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Thorong La Approach
The circuit climbs out of subtropical valleys, through pine and then juniper, into the wind-scoured trans-Himalayan country beyond Manang — and crosses the Thorong La at 5,416 m before dropping to the sacred springs at Muktinath. Road building has shortened the walking at both ends, and the route we run uses the high trails that avoid it.
Airport pickup and transfer to your Thamel hotel. Evening trek briefing at our office, gear check, and last-minute rentals two streets away.
A long day on the road out of the valley and up the Marsyangdi, swapping to a jeep for the rough final stretch to Jagat.
The gorge narrows and the air cools. Waterfalls, suspension bridges and the first Tibetan-influenced villages of the trek.
Pine forest and the first clear view of Annapurna II. Chame is the district headquarters and has a hot spring worth the detour.
The trail passes beneath the Paungda Danda rock face — a curved slab rising 1,500 m straight off the valley floor.
We take the upper route via Ghyaru and Ngawal: harder walking, far better views, and better acclimatisation than the valley floor.
Climb high, sleep low: a morning walk to Ice Lake or Gangapurna viewpoint, then the afternoon altitude-sickness talk at the HRA clinic.
Short and deliberate. The treeline falls away and the walking becomes a matter of pace rather than distance.
A half day to the foot of the pass. Afternoon spent resting, eating and drinking, with an optional walk to High Camp.
The big day. A 04:00 start to cross before the wind gets up, four hours of switchbacks to the prayer flags at 5,416 m, then a long knee-testing descent to Muktinath.
Down the Kali Gandaki into apple country. Marpha's whitewashed alleys and its distillery are the reward for the pass.
A short walk to Jomsom and the morning flight through the world's deepest gorge to Pokhara. Afternoon free by the lake.
A proper day off: Phewa lake, the World Peace Pagoda, and the first hot shower that does not cost extra.
Back to Kathmandu by morning flight or tourist coach. Afternoon free in Thamel.
Held in reserve against a weather delay on the Jomsom flight. Unused, it is yours for Patan, Bhaktapur or the Boudhanath kora.
Airport transfer for your onward flight — or extend with Chitwan safari or a Lumbini pilgrimage.
Prices per person, twin-share · 20% deposit confirms · Balance payable in Kathmandu
We provide free of charge: an 80 L duffel bag, sleeping bag and down jacket for the trek — handed over at your Kathmandu briefing, returned after the trek. Anything missing can be bought or rented in Thamel; your guide will help you shop.
It is the longest and coldest day, but not technically hard — no ropes, no exposure, just eight to nine hours of walking that starts at 04:00 in the cold. The altitude is what makes it demanding, which is why the itinerary spends two nights around Manang first.
It has changed it. Roads now reach Chame on one side and Muktinath on the other, so we start at Jagat and finish by flying out of Jomsom, and we use the high trails via Ghyaru and Ngawal where the road is visible below. You will see vehicles on perhaps two of the fourteen walking days.
Anticlockwise, always. Walking the other way means gaining 1,600 m to the pass in a single day from Muktinath, which is how people get altitude sickness on this route.
It happens — the strip is wind-dependent and closes by late morning. That is what the contingency day is for. If the weather sets in we drive to Pokhara instead, which takes most of a day but always works.
Minus 10 to minus 20 °C at the top before sunrise in October and November, with wind. Your down jacket and a warm hat are not optional, and we lend both.
Sixteen days and not one thing went wrong. The upper route through Ghyaru was hard work and completely worth it — we had the trail to ourselves while everyone else walked the road below. Mingma got all eight of us over the pass.
I was nervous about the altitude after a bad experience in Peru. The extra day at Manang and the daily oximeter checks made the difference. Crossing Thorong La at sunrise is the best thing I have ever done.
