Saribung Peak

Meet our representative upon arrival in Kathmandu, an exotic and fascinating showcase of a very rich culture, art and tradition. The valley, roughly an oval bowl, is encircled by a range of green terraced hills and dotted by compact clusters of red tiled-roofed houses. After check-in at your hotel, you spend the rest of the day/evening at leisure. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

After breakfast, while preparing the permits, you visit Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swoyambhunath Stupa. After collecting all permits, drive to Pokhara. Pokhara is known for its lovely lakes Phewa, Begnas and Rupa, which have their source in the glacial Annapurna Range of the Himalayas. The city is also known for its laid-back environment which makes it a perfect destination for relaxation. Arrive and check-in at your hotel.

After breakfast early flight to Jomsom, also known as Dzongsam, which is the center of Gharapjhong rural municipality in Mustang district and a former independent village development committee situated at an altitude of about 2,700 meters in Gandaki Province of western Nepal. Afternoon trek to Marpha.

After breakfast you visit Kagbeni and explore its rich heritage. Then head north on the trail along the wide valley floor towards Lo Mantang. You will see the walled town well before you reach it and then discover there is just one entrance gate to this once well defended town. The ever happy and welcoming people of Lo Manthang will be delighted to see your arrival.

Home to only 150 houses and a number of Lama Residences Lo Manthang is interesting to walk around. Afternoon visit to Chosar Valley.

Full day Sightseeing of Namgyal Gompa and Thinggar Valley.

An easy walking hour on the earth road in the direction of Charang brings you to a small pass from where Lo Manthang can be seen for the last time. From there you follow a trail on top of a ridge to the east and slightly uphill until you arrive at a narrow saddle, where the steep descend to the village of Dhi starts. In Dhi you cross the river Kali Gandaki on a solid suspension bridge. From there a dirt road without traffic leads you up to the village of Yara, which is the last place where you could spend the night in a simple lodge before you arrive at Phu 10 days later.

Passing the hamlet of Ghara you arrive at Luri Gompa, an old cave monastery built high up into a rock wall, which is worth visiting. From there you descend to a small river where the long and exhausting climb starts which eventually brings you to the top of your first pass with an altitude of more than 5000 m. Beyond the pass a short descend leads you down to a campsite called Ghuma Thati.

Shortly after Ghuma Thati the trail leads uphill again and brings you to the next pass with an altitude of 5300 m. From there it is possible to climb a minor summit in the south (approximately 5500 m), which offers a nice view. From the pass a steep descend brings you down to the lower end of a gorge, where a small river called Parsye Khola comes to the gravel surface for a short stretch. This is the place for your next camp.

From Parsye Khola a steep and rocky trail leads up to the third and highest pass on the way to Damodar Kunda at an altitude of 5450 m. This section can be a bit tricky under conditions of snow or ice. Behind the pass the trail crosses a steep slope high above a deep-cut erosion valley and finally leads down to the bottom of that valley, where the river can easily be crossed. Well-defined tracks of a snow leopard were documented in this area a few years ago. On the other side an easy climb brings you to a gentle and wide saddle where the small lakes of Damodar Kunda finally become visible.

This day is used for acclimatization and rest.

The scenery at Damodar Kunda is dominated by the impressive north face of Sano Kailash II (“Little Kailash II”) to the south with an altitude of 6417 m, which has an obvious similarity to the famous mount Kailash in Tibet. The horizon to the east is ruled by mount Lagula (6889 m) on the border between China and Nepal, which turns particularly beautiful in late evening light.

Rewarding is a climb up to the top of a steep erosion slope in the north of the Damodar lakes, where you get a particularly impressing view of the desert-like landscape of so-called Transhimalaya with Mount Dhechyan Khang (6019 m) right on the border to Tibet (China).

A gentle trail leads along the flat valley uphill to the southeast where you arrive at an area marked with many stone heaps and cairns known as “Japanese camp”.

After a walk of one hour, you reach the lower end of the Bhatchauk glacier with very impressive ice formations at the glacier mouth. The next section of the route is cumbersome as the original trail has been destroyed by a landslide. You struggle over rock and gravel on the western side of the glacier up to a place with massive ice pinnacles. From there it is necessary to find a route to the middle moraine of the glacier. As the glacier is rapidly changing its shape, you will usually not find any signs of a trail on the ice. As soon as you have reached it you will follow the middle moraine on solid ground up to its highest point at around 5700 m, where the cold and windy “high camp north” will be installed. Be prepared for temperatures below –15 degrees centigrade during the night! Food and drinks will have to be served directly to your tent here. But if you are lucky enough to have clear weather in the evening, then the scenery dominated by mountain Khumjungar (6759 m) in the west is absolutely fascinating.

It is important to start very early on this strenuous day, even when you don’t plan to climb mount Saribung (6346 m), as the route over the glacier is getting increasingly more dangerous in the sun. The glaciated pass called Saribung La at 6020 m is a rather broad saddle of ice and snow which takes quite a while to cross.

If you intend to climb Saribung Peak, then you turn to the west on the pass and climb up on a snow and ice slope in a rather direct line until you reach the flat summit area. Beware of crevasses and the danger of avalanches after snowfall!

At the summit of mount Saribung you will have a stunning view which includes many peaks above 7000 m like Ratna Chuli, Himlung, Himjung, Nemjung, Gyaji Kang and Annapurna II. To the southwest the ice walls of Chhib Himal are very close and directly to the south the dark north face of unclimbed mount Amotsang is really impressive.

You descend back down to the pass on the same way.

On the south side of Saribung La there can be crevasses along the trekking route, thus it is strongly recommended to use a rope as long as you are on the glacier. In the late afternoon you will try to push as far downhill as possible in order to avoid another particularly cold night.

Along the moraine and on rocky ground you follow the main valley downhill until a side valley coming from the left is reached. Here you cross a small river and climb up a short slope to arrive at a clear and well-defined trail which used to lead down to the village of Nagoru. Unfortunately, this trail has been destroyed by a landslide several years ago so that a circumvention along the riverside is necessary before you arrive at the ruins of Nagoru. There the abandoned field terrasses are now the pasture for numerous blue sheep. The presence of snow leopards around Nagoru and Phu has been documented by photographs as well. From the former village of Nagoru a clear and well-maintained trail brings you down to the village of Phu, which is perhaps one of the most picturesque settlements in the whole Himalaya.

Start the day early, as there is a long distance to cover! You cross the river and descend to the Nar & Phu valleys. Settlements on the nearby Annapurna Circuit are relatively well developed, but this is not the case in these valleys. Meta lies on a big open plain and consists of a few lodges only, which are simple but clean and offer good meals.

After breakfast start the trekking to Koto, which finally brings you down to warmer areas. Overnight at Koto in a lodge.

Leave for Kathmandu early and drive first to Besisahar. The road can be almost as challenging for passengers as for drivers, but it is incredibly scenic! It travels along the old Annapurna Circuit trekking route, through amazing gorges and past stunning waterfalls. Arrive in Kathmandu not before dinner time.

Free day in Kathmandu to explore the valley and for shopping and other activities.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kathmandu airport for your return flight back home. End of services.