Saribung Pass Trek with Saribung Peak Climbing

Early morning, we will fly into the mountains, between the two eight-thousand meters high Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, and follow the Kali Gandaki River, landing shortly afterward at Jomsom Airport.

Here we will meet our hard-working team. Then, we will hike comfortably upstream to Kagbeni. Following the wild Kali Gandaki river, we will walk leisurely for about three hours and reach the beautiful town nestled at the Sangam of Kali Gandaki and Jhong Khola.

The medieval-looking border village offers incredible views of Tilicho Peak and Dhaulagiri.

Duration

30 minutes (flight) / 3-4 hours

Max Altitude

2850m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

Continuing with our hike, we will depart from Kagbeni and once again follow the Kali Gandaki River. Walking on its left shore, we will reach the exit of Kagbeni where the checkpoint will examine our permits and documents.

After completing the formalities, our path will once again take us along the Kali Gandaki River traversing the charming settlements of Tangbe, and Chhusang. The River is now locally called Mustang Khola signifying we are now in the forbidden Kingdom of Mustang.

Crossing the river, the beautiful path decorated with chortens and Mani Walls now advances towards Chele- our resting village for the night.

Duration

5-6 hrs

Max Altitude

3030m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

After a peaceful rest, we will now hike along the trail that continues steadily uphill towards the north, with the Kali Gandaki River rushing deep in the valley. At Ghyakar, we will turn east and cross the Taklam La Pass (3,624m) and Dajori La Pass (3,740 m) and descend to Samar Village.

Enjoying the remarkable spectacle of Tilicho, Damodar Danda, and Yakawakang, we will then tackle two other Passes of Bhena La (3838 m), and Syangbocha La (3,850 m). After we descend from the Pass, we will arrive at Shayangbochen which offers a stunning view of Nilgiri. We will stop here for a while to eat our lunch, then we will march to reach Ghiling.

Duration

6-7 hours

Max Altitude

3440m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

First, we will hike above the Kali Gandaki River on a beautiful panoramic path to the small Mustang village of Ghami 3,520 m, with an old gate chorten and an old gompa. On the way, we will ascend and descend the pass of Nya La (4020 m). From the Pass, we can enjoy the dream panorama of the surrounding Mustang region, Annapurna and Nilgiri.

After a lunch break at Ghami, we will cross a small tributary by bridge and then hike along Mustang’s longest Mani walls (prayer walls) related to Guru Padmasambhava. The area here is known for blue sheep and the very shy snow leopards.

The trail now leads us towards the pass of Tsarang La at 3870 m. After descending from this Pass, we will reach the settlement of Dhakmar and reach Charang/Tsarang.

Duration

6-7 hours

Max Altitude

3490m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

Early morning, we must take a short detour to the Ghar Monastery. The monastery is believed to have been founded in the 8th century by Guru Padmasambhava. In the monastery, we can marvel at the statues, thankas, Buddha paintings, and much more.

Then proceeding from the monastery, we will cross the Charang Khola over a steel bridge and hike along a relatively easy trail captivated by the amazing vistas of Tilicho, Bhrikuti, Nilgiri, and Annapurna 1.

The gradually rising path will now take us to the lone Sungda Chorten. About 45 minutes before we reach Lo Manthang, we will ascend the 3950 m high Lo La Pass. The top offers a vast view of the Mustang region with its white houses, red monasteries, and barren cliffs.

After we climb down from the Pass, we will march forward to cross a stream and arrive at Lo Manthang, the old royal city with its narrow streets.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

3740m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

Today we will visit the 600-year-old capital of Mustang. The narrow streets, mighty walls of the houses, and the city wall will make you feel like you have been transported back to the Middle Ages.

We will visit the royal palace, gompas, and the houses of the Lhopas with their flat roofs. We can also take a tour of the northern part of Lo Manthang, where we will visit the former residential caves of the Jhongu Cave and the king’s summer palace in Thing-gar.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

We are getting closer to Saribung Peak. Within a few days, we will soon be face to face with the mighty peak. But first, let’s take the eastern route of Kali Gandaki Valley- one of the lesser-known and most scenic routes. This route also cut our journey short.

We will make our way back to Lo La Pass and walk past Sungda Chorten. Then, we will cross a hanging bridge and overcome the Dhi La Pass at 3950 m. After we climb down from the Pass, we will shortly arrive at Dhi Village.

From here we will hike through a bizarre rocky landscape with many caves, slowly ascending along the Puyung River via Surkhang village to Yara Gaon.

Duration

6-7 hours

Max Altitude

3900m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

Today we have the shortest trek day in the Saribung Pass trek. After leaving Yara Gaon, we will head north and follow the Puyung River gently uphill past the ancient Tashi Kabum caves.

Then, we will take a light climb to reach the Luri Cave rock monastery. This small cave monastery clings to the steep rock face like an eagle’s nest. Here we can also find the only stupa in the world that stands in a cave. We will set up camp below the monastery for our overnight stay.

Duration

3-4 hours

Max Altitude

4005m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

A rarely used route will be on our hiking routine today. Leaving Luri Cave monastery, we will march forward and come across a nameless pass that stands at an elevation of bout 5000 meters. Then, we will descend from the pass and walk on a flat trail that will finally take us to Ghuma Thanti. Not much to see here except the vista of the Kyamupani River.

Pilgrims often stay here overnight on their way to the holy lake Damodar Kund.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

4600m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

We will hike through an impressive, desert-like landscape. The Tibetan border is close and from our next pass of Kyumu La (5300 meters), we will have a beautiful view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

We will then climb down from the Pass and reach the foot of Parche Khola. We will then tackle one more climb and descend from the 5480 m high Pass that rewards us with the vast view of Tibet and Saribung Peak. The descent into the Namta Khola gorge is steep, where we will set up our camp for today.

Duration

7-8 hours

Max Altitude

4890m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

Today, we will hike on the trail that fewer trekkers have known. Following the northern slope of the Namta Khola, we will walk along the barren landscape resembling the Tibetan Highlands. About 60 m high will be our Saribung Base Camp where we will put up our tent for overnight stay.

Duration

6-7 hours

Max Altitude

4950m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

Before assaulting the Peak, it is necessary to prepare your body for the high-altitude air. Therefore, we will settle at the base camp of Saribung today. After breakfast, we can walk to nearby Viewpoint from where we can see the astounding views of Annapurna and Damodar Himal.

After returning from the Viewpoint, we can then check our gear and practice using them. Our climbing guide will teach us to use ice axes, jumars, harnesses, ascenders, and karabiner. He will also demonstrate the walking method using crampons.

We will also learn the basic mountaineering skills of tying knots, including belaying, rappelling, and walking up and down the rope. After enough practice, we will rest in our camp.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

Today’s route is overwhelming. The path will lead over a moraine of the Bhatchauk glacier directly into the ice palace of the Saribung region. On the right and left, ice walls line your route like an avenue. A little below, we will set up our tent camp in the snow at around 5,800 m. We will then get into our sleeping bags early before tomorrow’s summit day.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

5730m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

After a short night, we will climb up towards the Saribung Peak in the dark by the light of our headlamps. We will climb up the summit over the Batchauk glacier ridge with around a 30° slope. The path is not particularly difficult and leads through an impressive high mountain landscape and a sea of six-thousand-meter peaks.

Depending on the conditions, we will be roped up and crampons may be required. After around 5-6 hours, we will be standing on the summit! If the weather is good, we will be rewarded with a unique panorama of the Peri Himal, Chhib Himal, Bhrikuti Himal, Gyajukhang Peak, Kharsang Peak, Manaslu, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and Himlung Himal.

After a sufficient break and a summit photo, we will descend to our Base Camp where we will once again set up the tent for an overnight rest.

Duration

8-9 hours

Max Altitude

6346m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

Again a short night and early rise to cross the Saribung Pass which is another highlight of our Saribung Peak climbing program. It is also the greatest challenge of our tour after pushing the summit. However, it is technically easy, but we will spend many hours walking on snow and ice. There are usually no dangerous crevasses along the route, but this can change so caution is needed at any cost.

We will now climb down from the Pass walking along the same snowy terrain past the small stream. We will then follow the course of the Layju Khola River and come back to areas with meadows and bushes. On a beautiful, partly newly constructed mountain path we will reach the deserted Nagoru.

Duration

7-8 hours

Max Altitude

6020m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Tent

After dismantling the tents, we will begin our descent to Phu. Soon we will reach the first traces of a path, pass a large chorten, and finally arrive at Phu Gaon, which is completely isolated with closely packed houses in the middle of terraced fields. The Ghale, Lamas, and Gurungs inhabit this small village. With a bit of luck with the weather, we will have a great view of the Himlung (7,126 m) and other snow-covered peaks.

There will be time to visit the Tashi Lhakhang Monastery which is beautifully situated above the medieval-looking town of Phu. The monastery is the ultimate Buddhist monastery out of the 108 built by the relic Karmapa Rimpoche.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

4080m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

We will leave the beautiful village of Phu and follow the Phu Khola downhill which cuts narrowly into the valley. On the way, we will pass by Kyang and then to Nar Phedi with the large chorten.

We will then pass through abandoned settlements of the Khampa (refugees from Tibet) in Jhunam then Chyakhu and in the afternoon we will reach Meta. From here we can have an excellent view of the 7,932 m high Annapurna II and on the left side, the Lamjung Himal 6,983 m stands proudly.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

3560m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

Today, our trail continues downhill, the landscape becomes more and more lush with flora and more vibrant with fauna. With every step into lower altitudes, the temperatures become milder and more pleasant.

The path now leads through the Naar-Phu Khola gorge and we will see small and large waterfalls along the way. Finally, we will reach the Marshyangdi-Nadi valley and will be on the famous Annapurna circuit.

The route now continues clockwise to Koto where at the foot of the mighty Annapurna group, a great adventure in one of the most remote parts of the Himalayas comes to an end.

Duration

6-7 hours

Max Altitude

2600m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

We will tackle our last day of trekking with mixed feelings. We have experienced many exciting things over the last few days and like to think back on them as we descend to Timang village enjoying the spectacular view of the Lamjung Himal 6983 m.

Then the downhill path will lead us to Danakyu village where we will eat our lunch. Proceeding forward, we will cross one more village of Bagarchhap through the deep jungle of pine and fir before reaching Dharapani.

Duration

5-6 hours

Max Altitude

1860m

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Lodge

We will drive at a leisurely pace towards Besisahar on a bumpy, sometimes adventurous road. The road was built to connect Manang and the other villages in the Marshyangdi Valley to the Nepalese road network. Moving on, we will cross the villages of Syanje and Bhulbhule before we enter the familiar Prithvi Highway that will take us back to the capital.

Enjoy the first real shower and celebrate the success of your tour with our team.

Duration

7-8 hours

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

3-Star Hotel