What better way to spend a new year better than being on a trip and on top of that being on the lap of the mighty mountains. We’d be having a short trek this time, we knew of this and had either Mardi or Langtang on our list and we opted for a Langtang trek.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP:
- Climb to the Kyanjin Ri, 4300M ASL.
- The cook with borderline personality we met at Woodland, Rasuwa.
- Yaks, Horses & Mules grazing all over the trail.
- Walk alongside the Langtang river.
- “Aau dahi khau” to everyone who walked along the trail, an old man 83 years old asks us too, to drink his yak curd. It was astounding for us to see that old man who crouch walked, living in such terrain with just his wife, able to sustain both of their lives.
- Conversation with Cholden at Langtang Valley about a Mountaineer who was a valued member of the mountaineering community, that attempted and lost his life while climbing Langtang Lirung, and his own experience while his own attempt. He was a funny guy. “Himal ma paani paudaina tei bhayera 5 6 ota khukuri rum ligera Langtang chadna gako buda. Dukha payera himal le chadna diyena bhanera farkeko re“. We could spend hours listening to his tales. He was hilarious.
- The dips in the icy cold water while having inhibitions lowered on alcohol and some more at two streams on the same day. The cold shock sobered us up in just a dip.
- Not getting tired of continuously ringing the chime bell at the hotel in Kyanjin Valley.
- “Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I overheard and like what you’re talking about. There’s a show on Netflix called ‘The Midnight Gospel’, You people might like it.”. They appreciated what I recommended to them. They were asking me to join in the conversation but you know what I am. “You guys enjoy your spiritual dialogue. I’ll be with my friends if you need me for anything.” That was a night to remember.
Our Itinerary over Langtang Trek
1st day
Tokha-Chahare => Nuwakot Siltanky => Lokil => Dhunche => Syabrubesi
The day starts at 3 in the morning with an hour wasted in bed and another one spent getting ready to head out and packing all stuff necessary for the trip. With too much anticipation, I got to Bijay’s house and to Baniyatar to get Bishnu. at around 6 am we began our journey. Okay, breakfast at Chahare, it had been decided prior to the heavy rain that hit us while we were at Gurunggau but due to a change in circumstances, we stopped for tea and snacks at two different locations while not even arriving at Chahare.
The plains of Nuwakot being an extremely hot place, we decided to stay in the shade and eat and quench our thirst at Siltanky which is one of my favorite places.
With no intention of going any further than Syaprubesi, we had a bit of time left on our clocks. “Syaubaari hudai Lokil chadidim na ta. Tya bata view haru khatra dekhincha. Rasuwa ko arko najara herera jam na aako bela ma.” agreeing on this we headed for Lokil. It rained for a while, while we were at Lokil. Despite dark clouds hovering over the sky, the view seen from Lokil was the best among what we had seen from the whole dusk to dawn.
We didn’t book any hotel at the Bazar and instead chose to stay alongside the river for the night. A local advised us to take an alternate route that would take us near the Lama Hotel and that would be on wheels. . That route would have significantly reduced the overall time it took for the trek. Daylight was almost lost and still, an hour of ride left to where we were suggested, we decided to stay at Syaprubesi.
The hotel hunt was on and we decided to stay at a hotel called the river view hotel where they said they had a safe place to park the bikes and indeed they did. In fact, the hotel turned out to be owned by the same dai who we met at Cholangpati, who had suggested master whai go shit in the open a year ago while we were on the trek to Gosaikunda. This assured us even further that we and our vehicles were in good hands.
Dresses were changed and holding a beer in each of our hands we climbed to the top of the building, under the moonlit sky. The first day ended after dinner.
2nd day
Syaprubesi =>Tiwari => Domen => Pairo => Bamboo => Rimche
“Ali Agadi janu. Tya auta pul aaucha. Tei pul cross garera siddai batai bato janu na“, Dai replies upon asking what path we should be taking today. The bridge which he suggested to us was the first bridge while which we went through was a different one. It was the suspension bridge(across the river through the old trail). While we were walking through, there was a landslide that swept the trail to the river. Though we had walked a difficult path, it was the adventurous one.
At a place called Tiwari, there’s a guest house called Bob Marley Guest House which had paintings of marijuana leaves on its wall. The name suggests in itself and we made assumptions that it was a stoner’s paradise.
Upon reaching Domen and seeing a clean stream, we thought of having a coffee break. and on top of that, it was Bijay’s birthday. We celebrated it with some puffs of green and a strong coffee.
The climb gets steep there onwards. We arrived at a so-called hot spring just ahead of Pairo. The water there was salty and lukewarm. The puddle or pool where the hot water had accumulated wasn’t that appealing for a dip thus we only washed our faces from a hose the water was pouring through. It took us another two hours to get to Bamboo where we had thought of having lunch. The hotel owners at Syaprubesi forgot to make a call and order our lunch so we had to wait another hour for our lunch to arrive followed by another hour for rest. It was 2 and a half in the noon while we moved out from Bamboo.
We had all the time in the world thus our pace was slower compared to other travelers. The hike was peaceful and engrossing as the Langtang river never left our side. The chirps of birds, walking along the dense forest, and the flora and fauna found there were all enchanting. We had no clear intention of reaching a certain destination and had thought of staying at a place where we found it fine.
After reaching Rimche at around 5 in the evening it was decided we have some liquor to numb all the aches the hike gave us. The owner gave us jhwai khatte. The alcohol was good. I’d never seen the guys so thrilled getting to see the foreigners, especially the ladies. It was damn funny, the drunk guys telling “Kasta ramra ramra hun“. The alcohol was finished, the dinner was done and all that remained was to hit bed which we did at around 9. It didn’t take us long to fall asleep.
3rd day
Rimche => Lama Hotel => Riverside => Woodland => Ghoda Tabela => Thangsyap
The day started with an easy downhill from Rimche to Lama hotel which took us around a half hour. People usually go straight to lama hotel from Syaprubesi to stay the night but genuinely speaking, we found the place to have been overrated. Rimche was the better option with high elevation while lama hotel was just a settlement made to accommodate tourists.
A few minutes of walk from Riverside, there came a place called woodland which consisted of just a hotel. Numerous horses and mules were grazing on the green pasture just ahead of the hotel, with some horses eating the rhododendron flowers straight from the trees. It was a magnificent sight to behold.
It was decided we would have lunch there. We ordered lunch and went to the river which was just beside the hotel and we burnt the devil plant there as well. Reminiscing that moment still brings me a smile. The rhododendron forest started getting denser there onwards. Nearing Ghotatabela there were many plain pastures where horses, yaks, and mules were grazing all together in harmony, and seeing such places was thrilling thus, we were making loud noises.
From Ghoda Tabela we could see the Langtang and the rubbles the earthquake brought along in the year 2015. People we met on the trail were suggesting to whether stay at Ghodatabela or at Langtang. We found Thangsyap which was about half an hour away from Ghodatabela a better option and that place not being that far away we decided to have another coffee break.
It was around 5 that we reached Thanksyap just when the weather started turning against us. There was just a single guy staying outside of his hotel in that brutal weather. Though it hadn’t rained till the moment, it was about to. It was cold and dark and foggy. Why would somebody be outside in this weather? Maybe it was to bring guests in, I assumed. The tenacity of the mountain people to have just a guest in should always be applauded. We had a conversation and thought of staying at his hotel. There was no one except for us for the night. It felt like the whole hotel belonged to us and the usual eat, drink and smoke were on until we fell asleep.
4th day
Thangsyap => Gumba Danda => Langtang => Mundu(m) => Sindhum => Kyanjin
The day starts with the breakfast of the same Tibetan bread that we’d been eating for the past couple of days. It had been enough already but having no other option, we needed to fill our bellies with whatever we came across. The trail from Thangsyap onwards was easier compared to what we’d done the other day and the destination for the day being Kyangin, we needn’t hurry.
Nearing Gumbadanda, we were invited by an old man saying “Aau Dahi khau“. seeing an old man asking people to have his yak curd in exchange for a bit of money, we felt compassionate. “Aja samma khako chaina. kasto hudo raicha try garam na ta.” By saying this we entered his domain and found out that he lived there with his sick wife with nothing but the money he earns by selling his yak curd or milk. If it were us in his place, we’d have given up on that mountain life years ago. That man’s life was humbling.
Since the early start of the day, the traffic on the trail was quite high compared to the rest of the days. Most of the locals were shutting down their businesses and heading towards Kyanjin. When asked why they said there’s a Ghewa (A Buddhist ritual performed to cleanse the spirit of the dead on the 45th day after the death). We discovered that the deceased one was a reputed person among the residents of his locality and his associates were visiting Kyanjin from far away places like Timure to attend his ghewa.
Everybody that has visited Langtang has to come across the rubble where an entire village was swept by a broken piece of a cliff during the earthquake. From a far distance, the rubble seemed small but while walking over it, it turned huge. This is a dark place where you must walk over a buried village keeping in mind that somebody used to live there and they were buried in the avalanche.
Our plans for lunch at Langtang now dwindled as the entire Langtang village was shutting down and everybody was heading to Kyanjin. The whole village was now empty. Our last hope to feed was in Mundu(m) or else we’d be walking on an empty growling stomach. Fortunately, there was just a hotel door open. we called the owner and asked if there was any food. They said they’d have to cook the meal which was the usual dal-bhat. It was staggering that they had yak ghee available too.
After lying in the sun for about an hour and a half, the owners served our food. Our taste buds appreciated the yak ghee topped on our dal-bhat but our wallets had to let go of an extra 900 for just 3 spoons of ghee. It was a rip-off, nevertheless, we didn’t say anything about the price. We were glad we got to eat but it was definitely a rip-off.
A brief rest in Sindhum and in a while as we were approaching Kyanjin, there was a guy who seemed to be manhandling a lady. We couldn’t tell if they were trying to do the deed in the open or if they were having a fight. The guy was laying the lady on the ground. As I walked recording what was happening, they turned out to be the married couple with whom we’d bought water from their shop in Langtang. “Ohh bummer”, it would have been exhilarating if that couple was doing what we thought they were doing.
Whatever they were doing was their own business which we didn’t want to meddle in. The lady walked towards Langtang and the guy towards Kyanjin. Finally, we were relieved to have found ourselves stepping foot in Kyanjin village. The weather was turning against us and we hurriedly booked a room, changed, and went straight to the diner, ordered our jhwai khattes, and sat beside the stove.
As Kyanjin is the final destination of the trek. We considered loosening up with some drinks. The owners stated that smoking wasn’t permitted indoors so we had to comply and go to the balcony to smoke. Above the balcony door, there was a chime bell. I had my inhibitions lowered I knew but I have no idea what was making me ring the bell so often. To me, I sounded like I was making music. I’m aware that I have had alcohol consumed.
After drinks, snacks, smokes, and conversation with friends, and foreigners, the usual plain dinner arrived. It was done; we went to the room and we were done for the night.
5th day
While having a conversation with a foreigner the previous night, he said that the hot shower over there was the best. we’ve had dips in the streams on the way but yay we’d get a much-needed shower and a warm one in the mountains, I was excited. let’s have a warm shower in the morning I’d thought the previous night. As usual, my sleep left at 3 in the morning. I went to the bathroom to have a supposed hot shower but the water wasn’t any warmer than ice. Saying okay let’s have a cold shower then, saying this I went under the running icy shower. It’s 3 something in the morning; everybody’s in their sleep while I’m having cold shocks. It felt like an act of bravery at the time.
The time that we’d been waiting for arrived. It was the ascent towards Kyanjin Ri. I had Tsherigo Ri which gave a 360-degree view of the mountains nearby, in mind, but it required an additional day spent on the trek so we opted for Kyanjin Ri instead. After breakfast, the climb began. The path was strenuous and required attention and concentration. Looking at the Ri from the bottom didn’t seem that intimidating but the climb proved us otherwise.
After reaching the top, we breathed in the success of our journey and took pictures. While heading down to the village we came to a realization that if the climb required 50% of concentration, the descent required 100%. One miss and you’d tumble straight to Kyanjin valley. People could be seen walking on 4 limbs while descending.
To have called this trip, a success, what now left was to get back home safe and sound. After picking up our stuff from the hotel at Kyanjin, we slowly started walking to Langtang where we made plans to have lunch. The sister of the hotel owner whose hotel we stayed in the previous night said she too owns a hotel at Langtang and insisted we have lunch at her.
Upon reaching Langtang, a guy was seen rolling a doobie on the balcony of a hotel across from a shop. The same shop where we had previously bought a bottle of water, belonged to that couple who were seemingly having a fight at the entrance of Kyanjin village. Okay let’s eat here, we decided and that was where we met Cholden.
At first glance, Cholden seemed like a drunk dude, rambling whatever came to his mind. In a while, he was about to change how we viewed his persona. He asked his wife to prepare food for us and while waiting the conversation began. He told us the story about Langtang village and how it all went down in the earthquake. The expression of a drunk man telling stories of his old village that swept away in just a matter of minutes is something you’d not forget anytime soon.
From what he said the village that got buried was a newly established one. Most people and hotels had migrated from the old settlement, then the earthquake happened and they again moved back to the old one. Then his stories about the mountain began. He talked about how the mountains are their gods and how they curse humans when they don’t respect them enough.
Cholden’s Storytime
While asking where they climb Langtang Lirung from, he answered “Yo himal ta chadna didaina ni!”. The other guy who was smoking asked who didn’t allow people to climb the mountain, and his reply was “Himal le” in an enticing tone which left us speechless. ” Kasta kasta aayera ta chadna nasaki farkinchan, yo ta eakdum danger cha ni.”, his story of the mountaineer begins.
Misogyny aside “Euta khaire thiyo hai. Chati pani yetro thulo thulo, kti haru ko jasto, pakhura heryo bhane eak mudki mai raango(buffalo) dhaalla jasto thiyo. kasta kasta himal ta chadya chu, yo k ho ra bhanera chadecha, mathi ridge tira pugepachi heu, hawa huri, weather ramro nabhayera aadkecha. Rescue garne bhanera heli ta bolayecha. Heli lina ni aako thiyo, tara pilot lai altitude sickness bhayera, rescue nai nagari farkyo. Bhare aafnai family sanga contact garera baira bata nai rescuer magayecha jun chai bholi palta matra aaipugne wala thiyo langtang ma. Rescuer ta aayo, mathi gayera khojecha tyo khaire lai. last ma ta tesko laas po bhetecha. Raati weather bigreko bhayera tyai gayecha tyo khaire ta. tei bhayera disrespect garna hudaina hamro himal lai. Yini haru bhaneko ta hamro deuta haru po ho ta.”. He was delivering his story with so much suspense that We were listening with so much anticipation keeping in mind what comes next. In the end, he killed that man in his story. we were hoping that the climber would get rescued and we’d get to hear his experience too.
“Maile ni ta try gareko ho yo chadna lai. Uhhuh sakdai sakena. Jhan naya naya orgi orgi(original/of high qquality) dori ligera gako sakena maile ni chadna.”. Pointing a finger toward what seemed like a bottleneck of the mountain “Wu tya pugepachi ta mathi chadnai sakena ni.12 jati bajeko thiyo hola, hawa huri chalera,nihuridai dallo pardai dori ma samatera bacheko ma pani. eakchin ma hawa banda bhayo ani mathi chadna khojeko feri. uhhuh sakdai sakena. himal ma paani pani napaune, 4 5 bottle khukuri rum neat ghutuk ghutuk khaye ani farkeko ma ta“. “Aba hami pani 2 3 barsa ma langtang chadna aaucham. teti bela hamlai mathi himal ma guide garne chai tapailai jimma dincham hai ta.”, we added to the conversation. “Uhhuh hudai hudaina, ma ta mare pani jadaina, tapai haru le malai kati chai dinuy hola ra 1 lakh 2 lakh, k mero jindagi ko mol teti matra ho? uhhuh ma ta jadai jadaina.“. We had some good laughs over there.
After spending around three hours at Cholden’s hotel at Langtang, it was time we descended. There were three ladies who we’d met while getting to Kyanjin Ri in the morning. They arrived at the time we were leaving Langtang. With no exact destination in mind, we were sluggish and in no time the girls caught up then were ahead of us. We overheard a girl shouting “Yes!!! Hamle topidem yini haru lai “. “What in the fuck are these chicks so happy about getting ahead while we were clearly seen walking like tortoises?”, I was reasoning. When we reached Thangsyap, the sky started to drip. We got inside the hotel where we’d slept a day earlier. The ladies went to the one next door. There we stayed till the rain stopped pouring, while the ladies had moved ahead already. If you’re the same ladies reading this, remember “We let you win and it was on purpose, ani baaki kura tyo hamlai topeko. PFSSSS!!! The joke’s on you, dear ladki logs.”
It was around 4 in the evening; the sky was dark; it was foggy all around and the guy who was at the hotel was telling us to stay there but there being nothing new that we’d not seen, we walked back again. We had previously thought of staying at Ghodatabela but seeing just a hotel open and that too with a crammed space, we said nope and walked again. Despite not knowing how long it’d take to reach a settlement, we walked. It was dark and drizzling and we were now in a hurry. Okay, whichever hotel comes, we stay there for the night it was decided. At around 7 o’clock we reached Woodland where there was just a hotel where we’d had lunch on our 4th day of the trek. The guy there greeted us and asked what we’d be having for dinner. We’ll talk about dinner in a while, first, we need some alcohol, we stated. There was no alcohol so he had to fetch it from the hotels at the riverside. “Hotel ma koi pani chaina, tapai haru aaram gardai garnu, ma 10 min ma ligera aaihalchu hai,” he said and vanished into the darkness.
“Thikai bhayo hai uta nabaseko ni. Dhanna baas chai paiyo“, we were glad. 20 minutes later he arrived with alcohol. “la dai yeslai khatte banaidinu, ani yo sanga snack chai fries banaidinu la”, we asked him. “Huncha, tapai haru pani kitchen mai aaunu na. chiso cha aago agadi basera gaf gardai tato raksi piunu na“, he replies and we did as he had suggested. He put three chairs in front of a fireplace, and handed us the jhwai khatte along with the finger chips he made for us, and then the conversation began.
A weird guy at Woodland, Rasuwa
Never had I ever met a person who was near impossible to please. I am an egotistical maniac I’ve always been aware of this but this dude was on a whole another level. He was an extremely hard-working man but bundles of notes of thousands in his pocket had turned him into a psychopath. He talked about all the pain he’d endured to reach that place on earth. Originally from Nuwakot and a close relative of a member of the constituent assembly, he seemed to have been fed up with human interpersonal dynamics and given up on his previous life. Now he lived in a secluded cabin in the woods.
“Bhai haru kaa bata ho ni?”, he asks. While answering where we’re from, he asks if we knew people whose names I’ve forgotten, who were also from places where we belonged from. “Chaina ni dai tyo manche chineko”, before we could end our words he says “K furti laira ta bhai haru ma yaa bata ho bhanera, jaba ki timle tya kaa main manche haru nai chindainau”, then his doubled persona starts manifesting. He started talking shit about his wife and mother. He didn’t leave anybody else too. At times we felt what he’s speaking of is true too.
Despite being a reasonable person who speaks of not judging anybody, we’re flawed humans. We do judge people and he stroke me as a person who was discarded by his loved ones for he had very little money. It seemed like he’d been through a long grueling hurdle of life where he learned his lesson the hard way. The alcohol was over and we got outside the kitchen to smoke.
“Kasto psycho manche raicha yar, jati ramro kura garna khoje pani khali niu khojya niu khojya kura matra garcha ta“, Bishnu says. “Ahh chodde, yeslai jati ufrina cha ufrina de, k gardo raicha heram na, hami 3 jana yo sirf 1 jana, dukha paucha neu khojna thalyo bhane yesle” I had said that. Upon coming inside the kitchen, we found the guy to have listened to our conversation and was saying “A tapai haru 3 jana aani ma 1 jana? lah k garnu huncha heram ta. ma bholi eak paisa ni choddina. paisa tirena bhane maile janya chu“. Maybe he thought we’d leave without paying the money or we’d rob him. “Hya dai paisa ko kura haina, hamle khane kura chai mitho huna paryo bhanya ho. Kaa yesto 3 jana 1 jana ko kura garnu bhaira?”. “Lah ma khana chai eakdum special banaidinchu teso bhaye “, he says and starts digging into his storage. He grabs a bag out, which was hidden like illegal contraband. Inside it was 5 6 dried strands of fungus-infested meat. “Lah bhai haru lai ma aja special masu-bhat banayera khwauchu tara paisa chai hajar per plate parcha ni”. “Thikai cha dai. Testo sun jasari lukayera rakheko sukuti khwauna lagnu bha cha. hamlai chitta bujhne khana khwaunus. hami tapaile bhaneko jati dincham. tara dai masu dhuysi lagisakeko jasto dekhincha, bholi kei bhayo bhane tesko jimma chai tapai huna parcha ni” we said. ” Kei hudaina bhai haru lai kei nahuni gari banaidinchu ma” he replies.
He cut the meat, washed and boiled it for around 20 minutes. At times he would show us the meat saying “La hernu ta bhai, dhusi susi kei baaki cha ta aba?”. It was 10 PM when he served the dinner. He looked at us and seeing our disappointed faces he said “Bhai haru lai masu man parena jasto cha. Yesko swaad ta maal chinne manche le matra thaha paucha re”. “Sala dhusi lageko masu pakayera kwako cha. Ajha paisa ni tetro mahango bhandai cha. Ajha uskai thulo kura. Bholi paisa tirni bela kura garula“. After dinner again he strikes a conversation. Again he starts asking if we knew a person who he was talking about. “Kosailai chinera kei khyasidaina. Josle joslai chine ni huni k hora. Jasto samsad ko bhatij bhaye ni, joslai chineko bhaye ni yo khako jutho bhada bholi bihana aru koi aayera majhidincha ? Manche haru kasta kasta huu bhanni ta aauchan. bhitra bhitra chai samjhinchu, Duniya sanga dikka lagera ya aauchan ani aafai thula paltinchan“. Maybe he was bitter because he’d been not treated well by the world. Dinner was over and now what left was to smoke a blunt which we offered to him as well. He smoked and then only got silent. “Yo mula lai suru mai gaja khwaideko bhaye yesto badi ta chamkidaina thyo hola“, it came to us only before we’d gone for the sleep. However this person and what he had said will always be on my mind.”GIVE THE WORK, TAKE THE MONEY.” is what he lived for and it was not a bad message either.
6th day
Woodland => Riverside => Lama Hotel => Rimche => Bamboo => Pairo => Domen => Tiwari => Syabrubesi
This being the last day of the trek and Syaprubesi not that much further away, there was no need to hurry. After we had coffee in the hotel, our descent began. after reaching Rimche at around 10, we had our breakfast. the hotel owner there gave us his visiting cards asking us to stay at a hotel of his relative at Syaprubesi despite us telling him that we had our bikes parked in another hotel. We didn’t do as he suggested and I still have around 10 cards.
Nearing Bamboo, there’s a rivulet where we decided on having a dip and a coffee. We’ve had a few puffs of the greens given to us by the hotel owner in Rimche. The sun was hot over our heads, what we needed were a few dips in the icy cold water. Walking with an intoxicated mind on an empty stomach was getting tedious too. One dip and the head was clear. After spending around two hours burning the blunt, getting soaked, and sulking in the sun by the stream. It was time again to move.
Upon reaching Pairo, we had our lunch at around 3 in the evening. An hour later, we were found dipping ourselves at a waterfall in Domen. As we had earlier, we had coffee there too. Syaprubesi being just an hour further away, there was no need for us to rush. What now left was just a plain graveled road where we could even have gotten a ride on; we walked nonetheless.
Throwing our bags in one corner of the room, we celebrated our victory. The evening was still the same. What was different was that we had a newfound sense of pride for we had another pin pegged on the map. We climbed to the same rooftop holding a beer in each of our hands, ordered snacks, and the night went by in no time.
7th day
Syabrubesi =>Dhunche => Kalikasthan => Betrawati => Siltanky => Ktm
Some people go to places, not for a vacation but just for the sake of the bragging rights that reaching a place provides. There’s no time to look around, they do nothing but walk. Where’s the fun in that? That’s not a way to travel. That’s the reason why it took us 7 days for the trek that would have finished in just 5 days. Nope, we don’t walk like zombies.
We woke up, packed our belongings, readied our bikes, had breakfast, said our goodbyes to dai, and left. While we had previously planned of going to Kathmandu through Mailung, dai made us reconsider our route as there were chances of us getting stuck on a road that many people wouldn’t think about and we went the same way we came through. It was first the climb to Dhunche followed by the downhill. All we could think about was getting home as soon as possible.
A bit of a curvy downhill then we reached Betrawati, then again to Siltanky. There we had some drinks and snacks and rested for a while. Nuwakot being hot as hell, we couldn’t sit there for too long as it was just noon. Wiping our sweat-soaked faces, we had to say goodbye to Siltanky, then to Battar, to Chahare, to Gurjebhanjyang, to Tokha; and then only there was a sigh of relief “Waa balla ghar aaipugiyo“, and bidding farewell to the guys I got home.
Food and Lodging over Langtang trail
Except for at Syaprubesi where we stayed for the first and the last night of the trip; where we had parked our bikes, we never needed to pay for the lodging on the trails. Nepalese travelers aren’t usually needed to pay for a bed at any place they’d like to stay. Just pay for the food and that would be fine. Have a conversation about the price with the hotel runners beforehand though.
The food you’d generally find on the trek would be Tibetan bread for breakfast with veggies or tea or Jam. They do have Chowmein as an alternative for the bread. For lunch what we find especially is Dal Bhat which we found of similar taste all along the trail. There’s very little option for snacks. You could buy biscuits, noodles, chocolates, drinks, and others but they cost way high that it’s not just worth the money. For dinner, there’s the usual Dal Bhat.
We’d carried instant coffee and alcohol for beverages from Kathmandu. We’d also carried aqua tabs that cleared pathogens from the water we found all over the trail, nevertheless, we drank straight from the hoses.
You should always keep in mind that Langtang holds a significant religious value in terms of the Buddhist tradition. The whole Langtang valley being a no-kill zone, looking for meat on the trail is impractical. People do not usually herd livestock for meat. Rarely with a stroke of very good luck, meat could land on your plate but would cost you a fortune. You could carry some salami or dried meat from Kathmandu if no food goes inside your throat without any meat.
How hard is the Langtang trek?
With an average hike of around 6 hours per day, we didn’t find it that much straining. You’d find the trail steep from Domen to Thangsyap with some occasional downhills and straight walks in between, from Thangsyap the whole trek’s a piece of cake. Climbing to Kyanjin Ri or Tsherigo Ri can be a bit strenuous though. You’d need to pack food and water for the journey from Kyangin to any of the peaks and way back to the hotel.
How expensive is Langtang Trek?
Langtang being a short trek, the expenses on this trail doesn’t tend to be that high.
- The bread that you usually eat for breakfast costs you a 200 with either tea or some veggies. Peanut butter or jam will cost you some extra.
- Chowmein costs you the same as the bread.
- Lunch of plain Dal-Bhat generally costs you 500.
- Bottled water costs you 200 per bottle. So carrying a bottle and filling it with water found in the region is a much-suited option. You could bring your own water purifiers if water found on the trail icks you.
- The dinner too is the usual 500.
- Some hotels ask for boarding prices too while most places let you stay for free if you have dinner at theirs. Ask the hotel first, what their scheme is on the boarding price.
Excluding your personal expenses, what you spend per day can come close to an average of 2000 per pax per day on BLD basis.
The amount I’m quoting here are all for Nepalese travellers and the currency is Nepalese Rupees. For foreigners the price differ.
Things to Remember
- Electricity is scarce in this region so you ought to carry a power bank. You’d not be getting a power outlet until you’ve reached Langtang village.
- There’s no network of NTC till you’ve reached Langtang village. Carry an extra Ncell sim if you don’t want to lose communication with your loved ones. You’d get a network of 4G in NTC from Langtang onwards.
- Always carry a basic first-aid pouch.
- Bring your own ghee/butter, jam, lemon, meat, coffee, cigarettes if you smoke, and everything that pleases your palate. You’d appreciate the additionals on top of the regular food you’d find on the trail. If some extra weight makes the trip, even more, livelier, why not?
- Carry some additional cash. You never know when it might come in handy.
- Just don’t trek to places just so you get to brag about where you’ve touched the ground. Put an extra day on your itinerary. Don’t rush to finish.