Saribung Pass Trek

We meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel. Rest and get over the flight. In the evening we go over the plan for the trip.

We check your gear, including crampons, harness and helmet. We finish the permit paperwork. Your guide goes through the route, the pass day and the safety plan with you.

The road follows the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers. We reach Pokhara by the afternoon. You can walk by Phewa Lake in the evening.

The morning flight to Jomsom is short but windy later in the day, so we go early. We walk up the Kali Gandaki valley to Kagbeni. This is the gate to Upper Mustang, and we check permits here.

We cross to the Upper Mustang side and follow the river and the cliffs. The land is dry and the wind picks up in the afternoon. We stay the night at Chele.

The trail climbs over high passes with big views of red cliffs and long valleys. We stop at small villages on the way. We sleep higher than the night before, so we go slowly.

We cross the Nyi La at about 4,000 m and walk down to Ghami. There is a very long mani wall near the village. It is a good day to listen to your body.

We pass Charang, where the old gompa has a famous collection of statues. The trail then climbs to Lo Manthang, the walled capital of the old kingdom of Lo.

We rest and explore the old town and its monasteries. A short walk to a nearby ridge helps with acclimatisation. The crew checks supplies for the remote section ahead.

We leave the main trail and head east. The path goes through Dhi and Yara, a quiet village below huge red cliffs. From here the trek is camping only.

We visit Luri Gompa, a small cave monastery cut into the cliff. It is a short day. We use the extra time to rest.

The trail leaves the villages behind and climbs through open high pasture. There are no settlements for the next few days. Everything we need is carried by the crew.

We climb to the Damodar Kunda lakes. These are sacred lakes for Hindus and Buddhists. The area is high and cold, so we watch for headaches and poor sleep.

We rest at the lakes. A short walk up to a ridge above camp helps with acclimatisation. The guide checks everyone and the weather outlook.

We walk beside moraine and rough ground to the base camp. The guide and crew look at the route to the pass. We do a short rope and crampon check in the afternoon.

This day is for rest and bad weather. If the weather is good, we use it to practice with crampons and rope and to rest before the push. We only use it as a spare day if we need it.

We climb to the high camp on the glacier side. It is a short day so we can rest before the early start. We eat early and sleep early.

We start in the dark. The route goes over snow and ice, with crampons and rope on sections. After the pass we come down a steep, rocky slope to a camp on the other side. It is the hardest day of the trek.

We continue down through empty valleys. The air gets thicker and the walking is easier. We camp near the Phu valley.

We reach Phu, an old Tibetan style village on a ridge above the gorge. We rest and visit the village and the Tashi Lakhang monastery. This is a good day to wash and dry gear.

We walk down the Phu valley and then up to Nar. The trail goes through narrow gorges and past old stone villages. Nar has long mani walls and a calm feel.

We walk down to Nar Phedi and follow the river to Koto. The air is warmer and the valley turns green. Koto is the first village on the main Annapurna Circuit road.

We drive down the Marsyangdi valley on a rough road. We spend the night in Besisahar or a nearby town.

We drive back to Kathmandu. In the evening we have time to relax and have a farewell dinner.

This is a spare day in case of flight delay or bad weather. If all goes to plan, we transfer you to the airport for your flight home.