Nepal Environmental Trekking

The Ganesh Himal is named after the elephant-headed God of Good Fortune. The Ganesh Himal can clearly be seen from Kathmandu Valley. The Ganesh Range Peaks (Ganesh I, Ganesh II, Ganesh III, Ganesh IV) stand out like crystal, that is the "Great Himalayan Chain" forming the skyline. This great Himalayan massif is contained between the valley of the Buri Gandaki in the west and Bhote Koshi in the east, which becomes Trishuli Khola in the lower section.

Trekking in Ganesh himal region is enriched with its rich Flora: the impressive display of berberis, primula, orchids and a variety of Ferns, the valleys set ablaze by yellow blossoms of double Jasmine, the forest dense with Spanish oak, blue pine, and in spring time blossoming of the rhododendron set whole forest alight in spectacular arrays of color. Another feature includes the abundance of crystals which is regarded valuable and precious stone. The trekking route passes through quite Tamang villages, hot spas, gorges and glaciers and magnificent sceneries. Ganesh Himal Trekking can be organized only camping.

From the Singla Top the Manaslu massif, with Manaslu (8163m.) poking up from behind the Ganesh Himal appears before you. To the northwest is the Ganesh Himal and at other side looms Langtang Himal. Ganesh (7406m.) and her sisters jut up from the valley below like large crystals thrust out of the earth, creating a stunning panorama of glaciers, peaks, rock, snow, and ice.

Outline Itinerary
Day 01	Drive from Kathmandu to Sole Bazaar (650m.) via Betrawati which takes about seven hours. Depart Kathmandu early morning for the 7-hours drive to the hill town of Sole Bazaar Today you trace the route taken by Prithvi Narayan Shah on his invasion march to Kathmandu over two centuries ago. Prithvi Narayan Shah is considered the founding father of modern Nepal, being the first person to assemble all the territories of the present country of Nepal under one ruler. En route you pass through Trisuli Bazaar, a small town that was once the hub for trekking in this region and is home to a small but interesting traditional bazaar. Your campsite is about 20 minutes outside of Sole Bazaar, on the bank of the Trisuli River. This is a relaxing spot with wonderful views of farm fields, small villages, and terraced slopes set against a background of the Ganesh Himal.
Day 02	Trek from Sole Bazaar to Satdobate which takes about five hours. You leave camp by backtracking 100m to cross the suspension bridge over the Salankhu Khola (Khola is a Nepalese word for river, stream, or valley) just up from where it enters the Trisuli River. After the bridge, you begin a long, moderately steep ascent that begins to level off after about 1.5 hours, just before your lunch spot in the small town of Chapodanda (870m, 2860ft). You eat lunch under a large Fichus tree with splendid views of the terraced slopes surrounding you the activity of this small village. From Chapodanda, the trail follows the new, rough road west for 200m, before heading uphill steeply through a few small villages, finally arriving at a rest spot next to a small stupa (a stupa is a Buddhist structure that either marks a trail or in remembrance of an important person). The views are nice here and you can see Betrawati far down below you on the banks of the Trisuli River. Take the left path from the stupa, contouring the hillside. An hour after the stupa, you make your final ascent up to the saddle and the town of Satobate (“seven trails”, 1250m, 4100ft) where you camp for the night.
Day 03	Trek from Satobate to Balche which takes about five hours. From Satobate, follow the trail westward along the ridgeline. Today’s route is less steep and gives us our last chance to experience village life before you head into the uninhabited jungle tomorrow. You climb steadily through numerous small villages and over many streams before leaving the Salankhu Khola to head up the Chalakhung Khola. Along the way, stay watchful for people drying pears or weaving bamboo mats and baskets, as this area is well known for these products. The numerous small stone ‘houses’ that you pass throughout the day are actually water driven grinding mills. The last halfmile is steep uphill as you climb to our camp spot in the town of Balche (1930m, 6330ft). Head for the large poles with Buddhist prayer flags on them; you will camp just below them. Balche is a quaint hill town, spread out along tow or three flat regions on the slope. Large granitic gneiss spires and domes stand against the skyline above the town, creating a stunning sunset. The women here all dress traditionally, including very large, heavy earrings that are supported with a thin string over the head.
Day 04	Trek from Balche to Gonga which takes about seven hours. Today you head into mostly uninhabited territory and the surrounding landscape changes accordingly, from terraced fields to forest. You head out of Balche ascending the hill behind the town. The large grassy area just northwest of town is one of the old grazing areas for royal herds of sheep and goats. After about 1.5 hours, the trail begins to level out and you enter the first jungle of our trek. Here, it is mostly rhododendron and kharsu. Kharsu leaves are good feed for cows and are subsequently cut periodically; creating tall, thin trees with few leaves. During spring treks, this area is stunning with bright red, white and purple rhododendron flowers covering the mountainsides. This is the forest gathering area for the town of Balche. The sounds of women cutting wood, gathering medicinal plants and bamboo, and leading their livestock to grazing areas further up on the slopes will fill the first half of our day. You stop for lunch in an especially pretty clearing with views down to Thulochaur, 400m below us. The remainder of the day is through dense jungle, to Gonga (2910m, 9600ft), a small 5-house town made entirely of wood (a commodity that is plentiful in this sparsely populated part of the Himalaya). The town is situated in a pass, separating the Nyam valley from the Saptang valley.
Day 05	Trek form Gonga to Rupchet Kharka which takes about five hours. Your route today is a beautiful ascent through old growth forests of rhododendron and fir. You head northwest from Gonga, slowly ascending through the jungle for 25 minutes to the small 3-house town of Mimatashi Karka. This town is only a few years old and is only seasonally inhabited. Continue ascending for another hour and 45 minutes through impressively large old growth fir and rhododendron forest (many of the fir trees are 1-1.75m in diameter!). The route flattens for an hour as you contour the mountain, before the last ascent (a very steep 175m) of the day to the ridgeline. 20 minutes from the top you arrive at Rupchet Karka (3634m, 11922ft), a large flat grassy area with 3 seasonal grazing huts and stunning views of the Central Himalaya. Across the Trisuli River valley to the northwest is the Langtang Himal (7225m, 23703ft) and Gosainkund. The sunsets from here are unparalleled as the crystalline peaks of Langtang and the broad highlands of Gosainkund sparkle in yellow and orange brilliance.
Day 06	Trek from Rupchet Kharka to Mangchet Kharka via Singla Top which takes about seven hours. You head out early for the climb up to Singla pass. There will likely be snow up here in the spring and late fall, so go slowly and enjoy the incredible scenery along the way. The route is steep, weaving through large boulders, spires and domes. It is only 300m up, but the altitude will make it feel like more. As you approach the final gentle uphill climb before the pass, Langtang looms overhead to the north and the peaks of Ganesh start to peak out ahead. Singla is really less a pass than the side of a peak, the top of which is only another 20 meters up a very gentle slope. On the pass (4001m, 13125ft), the world seems to fall away in three directions. To the west is the Manaslu massif, with Manaslu (8163m, 26780ft) poking up from behind the Ganesh Himal. To the northwest is the Ganesh Himal; Ganesh (7406m, 24296ft) and her sisters jut up from the valley below like large crystals thrust out of the earth, creating a stunning panorama of glaciers, peaks, rock, snow, and ice. While heading from Singla Top to Mangchet Kharka, you will have to follow the route with ups and down. En route you pass through forests covered with rhododendron, pine and herbal medicines and feel exhilarated at the panoramic view of Annapurna, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal. The surrounded area is famous for herbal medicines and incense. Mangchet Kharka is to be described as pasture where local people bring their domestic animals for grazing. The national bird of Nepal, Danfe can be seen around here.
Day 07	Trek from Mangchet Kharka to Pangsang Bhanjyang that takes approximately seven hours. The trails follow ascent and descent routes all the way to destination. While trekking, you can enjoy the views of Annapurna, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal. For some distance you walk through forests covered with herbal medicines and incense. Pangsang Bhanjyang is famous as you are stunned to see Langtang I, Langtang II, Paldor peak and many Tibetan mountains.
Day 08	Trek and climb Pangsang La Danda and trek back to Pangsang Bhanjyang which takes about three hours. The trail you follow is steeply up for two hours. The Pangsang La Danda is the best view point of this trek. Here you are amazed to see at Langtang, Paldor, Tibetan mountains, Ganesh Himal and Manaslu. While trekking back you climb down all the way to Pangsang Bhanjyang.
Day 09	Trek from Pangsang Bhanjyang to Chalise that takes about seven hours. The trails you follow is quite descent at first and then it climbs up for some distance. En route, you cross forests covered with bamboo, pine, rhododendron and waterfalls. Tipling is the first village you encounter on this route. It is a big Tamang village which is rich in mixed culture and has chorten and church. The houses are made of wood, tin and stones. People living here have their distinct life style and they are involved in making goods from bamboo sticks. You can see farming terraces where farmers grow potatoes, wheat, barley, buck wheat, maize and green vegetables. Now you have to climb down steeply until you cross a suspension bridge over Gorkhen Khola (stream). After you cross, the trails go uphill upto Sertung Chalise. It is also a Gurung village. People of this area welcome the trekkers with their local culture.
Day 10	Trek from Chalise to Hindung which takes about five hours. The early part of the trail goes downhill up to Menchet Khola (stream) and crossing this stream you trek steep up and then gradual up to reach Hindung. This day you pass small Tamang villages, small forests, farming terraces and green hills. Hindung is a pretty big village mainly inhabited by Tamang. The main occupation is farming and the farmers grow potatoes, millet, barley, maize, beans and other vegetables. You find mani walls and prayer flags in some part of the villages. One thing to be noticed is that it is the last village you pass while trekking to Ganesh Himal Base Camp.
Day 11	Trek from Hindung to Rajgang Kharka and it takes about five and half hours. After leaving Hindung you will rarely find terraces. The route up to Rajgang Kharka is ascent and flat as well. You walk along the trail covered with forests of rhododendron and local vegetation. These forests are the nestling place of various species of birds and wild animals. Rajgang Kharka is surrounded by beautiful forests and it mainly grassland. Except winter season the local people bring domestic animals especially sheep for grazing.
Day 12	Trek from Rajgang Kharka to Kalo Seto Kunda (Black and White Lake) Ganesh Himal Base Camp which takes about six hours. The trail is narrow and moves mostly uphill and leveled path somewhere. You walk along the trail covered with forests for few hours. Towards the ending the trail moves along the land where you rarely find any trees. You find alpine grass here due to high altitude. At Kalo Seto Kunda there are two lakes of holy significance. The surface of Kalo or Black Lake is covered with black stones. On the contrary the surface of Seto Kunda or White Lake is covered with white shinning stones. During winter season these lakes are frozen.
Day 13	Rest day at the Base Camp. You can have an excursion in and around Kalo Seto Kunda (Black and White Lake). From here you can enjoy the majestic views of Ganesh Himal, Paldor Himal and many others.
Day 14	Trek from Ganesh Himal Base Camp to Rajgang Kharka and it takes about six hours. You trek along the descent and narrow path where you find alpine grass on both sides.
Day 15	Trek from Rajgang Kharka to Chalise (2000m.) which takes about six hours. The trail moves down hill all the way to Chalise. While trekking you pass forests till Hindung and crossing it you find few Tamang villages.
Day 16	Trek from Chalise to Laba village (1750m.) and it takes about six hours. You trek downhill all the way to Laba Besi and trek uphill to reach Laba village. This day you pass pine forests, Tamang villages, farming terraces, green hills and villages at far distance. Laba is a beautiful Gurung village with its own tradition and culture.
Day 17	Trek from Laba village to Manyang Bhanjyang (2934m.) and it takes about five hours. This day you trek through beautiful rhododendron and pine forests. These forests are the home of various species of birds and wild animals. The trail moves up hill all the way to manyang Bhanjyang. From here you can see the first glimpse of Ganesh Himal. While trekking you pass Khading village mainly resided by Tamang and Gurung. The main crop is potato here. Manyang Bhanjyang is a ridge and you find forests and grass land here. This is a perfect place for camping as your camping site is surrounded by rhododendron and oak forests.
Day 18	Trek from Manyang Bhanjyang to Majhgaun (2200m.) and which takes approximately six hours. To reach Majhgaun you have to trek along gradual descent path and after some time steep descent path but again you move downward toward the ending point. On the way you pass forests of rhododendron and oak, villages, farming terraces and green hills. This day you are quite captivated by the clear views of Manaslu range, Buddha peak on a clear weather and other unnamed mountains and peaks. As you enter Majhgaun you will find local people being engaged in farming but it is reported that some people have migrated either to foreign country or Kathmandu.
Day 19	Trek from Majhgaun to Budathum and it takes about five hours. You walk along the trail dominated with villages, forests, streams and terraces. This day you can enjoy the scenic beauty of green hills. Budathum is a small town with local old market. This village is pre dominated by Newar community. From here you can enjoy the spectacular views of Manaslu range at far distance.
Day 20	: Trek from Budathum to Arughat Bazaar (500m.) which takes about two hours. On the same day you drive back to Kathmandu. To reach Arughat Bazaar you trek descent path and then through leveled route. On the way, you pass few streams, villages, farming terraces, small forests. Most of the route moves along the river bank of Budhi Gandaki. Aarughat Bazzar covers small area with an old market. Here you find shops with minimal supply, motor able road, high school, health post, typical tea houses, small lodges and it lies at the bank of Budhi Gandaki river. Here the route to Manaslu trekking meets. You board vehicle at Arughat Bazaar to reach Kathmandu. This is one of the picturesque journeys. While driving, you head up to Dhading Besi and Malekhu and Malekhu is famous for delicious fish. En route, you could enjoy the mountain views, green sceneries, rice terrace fields, vegetable fields and people being engaged in their daily life activities. From Naubishe you climb up to Thankot, the gateway to capital city.

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