A mountain of booming personality and charm, Manaslu rises to 26,658 feet near the Tibetan border. Now that the political situation in Nepal has quieted, we return to “the mountain of the soul” (from the Sanskrit manasa, intellect or soul) with glee. Many of us at GeoEx, including this writer and our Great Yak, Al Read, consider the trek around Manaslu an absolutely unbeatable Himalayan experience: scenically ravishing, varied, and lonely (few trekkers are allowed up here). Our ace trek leader Vassi Koutsaftis says, “Manaslu is unquestionably Nepal’s finest trek, to my mind one of the world’s most classic and beautiful treks.”

In contrast to the usual route around the mountain, our approach takes us over the 15,000-foot Rupina La, an isolated, high-level route to the massif ’s inner valleys and their wonderfully traditional villages. This route avoids the torrid Buri Gandaki River trail, gains elevation quickly, and accesses the stunning views of the remote Chuling Valley. Somewhat more rigorous than average, the Manaslu circuit is a connoisseur’s trek in the fullest sense.

Day 1: arrive in Kathmandu • Day 2: Kathmandu • Day 3: drive to Gorkha, begin trek • Days 4 – 25: on trek around Manaslu, ending at Besisahar • Day 26: return to Kathmandu • Day 27: at ease in Kathmandu • Day 28: depart Kathmandu.

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