bed calling my name; my sleep deprived brain raced as it tried to process everything. 27 hours ago I stepped on a plane in Calgary, AB, now I found myself, on the opposite side of the world, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
This was my first trip outside of North America and I must admit, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Actually, "little" is an understatement. A LOT overwhelmed. In the past I've taken pride in my ability to throw myself into something new and flourish. This was the first time I admitted to myself, and others around me, that I was struggling. Wow! That was hard to do! With this admission came a freedom to experience my surroundings and not slog through it. I was in Nepal and I wanted to remember it, not just get through it.
My friend, Jo, had been in Nepal for the past 7 weeks conducting a study for her Masters in Public Health. She was a gem, picking me up at the airport and being patient with me as I adjusted to the new time zone. After spending a day exploring the labyrinth of Kathmandu we met our guide, Jay, and set out on a 6 hour (125km) jeep ride to Arughat. The Jeep was the most expensive part of the trip, costing $165USD. There is also a local bus. With our tight schedule we chose reliability and convenience over saving money. Arriving in Soti Khola the local buses were not running. A government strike was on and no one could get petrol. Our jeep couldn't take us the final leg so we chartered a vehicle for 4000ru. What we didn't realize was that this "vehicle" WAS the local bus. WE CHARTERED THE LOCAL BUS! I have never been so embarrassed of my privilege (and my poor decision making). The locals were waving, trying to flag it down, and we drove right by them. Their faces covered with confusion; why was the bus was not stopping? I wanted to hide! It was not fun in the least, but it was a good learning experience. Getting off the bus Jo and I both looked at Jay and said...we are never doing that again!
Eight hours in, our first day was complete. My bum was sore even though I had yet to take a single step on a trail. For those familiar with the Canmore area, the roads were like driving into the Ghost Wilderness Area, an amusement park ride of it's own!
This was my first trip outside of North America and I must admit, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Actually, "little" is an understatement. A LOT overwhelmed. In the past I've taken pride in my ability to throw myself into something new and flourish. This was the first time I admitted to myself, and others around me, that I was struggling. Wow! That was hard to do! With this admission came a freedom to experience my surroundings and not slog through it. I was in Nepal and I wanted to remember it, not just get through it.
My friend, Jo, had been in Nepal for the past 7 weeks conducting a study for her Masters in Public Health. She was a gem, picking me up at the airport and being patient with me as I adjusted to the new time zone. After spending a day exploring the labyrinth of Kathmandu we met our guide, Jay, and set out on a 6 hour (125km) jeep ride to Arughat. The Jeep was the most expensive part of the trip, costing $165USD. There is also a local bus. With our tight schedule we chose reliability and convenience over saving money. Arriving in Soti Khola the local buses were not running. A government strike was on and no one could get petrol. Our jeep couldn't take us the final leg so we chartered a vehicle for 4000ru. What we didn't realize was that this "vehicle" WAS the local bus. WE CHARTERED THE LOCAL BUS! I have never been so embarrassed of my privilege (and my poor decision making). The locals were waving, trying to flag it down, and we drove right by them. Their faces covered with confusion; why was the bus was not stopping? I wanted to hide! It was not fun in the least, but it was a good learning experience. Getting off the bus Jo and I both looked at Jay and said...we are never doing that again!
Eight hours in, our first day was complete. My bum was sore even though I had yet to take a single step on a trail. For those familiar with the Canmore area, the roads were like driving into the Ghost Wilderness Area, an amusement park ride of it's own!
That night the heavens opened and it POURED! Rain here meant more snow up high. Before I hopped on the plane I checked the weather forecast for Manaslu and it showed a massive low pressure system moving in, it was here!
In the morning the trail was impressively dry. Hiking along a road for an hour we were finally on the "trail". Going into this trip I imagined the trail to be similar to the ones here in Canada, surrounded by wilderness, no people, and having a feeling of being cut off from the world. I was a bit off. The Manaslu trek follows the Buri Gandaki River passing through many villages along the way. This trail is essentially like the Trans Canada highway, connecting communities and people together, except the semi trucks are mules and everyone is hiking. The villages varied in size, from one family to the largest being Samagaon, with a population of ~700 people. Along the way we witnessed an odd paradox; a lot of the villages have power, wifi, cell service, and some have satellite TV, but they don't have clean drinking water and their houses are not sealed to the elements. My brain really struggled with this. The trek has yet to become popular and therefore has kept some of it's pristine feel. We were all surprised with the amount of new infrastructure being built. My recommendation is...if you want to complete this trek, do it sooner than later. It is gaining momentum
In the morning the trail was impressively dry. Hiking along a road for an hour we were finally on the "trail". Going into this trip I imagined the trail to be similar to the ones here in Canada, surrounded by wilderness, no people, and having a feeling of being cut off from the world. I was a bit off. The Manaslu trek follows the Buri Gandaki River passing through many villages along the way. This trail is essentially like the Trans Canada highway, connecting communities and people together, except the semi trucks are mules and everyone is hiking. The villages varied in size, from one family to the largest being Samagaon, with a population of ~700 people. Along the way we witnessed an odd paradox; a lot of the villages have power, wifi, cell service, and some have satellite TV, but they don't have clean drinking water and their houses are not sealed to the elements. My brain really struggled with this. The trek has yet to become popular and therefore has kept some of it's pristine feel. We were all surprised with the amount of new infrastructure being built. My recommendation is...if you want to complete this trek, do it sooner than later. It is gaining momentum
Right off the start we realized, in true Jenna fashion, we were travelling faster than we planned. It was also when our guide started to question what he got himself into. We hiked past Khorlabeshi, opting to continue on to Tatopani. We quickly discovered why it is called Tatopani. In nepalese tato = hot, pani = water. There is a hot springs here!!! Jo swore she would not hike in shorts to respect local customs; later we found ourselves in our underwear, bathing in the hot springs. I highly recommend spending the night here! There were three different buildings to choose from. It seems that more and more accommodations are being built.
I love waking up to the birds singing, it brings me such joy. Sleeping in buildings that were open to the air made it easier to hear their beautiful song. Meeting an American couple, Kit and Frankie, in Tatopani we continued on as a group. Today we we had a surprise! We met Jay's brother! Jay is from the Village of Uhiya and his brother has wonderful accommodations in Dobhan. It was fascinating to watch them interact. 4 years had past since they last saw one another. Excitement radiated from them as they embraced in a hug. Minutes passed and Jay wanted to keep the group moving. They said their goodbyes.
The trail is very rocky and has A LOT of "stairs." Meeting strings of 10+ mules was common place. And you did not want intersect them in a section of stairs! When the mules passed, stepping to the inside of the trail was a must. There've been accounts of mules pushing people off the trail and down the cliff to the river. Needless to say that particular tourist didn't make it home.
With the trail being along a cliff it was vulnerable to damage during the 2015 earthquake. Parts of it were destroyed cutting off the upstream villages for up to 6months. Using international funds, a 93m bridge was constructed, bolting it to the side of the cliff, re-establishing the connection.
With the trail being along a cliff it was vulnerable to damage during the 2015 earthquake. Parts of it were destroyed cutting off the upstream villages for up to 6months. Using international funds, a 93m bridge was constructed, bolting it to the side of the cliff, re-establishing the connection.
Arriving in Jagat we officially entered the Manaslu Conservation Area. Jay wandered off to find the check point and show our permits. To hike this route we needed three different permits: Manaslu Conservation Area permit (you need a guide to attain this), TIMS card (Trekker Information Management System), and finally the Annapurna Conservation Area permit. All said, the permits cost around $150USD. The MCAP is $50USD for the first week and $7 USD/day afterwards. TIMS is $25USD for 15days. ACAP is also $25 USD.
Continuing on we met more and more people retreating; unable to cross Larkya La pass. We had yet to hit snow and hoped the good weather would hold out. That night we decided to crash in the village of Philim. It was a busy place, a common stopping point for those making their way back down. If you want a quieter experience, there are accommodations just before town. Another quiet option is on the way out of town, you'll find little cabins on the left.
Continuing on we met more and more people retreating; unable to cross Larkya La pass. We had yet to hit snow and hoped the good weather would hold out. That night we decided to crash in the village of Philim. It was a busy place, a common stopping point for those making their way back down. If you want a quieter experience, there are accommodations just before town. Another quiet option is on the way out of town, you'll find little cabins on the left.
Today was our longest day, taking over 9hrs from Philim to Ghap. As we gained elevation the landscape morphed. We found ourselves in a lush jungle. Continuing onwards we past the trail for the Tsum Valley. If I go back to this region, I want to explore this area further. Not one person spoke poorly of the area and those who ventured there were glad they took the time to do so. Just past the fork in the trail we came across an area called Nyak Phedi. If it fits into your itinerary stay here! It was a solitary building with excellent views of Tsum Valley. Beautiful!
Stopping for lunch in Deng our group voted their dal bhat the best on the trail. Dal bhat is all you can eat and thus a trekkers go to...for the first 3 days at least. The great part is that it only costs around 500ru (350ru at lower elevations and 600ru at Samagaon). Arriving in Ghap I was feeling tired, my legs were sore, and the horizontal realm was calling my name. Since arriving in Kathmandu I had been sleeping 10hrs a night. Tonight was no different. The accommodations in Ghap were newly built and we were the only ones there! Silence...bliss!
Stopping for lunch in Deng our group voted their dal bhat the best on the trail. Dal bhat is all you can eat and thus a trekkers go to...for the first 3 days at least. The great part is that it only costs around 500ru (350ru at lower elevations and 600ru at Samagaon). Arriving in Ghap I was feeling tired, my legs were sore, and the horizontal realm was calling my name. Since arriving in Kathmandu I had been sleeping 10hrs a night. Tonight was no different. The accommodations in Ghap were newly built and we were the only ones there! Silence...bliss!
The jungle gave way to snow covered hills. We reached the freezing line at a whopping 2600m (Our destination, Larkya La pass is 5200m). This was not a good sign! After only 2 hours of hiking we reached Namrung. A full day ahead of our itinerary, and feeling tired, both Jo and I decided that we would stay here. After soaking up some sun, and contemplating all that I had experienced so far, we went off exploring. Jay took us to a Gumba. A times it is open to the public; this was not the case for us. The monks were meditating for the next year and; therefore, closed. Regardless, the energy surrounding the area was impressive, giving me goose bumps.
Here we were able to access wifi and with this luxury I had one thing on my mind...no, not that...the weather forecast. Our nice weather would soon be that of the past. They were calling for +30cm of snow!
Leading up to this trip, I read various blog post and itineraries. Some seemed aggressive, gaining over 1000m in a single day. Having only been at 3500m I was nervous about how my body would tolerate higher elevations. Therefore, Jo and I elected a more conservative plan. With the new weather report that plan was officially thrown out the window!
Here we were able to access wifi and with this luxury I had one thing on my mind...no, not that...the weather forecast. Our nice weather would soon be that of the past. They were calling for +30cm of snow!
Leading up to this trip, I read various blog post and itineraries. Some seemed aggressive, gaining over 1000m in a single day. Having only been at 3500m I was nervous about how my body would tolerate higher elevations. Therefore, Jo and I elected a more conservative plan. With the new weather report that plan was officially thrown out the window!
Nervous that we may miss our opportunity to see Manaslu; we chose to hike the same itinerary mentioned in the blogs I scoffed at. Asking Jay to see if we could have breakfast at 6:30am he looked at me in disbelief and replied with, 7am. Settling on the compromised Jo and I headed to bed. Tonight our accommodations were completely booked. The bottle neck of hikers were increasing the demand.
We reached Lho in only 3 hours. To our surprise, Lho had an amazing amount of stuff to buy; hats, gloves, microspikes, gators, they had it all...at a price. Jay asked if we wanted to stop for lunch. There was no doubt in either of our minds. We were continuing on without lunch (lunch usually took 1.5hrs). Jo and I both packed bars to eat along the way, Jay had none. The kitchen whipped up tibetan bread, he swallowed it hole, and we continued onwards.
By this time the sun was beating down on us. The snow had softened and we were post holing...or should I say, Jay was post holing...up to his mid thigh. Jo and I had the luxury of following his steps. They told us in Lho that the village of Shyala remained closed for the season. Jay was so excited when we found people there upon our arrival. "Stay here?" He asked. Nope...while the views were amazing in Shyala; Samagaon was our goal. Based on views alone I recommend staying at Shyala over Lho.
Finally, Samagaon comes into view. It stays in view...and seems to get further away. The final 45min into Samagaon were the longest of the entire trip! Arriving at the hotel we devoured a very late lunch.
We reached Lho in only 3 hours. To our surprise, Lho had an amazing amount of stuff to buy; hats, gloves, microspikes, gators, they had it all...at a price. Jay asked if we wanted to stop for lunch. There was no doubt in either of our minds. We were continuing on without lunch (lunch usually took 1.5hrs). Jo and I both packed bars to eat along the way, Jay had none. The kitchen whipped up tibetan bread, he swallowed it hole, and we continued onwards.
By this time the sun was beating down on us. The snow had softened and we were post holing...or should I say, Jay was post holing...up to his mid thigh. Jo and I had the luxury of following his steps. They told us in Lho that the village of Shyala remained closed for the season. Jay was so excited when we found people there upon our arrival. "Stay here?" He asked. Nope...while the views were amazing in Shyala; Samagaon was our goal. Based on views alone I recommend staying at Shyala over Lho.
Finally, Samagaon comes into view. It stays in view...and seems to get further away. The final 45min into Samagaon were the longest of the entire trip! Arriving at the hotel we devoured a very late lunch.
The next day was a true rest day. We accomplished our goal and saw spectacular views of Manaslu. Now we could sit back and enjoy the view. That's what Jo did. With energy to burn, I couldn't sit still, and proceeded to shovel off the deck and help locals clear out their quad. A row of old men formed across the way as they watched me work. At least I provided them with ample entertainment. Some of the other trekkers ventured up to the Gompa. We attempted to make our way to Manaslu Basecamp but no one had been there yet this season and there was too much snow. After spending 2 hours post holing I was frustrated and started heading back.
That night everyone was in planning mode, discussing various options! Everyone was trying to decide if it was worth hiking further north to Samdo and attempting the pass as a group. Jo and I decided that it the weather was good in the morning we would continue on to Samdo, if it was snowing, we'd go down.
Waking at 5am, the skies were grey. It wasn't snowing so we stuck to our previous decision and started hiking. An hour in the snow started to fly. Both Jo and I had surpassed our comfort zones and elected to return to Samagaon. On the way back we expected to meet some of the other groups, but we saw no one! Returning to our hotel everyone was gathered outside debating if they would continue. Jo and I voiced that we were heading down.
Waking at 5am, the skies were grey. It wasn't snowing so we stuck to our previous decision and started hiking. An hour in the snow started to fly. Both Jo and I had surpassed our comfort zones and elected to return to Samagaon. On the way back we expected to meet some of the other groups, but we saw no one! Returning to our hotel everyone was gathered outside debating if they would continue. Jo and I voiced that we were heading down.
It was interesting to witness the change in my demeanour once we turned around. For the entire trip we were heading into the unknown. Would we make it through the pass? That was a question we could not answer. As a person who likes to plan I found it hard to give in to that unknown and enjoy where I was. Once we turned around I felt a breath of fresh air. The condition of the pass was no longer a concern, I felt my body and my mind relax. I was finally present on the trail, no longer stuck in 'what if'. The next couples days were my most favourite as I found joy being more playful. Jay, no longer able to keep up, gave up on staying ahead of us. I skipped along, raising my arms into the wind, and enjoyed going at the pace that my body wanted. Many songs were sung and sceneries admired, but mostly, I was looking forward to coming home. Never have I felt so grateful to have my friends and family in my life, and to live in the beautiful wilderness of Canada.
To get to these communities, we had the privilege of visiting, the locals would hike 4 days! Yet, I have the luxury of walking out my back door and be at the base of the mountain. If I don't have the energy to hike the mountain in its entirety, I can drive half way up it. If I am hungry, or thirsty, I can walk 15 minutes from my house to the grocery store and make the overwhelming choice between 50 different types of drinks. If I am craving solitude, I can walk 5 minutes out my door and be surrounded by the calming forest. We are so very blessed and I didn't appreciate how amazing my home country is. I am sad to say that I took it for granted. It felt amazing to drive home to Canmore and see the wide openness and breathe in the pristine mountain air; I plan to constantly remind myself of this feeling!
I am VERY grateful that I was born in Canada!
We returned to Namrung the same day we turned around on route to Samdo. From Namrung we were able to make it back to Philim; this time staying at a quieter location. The next day we stopped in Dobhan for lunch allowing Jay to visit his brother. That night we decided to rest in Machha Khola. This left us with only a 2 hour hike back to Soti Khola where our jeep would be waiting for us.
All in all I am very glad I went on this trip. Many insights were gained. Thank you to Lok, our travel agent, for organizing everything. Jay for your amazing sense of humour and for not killing us when we took off running down the trail. And Jo, for being the amazing person you are. I am so glad we are friends!
I am VERY grateful that I was born in Canada!
We returned to Namrung the same day we turned around on route to Samdo. From Namrung we were able to make it back to Philim; this time staying at a quieter location. The next day we stopped in Dobhan for lunch allowing Jay to visit his brother. That night we decided to rest in Machha Khola. This left us with only a 2 hour hike back to Soti Khola where our jeep would be waiting for us.
All in all I am very glad I went on this trip. Many insights were gained. Thank you to Lok, our travel agent, for organizing everything. Jay for your amazing sense of humour and for not killing us when we took off running down the trail. And Jo, for being the amazing person you are. I am so glad we are friends!
Jenna, Jay, and Jo!
For not falling asleep and for sticking with the entire post... You. Are. Rewarded. With...
...more info...just what you wanted, right? You were probably expecting something free...jokes on you! :)
Below is our itinerary including: morning temperatures, elevation changes, and villages we stayed in. If you have any questions please reach out. I'd be more than happy to help you out! That's what travelling is all about, right?
If you are looking for more information on the cost of the trip or other itinerary options you can check out these two blog posts by NEST adventures.
...more info...just what you wanted, right? You were probably expecting something free...jokes on you! :)
Below is our itinerary including: morning temperatures, elevation changes, and villages we stayed in. If you have any questions please reach out. I'd be more than happy to help you out! That's what travelling is all about, right?
If you are looking for more information on the cost of the trip or other itinerary options you can check out these two blog posts by NEST adventures.
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