Chulu West Expeditions

You will be greeted on your arrival by one of our representatives at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. Next on, you will be transported to your hotel, check into the room and spend some relaxing time until we meet again in the evening for the voyage briefing. You will be acquainted about the briefing time on your arrival at the hotel.

Today, for the entire day, we will be spent on a tour of the Kathmandu valley. You will visit the significant UNESCO World Heritage Sites which includes: Pashupatinath -a holy pilgrimage for Hindus and Hindu Crematorium, watch as the Hindu dead bodies are cremated most uniquely in the world; we come across men with ash rubbed body, matted locks and dreaded look which is typical look of a Hindu Holy Men known as Sadhus. Swoyambhunath - The oldest Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu Valley, a beautiful abode for lots of monkeys thus also known as Monkey Temple, is also a perfect vantage point to see Kathmandu valley. Boudhanath - the biggest Buddhist temple in the world; a site for Tibetan Buddhism where we can visit monasteries, watch the Holy Monks busy in their chanting ritual going around the temple. And lastly, the Patan Durbar Square-A Medieval Royal Palace area which is also known as the city of fine arts, we can see the most beautiful example of metal and stone carving back to 14th century and even the fantastic Nepali Architecture.

Today, we start our journey into the mountains with an exciting drive from Kathmandu towards Bensisahar. We drive through a winding road along the graceful Trishuli River relishing the typical roadside houses, beautiful landscapes, and lush green forests along the way. We get the first glimpse of Annapurna II, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung Himal from north of Bensisahar, a start point of our Annapurna Circuit route. Overnight at the hotel in Bensisahar.

Today, we officially start our expedition on foot beginning the trek early in the morning. Usually, the hike from Bensisahar to Bahundanda can be viciously hot and ends with a long climb. We pass through beautiful villages of Khudi, Bhulbhule, and Ngadi before we arrive at Bahundanda relishing the beautiful view of lush green forests, snow-capped mountains and terraced fields along the way. Overnight at Bahundanda

After breakfast in Bahundanda, we continue the hike alongside the lively Marshyangdi River towards Chamje. Passing through the beautiful waterfalls and villages of Ghermu and Jagat, we enter today\'s destination Chamje. It’s a beautiful place to rest for the night. Overnight at Chamje.

As we leave Chamje, after few hours of hike, we enter the beautiful Manang district passing an exceptional stone arch gateway avowing ‘Welcome to the Manang District.’ We cross different suspension bridges along the way enjoying the riveting nature of the Himalayas. Hiking through the slippery and challenging route and striding along a rocky trail, we go downhill to grassy riverbank which leads us to Tal. Few hours hike from Tal passing Karte, we reach Dharapani where we can find a stone entrance Chorten typical of the Tibetan influenced communities. Overnight at Dharapani.

After breakfast in Chame, we ramble through rough trail and dense forest and pass beautiful Tibetan influenced village of Bagarchap before we reach Danaqyu. From Danaqyu, we can either pass from Thanchowk or from Latamarang to get to Koto where we can find beautiful Tibetan Buddhist Monastery and magnificent mountain vistas. As we move Koto, the next village we reach is Chame. The district headquarters of Manang has a big selection of guesthouses, so we rest for the night here. Overnight at Chame.

Today, we trek on tough trail pass through a dark forest in a narrow valley crossing several bridges. On the way after crossing another bridge, we get to witness a dramatic Paungda Danda rock rising 1,500 meters above from the river. After passing Bhratang and Dhukur Pokhari villages, we eventually reach Upper Pisang which offers a magnificent view of Annapurna II. This Buddhist settlement has old-fashioned school lodging and an active Tibetan Buddhist Monastery which is worth visiting for the sunrise and sunset chants. We rest for the night here at Upper Pisang.

We wake up early to relish the mesmeric sunrise view rising across the stunning Annapurna II. After breakfast, we head onwards through pine forest and gently climb up to the ridge from where we can see the beautiful expanses of Manang valley. We can also enjoy the spectacular Himalayan ranges of Gangapurna, Annapurna II & III, Tilicho and more on the way. As we move onward, we pass the high elevated villages of Ghyaru, Ngawal, Braga before we arrive at the beautiful Manang. Overnight at Manang.

As we are hiking at the higher elevation every day, the acclimatization day is must-needed to avoid the risk of getting altitude sickness. Manang is a perfect place to get acclimatizes with the upper atmosphere. But it doesn\'t mean that we rest for the whole day doing nothing. We can spend the entire day hiking around enjoying the magnificent places. Bhojo Gumpa and Gangapurna Lake are some of the ideal options for a short hike. Or, we can visit volunteer doctors at the Himalayan Rescue Association to discuss hiking safety and other issues. Overnight at Manang.

We leave Manang and head towards the Chulu Base Camp after an acclimatization day. Climbing steadily through Tenki we cross the Marshyangdi river and get to Jarsang Khola Valley. Continuing the journey, we pass through two of the highly elevated, beautiful villages of Yak Kharka and Letdar to get to our day\'s rest stop Chulu West Base Camp at the elevation of 5,100 meters. It offers excellent views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Gangapurma and Lamjung Himal.

Today will be another rest day at base camp to prepare for the summit to Chulu West. The climbing leaders will give you the proper training on how to use the available equipment. You can practice around the camp.

We leave the base camp today and head onwards to Camp I and Camp II. The route isn’t that technical, but we may have to use ice-ax, crampon, and even ropes. We rest for the High cam and acclimatize appropriately before the big day.

Today is the day when we finally summit Chulu West (6,420m). The day is going to be long and challenging. But it all pays off when we get to the summit when the magnificent high Himalayan view takes your breath away. After relishing each moment at the top, we head down to the base camp. Overnight at the base camp.

From the Chulu West Base Camp, we return down to the same way we climbed up till Letdar. From here, we hike smoothly relishing each step towards Thorung Phedi. The trail is mostly uphill which leads to Thorung Phedi at the base of Thorung La Pass. Regardless of its altitude, it offers the most excellent lodging facilities with cafes and bakeries. Overnight at Thorung Phedi.

Today is one of the significant highlight days as we cross one of the highest passes in the world, Thorung La Phedi at the altitude of 5,416 meters. The day will be the most treasurable one for you as you gaze at the high peaks of the Himalayas. We begin our day hike with a downhill walk first along Marshyangdi River and gradually hike up to one of the highest passes in the world, Thorung La Pass. As we pass through, we are rewarded with the stunning views of high Himalayas. After crossing the enthralling pass, the trail leads us a long way down to Muktinath, a sacred place to both Hindus and Buddhists. Muktinath temple is a major attraction of this place. We rest for the night in Muktinath.

In the morning, we can hike up to the sacred Muktinath Temple to explore why the temple is worldwide famous. After visiting some of the holy sites of Muktinath including the Vishnu Temple and a Gompa, we continue our trek downhill towards Jomsom. We pass through Ranipauwa village and beautiful Tibetan classiness village of Kagbeni to reach striking Jomsom. Overnight at Jomsom.

The long Chulu expedition on feet concludes today as we fly from Jomsom to the beautiful city of lakes, Pokhara. The flight provides an excellent opportunity to see the mountains from high above in the sky. Upon our arrival at Pokhara, you will be transferred to your hotel where you can relax. We can also take some time to explore some of the beautiful sites of the city like Phewa Lake, Lake Side and more. Overnight at Pokhara.

After breakfast in Pokhara, we wave goodbye to the beautiful city of Pokhara and the phenomenal mountains. We get on a long scenic drive to from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Overnight at Kathmandu hotel.

Today is the free day for you to do whatever you want to do before you head back to your home. You can go shopping or for exploration of the city. In the evening, we go for a farewell dinner where we will have Nepali food and enjoy a cultural show. We talk and share our experiences about the trekking and trip.

Today is the last day of the trip, so, we take you to the airport for final departure home. You will be flying back house with pleasurable memories in your heart.