Himlung Expedition

The central capital of the world for all mountaineering and expeditions welcomes you today. A representative from Life Himalaya Trekking will be present at TIA to receive you and take you straight to your finest lodging in Kathmandu.

The rest of the time is dedicated to your resting and a short exploring of the capital. You will also receive a briefing on your Himlung expedition itinerary in the evening.

We will dedicate this day to the final preparations before heading for the Himlung expedition. With the assistance of our mountaineering guide, you will rent or buy any missing gear and other items. Meanwhile, our office team will also complete the formalities necessary for the Himlung expedition.

We will also set out to see what Kathmandu is all about, and of course, will not miss the chance to see the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath.

Early in the morning, we will have our organic Nepali breakfast, then pack our gear in a jeep and head to conquer the Himlung Peak. The chaotic traffic of Kathmandu will leave through Thankot.

The Prithvi Rajmarga will then begin to show us our way through Galchhi of Trishuli towards Chitlang and then Mugling. The delicious expanse of Mugling Narayanghat Highway will then show us our route through Dumre into the Marshyangdi Valley.

The central, very important stopping town of Besisahar (760 m) will greet us with its beautiful chaos. Then, traveling through Bhulbhule (840 m), Ngadi (930 m), Dobhantar, Ghermu, Bahun Danda, and Syange, we mark our entry into Annapurna in Jagat (1300 m).

We will have to go through a registration process in Jagat, after which our mountain dirt track will journey us through Chamje (1430 m), Tal (1700 m), and then Karte before we can finally conclude our day in Dharapani.

A veritable sight of Annapurna, Lamjung, Manaslu, and Himalchuli will be worth admiring in the evening.

It is now time to begin the main part of our Himlung expedition that marks our first day of trekking. Our initial road is very green, leading us to Bagarchhap (2160 m).

The onward road will be quite steep in some sections, but it is walkable as we pass through the green scenery of Danakyu, Timang, Lata Marang (2400 m), and Koto before we are at Chame, a Tibetan Village under massive prayer wheels and flags with an awe-inspiring peace.

A doable hike awaits, along with the first meeting with the woolly Yaks. Immediately from Chame, the route will ascend for around two hours through the rugged land to Bhratang Village.

A hanging bridge will then lead us to a more uplifting trail that goes straight to Dhukur Pokhari, where a 1500 m tall rocky pointed slab of Paungdi Danda can be found.

Next, the route will rise up to lower Pisang at 3200 m, which is also a good overnight stop. But we will rise another 100 m to get to livelier Upper Pisang.

Pisang and Annapurna can be seen sharing their beautiful white splendor.

Our trekking involved today on our Himlung expedition will be a bit steep and tough. The rugged sloping mountain road will elevate at first sharply towards 3670 m Ghyaru Village.

The veritable amphitheater created by Annapurna II, III, IV, Tilicho, Lamjung, and Gangapurna will be the perfect panorama for our brief rest. Now, the trail will steadily descend a little, taking us to Ngawal for our overnight meal and rest.

Ngawal is an enchanting village where you can stop for one extra night before proceeding along our Himlung expedition. As one of the prime towns of the Annapurna Circuit, this village is the best viewpoint to enjoy your organic village breakfast with Himlung, Gangapurna, and Annapurna II forefront.

Later, you can walk through the narrow tracks of the village and observe the Tibetan culture of the people. You can also trek along the elevated path leading towards Julu and Bragha villages, where you can appreciate the gorgeousness of the Chulu peaks.

Today will be one of the most arduous and longest days of our Himlung expedition, as we will have to confront the overpowering challenge of the massive altitude of the Kang La Pass.

Starting the day very early, we will ascend steeply and relentlessly along the rugged mountain slopes to reach the summit of this pass. In the final segment, we may have to climb along a little bit of snow.

Once at the Pass, we will have the most perfect Himalayan panorama forefront made by the enormous presence of the Annapurna massif’s peaks- I, II, III, and IV alongside Kanguru, Gangapurna, Tilicho, and our beloved Himlung.

We will now descend very attentively and steadily towards the high-altitude village of Nar, passing down through the picturesque glacial lake. Observe the surroundings composed by Ganesh, Gyaji Kang, Manaslu, and Kanguru, we will cross the Temdenzon Khola and settle at the very enigmatic high altitude village of Nar.

Keeping a very watchful eye out for the Blue Sheep, as Nar Village is known for these spectacular animals, we will descend steadily and sharply for approximately three hours to arrive at Nar Phedi (3490 m).

The trail here is decorated with the splendid Tibetan Mani Walls, while the monastery here also deserves our brief visit. Now, the rugged mountain trail will gently uplift towards Mahendra Bridge.

The route across this bridge will now advance us gently down through Junam Goth, Chyako, and Kyang before we find ourselves in the enchanting Village of Phu.

Later in the day, you can set out to discover the Tashi Lakhang Monastery and engage in the daily evening prayers.

The biggest days of our 25 days Himlung expedition are now here. Beginning the day very early, we will set forth from Phu Village and head towards the Pangri Glacier and then to Himlung Base Camp positioned on its southern side.

Traversing a rugged terrain, we will get inside the valley of the mighty Himlung. We will navigate across the moraine of the Pangri Glacier and engage in relentless, demanding ascent till we are at 4850 m altitude, where our base camp will be.

For the upcoming day, this camp will serve as our warm sanctuary, so we will establish our tents and try to settle in comfortably.

These are the days dedicated to ascending the massive Himlung Summit. But first, our Sherpa crew will conduct a small puja ceremony at the Himlung Base Camp, praying for the success and removal of any hindrances.

Then, in the preceding days, we will progress towards our intermediate camps, which will be three for the Himlung Summit. Please understand that our climb will largely depend on the weather conditions and our physical well-being.

So, we cannot stick to the mountaineering effort to the last detail, and we will have to make different choices each day and each hour. However, we have placed enough reserve days for the summit attempt, so if the initial attempt is not successful, the next attempt can be carried out.

However, it will be imperative to clear out all the intermediate camps and reach the base camp of Himlung by the evening of day 21.

The route that we will follow is as below:

Ascend from the Himlung Base Camp to Camp I, 5450, 4 to 6 hours

This section of the Himlung expedition is largely free of technical challenges. We climb over a broad Pangri glacier moraine, steadily ascending over rocky rubble.

There will be a few areas where we may encounter steeper inclines, but they pose no threat or concern. After we arrive at the edge of the Pangri Glacier, we will have to gear ourselves up with crampons.

Literally, this spot is called the Crampon Point, from where the climbing route will now run along the icy slope and end at the ridge below the glacier tongue. This is where the Camp I for our Himlung expedition will be set up.

Ascend from Camp I to Camp II, 6000 m, 5 to 6 hours

The route extending from Camp I to Camp II is more challenging, characterized by steep and exposed areas. From Camp I, we will have to traverse a small plateau, then start ascending sharply along the snowy and rocky gully.

The route ahead will open to an ice shelf, where we will have to make use of the fixed ropes. The slope here is inclined at 35 degrees, which is regarded as the steepest incline along the route to the summit.

After crossing this section, the route ahead will be less demanding but will remain exposed till we are at Camp II, located on a wide flat plateau.

Ascend from Camp II to Camp III, 6350 m, 4 to 5 hours

This is the last route that we will have to face before we assault the Himlung Summit. There will be a treacherous traverse today as we climb a sharp vertical icy slope to a gentle ridge where our Camp III will be located.

Any difficult sections will be crossed with the help of the fixed ropes. From here, we can see the entire route to the Himlung Summit, which runs along a wide, icy slope.

Climb the Himlung Summit, 7126 m, and descend to Camp I, 9 to 10 hours

The moment to undertake the final push to the Himlung summit has arrived, which will begin between 2 AM to 4 AM. An icy slope from Camp III will carry us up towards the slope that reaches 35 degrees.

But no technical challenges are essentially present; surely the climb will, however, be long, around 6 to 7 hours, after which we will be waving our flags from the Himlung Summit.

The Manaslu Peak (8163 m) and Annapurna I (8091 m) are excellently visible along with the clear visual of the Dhaulagiri, Lamjung, Annapurna II, III, and IV, and the entire Nar Phu Valley beneath.

After a while at the summit, we will begin our descent to Camp I for the night.

Descend to Himlung Base Camp, 5 to 6 hours

We will take down our camps and then start gathering our waste. Then we will make our way down to the base camp of Mount Himlung, where we will properly dispose of our waste. The descent will be equally harder and need careful concentration like before.

Attention

Please know that the Himlung expedition itinerary is adjustable and can be changed and adjusted to resolve any acclimatization difficulties faced by the climbers or any adverse weather conditions in the camps.

Our climbing guides will engage you in a climbing rotation between base camp, Camp I, and Camp II, so that each climber can be sufficiently acclimatized before the final push to the summit.

Our guide will also instruct you on how to properly use your climbing gear confidently, such as trekking poles, ice axes, jumars, crampons, harnesses, and fixed ropes.

Please note that our climbing guide leader will have the authority to change or adjust the climbing plan according to the climatic conditions and the health of the climbers.

We have now reached the concluding phase of our Himlung expedition. Leaving behind the enormous frames of the Himalayas, we will depart from the Himlung Base Camp and travel down through Phu Village.

From here, we will be surrounded by the beautiful Himalayan air of Gyaji Kang, Kanguru, and Pisang. We will keep on climbing down and pass by the small homes of Gurungs in Kyang Village. We will be in Meta by the late afternoon.

Today is the final day of our trek that brings us back to the Annapurna circuit trail. We will navigate a wide river canyon after Meta and cross the footbridge that stretches across the river at Dharmasala.

Next, we will step into the mountain forest, where Koto is situated on its edge. Our porters will leave us today, and our Himlung expedition has also reached its conclusion.

Now all that is left for us is to journey to Kathmandu and celebrate our remarkable achievement.

Our jeep will receive us up at Koto from where we will start traveling along the bumpy road through Timang, Dharapani, Tal, Jagat, Bahundanda, and Ngadi before reaching Besisahar.

From here, we will transfer to a sharing jeep for our journey, which will now be smoother as Prithvi Highway will now start showing us our way through Bhulbhule and Trishuli to Kathmandu. If interested, you can revisit the streets of Kathmandu later.

In the evening, we will meet once more for a cultural farewell dinner, where you will also receive your achievement certificate for your Himlung expedition.

Fill your bags with precious memories of your Himlung expedition. Life Himalaya Trekking will once again organize a private transfer to TIA for your return flight home.