Trekking Routes: The Langtang Valley

Days 1-3

Day 1: Kathmandu to Dhunche Kathmandu to Dhunche: 9-13 hours. Buses to Dhunche, the main Langtang trailhead village, leave from the Gongabu Bus Park on Ring Road north of Thamel. Buses leave daily between 6 and 8am and normally take between 9 and 13 grueling hours to reach Dhunche, and it's not unheard of for this trip to take 14 hours or longer. Be psychologically prepared. The fare is Rs100 ($1.50), and it is a good idea to buy your ticket the day before you intend to travel. Also, be sure to arrive early enough so you can find your bus amid the chaos of the bus park. About 45 minutes out of Kathmandu, you pass through the town of Kakani, where there are great views of the Ganesh Himal, a grouping of peaks only partially visible from Kathmandu. Trisuli, on the river of the same name, is a busy bazaar town, often called Trisuli Bazaar. The river, which flows southwest, is very popular with rafting companies. For many years, this was the start of the Langtang trek, but there is now a road to Dhunche that bypasses the old trail and reduces the number of days necessary for the trek. It is a rough road to Dhunche, and during the rainy season there are frequent landslides, which may keep the road closed until sometime in mid-October. For part of the way, the road clings to the edge of a steep mountain. Very scary! Between Trisuli and Dhunche, you will be required to show your trekking permit at least once and possibly twice. Because you will be trekking through Langtang National Park, you will also have to check in at the park headquarters near the outskirts of Dhunche and show your park permit, which you should have acquired for Rs650 ($9.85) in Kathmandu. You might also be subjected to an unexplained military inspection of your belongings. It is unclear what sort of contraband the soldiers are searching for, but only trekkers' bags are searched. Fi-nally, on the edge of Dhunche, you will once again have to show your trekking permit. Dhunche (6,400 ft.; 1,951m) is an attractive village with large stone houses. The older part of the village is below the road and is almost completely hidden from view by newer buildings that have been constructed along the road. Here you'll find several lodges. The Hotel Langtang View is a good choice. Be sure to take time to explore the narrow, winding stone footpaths of old Dhunche. Most of the houses have stone-walled first floors and wooden second floors, often with ornately carved walls and window frames. The view from Dhunche, which is high above the Trisuli River, is breathtaking. Day 2: Dhunche to Syabru Dhunche to Bharkhu: 2 hours; Bharkhu to Syabru: 3 hours. Elevation Gain: 1,500 ft. (457m). Elevation Loss: 950 ft. (290m). The first 90-minute stretch of this day's hike is clearly visible from Dhunche; it is the road that angles across the far side of the valley to the north of town. Luckily, there is little traffic on this road, and it follows a much easier route than the old trail. To begin the trek from Dhunche, follow the gravel road out of town heading north. The road descends to a bridge over the Trisuli Khola, a stream flowing from the Gosainkund Lakes, which are a 2-day walk from here. The road then climbs steadily to round a ridge, at which point you lose sight of Dhunche. Ahead and below lies the village of Bharkhu, which is much smaller than Dhunche but features the same sort of attractive architecture. Both Dhunche and Bharkhu are Tamang villages. The Tamang people are primarily Buddhists and are often farmers or porters. Pass through Bharkhu, and on the far side of the village, watch for a trail leading uphill to the right. It climbs a steep slope to the top of a ridge (7,550 ft.; 2,301m), where there is a good area to rest. You have now entered the Langtang Valley, and there are views of Ganesh Himal to the west, Tibet to the north, and Langtang Lirung to the east. After an hour, you will also be able to see, on a ridgetop below you, the village of Syabru (7,000 ft.; 2,134m). The trail contours around the ridge before descending a short, steep slope into this village. There are several lodges in Syabru, which is scattered across the ridge. If you got an early start and feel like walking farther, you could continue to the lodges at Landslide or Bamboo. Syabru, however, makes a much more interesting place to spend the night. Day 3: Syabru to Lama Hotel (Chongong) Syabru to Landslide: 2 hours; Landslide to Bamboo: 1 hour; Bamboo to bridge: 30 minutes; bridge to Lama Hotel: 2 hours. Elevation Gain: 2,500 ft. (762m). Elevation Loss: 1,700 ft. (518m). Descend through the village of Syabru and continue down the ridge until you come to a trail to the east that drops sharply off the ridge and goes through a dense forest. Cross a bridge (6,400 ft.; 1,951m) over a tributary of the Langtang Khola, and then climb for a short distance through a dry forest. After rounding the ridge, you will come to a teahouse, beyond which the trail suddenly begins a steep and slippery descent to the floor of the Langtang Khola valley. This section of trail skirts the edge of a huge landslide until you are almost to the river and then cuts across the unstable slope to reenter a lush, damp forest. Not far beyond the landslide, you come to two simple lodges, which are known collectively as Landslide. The valley, which runs east-west at this point, is very narrow and rarely receives much sunlight on the south bank, which is where the trail is located. However, the valley walls on the north bank receive considerably more sunshine and support a landscape of striking contrast to other parts of the valley. Instead of ferns, mosses, and tall trees, there are only grasses and cactuses. Such contrasts are typical of the Himalayas, where the orientation of the mountains plays a crucial role in modifying the climate. An hour beyond Landslide, you will pass another small lodge deep in the forest at a spot known as Bamboo. Thirty minutes beyond this lodge, you cross a bridge (6,700 ft.; 2,042m) to the drier north side of the Langtang Khola. There are a couple of small lodges at this bridge. The trail begins climbing up from the river at this point, passing through Rimche (where there are several lodges), and in an hour, shortly after the trail levels off at 7,800 feet (2,377m), you join the trail from Syarpagaon and Syabrubensi. Another hour from this trail junction brings you to the tiny village of Chongong (7,800 ft.; 2,377m), where there are several lodges including the Lama Hotel, which has long lent its name to this spot. Try the Lama Guest House. If you don't feel like stopping just yet, it is another hour or so to Gumnachowk. The Woodland Lodge is a good choice there.

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