Langtang Valley with Shing Gompa Trek

Starting this wonderful journey driving towards North West of Kathmandu passing interesting villages and towns with fabulous scenery of hills, farm terraces and snow capped peaks after the warm area reaching to cooler region at Langtang National Park entrance in Dhunche 1950 meters, the one and the only major town of Rasuwa district and Langtang area, inhabited mostly of Tamang ethnic tribes throughout the area of this trekking.

From here heading downhill for another 2 hours to the fist overnight stop in Langtang area at Syabrubesi the gateway to Langtang, Ganesh and into Tamang Heritage Trail and as well to the Tibet border at Kyarong just 2 hrs of driving distance from this village.

The first day walk of this adventure leads to cross a bridge over Langtang Khola (river) later joins the great Trisuli River, and then on the uphill walking through scattered farm villages and terraces with views of surrounding landscapes and into a cool shade of forest reaching near a place with small lodges and tea house at Riverside where the trail from Upper or Thulo Syabru meets, after a rest or lunch break trek continues with a climb through beautiful forests of rhododendron, pines, bamboo tree lines, Langtang area is famous for rare and elusive Red Panda and other wildlife’s, after a good day’s walk reaching at Lama Hotel located in between forest surrounding and by the Langtang Khola with 5-6 simple lodges.

Morning walk heads higher up through the river gorge in the middle of enchanting woodlands of tall trees of pines, rhododendron and following the river upstream passing few houses and cattle herders shelters and then to more cooler place at Ghoretabela for lunch break in beautiful forest surrounding with few lodges around. From here another 2-3 hours of good walk and the leaving the tree lines behind reaching at Langtang village for overnight stop, the last village before Kyanjin. Here explore this interesting village of Tamang and Bhotias people of Tibetan origin with similar life style of Tibet religion and culture.

After a wonderful stop in this last village, while other up are temporary settlement of yak herders and lodge to serve the trekkers, moving on the winding up trail and then the gorge opens to a wide beautiful valley with awesome views of snow capped peaks that lines this Langtang valley, walking on encountering few prayer or mani walls and then reaching our first destination of this trip at Kyanjin Gomba for two nights in this lovely valley surrounded by many peaks around with Langtang Lirung glacier just close by from the lodges and a cheese processing factory established some 35 years ago with help of Swiss assistance.

A perfect spot for rest day to acclimatize at this high altitude, here there are many places for short hike and climb like to the hill top of Tsego and Kyanjin ri at over 4,000 meters top for better panorama of surrounding mountains.

From view point hill overlooking at Langtang Himal, beyond which lies Tibet. The major peaks include Ghengu Liru (Langtang II 6571m / 21,560ft), Langtang Lirung (7,425m / 23,765ft) Kimshun (6,745m / 22,137ft) and Shalbachum (6,918m / 22,699ft) to the south, the Chimsedang Lekh forms a ridge of peaks which includes Naya-Kanga 5,846m and Gangchempo, Tilman\'s beautiful Fluted Peak.

Beyond it continues to the Jugal Himal, ending with Dorje Lakpa (6,980m / 22,929ft), extending further east on the upper meadows of the Langtang range ends in a huge and massive mountain wall, forming the border with Tibet.

Morning catching the last view of this wonderful surrounding and high snow capped mountains in amazing Langtang valley, then heading downhill for another adventure on route Kathmandu, walk leads on the same route till Lama Hotel after a long descend with few short ups in between the walks.

From Lama Hotel our journey leads to alternative route towards Upper Syabru also called as Thulo Syabru, morning walk a short downhill to Riverside and Bamboo area with small lodge, teahouses in the middles of rhododendron, oaks and bamboo forests, after short rest here walk continues leading uphill to the ridge of Upper Syabru passing few farm lands and a big landslide section and then to Thulo Syabru village where the traditional Tamang houses are linked together like a long locomotive with beautiful carved windows and doors, this village with 6-8 good lodges and a monastery above the village.

After this nice village walk leads to more climb through enchanting dense forest of lovely rhododendron, oaks and pine trees with views of Langtang and Ganesh Himal and as far towards west peaks of Manaslu and Annapurna Himalaya, although a steep climb but interesting walking into this beautiful forest where more than 10 varieties of rhododendron species exists around this thick woodlands, passing summer pasture and shades of cattle herders and then on the pleasant winding trail to Singh Gomba / Chandanbari village with cheese factory and an old monastery at the top of the village.

From Shing Gompa, after having a nice rest and amazing views today the last walk of this beautiful journey, morning trek leads on the long downhill slope through enchanting forest full of rhododendron and pine trees passing several Sheppard’s shelter and grazing and pasture land reaching at the base of the long hill of Shing village, stopping here for a while and then reaching the main motor road for a while and with short up to Dhunche town for last overnight stop in this high hills of Langtang area.

After a remarkable and awesome trekking, morning after breakfast a nice interesting drive following the downhill winding road to Kathmandu passing many farm villages and towns of Kalikathan, Trisuli Bazaar and the back to hustle, bustle of city life of Kathmandu and then check into respective hotels after a great experience with Annapurna Encounter.