Chulu Far East Tilicho Lake Trek - 21 Days

Once you are at the Tribhuvan International Airport arrival terminal, you will be welcomed by a representative of Himalayan Trekkers. Then you will be escorted to the designated hotel till the check-in formalities. After you freshen up and take enough rest, we can have a short trip discussion and go for some sightseeing if you feel like it and if your arrival was made before noon. If not then, we will just stroll around the streets of Thamel to get a glimpse into the lifestyle here in the evening time. 

Note: If your arrival is scheduled in the morning or before noon and you are not facing jet lag, we can proceed with the sightseeing of two prominent sites in Kathmandu. First, we drive to Boudhanath Stupa and learn something about Tibetan Buddhism and take in the sight of the white peaceful giant dome. We make a kora around the stupa, watch the pilgrims pray, probably feed the pigeons, and take plenty of pictures before driving to a Hindu site named Pashupatinath Temple. 

The evening aarti ceremony on the bank of the holy Bagmati River is the major attraction in the evening time and is really a sight to behold. The temple is also one of the four important Hindu sites in the world where non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the main temple but can wander around the temple and see the open-air cremation ceremony. Then only after returning from these UNESCO World Heritage sites, did we walk into the Thamel Bazar. 

We start the sightseeing day after breakfast. We will visit Boudhanath and Pashupatinath if we did not visit them yesterday and cover one other World Heritage Site from Swoyambhunath and three Durbar Squares, each lying in three medieval cities of the Kathmandu Valley. However, if those sites were explored, we will first drive to Swoyambhunath Stupa which is probably seen from your hotel rooftop. The stupa temple is located on a hilltop which is why the majority of the city can view it. 

Swoyambhunath is an important site for Buddhist pilgrims where Hindu pilgrims also visit as the complex houses Hindu monuments along with Buddhist shrines. The temple is often referred to as the “monkey temple” because of the huge number of monkeys residing there. As it sits on the top of the hill, the view of the Kathmandu valley surrounded by green hills is amazing to watch. 

We will then visit either Patan or Bhaktapur Durbar Square. And if time permits, we will walk around Kathmandu Durbar Square. All of these three durbar squares are built by the Malla kings where the typical “Nepali” craft, especially the craftsmanship of the major ethnic group of the Kathmandu Valley, Newars are lavishly found. 

While all these three are famous for rich cultural heritages and house similar figures, buildings, and monuments, each is specialized with its own specialty. Patan Durbar Square is known for its metal works and woodcarvings while Bhaktapur is famous for brickworks and sculptures along with woodcarvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square has many pagoda-styled temples with beautifully carved facades created by Newar artists. 
After the exploration and a full day of learning the history and admiring the arts and architecture, you can spend the remainder of the day preparing for the journey in the Himalayas. Preparing for the trip means buying, renting, and packing the important things required for a journey for example personal climbing equipment, snacks, cash, batteries, toiletries, etc. 

We start the Himalayan journey today with a scenic drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar. Our today’s highlights are the countryside of Nepal where you will see the Himalayas, vast landscape, terraced fields, locals working in the fields, Trishuli and Marshyangdi River, and sometimes the snow-clad Himalayas.  Once we reach Besisahar, we simply check in, rest, and stroll around the neighborhood. 

Note: We could have driven up to Chame today as the road has extended up to Manang now. But, we decided to keep a night halt at Besisahar so that you can have a comfortable journey because to drive till Chame, we have to start very early in the morning and need to hire our own private jeep. 

We leave Besisahar after breakfast and catch the scheduled local sharing jeep to get to Chame. Our drive goes through many small and beautiful villages such as Bhulbhule, Bahundanda, Ghermu, Jagat, Chyamche, Tal, Dharapani, Timang, and Koto before arriving in Chame. The remainder of the day is for the rest and get familiar with the height as we have traveled from 830 meters to 2710 meters today. 

The trekking journey starts today. We start the trek from Chame village and aim to reach the Upper Pisang settlement by the end of the day today. Our trekking trail follows the river, a dense pine forest, and goes through Bhartang village where we will try some apple pie or apple juice made from apples grown there. After an hour from Bhartang on a cliffside with amazing vistas of snow-clad peaks, we are at the Upper Pisang. 

We can notice the change in landscape, environment, and the neighborhood itself. The houses are more of the traditional type and the lanes are narrow. In the evening, we visit the monastery of the village which is at the top of the settlement. We pray, click some pictures and enjoy the view of the mountains and surroundings. 

Note: For today, we have decided to trek instead of driving as driving is also possible because we are moving to a higher altitude. So to get acclimatized and get familiar with the trekking tracks, we slowly trek from Chame to Upper Pisang. 

We will eat breakfast at the regular hour after waking up, and then we will carry on with our walk to another location. This portion of the journey today will follow a mountain track, and at the conclusion, we will reach Humde, a small town perched 3,330 meters above sea level. This location is along the road that leads to the Manang airstrip, a few homes, and lodges. After arriving at this tiny settlement, we can observe one of the longest prayer wheels with 266 wheels in the neighborhood. O/N at a lodge/tea house. 

We will depart Humde village soon after breakfast and take a path through sparsely wooden & leveled terrain to reach Julu Khola. We will get stunning views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan Ranges, as well as Pisang Peak, throughout today's walk. We quickly reach Juju Khola, where our Sherpa crew will pitch up camp and make other required preparations before continuing on to higher elevations. O/N at the tented camp in Julu Khola. 

Acclimatization is crucial for a successful summit ascent including Chulu Far East Peak. It is also important to keep in mind that the environment above 3500 meters altitude is hard on our bodies. So, this acclimatization day is readily regarded as one of the pivotal ones of our walk where we will spend the day adjusting to the climate and touring the area around Julu Khola. The Annapurna Himalayan Ranges, other nearby chains of high mountains, especially the Pisang Peak panorama, and high mountain valleys are all magnificently visible from here. O/N at the tented camp in Julu Khola. 

Today’s journey from the Julu Khola to the Chulu Far East Peak takes us through difficult, physically demanding rocky trails. Therefore, taking periodic breaks to rest is a good idea and can also aid to refill energy. Despite the trail occasionally passing over rocks, the unmatched views of the Annapurna Valley Himalayas allow you to experience the true joy of trekking in Nepal. 

Our team will set up camp at Base Camp and make the necessary preparations for moving the camps to higher altitudes. As part of the acclimatization process, it is critical that we take an easy afternoon relaxing and consuming plenty of fluids. O/N at the tented camp at Chulu Far East Peak Base Camp. 

Once more required acclimatization day at the base camp before marking our way to the summit. We will spend the day adjusting to the high-altitude atmosphere and touring around the base camp. We will also learn some using the climbing equipment from the climbing leaders. The Chulu Far East Peak Base Camp offers some great views of the Annapurna Himalayan Ranges and other nearby chains of high mountains. O/N at the tented camp at Chulu Far East Peak Base Camp. 

After acclimatizing at the base camp for a full day, we depart and travel a challenging climbing path across snowy terrain today. We will enjoy breathtaking views of the Annapurna Valley Himalayas, Chulu East, Chulu West, Pisang Peak, and the Chulu Far East while we continue to ascend. We will eventually arrive at the rest campsite next to a tiny glacial lake where we will set up the camp and perform one last inspection of our climbing equipment. O/N at the tented camp at Chulu Far East Peak High Camp.

The long-anticipated day has arrived today. With fully prepared with all the necessary climbing equipment, we set off early in an effort to reach the summit before noon because high gusts past noon can make it difficult to reach the top. We will follow a level path at the start of our walk. Then we will navigate numerous challenging stretches of tough terrain under the direction and advice of our climbing leaders as we make our way to the summit. 

We will enjoy the unbelievable views of Annapurna II, III, and IV, Gangapurna, Manaslu, Pisang Peak, Chulu West, and the Himlung Valley on the north side from the highest point of the pinnacle. We will only spend a brief amount of time at the peak before returning to base camp by taking the same path down. O/N at the tented camp at Chulu Far East Peak Base Camp. 

After our successful summit climb of Chulu Far East Peak, we today proceed on our journey toward the Manang village, a picturesque settlement located just below the Thorong La Pass and a part of the Annapurna protection area. The trail takes us to JuluKhola at the beginning of this stretch, from whence we continue on a level path through the forest to Manang. The Trans-Himalayan Manang village is renowned for having a vibrant cultural heritage. While touring the village of Manang, we will have the chance to observe the local Manangi people's traditional way of life. O/N at a lodge in Manang.

We will depart Manang after breakfast and take the trail that leads to the Marshyangdi River. We cross the river and go to the settlement of Khangsar by strolling along the river's southern bank through a coniferous forest. From Khangsar, we continue our slow ascent with good views of the nearby snow-capped high peaks and passing the Thare Monastery. We will have Gungang Himal and Mt. Chulu in the background to keep us company during the strenuous uphill walk. 

The blue sheep, an endangered species in the Himalayas, may be seen if you keep an eye out. You might also notice a number of yaks grazing because these slopes are wonderful pastures. After crossing one more stream we reach Siri Kharka, where we spend the night.

Now, we have two options to reach the destination. The one route is the shorter one but usually is full of a steep slope and it is rather unstable at the time due to bad weather. The route is also difficult to cross on the walk. The second is the longer route, which involves the climb of 4950 meters. We decide to take a longer route as it was the safe one to traverse. Our journey resumes with a climb to the chorten proceeding for the isolated Thare Gompa (3930m). Moving ahead the Gompa, we pass along some huts, which the herders use as their shelter. There lie two trails beyond this point. The route decision is usually made by the trip leader after some consultation with the locals. Picking one route, we arrive at the Tilicho Base Camp (4150m).

After breakfast, our walk begins as a moderate traverse through grassy hills where we might observe herds of blue sheep grazing. As we ascend higher, it becomes harder and we will reach several significant switchbacks that have been carved out of the slope. We are again able to witness the views of Khangsar Kang, Tarke Kang, and Gangapurna. We also set the sight over Manang and Pisang. 

Then the trail takes us through the crests and toppled cliffs. Once we reach the cliff, we walk to the ridge to come across many prayer flags and chorten to finally set eyes on the famous turquoise-blue Tilicho Lake. The clear pristine water of the lake perfectly reflects the snow-covered ridges of the mountain peaks of Tilicho and Khangsar Kang. In order to fully appreciate the beauty of the 4920m-high Tilicho Lake and the surrounding Himalayas, we pitch up camp there.

Delightful morning in Tilicho Lake surrounding! After departing our campsite, we will first take an ascending trail until we reach Eastern Pass (5,340m), from which we can take in the mesmerizing views of TilichoHimal, Gangapurna, and Annapurna. We traverse past the other two passes including the Tourist La and the Tilicho Las and then descend to a point close to lake level before starting a new, lengthy traverse and ascent to Mesokanto La Pass (5120m). The trek to the summit of Mesokanto Pass takes around four hours, making it a strenuous and challenging traverse. 

The difficulties while crossing the treacherous passes, river crossing, and countless scree slopes will be justified by the spellbinding vistas of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Nilgiri, Tilicho Himal, Tukuche Peak, and Tilicho Lake. As the lowering trail comes to an end, we enter the Mustang Valley and a flat track leads us toward Yak Kharka where we will pitch our tents in Yak Kharka's wide-open, level pasture grounds for the night. 

Today is set to be our final trekking day where we will trek from Yak Kharka to Jomsom. We enjoy our breakfast to finally set out for the trekking of the final day of the journey to step down to the Thini Khola. As we descend, we will notice the shift in climate and the gradual transition in vegetation from a desolate environment to a scrubby juniper forest to huge trees. From the river, we reach the village of Thini, which is comprised of narrow alleyways and decorated gompa surrounded by barley fields. We are now in the open Kali Gandaki Valley, which is known to be the deepest valley in the world at the decline of 8000 meters from the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. From the Thini, we talk a walk of around 45 minutes to join the Annapurna Trail for the last time. The trail will lead us to the airport town of Jomsom. Once in Jomsom, we will check-in at the hotel and go for a hot water bath and nice comforting sleep. 

We bid goodbye to the region after breakfast and move to the airstrip for an early morning flight to Pokhara. After arriving in Pokhara, we check into the hotel, drop off our bags, and then spend the rest of the afternoon casually visiting the magnificent Pokhara valley. Pokhara is also known as the “city of Lake” and is one of the most popular places for foreigners after Kathmandu. There are lots of interesting things to see in Pokhara. We will go boating to the Fewa Lake, which is the second-largest lake in Nepal, where we can see Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) peak reflected in the water.

We will also go to the Tal Barahi temple, which is located in the middle of the lake. You have the choice to either sail back to the beginning point to explore more sights including Davis Falls, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Mahendra Cave, etc. or you can choose to hike for an hour through the forest to the World Peace Pagoda. We will ramble around the lakeshore this evening. 

Note: Since Jomsom lies in a mountainous region, the flights take off during the morning time as the mornings tend to be more clear than the days in this region. 

After breakfast, we depart from the magnificent Pokhara valley and travel to Kathmandu. Rural towns, twisting roads, verdant hills, small but stunning waterfalls, furious rivers like the Trishuli and Marshyangdi, as well as the distant sight of massive mountains that tower over the trail are the highlights of today’s journey. 

After arriving in Kathmandu, spend some time unwinding in your hotel. Later, you can stroll around this vibrant city and shop for gifts and keepsakes to take home. This evening has been reserved for a goodbye meal with Himalayan Trekkers at a Nepalese restaurant where we will enjoy our traditional Nepalese food and a cultural program.

Spend your morning as you wish. Then after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to your home or onward destination if the flight is scheduled in the morning or at noon. But, if your flight is going to take off in the evening, you can spend the day as you wish. And, we will transfer you to the airport 3 hours prior to your flight time.