The Langtang Rhododendrons Trek

From Kathmandu, it’s a 9 -hour scenic drive to Syabru Besi. After driving for 30 km, we approach untouched villages on the banks of the river Trishuli. We also get to view the enchanting panorama of the Himalaya, including the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and the peaks of the Langtang region. Overnight at our lodge before we hit the trails the next day

We navigate the ridge on Syabru Besi’s main road and soon reach Ghopcha Khola from where our real trek begins. Well cultivated fields and dense forest with a variety of plant species like oaks, maple, alder and bamboo open up. We may get to see yellow-throated martin, wild boar, langur monkeys, and red panda and Himalayan black bear en route.

Further on, the trail cuts across a stream and a bridge. We pass by several small bhattis (teashops). As we continue ascending steeply along the trail, we come across a steel suspension bridge at 2000 meters. The route further crosses to the north bank of the Langtang Khola amid the spectacular vistas of cascading waterfalls and opens into scrub oak forest. On reaching 2748 meters, we arrive at Lama Hotel where we conclude the trek for the day. Overnight at our lodge

After a good breakfast, we continue the ascent above the Langtang Khola. As the trail progresses, it becomes steeper. We get some great sights of Langtang Lirung towering at 7246 meter. The trail leads to a log bridge and on climbing further we come across lush meadows of Ghora Tabela at 3000m. We will see several lodges and a police check post. Further on, the route opens up into a wide valley of yak pastures and scattered Tamang villages with water-driven mills and prayer wheels.

We arrive at Langtang village after crossing a stream and reaching up a height of 3500 meters. Langtang village is the headquarters for Langtang National Park and has flat-roofed Tibetan style houses; hotels and cultivated lands yielding buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, turnips, barley etc. reckon this is a good place to spend the night.

The trail spins gradually through rich yak pastures and interesting traditional villages of Muna to Singdun. We cross a wooden cantilever bridge and reach a wide valley after climbing a moraine. Finally, on ascending the mountain passes, we arrive at Kyangjing Gompa. We find a small monastery and a government-operated cheese factory hereabouts. Overnight in our lodge

This is a day for acclimatization and to rest our bodies without being idle. a proper rest is necessary to get used to the thin air. We get to explore interesting places like the monastery and cheese factory etc. We can climb Kyangjing Ri located at 4350m from where amazing views of snow-capped mountains are spreading right next to us. We can walk up the moraine to see the fabulous mountain ridges and rolling glaciers. We bunk out at our lodge for the night.

From Kyangjing, we head through our previous route back to Lama Hotel. As we retrace our steps, we follow the Langtang Khola to Langtang village and on to Ghora Tabela. We stop briefly for lunch and thereafter continue the steep descent to Lama Hotel and an overnight.

From Lama Hotel, we hit the trails back to Thulo Syabru. We can wander around the undulating path leading to the village. This gives us a chance to get an insight of the culture and customs of the Tamang community. It’s a great experience interacting with these local folks. We can also simply relax in the sun savoring the beauty of the stately Himalayan Mountains that surround us. Overnight at our lodge

The trail to Sing Gompa goes up through forests of oak, firs and rhododendrons to gain a ridge, then cuts across the ridge top, staying fairly level in forests as it crosses the head of a valley. We take the uphill trail at each junction and cross another forested ridge. The trail continues across the head of a second valley, and then reaches a final ridge at 3650m. Sing Gompa is about 100m along the trail to the left. Sing Gompa is the main attraction at Chandan Bari, which also home to a number of hotels and a small cheese factory. A great place to hang around and spend the night

From Sing Gompa we climb a ridge to meet up with the main Gosainkunda trail. The trail climbs steeply up the ridge and at several points on top of the ridge itself. There is rich, moist mountain forests on the northern slopes and dry scrub vegetation on the south. As the trail ascends, there are fantastic views across Langtang valley to Langtang Lirung. To the west there are compelling views of Himalchuli, Ganesh Himal and Manaslu. Eventually the trail descends from the ridge to the first of three lakes, Saraswati Kund. The second lake in the chain is named Bhairab Kund, and the third, Gosainkunda. This lake is largely sacred and a place of pilgrimage in the summer. The Gosainkunda (Holy Shiva’s lake) is a high altitude lake. According to the Hindu mythology, Shiva himself created this high altitude lake. Overnight at our lodge close to the lakes

The first part of the trail descends a bit and then begins to ascend through the rhododendron forests until Tharepati, after which we climb down to lower altitude. Before climbing to Tharepati, we can see settlements of cattle herders (mainly huts and mud houses) at 3,579m as we cross a stream after coming through rhododendron, oak and juniper forests. Overnight at our lodge in Tharepati

After enjoying our morning breakfast, we head for a journey to Kutumsang. Our day’s trek starts with a decent crossing through pretty meadows and fields. On the way we enjoy the splendid views of the Langtang Mountains. Thus, we arrive at Pathi Bhanjyang and Gul Bhanjyang. From Gul Bhanjyang, the trail climbs a ridge to another pass. And another downhill trek from the pass takes us to Kutumsang we open out our tents for an overnight.

From Kutumsang, it is an easy climb to cross a pass at 2470m before descending to Pati Bhanjyang, a large Tamang village. From here it is a 2 hour climb to Chisopani. A short distance above Chisopani is a high knoll which is known as Chisopani Danda, where there is a temple. You will have the splendid mountain views from here. The panorama spreads from the mountains south of Everest to the Manaslu range. Overnight in tents

From here there are magnificent views, from Annapurna in the west to Ganesh Himal and Numbur in the east. This ridge marks the northern rim of the Kathmandu Valley. Just after Chisopani there is an entrance to Shivapuri watershed and wildlife reserve. The trail goes through the reserve, moving up to the hill and down to Mulkharka, from which we can already see Kathmandu. From Mulkharka, we descend on endless stairs to the exit from the reserve and From Chisopani, we take a 1 hour drive to Kathmandu and a warm soft bed.

Our office vehicle will wait at your hotel to take you down to the airport for your connecting flight home. Down here at Family Treks we are sure that you enjoyed your trek to the hilt. We do wish you a safe journey home and hope to see you again.