Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu. Pickup and transfer to Hotel. In Kathmandu. Hotel accommodation
When you arrive in Kathmandu airport, you will be picked up and transfer to your designated hotel. You may take rest or explore Thamel on your own.
Day 02: In Kathmandu - Rest day. Explore Kathmandu own.
These day can be used as an exploration day. We can organize sightseeing tour for you by giving you professional guide. You may let us know, this cost you extra. You can explore on your own too or buy last minutes gear. In the evening we can organize trek briefing with your head guide.
Day 03: Fly to Tumlingtar. Drive to Num (1560m) / 3.5 hours drive. Guest House accommodation
After breakfast drive to airport for a flight to Tumlingtar. The flight usually takes around 35 minutes and the views of the mountains are great if you are lucky enough not to have any cloud. You drive for about half an hour on a winding road uphill to Kandbari, a major town in the district which houses the government officials. There's plenty of rural life to observe as you head upwards with fields of corn, bamboo and sal trees. You continue on a winding, dirt road to the highest point at 1960m before descending to Chicula at 1900m, a small town with a police checkpoint where you have to present your permits. There are pleasant views of the surrounding forested hillsides. The road deteriorates a bit from Chicula so it's a bumpy ride from here most of the way to Num. Don't be surprised if your vehicle gets temporarily stuck, either behind a grounded truck, or just stuck on the rocky, muddy road.
Day 04: Trek from Seduwa (1560m). Approx 8 km / 5-6 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
Today you have a big, steep descent to the Arun River, which takes around 2 hours, and a big climb to Seduwa, losing and regaining your height in one day. The walk down to the river is through cardamom crops (the largest cash crop in the area), and the path is on big stone steps all the way to the river at 770m. It's very hot, but the scenery is rural Nepal at its best. You cross the suspension bridge over the Arun River and begin the long, winding climb to Seduwa, passing groves of giant bamboo, and bustling village life. Your guide will need to visit the Makalu-Baron National Park checkpoint. There is a school in Seduwa, as well as many houses and small shops, and a few tea houses scattered across the hillside.
Day 05: Trek to Tashigaon (2100m). Approx 8 km / 5-6 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
It's a lovely day's walk today without the brutal ascents and descents of yesterday. You begin climbing on a path with many stone steps and pass several mani walls as you head into Sherpa country. You walk through many small farms dotted across the hillside, cardamom plantations and bamboo and rhododendron forests. It's certainly a varied, undulating walk today. After approximately two hours you reach the small settlement of Chyaksa Danda at 1,900m. There's a tea shop, a school and several houses here. You may hear barbets, cuckoos, drongos, and laughing thrushes calling through the trees. In some places you are walking through dense forest and have to cross a few streams on good log bridges. You can see your destination, Tashigaon, on the hillside ahead, although it takes longer than you might think to arrive, as you contour on an undulating path. Eventually you descend to a log bridge just before your final push on stone steps to reach Tashigaon.
Day 06: Trek to Khongma Danda (3637m). Approx 8 km / 7 hours Walk. Guest House accommodation
Be prepared for a lot of ascent today! You begin by ascending out of Tashigaon and head up on stone steps. After a while you cross a log bridge and continue ascending through stunning rhododendron forest. It's a steep climb but a lovely walk with verditer flycatchers, treepies and warblers tweeting through the trees, with sparrow hawks overhead. In April the rhododendrons and magnolia trees in bloom provide a colourful foreground with snow-capped summits to the east. As you look back you'll see Tashigaon way beneath you. After approximately three hours you reach Dhara at 2,867m which has a tea shop, and you are likely to have your lunch here as it's your last chance to have a refreshment stop until you reach Khongma. Leaving Dhara it's a stiff climb of around one hour to Unshisa at 3200m, where you pass a giant rock. There's a tea hut here (closed in April 2019) and prayer flags marking this pass. From Unshisa it's more relentless climbing on stone steps through rhododendron forest. In April 2019 where was quite a bit of snow on this section making the going somewhat trickier. Eventually after a couple of hours toiling upwards from Unshisha, you reach a stone rest stop with prayer flags, and 30 minutes brings you to Khongma Danda at 3560m.
Day 07: Acclimatization day. Optional hike up to Khongma La. Guest House accommodation
We advise you to walk up to the Khongma La today although you can examine on your own. You leave your tea house and begin ascending on stone steps all the way to the pass at 3890m through rhododendron bushes. It should take you an hour or so to reach the pass. You can go a little beyond if you are keen - your guide will advise. You then retrace your steps back to Khongma, fit and acclimatized ready to tackle the four passes tomorrow, the first one of course being the Khongma La.
Day 08: Trek to Dobate (3860m). Approx 8 km / 6-8 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
Today is truly spectacular, crossing four high passes with airy traverses and dramatic ridge sections offering near-constant stunning views of snow-capped peaks. Be prepared for snow though if you are trekking in April. There is one lonely tea shop on the Shipton La, but it's likely that you won't have lunch until you reach Dobate so make sure you take plenty of snacks and water with you as it's a long, tough day (you may be given a packed lunch today). It takes around one hour of ascent through rhododendron bushes until you reach your first pass of the day - the Khongma La at 3890m. From there, if it's clear, you'll see Makalu and Chamlang. You descend for a short while before ascending towards your second pass. There are views of Kangchenjunga to be had as you traverse an airy ridge. Some steep stone steps bring you to Sano Pokhari Danda at 4105m with Sano Pokhari Lake below. To reach here from the Khongma La, takes around an hour, although it will be longer if negotiating your way through snow. More undulations bring you to the highest pass - the Shipton La at 4,200m. There's a tin shelter/tea shop here which serves thirsty, tired trekkers and pilgrims during the season. The pass is marked by a mani wall and cairn adorned with prayer flags near the shelter. It's quite a steep pull up to the Shipton La but not difficult. You descend on less steep ground to Kalo Pokhari Lake at 4080m. It's adorned with prayer flags and is visited by Hindu pilgrims during the Janai Purnima Festival. From the lake, it's an easier climb to your last pass of the day - the Keke La at 4170m. Finally, a further 45 minutes brings you to your lodge at Dobate - a very welcome sight after your four pass toils! There is a pretty good, clean lodge here with a friendly and welcoming owner. The dal bhat will taste especially good by way of reward for your exertions today.
Day 09: Trek to Yangle Kharka (3630m). Approx 10 km / 6 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
You have a really pleasant descent through rhododendron and pine forests this morning. Look out for Guldenstadts redstarts, minivets, tragopans and magpies in the trees. There is a steep descent towards the Barun River through the forest and this can be tricky with lingering snow. Eventually you reach the river and then begins your walk on a path underneath a substantial landslide area. You catch glimpses of Chanlang and Tutse en route this morning. After a brief ascent you reach the tea shop at Themathang Kharka, 3500m. It takes around four hours to reach this spot from Dobate. There is an impressive waterfall just before you reach Themathang. From here you walk for a short while until crossing the Baron Khola on a wooden bridge. The trail undulates, and you have the river now on your left. Quite a bit of work has been done to construct a stony path in places approaching Yangle Kharka. It takes about 1½ hours from the tea shop at Themathang to reach the meadows of Yangle Kharka and your lodge for the night. It's a wild and windy spot.
Day 10: Trek to Langmale (4420m). Approx 10.5 km / 6 hours. Guest House accommodation
You descend from your hut to the river and small monastery. It's a pleasant, flatish start keeping the river on your left, with the arresting scent of juniper as you walk. You pass many colourful prayer flags lining the trail. The dramatic cliffs soar either side of you, and the views ahead are dominated by Peak 4, Peak 6, Peak 7 and Yaupa. It really is a fabulous day, with jagged snow-clad summits, vertical cliffs, waterfalls, and sacred caves as a visual feast.The trail opens out as you walk past the pastures of Jhak Kharka, Yak Kharka and eventually Merek where a welcome tea shop appears after about 2½ hours of walking. You'll doubtless indulge in a cup of chai here before continuing upwards. Take it slow and steady here as you will no doubt be feeling the altitude as you toil upwards towards Langmale. It takes around 2 hours to reach your tea house at Langmale from Merek. The views here are sublime, with Peak 7 providing a breath-taking backdrop to the lodge rooms. A mani wall adorned by prayer flags sits just in front of the row of rooms. Black redstarts and choughs are quite commonplace here.
Day 11: Acclimatization day. Rest and easy day. Guest House accommodation
There are a few options for acclimatization today. There's a good hill and viewing point behind the tea house and you can extend this walk as far as your guide suggests.
Day 12: Trek to Makalu Base Camp (4800m). Approx 9 km / 6 hours. Guest House accommodation
You begin ascending on a good path - the going feels tough at this altitude so take it very easy. You'll be keeping the river on your left as you snake your way around the valley. As you round each bend you'll have another dramatic aspect to marvel at. In parts you'll be hopping from boulder to boulder, but mostly you're on a reasonable, sandy trail. Obviously you are gaining 400m of height to your destination, but the trail undulates gently and there are only a few steeper sections to get you puffing. Peak 4 comes into view as you progress. After a couple of hours walking, you reach a wide, flat area with a locked small stone hut - this is called Shershong, at 4630m, making a good camping area. Eventually Makalu comes tantalizingly into view. Its formidable face with its icefalls, crevasses, jagged edges and seracs makes you gaze up in awe. As you round a few bends, you wonder when the base camp will reveal itself. Eventually you will see the lodges . You descend, cross the river, and in five minutes you arrive at your long-awaited destination. As you would expect, the world's fifth highest mountain, Makalu, completely dominates the view. Many Tibetan snow cocks, hill pigeons, black redstarts and mountain finches may be seen around the base camp.
Day 13: Exploration day at Makalu Base Camp. Guest House accommodation
As an option you can climb to the ridge - around 5300m - above the base camp. You cross the river on the log bridge and ascend on a vague, slightly indeterminate path for around 3 hours. From this viewpoint you can see Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse as well as close-up, dramatic views of Makalu, Peak 7, Peak 6 and Peak 4. Retrace your steps to the base camp when you've had your fill of mountain drama.The round trip should take around 4-5 hours. It's a strenuous undertaking as its steep and the altitude will surely bite above 5000m. There are some softer options, which include following a path to view the lakes beyond base camp. There is also a much shorter ridge climb you can do just above base camp, and there's a small hill at the head of base camp marked with prayer flags which is around an hour's walk out and back.
Day 14: Return to Yangle Kharka. Approx 16 km / 7 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
It's with a heavy heart that you leave behind the overwhelming spectacle that is Mount Makalu, and begin retracing your steps to Yangle Kharka. It takes around 1.5 hours to reach the meadow of Shershong. A further hour or so brings you back to Langmale, where you may have tea and possibly lunch. About 2 hours walking downhill brings you next to the tea shop at Merek. It's good to chill here with a cup of tea before weaving your way through pine forests back to Yangle Kharka. It takes approximately 3 hours to reach here from the tea shop at Merek.
Day 15: Trek to to Dobate. Approx 9 km / 6 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
It's a really pleasant gentle meander following the river down to the tea shop at Themathang, passing many rhododendron bushes as you approach. There's a wooden bridge adorned by prayer flags to cross just before Themathang. It'll take around 1.5 hours to reach here. After a short while you will have to negotiate the landslide area, which takes around 1.5 hours. Take care on this as there are some narrow sections to pass. After an undulating stretch, you start climbing steeply through the rhododendron forest. If you're lucky you may see a Himalayan Danfe Nepal's national bird, resplendent in its rainbow colors.
Day 16: Trek back to Khongma. Approx 8 km / 7 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
You begin ascending to the Keke La at 4170m, which should take around 1.5 hours. It's a further 1.5 hours to reach your highest point today - the Shipton La at 4200m. Another hour or so of contouring round the mountainside will bring you to the large cairn that marks Sano Pokhari Danda at 4105m. A further hour of undulations brings you back to the final pass - the Khongma La at 3890m, marked by a mani wall. Approximately 250m of descent, mainly on stone steps, brings you back to your lodge at Khongma. Look out for blood pheasant which can occasionally be seen wandering in the snow between the rhododendron bushes.
Day 17: Trek to Tashigaon. Approx 7 km / 6 hours walk. Guest House accommodation
Descend from Khongma down to Dhara Kharka which takes around 3 hours. The descent to Tashigaon then takes a further 3 hours.
Day 18: Trek back to Seduwa. Approx 9 km / 6 hours walk.
Retracing your steps back to Seduwa today will take around 6 hours.
Day 19: Tek to Num. Approx 8 km / 5 hours walk. Drive to Khandbari. Guest House accommodation
Today is a long but fairly steep climb, mainly on stone steps, all the way down to the Arun River. You go down at 770m. It will be feeling very warm now as you head deep into the forest lower down. You cross the river and endure the 800m climb all the way back to Num. From Num you return by vehicle to Khandbari where you spend your last night in the mountains.
Day 20: Drive to Tumlingtar. Fly to Kathmandu. Hotel accommodation
After breakfast you transfer back to Tumlingtar to make the return flight to Kathmandu airport where you will be met and transferred to Hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax.
Day 21: Day at leisure until departure. Transfer to airport. Depart Kathmandu.
Free time until departure. You can explore some of the sights of Kathmandu, do some last-minute shopping or simply chill out at your hotel. Transfer to airport. Depart Kathmandu.
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