manaslu

In very heart of central Nepal, between the Annapurna frost giants to the west and the eternal Everest in the east, lies the 8163m (26781ft) Manaslu.

On the list of the world’s top 10 highest peaks, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu are the only three 8000ers that lie squarely within Nepal, allowing hikers to walk round them.

Of the three, the Dhaulagiri Circuit is a demanding camping trek requiring tents and a team of support staff. Hikers on the Manaslu Circuit sleep in teahouses throughout the trek, much like on the popular Annapurna Circuit.

Due to a far slower pace of development, the tourism infrastructure on the Manaslu Circuit has only recently come close to that of the Annapurna Circuit. As a result, the Manaslu Circuit has the best of both worlds - teahouses that offer hot meals and a roof over one’s head, plus a raw and almost wild trekking experience compared to Nepal’s more established and well-known routes.

The circuit is a nevertheless long journey demanding stamina and endurance, needed especially when crossing the snowy 5106-metre (16752ft) Larke pass into the Annapurna region to the west.

South of the Manaslu Circuit lies the former Kingdom of Gorkha, where its many beautiful hillside villages and lush subtropical trails have remained little explored by foreign travellers, even till today.

Further Reading

“Tibetan Diary: From Birth to Death and Beyond in the Shadow of Manaslu” (2004), Geoff Childs