Nepal Trek days 8 to 17



Langtang Himal range viewed from Laurebina Yak.

Sama: Hi Everyone. Our treck ended on Saturday in Syabrubesi, a small regional town near the Tibetan border.
We returned to Kathmandu that evening to find a city in full party mode. We hadn't realised that this weekend was Deepavali, the Nepali New Year, so the last few days have been full of loud music, bright lights and fire crackers and I can't help but wish I was in the mountains again.

We have had an amazing and challenging adventure over 17 days, walking through the Himalayas has been a wonderful way to experience the incredible variety of cultures that make up Nepal, as well as being an education for me to the level of poverty that Nepalis encounter daily.



Sean tests out the new 'high tech' bridge (made of metal) across the Langtang River.

 The trek itself was incredibly diverse, and led us through very changing environments, including steep terraced farmlands, small isolated villages, forested river valleys and high alpine meadows rimmed by snow covered peaks. My favourite place was Kenjin Gompa, a small settlement high in the Langtang Himal where we stayed with a friendly Tibetan family for 3 days. From there we were able to trek further up the Langtang valley in search of glaciers and more spectacular snow covered peaks along the Tibetan border. We also ascended Tsergo Ri, a 4989 m mountain and got caught in a snow blizzard just before we reached the top and had to make a rapid descent to our lodge for hot chocolate and warm yak cheese on Tibetan bread.

Sama at the highest point of the trek, just below 5000m and snowing.

Monastery Guest House, Kenjin Gompa, with glacier in background.

Our final few days were spent on the Tamang trail, a much less travelled track with many isolated villages and people living a very traditional lifestyle. We have both been very inspired by our time in Nepal and are hoping to return for a longer visit.

These gompas are all along the path on the Tamang trail. The stones are actually engraved in detailed Tibetan script. Many of the engraved stones were actually carried all the way from Tibet after the Chinese invasion.

Gatlang village, on the Tamang heritage trail, has the friendliest kids in Nepal, as Sama found out.

Gatlang village, Tamang heritage trail.

The boiling hot springs at Tato Pani were a nice relief after a long day's walk on day 14. It wasn't easy to get out. Tato Pani means hot water in Nepali.



Tibetan buddhist gompa at Laurebina Pass.





View up the Langtang valley, beyond Kenjin Gompa.