[NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

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  • thedutch
    Gerne im Forum
    • 20.11.2018
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    [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

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    Hi everybody, here is a summary of a trip to Nepal that I did in 2009.
    I fell in love with Nepal and it´s friendly people in the nineties and promised myself that I would come back one day.
    After a bit of planning and checking out some maps I came up with the idea of trekking up the Langtang valley, then crossing the Ganja La pass and from there walk into the Helambu region and finish the trek in the outskirts of Kathmandu.
    Arriving in Kathmandu was a bit of a culture shock coming from our organized western world into this rather chaotic city.
    I found myself a nice little hotel in the Thamel area, and yes you can still just show up somewhere and find a room without the help of booking.com, just like in the old days!


    Kathmandu street life.


    Kathmandu street life.

    My only goal for that day was to go to the bus station and buy a ticket to Dhunche. The rest of the day was spend enjoying the magic of Kathmandu by just walking and eating my way around.
    I have seen a lot of cities in my short life but Kathmandu definitely belongs to one of my favorites.
    Next morning at 6:00 I took a Taxi to the bus station, holy shit…Hundreds of buses and full chaos, how was I going to find my bus? Well after finally finding my bus my karma was on the sunny side as some travelers showed up and asked me for the jeep area…No idea but where are you going? Dunche, Ohhh me too. Some space left on your jeep? The lucky answer was yes… So for a fist full of dollars I got myself a ride in a jeep instead of a slow and overloaded bus.


    Somewhere along the way.

    The ride was spectacular, Landscape, views, people and the food on the way.
    And in the end Nepal would not be Nepal if we would not have been delayed with a tire puncture but we made it to Dhunche just before dark!


    Tire puncture repair stop.

    Next morning I started the trek and walked up my way to Langtang village in two days. Sadly the village of Langtang was destroyed by and earthquake in 2015 The Earthquake created a landslide that destroyed the entire village of Langtang.


    Little adventure.


    Amazing Nepal


    Bed and breakfast.


    The hard life of a porter.


    First houses of Langtang village.


    Solar shower, hot for the first in line, cold for the last in line!


    Leaving Langtang towards Kyanjin Gompa.

    Between Langtang and Kyanjin Gompa I started my accent towards the Ganja La pass. If I would have walked straight on the route would have brought me to Tilman´s pass. Maybe something for my next Nepal trip?
    This Ganja La route is not a main trekking route as there are no villages on the route for the three days to come so you have to bring your own equipment.


    Starting point of accent towards Ganja La pass.


    Upper Langtang valley towards Tilman´s pass.


    Looking down at my campsite and Kyanjin Gompa far below.

    Ganja La pass (5160m) is not an easy pass to find and the crossing itself needs a bit of mountaineering experience.
    From the top of the pass there are great views towards all sides. I could see Shisma Pangma (8013m) very clearly. Coming down the pass I had to cross the ruble of an old glacier before hitting the valley floor. I set up camp here and realized that this day was part of what life is all about.


    Up towards the pass.


    Looking down from where I came. The tents belong to a climbing camp.


    Believe it or not, the low sadle in the middle is the pass.


    I made it.


    View from the direction I came from (Shisma Pangma slightly left from the center, 8013m).


    This way down.


    On my way down.


    Camping at it´s best.

    Next day I made an early start and just enjoyed the walking with all the amazing views.
    During the day I caught up with a small Spanish trekking party going my direction. Walking in the same direction I had a lot of fun with two young porters. They told me it was their first trip as porters and even being from the mountains they had a hard time carrying their heavy packs.
    For sure we could start a discussion that this is not political correct and so on but the truth is what other choice do these boys have? But still 5$ a day is not a lot of money, only thing I could hope for is that the Spanish would give them a nice tip for their work.


    View back up direction pass.


    The porters of the Spanish group.


    No comment.


    Lucky Picture.


    Porters having a break.

    That night all of us camped somewhere on route to continue next day to the small village of Tarke Gyang. Connected to our modern civilization by a two day walk towards the nearest road this village was still cut off from our “real” modern civilization.
    For the kids in the village the most exciting thing was the arrival of trekking groups.
    I was soon to find out what was THE most exciting thing!
    I checked in to the one and only “hotel” and was happy to have a beer and a real hot shower.
    Well they had no running water but for a few rupees you could have a bucket of warm water.
    So there I went with my bucket and reached the shower (if that is what we would call a shower) just below the hotel. It was a building with two doors. Door number one, the toilet (hole in the floor) and door number two a smaller hole in the floor and a little window.
    I had a look out of the window….Ohhh what a beautiful view! Why the window was only 1 meter from the floor never came to my mind, but in some countries there are more odd things that you don´t really think about. I undressed and had my “shower” till children’s laughing came to my ear. I had a look out of the “window” and I looked into a whole bunch of village kids laughing at me .
    Well even I had to laugh. So these kids had their fun with us tourists every day, over and over again!


    Tarke Gyang.




    The Hotel.


    Famous shower.


    Could yo please clean mine?


    And wash my clothes as well?

    Next day I decided to walk down the valley and then up the other side to catch up with the Gosainkund trail. It seemed so close but it took me almost an entire (relaxed) day to reach the place called Tharepati.
    The pension on the top of the ridge was just amazing and so the views. I was back on the tourist track as you can see on the photos!


    All the way down the valley for the accent to Tharepati.


    Village close to the valley floor.


    Tharepati.


    Tourists time at it´s best.


    Amazing.

    The next two days was just a nice and relaxing walk towards Kathmandu.
    Even when the trail got more and more crowded with local people using this “highway” towards Kathmandu, I was just happy and thankful being here.


    Early morning.


    No comment.


    Beautiful Nepal.


    Close to Kathmandu.

    The trail finished close to Bodnath Stupa so that was where I wanted to set my last hiking step before dropping my backpack.
    For me it was my second time to visit this Stupa but it didn´t lose any of its magic after all those years.


    Bodnath Stupa, end of my trek.

    I spend the last few days strolling through Kathmandu before I flew home.

    Nepal I am sure I will see you again!
    Zuletzt geändert von thedutch; 01.07.2021, 11:12.

  • walnut
    Fuchs
    • 01.04.2014
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    #2
    AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

    Hej, have been there last November, and its a funny thing seeing some off the stuff at your pics again, for instance Riverside.

    It was really 2009 you have been there? So long ago?

    What have you done in the upper Langtang? I cant really imagine that you have gone straight over the Ganja La.
    And where did you find water after the pass? We had some trouble finding which after Dhukpu.

    If i am right your only hotel in Tharkegyang ist got destroyed by the earthquake but got restored and is still the best in town, beautyful people there.

    Greetings horst
    Zuletzt geändert von walnut; 28.03.2020, 21:07.

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    • Flachlandtiroler
      Freak
      Moderator
      Liebt das Forum
      • 14.03.2003
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      #3
      AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

      Also want to say Thank you, very nice report!
      Langtand and esp. Upper Langtang is a region I've my eyes for a very long time
      Tilmans Col

      Zitat von walnut Beitrag anzeigen
      What have you done in the upper Langtang? I cant really imagine that you have gone straight over the Ganja La.
      Just my thoughts... the upper valley should be very attractive for scenery and also for acclimatisation, once you bring a tent.

      And where did you find water after the pass? We had some trouble finding which after Dhukpu.
      Seems to me the TO had new fresh snow on the pass...

      For me going solo always has the one nightmare of beeing stuck in the daily clouds, not having any view for finding the path...
      Zuletzt geändert von Flachlandtiroler; 28.03.2020, 21:17.
      Meine Reisen (Karte)

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      • walnut
        Fuchs
        • 01.04.2014
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        #4
        AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

        Last a year november it was no problem with the water directly on the pass, one day before, also right behind and one day after the pass are nice tentspots with water. But then the trouble started.
        The trekking agencies push their customers going straight to Tarkegyang without a third night after the pass, but if you carry your own stuff you are not that fast.

        Tilman is really hard without agencie and did not get easier from Langtangside as i heard, and compared to Ganja La ay bigger trouble by finding water.

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        • Meer Berge
          Fuchs
          • 10.07.2008
          • 2381
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          #5
          AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

          Thank you very much for your Nepal-story and the beautiful pictures!

          When I was about 21 doing this trek with my mum self organized was my first trekking tour. We went up Helambu-Valley, crossed Laurebina La experiencing a complete whiteout in new snow, going down to Gosaindkund Lakes, which were frozen, trekking up Langtang Valley, where at Kyanjin Gompa my mother got the altitude sickness and we had to retreat in the middle of the night, ... and of cause had some flat tyres on our busses to and fro, some days in Kathmandu with lots of adventures, ...

          That was in ~1991

          (By the way - we met a very nice young dutch and walked with him for some days.)

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          • thedutch
            Gerne im Forum
            • 20.11.2018
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            #6
            AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

            Hi there everyone,
            thanks for the nice comments.
            Yes it was really 2009!
            While writing the summary lots of things came back to my mind that I Kind of forgot.
            One thing that slipped my mind was the water issue on the day after the pass.
            In Dhupke I was lucky to be there with the Spanish group so their guide showed me where to find the water.
            That dutch in 1991 wasn´t me .
            My first time in Nepal was 1994. Did the Annapurna circuit and feel so lucky to have done it without the roads that have been constructed.

            Cheers everyone

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            • dominik_bsl
              Erfahren
              • 13.02.2006
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              #7
              AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

              Thank you for this very nice report

              Zitat von thedutch Beitrag anzeigen
              My first time in Nepal was 1994. Did the Annapurna circuit and feel so lucky to have done it without the roads that have been constructed.
              I did the Annapurna circuit in 1997 and when looking at recent reports, I would not do it again nowadays. I even saw a vid on youtube where people drove their VW T3 Syncro up to Manang. WTF???

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              • Meer Berge
                Fuchs
                • 10.07.2008
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                #8
                AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

                Zitat von thedutch Beitrag anzeigen
                That dutch in 1991 wasn´t me .
                No. His name was Menko. I met him all by a sudden again at the fantastic Oerol festival on Terschelling. I recognized him from a distance by his woollen sweater with a typical nepali design.

                For a long time we then met regularly but unfortunately that faded out.
                A friend of his stranded at my flat for some weeks because of a breakdown of his bromfiets just on the second day of his tour through Europe (I lived at Düsseldorf that days). We´ve had a funny time ..., repaired his bromfiets and than he drove back home ...

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                • thedutch
                  Gerne im Forum
                  • 20.11.2018
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                  #9
                  AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

                  Zitat von dominik_bsl Beitrag anzeigen
                  Thank you for this very nice report



                  I did the Annapurna circuit in 1997 and when looking at recent reports, I would not do it again nowadays. I even saw a vid on youtube where people drove their VW T3 Syncro up to Manang. WTF???
                  Yes really happy to have walked the whole thing.
                  I think Besi Shar was were the road from Kathmandu ended (and the trek started) and the end was walking all the way down to the main road to Pokhara at Baglung.

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                  • thedutch
                    Gerne im Forum
                    • 20.11.2018
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                    #10
                    AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

                    Zitat von Meer Berge Beitrag anzeigen
                    No. His name was Menko. I met him all by a sudden again at the fantastic Oerol festival on Terschelling. I recognized him from a distance by his woollen sweater with a typical nepali design.

                    For a long time we then met regularly but unfortunately that faded out.
                    A friend of his stranded at my flat for some weeks because of a breakdown of his bromfiets just on the second day of his tour through Europe (I lived at Düsseldorf that days). We´ve had a funny time ..., repaired his bromfiets and than he drove back home ...
                    I know it has nothing to do with our trek but the word "Bromfiets" produced a nice smile on my face!
                    My kids think that the word "Brommer" is the best dutch word you can think of!

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                    • Meer Berge
                      Fuchs
                      • 10.07.2008
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                      #11
                      AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

                      OT:
                      Zitat von thedutch Beitrag anzeigen
                      I know it has nothing to do with our trek but the word "Bromfiets" produced a nice smile on my face!
                      My kids think that the word "Brommer" is the best dutch word you can think of!
                      I´m from close to Aachen, so grew up with one leg in the Netherlands/Limburg. Still my mum lives in Kerkrade.
                      Bromfiets was only one of the hundreds of so very "cute" dutch words we really loved!

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                      • Ljungdalen
                        Alter Hase
                        • 28.08.2017
                        • 2700
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                        #12
                        AW: [NP] Nepal-Langtang-Ganja La-Helambu

                        OT:
                        Zitat von Meer Berge Beitrag anzeigen
                        Bromfiets was only one of the hundreds of so very "cute" dutch words we really loved!
                        So is Danish knallert....

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