Chulu East Peak Climbing -24 days

Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, you will be received by us and transferred to the hotel. A short trek briefs in the evening.

After breakfast, meet your tour guide at the hotel premises and go on a day sightseeing tour, which includes Pashupatinath temple, Boudhanath stupa, Swayambhunath stupa and Kathmandu city. In the evening, a trip orientation meeting will be organized.

We drive along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway to Dumre and then follow the road by the Marsyangdi River to Besi Sahar for 6 hours.

We trek to northwards up the Marsyangdi Valley, en route you get to savor leisurely sightseeing of nursery and amazing tapestry of Annapurna mountain ranges. The trail winds through a suspension bridge and then follows terraced rice fields offering breathtaking view of Manaslu and cascading waterfall. Further ascending we spot several shops and teahouses at Ngadi village. On leaving Ngadi after brief rest, we skirts through our challenging trails to Bahundanda. Bahundanda literally means Brahmin hill and as the name suggests Bahundanda is hugely dominant by Brahmins. There we conclude our trekking journey of the day.

A steep trail descends from Bahundanda through rice terraces before crossing a stream at the bottom of a small waterfall. It then climbs again and traverses the hillside high above the river before reaching the village of Hani Gaon. Ahead, the Marsyangdi valley forms a steep V-shape, and we follow the winding mountain path down through Syange and along the river for some distance. The trail then climbs steeply and the path is cut into the sheer cliff-face some 200-300m above the riverbed. Eventually we descend to the stone village of Jagat, situated on a shelf which juts into the precipitous Marsyangdi valley. We camp in the fields beyond the village.

The trail descends until it almost reaches the river and then continues through a lush forest. Further ascent leads to sharp-edged cliff facing the river bank. En route, Chyamje comes into picture amid glorious picturesque landscape of waterfall and towering Annapurna mountain ranges. After crossing a suspension bridge, we climb steeply towards the slippery and physically challenging path to Sattale. On treading along a succession of rock-strewn trail, we descend to a grassy riverbank which leads to Tal where we find hotels and teahouses attired with warmth and hospitality. But as we walk away from Tal, path becomes rugged and winding. Then we approach steep forested village of Karte. Meandering along the waterfall-clad cliff, we finally reach Dharapani after crossing a suspension bridge. We camp at Dharapani for the night.

Trek 5/6 hours to Chame is the administrative headquarters for the Manang district. There are electricity, wireless station, school, shops, health post, post office, police check post, hotels, lodges and bank in Chame. Hot springs are the major attraction of this place.

4/5 hours treks through barely fields, pristine hamlet, and apple orchid to Pisang. On our route we get to capture splendid views of Annapurna II on the East and Pisang Peak on the north-east.

Leaving the main trail above the village of Pisang, we ascend Chegaji Khulna Valley towards Chulu East Base Camp. A gentle ascent through scattered chortens, scrub juniper and stunted pines takes us to the small hamlet of Julu, sitting on the west bank of the river. We chose an appropriate campsite showcasing enchanting views of majestic Himalayan peaks.

On this day, we utilize it to our maximum benefits. We take a proper rest to rejuvenate our adventure spirit and build up good health. After relaxation, we can even explore village of Julu and get more insight into its cultural setting. We can also enjoy the splendid natural vistas.

As we walk away from Julu, the trail crosses Cheggi Khola and ascends gradually up the west bank. Soon after trekking for more than an hour, the trail faces a valley and then we encounter a stone hut surrounded by apple trees. We are now bestowed with a stunning view up the side valley that reaches up towards Chulu West. As the valley ends, 500ft cliff stands on the way displaying spectacular sight of waterfalls cascading down the cliff. The trail further steepens and winds through a small meadow. On the way, we come across goat and yak pastures. As the day progresses, we come close to Yak Kharka. At last, we reach Yak Kharka for a leisurely lunch. We set a camp at a site which overlooks stunning myriad of snow capped peaks.

We follow the trail wending through steep pastures to a convenient hollow where the meadow merges into rock and scree. Then, there appears the base camp. Eyeing high above, spectacular views of Annapurna range stretches as far as our eyes can capture.

We take a day off from trekking for complete acclimatization. This gives us time to prepare and sort out our trekking gear.

After well acclimatized, we move up to the high camp and there we rest atop the terminal moraine of the Chulu glacier. The trail up to the high camp follows scree and snow slopes.

Resting at the high camp, we take a plenty of time to relax and prepare equipment and strategies for the next day.

Two days have been set aside for ascending Chulu East. On the day of climbing Chulu East, we make an early start across the undulating glacier as the trail takes snow and ice slopes. As we continue ascending, several peaks come en route. Eventually we run out of mountain at a small snow dome with steep slopes falling away on all sides. At this point, our high camp diminishes to toy-town stature and climbing to such an altitude gives us a feeling of sitting on top of the roof of the world. After we scale Chulu East Summit and have our share of celebrating this glorious victory, we descend along the steep slopes to the high camp. After refreshment and rest, we head back to base camp passes. For those who do not wish to climb Chulu East, they can simply stroll to Base Camp to enjoy spectacular views of Annapurnas and indulge in more exploration around the base camp.

We return to the main trail and head towards Manang. We continue treading along the cultivated fields and after a while village of Braga accommodating a splendid monastery appear before us. On trekking down to Manang, we embrace heavenly vistas of Annapurna range - Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Gangapurna (7455m) and Tilicho Peak (7134m). We camp at the fortified villages of friendly Manang people for the night. Manang is a fascinating medieval village of just over 500 flat-roofed houses.

We climb gradually to a ridge before descending to the headwaters of the Marsyangdi and crossing via a covered wooden bridge amid tremendous views of Manaslu, the Annapurnas, Tilicho Peak and the Great Barrier. We head north-west up the Jarsang Khola, through scrub juniper and alpine grasses to arrive at Letdar for lunch. From Letdar, we continue on the east bank of the Jarsang Khola, before crossing on a covered bridge. The trail climbs on scree slopes high above the river to Thorung Phedi, a single stone building set among near vertical cliffs.

At the very earliest hour in the morning, we cross Thorung La (5416m). As the trail progresses further, it becomes steep though well-defined. After steadily climbing for 4 hours, the steep trail eases and soon we encounter chorten and prayer flags along the mountain pass. We reach to an altitude beneath which lie a spectacular views of Kali Gandaki valley and pristine hills of Mustang. Amid the ambience of Himalayan beauty, we descend to Muktinath. From Muktinath, we can capture excellent views of Dhaulagiri. Eventually the moraines give way to grassy slopes before a pleasant walk along the Jhong Khola Valley to Muktinath. Muktinath is regarded as an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. It is very popular for its shrines and temple.

From Muktinath, we advance towards Jomsom. The trail descends along the spectacular Kali Gandaki valley, initially through arid country in the same geographical and climatic zone as Tibet. After passing through Jharkot and Khingar, villages with typical Tibetan architecture, we follow the valley floor most of the way to Jomsom. En route, we are rewarded with tremendous views of both Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri. Jomsom is a large town sprawled along both banks of the Kali Gandaki River. We spend the final night of our trek in Jomsom.

We take an early morning flight to Pokhara. It is a spectacular flight along the Kali Gandaki Gorge and provides wonderful views of both the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges.

Drive or fly back to Pokhara. It is 30 minute flight and by drive it takes 6 hours driving.

We will take you to airport for your flight back home. Or stay longer for short tours such as game drive at National parks, rafting, Tibet tours, mountain biking etc.