Getting to Manaslu we need to ride from Kathmandu to soti khola on a private jeep or bus the ride will take around  7 hours in jeep and 8 To 9 hours in the bus. From soti khola our actual trek will begin and the Manaslu circuit will start.

Manaslu is the name of the famous 8000m mountain which also means the mountain of the spirit. Manaslu has located in Gorkha district of Nepal around 119 km from Kathmandu. Gorkha district was also the epicentre of 2015 earthquake and was heavily affected by it. Manaslu circuit lies inside the Manaslu conservation area.

Manaslu circuit is considered as challenging circuit as the routes are long and steep. And also one need to cross the larke la pass (5160m) in order to complete the circuit. However the difficulty actually depends upon ones personal fitness and mindset. If you are physically fir and healthy and have no problem walking 6 to 7 hours then this trek is just a cup of tea for you. The Routes are in good condition and well maintained. There are Tea houses in every stop and offers you many services. You can even find an Aid post for your personal checkup. The difficult part will be first few days as the trail is long  and one needs to continuously walk for 7 hours in the up and down steep terrain and the next tough day would be the larke la pass where you will be going to highest altitude and walk for 8 to 9 hours on the Steep terrain and downhill. But don’t worry we will always be with you all the time and make your you complete the circuit.

To overcome these difficulties we just need to follow few instructions and we can easily tackle these difficulties. The first thing is to keep track of your health from the day you arrive in Nepal. Second is go slow and don’t strain your self too much if you feel any trouble throughout the journey just inform us don’t even hide a minor problem. Third is listen to your guide as the guides have years of experience in trekking and always look for your safety you should listen to them if you are confused they will be more than happy to clear the confusion. With proper acclimatization, right food and rest we can easily overcome these difficulties. The last thing is to train yourself Before committing to the trek.

The answer is NO you don’t need to take any specific courses for this trek. Manaslu circuit is less strenuous than other trekking circuit its just the long walks that makes one tired. You can train yourself at home also jus focus your training on building Endurance, stamina, and strength. Start your training at least a month before the trek. You can start by 30 minutes jogging stretches and few rounds of push ups. After few days try to run for 5kms or brisk walking. If there are hills near your hometown go for hiking 2 3 times with 4 to 5 kgs of backpack this will help you build your strength. Cycling uphill or around the town is also a good idea for building stamina. Avoid taking stairs try to walk it. Build your core muscle strong and prepare your legs for 6 to 7 hours of hike. Joining a local Gym, swimming club or a climbing gym is also a good idea. Aerobics exercises are also found to be helpful. For a month focus on

• Increasing endurance and stamina
• Start Running 5 to 10 km and slightly increase the pace and distance
• Hike as much as you can especially in hills
• Make your gut your best friend focus on what you eat cut out Fast foods, and start eating healthy
• Limit the alcohol intake

The total circuit covers about 177 kilometres on the standard 16-day trek you will be travelling 3 days on jeep or bus and walking for a total of 13 days. The itinerary may change according to the condition. You will be walking for 6 to 7 hours per day and on the day of larke pass it will take maximum of 8 hours. But some days can just be short as 3 to 4 hours as we need to acclimatize to the altitude. On average we will walking 6.5 hours a day.

Manaslu circuit is one of the most beautiful destination of trekking that Nepal offers. Trekking to Manaslu gives you the breathtaking experiences that one can have in their life trekking through the remote areas witnessing the bio diversity, the pristine mountains the adventurous trails, the magnificent natural views the culture one can experience the rural lifestyle and adventure. Manaslu circuit lies inside the MACP area which is also a restricted area and was only opened for foreigners after 1991. Manaslu circuit is least explored than Annapurna circuit and Everest circuit the trails are less crowed the people are more hospitable. you just name it Manaslu circuit got literally everything that one can expect while trekking in Nepal.

Some of the major attractions of Manaslu circuit are:

People and culture

In the era of technology , rapid urbanization and smart phones. People have actually forgotten how their history and ancestors used to live. Manaslu circuit takes you through the remote village offering you the culture of indigenous people. You will actually feel like you time travelled back to the past. The stone capped houses with prayer flags on top actually gives you the glimpse of the stone age. The lifestyle of people here is influenced by tibeatian culture. The two major ethnic groups of Manaslu are Nubri and Tsum This two groups are separated by the local river. Apart from these ethnic groups Gurungs, Sherpas, Bhutais can also be found in this region. The people around this circuit are very kind and hospitable you will amazed by the way they treat and greet you.

Bio diversity

Manaslu circuit is rich in biodiversity The Manaslu conservation area is conserving and preserving the bio diversity. There are more than 18 different types of Forest more than 35 species of colorful rhododendron blooms here. There are about 1500-2000 different species of flora. Manaslu area is also the home for different endangered species.

Some of the wildlife that we may see are

• Grey wolf
• Asian black bear
• Lynx
• Himalayan ghoral
• Wolly hare
• Himalayan mouse hare
• Black lipped pika
• Musk deer
• Blue sheep

There are more than 100 species of birds and 11 species of butterfly around Manaslu area.

Off the beaten path

Manaslu circuit was recently opened for trekking and is still a restricted area. The trail is less crowed than Annapurna circuit and Everest circuit.

Manaslu Base camp

Manaslu base camp lies north side of the Sama goan. Manaslu Base camp is at the altitude of 4800m It takes around 4 hours to reach base camp from samagoan and around 3 hours to decend back. Manaslu Base camp offers the mind blowing views of hidden valley Sama goan, Peaks like samdo peak, Naike peak, Manasalu peak ,  Manaslu glacier, and many more other peaks which our guides will show you, The trail to base camp is quite rough we need to approach the base camp carefully. As there are no tea houses and lodges we need to take our own packed lunch and some energy bars. The treip to base camp is a lifetime opportunity. Manaslu Base camp also offers the magnificent view of the great Manaslu mountain itself.

Samagaun

Samagaun is one of the major attractions of the circuit. Situated at the altitude of 3530m samagaun is a old traditional tibetian village with many monasteries and chortens. Samagaun offers the tourist to visit and witness the lifestyle of the local people culture and the natural beauty. We will have a acclimatization day at samagoan. Samagoan is also the main point of Manaslu base camp. From samagoan we can visit places like Manaslu base camp, Birendra Tal and Pungen Monastery. All these places are mind blowing.

• Birendra tal
• Gumbas and Monastries
• Manaslu conservation area
• Mountains and peaks
• Larke pass

Manaslu circuit offers breathtaking views of mountains like

• Mt.Manaslu
• Himalchuli peak
• Manaslu north
• Larke Peak
• Samdo peak
• Naike peak
• Annapurna
• Lamjung Himal and other many more peaks.

Larke La pass connects the two districts Gorkha and Manang. In the Tibetan word, La means Pass. People use this pass to travel from one valley to another to import and export good and services as the only means of transportation are Yaks, donkeys, and a helicopter. Crossing the High pass is quite challenging as the pass itself is at 5,160m the strong winds and cold weather makes it more challenging. It will take around 4 hours to reach the larke pass from Dharmasala and another 3 to 4 hours to descend down to bhimthang. This will be one of the most challenging days of the trek however we would have already trekked long ridges and hills and properly acclimatized so this wont be a problem for us.

Manaslu trekking circuit as being the remote and restricted circuit we cant expect luxury accommodations. The accommodations are Tea houses and lodges which are operated by the local people.  In the remote area taking the goods is very difficult and the only means of transportation is Yaks donkeys or helicopter however the tea houses provides you the best of the best. The tea houses offers you warm comfy bed mattress and blanket, WiFi , Hot shower , attached bathroom and sometime they even have a heater to warm up the dinning hall. You can choose a single room or either share your room with a partner.

The tea houses offers variety of meals according to your choice from Local Daal bhat to European and Chinese foods like noodles, pasta, MOMO, macaroni, pizza ,sausages, Tibetan bread, omelet, sandwich, chapati, and many more. All the foods meets the standard portion and quality our guides will be always be there to inspect the hygiene and standard of the food and makes sure that it reaches the required standard. Our first priority is clients saftey. You can always pack your favorite snack. But don’t bring too much as you will have enough foods

We recommend drinking 3 to 4 liters of water per day as you will be hiking in high altitudes this will dehydrate our body fast. Do not drink the tap water water or direct water make sure you filter it before drinking. You can bring your own purification tablets or lifestraw  to filter the water. Water could be refilled at the tea houses also but it will cost you some amount of money. The tea houses also offers you hot water.

Well you will be trekking with experienced guides who will always be with you for your safety but there are few things that you may want to consider. You should always be in good health and incase you don’t feel well you need to inform us right away weather it is physical or emotional our guides are friendly and you can share with them anything you want. Second is the elevation and altitude we will passing through high passes in strong winds and pressure but these can be easily tackled through proper acclimatization and right food. So you don’t need to worry too much cause we are always with you.

While trekking in Manaslu circuit we will be hiking through high altitudes. The highest elevation we will encounter will be 5160m. due to the less treelines or no trees at all. The altitude has less level of oxygen and lower level of air pressure. Our body are not used to those sudden changes in pressure and needs some time to adjust with the environment. If we hurry and do  not give required time then our body and mind will be the one to suffer from it. The rapid ascent may cause AMS and if not treated then can get worse and we may get HAPE or HACE. But these could be easily avoided through proper acclimatization , layering and right food. We have set our acclimatization and rest day at Samagoan 3530m.

Most of the trekkers might feel sick during trekking it maybe of the new place, new heights, or new food but our company makes sure that you will get the basic techniques of avoiding those sickness. In case of emergency our guides are well prepared with the first aid kit who have taken the course of first aid. If the sickness arises from the altitudes and causes AMS the first and only option would be to descend down as soon as possible. IF the basic treatments does not work and gets more serious we will immediately arrange a helicopter and get you back to Kathmandu because our first concern is clients health and safety. The cost of the Helicopter and insurance will be forwarded to your mail before the trip.

The first thing is not to get AMS. The best way to avoid AMS is through proper acclimatization, hygienic food and rest. You must inform the guides if you have a simple headache or cold. If the guides encounter the problem, they will try to treat it with the basic first aid and rest for few days. If the symptoms get worse then we need to descend down to lower elevations. Descending is the best way to treat AMS if experienced.

The best seasons for trekking are autumn and spring.(March, April, May, September, October, November, avoiding the monsoon and winter season.

You will need a total of three permits to trek through the circuit

• Manaslu conservation area permit (MCAP)
• Annapurna conservation area permit(ACAP)
• Restricted area permit

The cost of the permits depends on the days you will be travelling and the months of travel the need for ACAP permit is that after Larke pass you will be coming down to Manang which is the property of ACAP so you will these all permits. Our company will arrange all the necessary Permits and logistics

Of course you can there are many retail shops of trekking gears in kathmandu. You can buy quality gears in Thamel. There are also famous trekking brands showroom like RAB, North face, Outdoor research, Blackdimond, etc. Our guides can assist you while buying the gears this will help you to save the extra cost on unnecessary gears.

Well it depends on wat you are considering safe If you are talking about the Robbery, Thefts , Murder ,or fights then this region is absolutely safe there has never ever been cases of robbery or theft the people are highly influenced by Buddhism so they believe in compassion and kindness. And there are also Police stations a d tourist police conservation area workers and Our trusted guides who will always be with you every time. These people will also be responsible for your safety. Our guides will always make sure that you wont get these problems and incase any thing happens and our company will be responsible for your safety. If you got valuables like jewelry, huge amount of cash then you can deposit it at our office in kathmandu we will be responsible for its safety.

But if your safety concern is about the natural Hazards, wild animals , trails, and weather. Then you don’t need to worry cause our company carefully analyzes the risk factor and asses the risk and only plan the further action. We do not travel at night as it is not safe we always follow the weather forecast and trek accordingly moreover we have contact with local guides who will transfer the information on the current scenario. If we found any dangers and risk then for clients safety we immediately take measures to mitigate those dangers and risk.

Your daysack will not weight more than 5 to 6 kilos as you only be carrying waters, chocolate bars and cameras all your backpacks will be carried by our porters. But do not bring unnecessary items as it will just  hamper the trek the standard weight that a porter will carry is 25 kgs. If you are on a special project and needs more stuff then we can arrange you two porters. If you planning to carry you own backpack then we do not recommend you to bring more than 15 kilos.

Ofcourse you can the tea houses offers the facility of phone charging but you will have to pay some money like 1dollar for charging. We recommend you to bring powerbank and if you got a solar panel that would be perfect.