| Trek to Base Camp via Laurebina La Route |
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| Trek to Base Camp via Laurebina La   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Langtang Himal/Himalaya, Nepal, Asia Lat/Lon: 28.25000°N / 85.52000°E Route Type: Hiking Season: Spring, Fall Time Required: A few days Difficulty: Medium
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| Page By: cjaniesch Created/Edited: Sep 4, 2005 / Feb 21, 2006 Object ID: 166598 Hits: 604 Loading... Page Score: 0% - 0 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Route DescriptionThis is (as the titel implies) not a route up Langtang Lirung itself but the description of one of the classical trekking routes in the Central Nepalese Himalaya.
The trek starts at the town of Sundarijal in the Kathmandu Valley and leads through the district of Helambu, then further on by way of Laurebina La (4609 meters) into the Langtang Valley and eventually to the site of the base camp of Langtang Lirung situated near the village of Kyanjing Gompa.
This trek takes about 8 days and is of medium difficulty, the crux being the Laurebina La. Do only attempt to cross it when you have fully acclimatised and watch out for signs of altitude sickness.
To make the route description easier to follow I have devided the trek into days. I have walked the route accordingly, others may be faster and others may want to linger at certain places. All places mentioned in the text offer accomodation and food so following a different initiary is no problem at all.
Getting to trailhead at Sundarijal is easy and straightforward. Either take the bus from Kathmandu bus station or simply take a taxi.
Day 1:
The trail, that is very easy to follow, starts west of Sundarijal (1460 meters) at the end of the road from Kathmandu and at once ascends towards the Shivapuri Ridge forming the rim of the Kathmadu Valley. This forested ridge is crossed by way of a pass called Borlang Bhanjyang (2420 meters) in about 4 hours from Sundarijal. The path then descends towards the settlement of Pati Bhanjyang (1770 meters) where there are lodges and a police station. Pati Bhanjyang is 2 hours from the pass, camping is possible here.
Day 2:
From Pati Bhanjyang the trail starts ascending again this time very steeply until you reach the village of Chipling (2170 meters) after 2 hours. The path keeps ascending towards a ridge crest for 4,5 hours with many ups and downs passing some villages until it reaches Khutumsang (2470 meters) lying in a saddle. There is a variety of lodges at Khutumsang and the owners will allow you to pitch a tent in their frontyard.
Day 3:
From Khutumsang the trail ascends the Pangbo Danda Ridge to the north until it reaches a notch with some chortens (~3200 meters) after 2,5 hours. From here follow the west side of the ridge with some ups and downs for 1 hour to Mangengoth (3220 meters), the site of an army station. The path swings to the north again and ascends towards Tharepati (3510 meters), lying on on the crest of the Thare Danda Ridge. Tharepati with its many lodges and camping possibilities is about 1 hour from Mangengoth and in spring snow might be still high on the Thare Danda. Here is a major trail fork, the eastern fork leading to Melamchipul Bazaar in the Indrawati Khola Valley, the western fork to Laurebina La Pass, which is in view from Tharepati.
Day 4:
This easy and short day starts with a descend for 30 minutes to the settlement at Gopte (3430 meters) to the west of Tharepati. From here start ascending for 1,5 hours towards the crest of a spur (3760 meters) from which you descend to the tea shops of Dubichaur. Phedi (3630 meters), serving as a sort of base camp for those whishing to cross the Laurebina La from east to west, is reached after another 1,5 hours of ups and downs. You will find lodges and good camping spots at Phedi.
Day 5:
From Phedi start on the obvious path up the slopes of the Gosainkund Lekh (the ridge separating Helambu from the Bhote Kosi Valley) towards Laurebina La (4609 meters). This is a hard day and you should start as early as possible to profit from the still frozen snow in the morning.
In spring you will meet snow from about 3800 meters onwards. A track and cairns are usually visible though. The climb to the actual pass, which is marked by prayer flags, takes (depending on the snow conditions) 4-6 hours. From the top of the pass follow the track down for another 2 hours to the sacred lakes of Gosainkund (4380 meters) where there are good lodges and flat ground for pitching tents.
Day 6:
The track changes to a well trodden path as you descend from the lakes to the lodges of Laurebina (3900 meters) that you will reach after a good hour. Descend for another two hours to Shin Gompa (3250 meters) where the trail forks. If you continue to descend towards the west youŽll eventually reach the town of Dhunche. Take the path that leads to the north and head down for three hours to reach the picturesque village of Thulo Syabru (2130 meters) sitting on the southern slopes of the Langtang Valley. There are a lot of fine lodges but suitable camping ground is scarce.
Day 7:
From Thulo Syabru head down towards the Langtang Khola which is reaches after an hour. Cross over to the true right bank of the Langtang Khola by way of a bridge. Ascend on a good path for 3,5 hours to the lodges of Lama Hotel (2470 meters). Continue walking upvalley for another 2,5 hours to reach Ghoratabela (3020 meters). Here youŽll find an army camp as well as lodges and good ground for camping.
Day 8:
Beyond Ghoratabela the valley opens. Follow the trail for 3 hours until you reach the village of Langtang (3430 meters), the first reach village since Thulo Syabru. Kyanjing Gompa (3850 meters) and its lodges are now only another 2,5 hours away. The base camp for expeditions climbing Langtang Lirung via the east ridge is usually established north of Kyanjing Gompa in the vincinity of the terminal morain of the Lirung Glacier, about an hours walk from the lodges.
The quickest way back to Kathmandu is to trace back your steps down the Langtang Valley. Do not ascend to Thulo Syabru again, but continue downvalley to Syabrubensi. From there you could take a taxi to Dhunche from where a regual bus service to Kathmandu operates.Essential GearAlong the trail are enough lodges that sell food and provide bedding, so a tent and stove are not needed. You might want to bring a sleeping bag and a groung sheet though as most lodges are pretty basic. Walking sticks will make the ascents and descends a lot more comfortable.Bringing gaitors is also a good idea as you will certainly encounter wet snow on the Laurebina La and the Thare Danda.
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