Makalu Base Camp & Barun Valley Trek - 23 Days

Flying in Kathmandu is a panoramic excitement on a clear day. The view of snow-capped mountain peaks gives you the ecstatic pleasure for the beginning of the memorable experiences that stay with you throughout your lifetime. And when your plane lands, our representative from Himalayan trekkers will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

On this particular day we start our tour with experience guide and takes you to the several most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu, world heritage sites of Kathmandu Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the renowned and wonderful Swayambhunath which is also called 'Monkey Temple' and Buddhists shrine (Baudha Nath). In the daytime, there will be a pre-trip discussion about the trekking equipment and we will meet the trek leader as well. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we take a one hour morning flight to Tumlingtar. Reaching there we head north towards Khandbari after lunch. We will pass through a plateau for about 45 minutes. At Tumlingtar we will meet our crew members and pack our bags and start to drive to Chichili which will takes us approximately 3 / 4 hrs. Chichili have a few houses inhabited by Gurungs.

After leaving Chichili, we walk past forests, Mani wall, and a dirty pond. We continue to walk along the ridge past a small stream to a single Sherpa house and tea shop. This is Mure, a spread-out village at 1980 meters that is inhabited by both Sherpas and Rais.

Below Mure, the route cuts across the ridge, then make a treacherous descent to a rocky trail down to some stone steps and a final walk to Num (1490m). Num is situated on the ridge above an S-shaped bend in the River Arun which is the picturesque village with lush vegetation. On the opposite side of the Arun is the village of Sedua.

After a warm breakfast, we cross the River Arun (660 m). From the bridge, we make a steep climb to a primitive tea shop and then walk through the corn and buckwheat field. Moving along the rocky path and tiny terraced fields of corn and barley, we make a long, steep, rough climb to Sedua.

We leave Sedua behind and walk along the River Rasuwa from Khola to Gyang (1770m). Here the trail goes through the terraced fields and forested areas to Hindrungma village, and on to Rupisa. After lunch, we start towards Tashi Gaon which is a 6 hours walk from the village of Sedua.

The trail levels out, and then climbs to a shepherd’s hut called Chipla atop another ridge. We cross over two small streams, then switchback up the ridge in forests to a Kharka at 2900 meters. We then reach Unshisha, a tiny meadow at approx 330 meters. Here the trail joins the ridge that separates the Iswa and Kasuwa drainages. The slope gets steeper and becomes a series of moss-covered stone stairs to Dhara Kharka, a meadow atop the ridge. We then move over a hillock and descend a bit to reach Kauma (3500 m).

Since we are doing a camping trek so we will take the spare day as this will help us to clean ourselves and wash clothes and also we can explore the surrounding places and natural beauty.

We leave Kauma to head towards Mumbuk. On the way to our next destination, we can have a view of the famous twin peaks of Chamlang, Peak 6 and Peak 7. Treading on the ridge for a while, we ascend a stone staircase. After a while, the trail veers left off the crest to a small lake. We then climb gently up a shallow rocky gully to the Kike La (4127 m). We walk past the Tutu la and continue descending for about 150 meters into the Rhododendron forests to flat land. A short walk past the dense forest leads to the village of Mumbuk.

We start walking along the stream and then follow the Barun River to a Kharka. Passing through Birch and Scrub Rhododendron forest, we reach Yangle Kharka. We climb up from Yangle Kharka, finally crossing to the north side of the Barun Khola and reach Nhe Kharka (3000 m). There is a small Gompa (Monastery) on the south side of the valley that offers a panoramic view of the majestic snowcapped mountain from all sides.

We are almost halfway through our trek and today it is going to be a long one as we have to walk for almost 8 hours. We continue the walk through the northern bank of the Barun Khola for a while. After a short walk, The Barun Valley makes a huge S-shaped curve and the walls rise vertically almost up to 1500 to 2000 meters above the river. But the trail turns easier as we approach Ripok Kharka. From here the trek to Sherson is a magical and mesmerizing experience as you can see the Pyramid Peak, Chamlang Peak 3,4, and 5. Further on reaching an alluvial valley, you can sight the Fifth highest mountain Makalu just as you are about to reach Sherson (4615 m) which makes all the day’s efforts worthwhile and refreshes you absolutely.

This is the day you would be looking forward to as we reach the Makalu Basecamp, the highest base camp on earth. From Sherson, we start walking and the trail is left to our east. We climb down to a minor pass about 100 meters above Makalu Base Camp. We further go down, crossing over the boulders to reach the base camp on the west bank of the river. We can see the southern part of the Makalu. A climb as tedious and exhilarating as this yields the same kinds of rewards too. From here you can take in the sight of the mighty Himalayan peaks of Everest, Baruntse, Peaks 6 & 7 and also the Lhotse.

The base camp is barren land with the Barun Glacier away from it. From the spot, we can see the stunning south face of Makalu and the magnificent view of Everest and Lhotse. Similarly, we can explore the surrounding areas with lakes, glaciers and capture photographs and enjoy the remaining time.

Today we trek back to Nhe Kharka following the same trail that we had taken to reach the Makalu Base Camp.

After a hearty and warm breakfast, we walk back to Mumbuk. Traversing through the Pine and Rhododendron forests, we will reach Mumbuk in the late afternoon to witness the beautiful sunset.

Leaving Mumbuk, we trek across the Shipton La pass and start our descent towards Kauma.

Today we climb all the way down Tashi Gaon. Here we spend the rest of the day relaxing to catch up with the energy used to trek in the high altitude.

From Tashi Gaon, we go down to Sedua and then follow the trails to further go down to Mulgaon. Leaving Mulgaon behind, we start walking down the steep rocky trail through fields of corn and barley until we reach the Ipsuwa Khola. Here we have to cross the suspension bridge and stop for lunch. This is the place where we have entered the Arun Valley. The area is used as a temporary settlement by the farmers living up in the hills. Further down the trail and we reach Balung (760 m).

We start a bit late today as the trail is a short one to the village of Pukuwa. We walk past the Walung (880m) village predominated by the Rai community and then cross the Apsawa Khola. After a small climb, we will reach the Chhayang village, also a settlement of the Rai community. The trail then crosses a stream at 590m and makes some ups and downs to reach Parangbu, a delightful camping spot among rice fields on the banks of the Arun River. We continue walking through forests and pass several small streams to reach Pukuwa (550m).

Passing some rocky terrain and green fields on the trail we reach the village of Tome (520 m). Makalu Barun base camp trekking is famous not only for the mountains but also the cultivation in such a remote and difficult terrain. Below Tome, the Arun Valley becomes wider and more U shaped. The trail ascends over another ridge on a steep, narrow stairway cut out of rocks. From the top of the ridge at 530m, the trail descends to a charming camp on the banks of the Sankhuwa Khola (370m), across from the Chhetri village of Bumling.

Today is the last day of the trek and we go down following the river downstream to its confluence with the Arun River. Further on we cross the Arun River and start walking on the east bank of the Arun, past the village of Chyawabesi before making a short climb back to the Tumlingtar plateau. From here we walk on the flat land to the hotel near the airport.

We take a flight back to Kathmandu which lasts for an hour. You can extend your trip by exploring the natural and cultural beauty of Kathmandu or rests of the day enjoy yourself.

We will bid farewell to you and our staff will lead you to the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Have a safe journey and please do visit Nepal again!