Himalayas, Nepal

• Moderate to Strenuous Hiking
• 4 Nights Hotels, 9 Nights Camping, 1 Night Basic Guesthouse
• Plus 2 Days Travel To and From Your Home

H. W. Tilman, the leader of one of the first  mountaineering  expeditions to Nepal in 1949, described Langtang as one of the world's most beautiful valleys, a sentiment that visitors have endorsed ever since and one that we are sure you will agree with! Despite being relatively close to Kathmandu, the Langtang Valley remains unaffected by the pressures of the overwhelming numbers that trek the Annapurna and Everest routes. The forests are filled with life. Langur monkeys and bright parakeets can be seen in the trees, and the dense stands of oak and rhododendron give way to alpine meadows and grazing yak as you reach higher altitudes. At the highest points are glaciers and snowy peaks that rise as high as 24,000 feet. The Tamang peoples who inhabit the valley continue to practice their local variety of Buddhism and to earn their livelihoods herding sheep and yak.

After visiting the Kathmandu valley we'll leave the sounds of that bustling medieval city behind, and drive north, following the Trisuli River to Syabrubensi, where we camp by the river. In the morning we follow the narrow Langtang Khola River, passing through dense forests of oak, birch and pine before the valley opens out into alpine meadows and yak pastures. These forests (some of the finest in Nepal), are alive with birds and animals: you’ll catch monkeys and parakeets playing among rare tree orchids and colorful rhododendrons, Nepal's national flower. The high alpine meadows have a rich variety of alpine flowers: gentians, violets, edelweiss and primulas to name just a few.

We pass through Langtang village, unchanged for hundreds of years, and continue up the valley through a superb landscape dominated by spectacular peaks and breathtaking viewpoints. We find ourselves surrounded by snowy peaks and glaciers with almost unlimited opportunities for exploring, especially around the Langtang glacier up near the Tibet border.

There are two routes out of the Langtang valley. The easiest and most used is via the high alpine lakes of Gosainkund. The other is over a remote high alpine pass called the Ganja La, situated at the head of the Langtang valley close to the Tibetan border. This is a tricky route and involves crossing some snow and a small glacier, with some mild rock scrambling. If the conditions are good, this will be an inspiring challenge. In the unlikely event that the Ganja La Pass proves to be unsafe or too difficult due to weather or other factors, we will take the Gosainkund Lakes route. By crossing the Ganja La pass and descending into the Sherpa region of Helambu, we will be completing our adventure with an interesting and challenging trek through a wildly remote region before returning to Kathmandu.

Whatever your ability this wonderful trek will provide a memorable and unique view of the mountain kingdom of Nepal!