Langtang Ganja La Pass Trekking -14 Days

Arrival in Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport where you will meet your representative from Trekking Mart. Travel in the legendary city of Kathmandu as you are taken to your hotel and enjoy a day relaxing from your long flight. Be ready in the evening as Trekking Mart offers you a welcome dinner in a typical Nepali restaurant where you can enjoy Nepalese cultural dance presentation along with delicious Nepali cuisine.

Today after breakfast, we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Valley is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we will be visiting some of them today. The day will also be for finalizing official procedure and other necessary arrangements. You will be also briefed on the nature of the trek, equipment and team composition. Some of the landmarks we visit include the World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous 'Monkey Temple' (Swayambhunath) and the incredible Buddhists stupa (Bouddhanath). In the afternoon, there will be a pre-trip discussion where we can meet our trek leader and other team members. You can also make your last-minute buying of personal items as you will be traveling to the Himalayas tomorrow.

Following morning breakfast, we drive out along the north-western hills of Kathmandu where we will meet up with the mighty Trisuli River which bisects Nepal with its fast-flowing rapids. Enjoy the Himalayan views and mountainous lifestyle through the terraced fields and rustic villages along the way. Lunch at Trishuli Bazar before continuing further to Dhunche. From Dhunche, we descent down to Syabrubesi.

This is our first day of trekking as we leave roads and now follow the footpaths of the Langtang region. We follow the Langtang Khola River and pass through the dense forests filled with the sounds of birds singing. Our journey crosses several suspension bridges. We also pass by tea houses where residents smile and welcome us. The trail goes up and down but it's not that challenging, making it ideal for the first day of our journey. The Lama Hotel is a local landmark where we will spend the night.

After taking morning tea, we embark on our second day of the journey. Our trail continues through dense forests that smell heavenly. After making a steady climb up through the valley, we will leave the tree line behind us as the scenery changes to panoramic views. We stand in awe of the marvelous views of Langtang Lirung (7,227m). Pass by water mills, prayer wheels spinning, chortens, with sacred mounds of rocks with inscriptions carved on them by the faithful over the centuries.

After having morning tea and breakfast, we get out of the village and pass on through yak pastures. These pastures are the summer grazing fields where residents bring their animals to high feeding grounds. We also pass the largest mani wall in Nepal, made from stone with prayers written on them. The prayers written on the mani wall is supposed to be blown away by the wind as they reach the heavens to be answered. We cross several streams and fast flowing rivers on the wooden bridges that compose the “highways” of the high mountains. Since we are really getting into high altitudes; you might start feeling the thin air.

Today, we make an excursion to Tsergo Ri which would also help us to acclimatize. It is very important to take a day and allow ourselves to acclimatize to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Today we have a leisurely day, but not one just sitting around. We enjoy a climb to Tsergo Ri which is above five thousand meters, offers a magnificently panoramic view of the Himalayas. Besides, the climb to Tsergo Ri is a challenging one and the time for the climb depends upon your physical fitness and previous experience. By evening, we return back to Kyanjing Gompa.

The day beings with a hearty breakfast before we embark on our journey today to Ganja La Phedi. We cross the Langtang River and ascend through dense rhododendron forests. Since, we're already in high altitude; the time for getting to our destination also depends upon the season of the trek. During the winter snow, it might take a longer time to cross the snow strewn path. The views along the way are breathtaking.

Today we cross the Ganja La Pass. It will be a strenuous day since Ganja La is one of the more difficult passes in Nepal. Ganja La Pass is covered with snow almost throughout the year. We make the long ascent through the boulders, pass the small lakes that reflect the cobalt blue skies, and summit the Ganja La which is situated on a rocky moraine. Enjoy the spectacular views from the pass. Climbing up and down the pass can sometimes be tricky due to snowfall and ice. From the pass as we gaze in multiple directions for fantastic alpine views. We descend down to Keldang where we enjoy an overnight stay and a well needed rest from the day’s trek.

Trek from Keldang to Yak Kharka. From Keldang, we descend further down following a prominent ridge line. The journey will take between 5 to 6 hours as we continue to drop in elevation. We will start to enter areas of more vegetation along the ridges and grasslands. We’ll set our night stay at Yak Kharka.

Today, our journey sees us losing considerable elevation, dropping about 1500 meters. The trail would be similar, except that as you descend lower, you will notice increased vegetation. The trek takes us downward to Tarke Gyang for good night’s rest.

We cross through small forests with awesome view of the beautiful villages of the Helembu region. The trail makes a sweep around the wide valley end between Parachin and the pretty Sharpa village of Gangyul. The people of this village practice Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism, the same as the national religion of Bhutan. We trek to Syabrubesi to spend a night.

On our final day of the trek, we walk down to Malemchi Pul Bazaar with many Sherpa villages to delight our journey. From the Bazaar, we catch the bus to Kathmandu. Do some last-minute shopping for your friends and families. Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

About 3 hours prior to your flight time, Trekking Mart will transfer you to the airport to fly you onward to your next destination. Before you leave, be sure to ask your friends at Trekking Mart about other destinations in Nepal and beyond. Trekking Mart is your window to the world with many connections to a lifetime of amazing journeys.