 Set in Nepal's largest national park, Langtang National
Park, the interconnected areas of Langtang, Helambu, and
Gosainkunda lake offer the trekker a fascinating mix of
solid mountain walking, highland culture, and some of the
most welcoming landscapes in Nepal. The park literally
starts on the northern tip of Kathmandu, making a delightful
contrast between the urban nature of the city and the
unspoiled beauty of a trekking area that is never
overcrowded. Here are glaciers and a glacial lake,
spectacular Himalayan wildflowers, a stunning Buddhist
monastery, and truly unpretentious and unspoilt mountain
people, with their customary houses an amusing contrast to
the modern cheese production facility. As near as this area
is to the capital, while trekking it can sometimes feel more
remote than the Annapurna and Everest regions do - in a good
way!
Many inhabitants of the upper reaches of Lantang and Helambu,
which are right on the border with Tibet, are culturally
indistinguishable from their cousins across the line. They
are possibly among the hardiest mountain people in Nepal,
with their high altitude yak pastures and regular farming -
barley and buckwheat, for example - at altitudes of close to
4,000 m. The centuries-old trade route continues to be used
for traditional barter trade as well as more contemporary
goods that find their way down to Kathmandu Valley and
beyond. These routes, as well as more dangerous high passes
continue to be used as border crossings by Tibetans who wish
to emigrate out of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Unlike the more popular two regions, Langtang's claim to
fame is not the highest mountains in the world but the
distinctive peaks that make Kathmandu Valley so instantly
recognisable - the Langtangs, Kang Chhenpo, Naya Kangri,
Dorje Lhakpa, all snow-clad marvels between 5,800-7,300 m.
Starting in the lower, more Hinduised reaches populated by
the Tamang people, you'll go up to more typically Buddhist
Tamang and other mountain people of Tibetan stock. There are
lush forests filled with rhododendron, larch, and all manner
of wildflowers such as primrose, gentian and varieties of
orchids. Birdwatchers will be in heaven here - looking for
nightjars, thrushes, owls, barbets, magpies, parakeets, and
scores of other exotic species.
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Trekking in Langtang, Helambu
While trekkers with varying degrees of fitness and time
can set out in this region, the special consideration here
needs to be for treks crossing across valleys over high
passes (specifically, Ganja La), where snow can mean an
impassable trail in the winter or after any freak storm.
You must be prepared to wear warm clothing as you go
higher up. The wonderful landscape, at once lush, calming,
and uplifting, the hardy, hospitable and almost shy
people, the presence of religion in everything, there's
all this and so much more on our 8-25 day trips covering
select areas such as Kyanjin Gomba (monastery, 3,870 m),
the sacred Gosainkunda lake (4,610 m) or the series of
five little lakes that make the idyllic Panch Pokhari
(3,970 m) the challenging Ganja La (pass, 5,100 m), and
areas in Helambu where you may see barley fields, but will
be surprised to learn that most men of a village are off
carpentering in Ladakh.
Each of the itineraries listed here are only for trekking
days. Each trekking stop is planned to include 4-7 hours
of walking per day. When planning do remember that all our
Langtang/ Helambu/Gosaninkunda/ Panch Pokhari tours
include four additional days in Kathmandu. There are two
days before the trek to settle in and get into gear with a
day's sightseeing at Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, and the
medieval town of Bhaktapur. On your return from the trek
you have a day-and-a-half to go shopping and explore on
your own before you leave. |
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 Langtang
- Gosainkunda
Covering part of an old - and still
functional trade route to Tibet, this trek moves from
the low- and midlands, where the lush forests teem
with red pandas, wild boar, and langur monkeys, to the
shrubs and yak pastures above the alpine forests.
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Days:
16
Grade:
Moderate
Max altitude:
4460m
Season:
Mar-May,
Sep-Dec
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 Holy
Lakes of Gosainkunda
This
trek moves from the low- and midlands, with lush
forests to the shrubs and yak pastures above the
alpine forests. There are also interesting transitions
from Hindu to syncretic to Buddhist lifestyle. The
people (Bhotiya) in the higher reaches of this area
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Days:
12
Grade:
Moderate
Max altitude:
4600m
Season:
Mar-May, Sep-Dec
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 Langtang,
Gosainkunda, Helambu
The
best of both valleys without tackling Ganja La, which
is high and can be difficult. Instead,
you experience both Buddhist and Hindu-tinged culture,
and see villages at once prosperous adn remote. You
walk through lush forests with langur monkeys
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Days:
21
Grade:
Moderate
Max altitude:
4600m
Season:
Mar-May, Sep-Dec
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