Manaslu Circuit Trek

The best seasons for Manaslu Circuit Trekking are in the fall (September to November) and spring (March to May).

In spring, there’s glorious weather, beautiful nature, and lots of outdoor activities. Autumn offers consistent weather and comfortable daytime hiking temperatures, but it also presents several difficulties.

However, the tea houses and lodges might fill up quickly during this busy time, so you should reserve your meals and lodging in advance.

The off-season trail is challenging due to tough terrain, cold weather, and harsh conditions including snowfall, landslides, and avalanches. The trail can also be slippery and infested with leeches during the winter and summer months.

The ascent on the Manaslu Circuit trekking journey is not particularly challenging. But with the region’s high altitude, steep ascents and descents, and rocky terrain with landslides flooding paths, it is considered strenuous to walk on. The other thing you can bet on is running into yaks.

There is no need for mountaineering gear, and the path doesn’t involve climbing snowy mountains. Instead, we cross the Larkya La Pass (5,106 meters, 16,752 feet), the highest point of the trip, so proper acclimatization and a decent fitness level are required.

The difficulty level depends on a person’s health, age, and hiking experience. However, with proper acclimatization, the trek can be completed by anyone with moderate to good physical fitness and prior long hiking experiences.

The Manaslu Circuit trek is harder than Annapurna and Everest due to the absence of paved paths and guide routes. Similarly, the variation in altitude can be very challenging to cope with for people traveling here for the first time.

Thus, it’s always a better option to train for the Manaslu Trek before you start the journey. You can walk or hike at least a few kilometers daily for almost 2 or 3 weeks. You can work on your cardiovascular fitness in the gym. Most of all, mental preparation is fundamental before starting any treks or hikes in the mountains.

If you are confident about the trek and have firm determination to step into the journey, then you will be successful. We offer you a guide and porters during your trip. The porters will help you carry your loads, and the guide will be there to explain things and boost your immunity.

The Manaslu Circuit walk takes, on average, 14 days in total. However, the actual time stands between 14 and 21 days, depending on your pace and itinerary. The trailhead is the one that is nearby in Kathmandu.

The 126 km (80 miles) drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola takes an incredible 6 hours. Starting from there, the Manaslu Circuit Trek is a 14-day adventure following a standard itinerary. But there is always room for customization. So, you can choose to shorten or extend the tour, including adding more acclimatization days, according to your fitness level.

The distance and duration required to complete the trip also depend on the state of the roads, the time of year, and one’s level of physical fitness. Keep in mind that one should always enter the trail from the starting point, i.e., Aarughat and Gorkha, to cover every major trekking point.

Certainly, it won’t be difficult to find lodging on the Manaslu trek route. For an overnight stay during the Manaslu Circuit Trek, accommodations are provided at various locations. The teahouses are common accommodation destinations. Although the service is rather basic, it is very useful.

While you are at a lower elevation at the beginning of the climb, you can have rooms with an attached bathroom. There is a communal area for dining and sitting in these teahouses, which is a nice spot to stay warm by the fire at night.

However, the level of service and amenities will decrease as you ascend to a higher altitude. The altitude and hiking season have a significant impact on lodging costs. Off-season trekking will, however, be far less expensive.

Although camping is an option, most hikers prefer staying at the teahouses because it is more comfortable. But it is also feasible to camp while doing the Manaslu Trek. However, you’ll need to employ porters to transport the camping supplies and equipment.

There is no heating system in the rooms at the teahouses. In contrast, the dining area, where you will spend most of your time relaxing, will have a typical wooden heater.

Manaslu’s newest tea houses offer a wide variety of food options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Every teahouse offers enticing and nutritious meals to hikers. Occasionally, you can have stews and curries made with seasonal vegetables along with barley-based dishes. Farm vegetable and non-vegetable soup sets are also quite popular.

Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian alternatives are available. Next, you’ll indulge in yak products, including meat, butter, and milk.

While trekking in the Himalayas, making butter tea is indeed one thing to do. The trekkers benefit from these energizing drinks by being protected from the bitter cold and altitude sickness.

Tibetan culture has had a significant influence on the cuisines along the Manaslu Circuit trekking journey. You can frequently find dumplings, chowmein, noodles, and hot vegetarian and vegan soup. Gundruk Dhindo, one of the many intriguing Manaslu trek foods in the Himalayas, has the greatest significance in Nepalese history.

Dhindo is a cereal prepared from corn, millet, buckwheat, or barley, while Ghandruk is a fermented green vegetable that is frequently eaten as a soup dish. This diet is reputed to be more energizing and lasting than Dal Bhat. The Highlanders claim to have lived longer because of this organic diet.

If you want some cold drinks, these are also accessible at the teahouses.

The Manaslu Circuit Trek takes you from 700 meters to 5,160 meters. So, the temperature varies depending on the season and elevation. The region experiences cold temperatures throughout the year, and the days will be mostly cold, with highs of 4 to 12 degrees.

In addition, the nights will be bitterly cold. Especially in January, the temperature can dip as low as -10 degrees Celsius. But the weather is very variable above 4000 meters.