Ganesh Himal Trek

Overview

Ganesh Himal derives its name from the Elephant headed god in Hindu religion. The Ganesh Himal range is one of the closest mountain range from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. The Ganesh Himal Trek of 15 days offers one of the best trekking experiences in Nepal with an insight into the local culture and natural beauty. In addition it is a new trekking trail thus you won’t see much tourist around, allowing you to walk in a peaceful and quiet environment.

The Ganesh Himal trekking starts from Betrawati about 5 hours of drive from Kathmandu. We will walk past terraced farms and high altitude settlements of the Tamangs during the trek. The trail offers panoramic views of many mountains in the central Himalayan region including the Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, Manaslu and others. Shing La Pass situated at 4200m is the highest point in this trek.  On day 13th you come down to Dhading Besi and end the trek. This trek is operated on camping basis but tea house is possible in some places.

Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu.
AMN representative will meet you at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Welcome dinner with cultural program in the evening. The trekking guide will accompany you to the dinner and you can put forward your final queries before you start the trek with us.

Day 02: Half day sightseeing of Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath. Rest of the day free for preparation of the trek.
After a nice breakfast an experienced city guide will accompany you through the small alleys into the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The seat of royalty until the 20th century and a living museum. It has monuments as old as 800 years old. Then you visit the Swayambhunath stupa situated on a hilltop about 3 km away from the city center. It is also referred as the monkey temple. Both of these places are UNESCO world heritage sites. You can go around Thamel in the afternoon for last minute shopping for the trek if you have missed something.

Day 03: Drive to Betrawati. (850m)
We have a short but tiring drive today that lasts about 5 hours. We end the drive to Betrawati via Trishuli, which is a big town on the Pasang Lamu Highway. After a short walk from Betrawati we reach our campsite at Sole. In the evening we will explore the local area, terraced farms and meet people who are always curious about foreigners.

Day 04: Trek to Kispang. (1600m)
Our destination of the day is Kispang situated at 1600 m from sea level.  We will have lunch after 3 hours of walk and then conitue another 2 hours before reaching Kispang. This is not a tiring day as we gradually go up and enjoy the day through the villages where majority of the people are seen busy in their farms. Have fun in the campsite with the staff as they sing and dance with you.

Day 05: Trek to Thulo Chaur. (2200m)
Another short yet interesting day is ahead of us. We start our day with hot breakfast served by the camping crew and head towards Thulo chawr. The trail passes through the settlement of Tamang people, an ethnic group of Mongolian origin who follow both Hinduism and Buddhism. We reach Thulo Chaur after about 5 hours with a lunch break in between. Overnight stay at camp.

Day 06: Trek to Gonga. (2900m)
The trail today goes through a dense forest with pine vegetation. As we are going high to Gonga almost at 3000m from sea level we have a steep climb with few descents in between. During the walk through the forest there are healthy chances of encounter with wild animals such wild pigs, small deers, Monkeys of different species and others. Today is the first day when you see the Ganesh Himal from the trail so as soon as you reach Gonga in the mid afternoon go mountain hunting with your lenses.

Day 07: Trek to Rupchet. (3635m)
After walking 4 days you start feeling higher altitude and change in vegetation in a significant way, which is much more enjoyable than walking in lower altitudes. We still conitue through the trail and walk past the forest of rhododendron and pine trees before reaching Rupchet situated at 3635. Consult your trekking guide for any problems regarding high altitudes.  Enjoy the nice dinner in the evening and go to bed early as you have to wake up early tomorrow for climbing up the Shing la pass!

Day 08: Trek to Kharka (2500m) via the Shing La Pass. (4100m)
Today is the most exciting day of the trip. You will be on top of Shing la pass in 7 hours. We start the day early and walk towards Kharka and before that climb the Shing La Pass. This is not a easy climb but once you reach the top you are rewarded the best view of the majestic mountains of the Himalayas including Ganesh Himal, Boudha Himal, Langtang Lirung,  Manaslu and many more even in the Tibetan side. Going down to Kharka is easier after you cross the pass. Rest in the evening before dinner. Go to bed early to prepare for the next day trip.

Day 09: Trek to Borang. (1800m)
We leave Kharka today and head toward Borang. As we have started the second leg of the trip we will go down in terms of altitude. The journey takes transition from silent forests to small villages still very quiet. After walking for 6 hours and a lunch break in between you will find yourself with the Tamangs of Borang. Overnight at camp.

Day 10: Trek to Jharlang. (1700m)
After a warm breakfast we head towards Jharlang today. The walk most of the day is through terraced farms and their owners working for the next harvest. The trail ascends and descends gently and in 6 hours you reach the beautiful village of Jharlang.

Day 11: Trek to Kintang Phedi. (1200m)
The walk from Jharlang to Kintang Phedi is about 6 hours, walking through small streams, terraced fields and some small settlements with people of different cultures and religion. The Mountain View might disappear as we go down. The hills although are very scenic and beautiful giving you some other feelings than the mountains. Overnight camping at Kintang Phedi.

Day 12: Trek to Khahare. (1000m)
We walk along a river for couple of hours before starting an accent of more than 3 hours. We will camp in Khahare. Explore the village and surrounding in the evening.

Day 13: Trek to Dhading Besi (700m) and drive back to Kathmandu.
We will start the day around 8 after breakfast and walk for little more than an hour before reaching Dhading Besi, where our transport will be waiting for us to take us back to Kathmandu. In the evening drink in one of the bars in Thamel is worthy to remove the tiredness of the trek.

Day 14: Free day.

Day 15: Final departure.

Trip Enquiry

Ganesh Himal Trek of reviews