We grade the Manaslu Circuit as strenuous, and it earns it. It is not technical, but it is long, it is high, and the lodges are simpler than on the more popular routes. Here is what the 15 days actually ask of you.
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The walking days
The first days on foot are the long ones, six to eight hours a day on the Budhi Gandaki valley, from Machha Khola to Jagat, Deng and Namrung. Then the days shorten to three to four hours as you climb through Lho to Samagaon. After an acclimatisation day, there are short days to Samdo and to Dharamsala, before the big day over the pass.
The altitude profile
You sleep at 3,520 m in Samagaon, 3,875 m in Samdo and 4,460 m at Dharamsala, also called Larkya Phedi. The pass itself is 5,106 m. The itinerary gives you a rest day at Samagaon, with a choice between a short walk to Birendra Tal or a longer climb toward Manaslu Base Camp, and you sleep in Samagaon again afterwards. The slow gain is what makes the pass possible for most fit walkers.
Larkya La day
The crossing is eight to nine hours. You start before dawn to beat the wind, climb steadily for about three hours on a rocky trail and then more steeply to the pass, then descend long and steeply to Bimthang at 3,590 m. It is hard because of the length and the cold, not because of any technical section.
Comfort and conditions
Lodging at Dharamsala is basic and cold. The roads at both ends are long and rough, eight to ten hours in and ten to twelve hours out. If you do not like long drives, that part is also part of the difficulty.
How to prepare
Build up to several hours of hiking with a loaded pack, on stairs and hills, for a couple of months before you travel. Practise being tired on day two, not only fresh. Read our guide to difficulty levels and take altitude seriously: arrange travel insurance that covers evacuation at high altitude.
Is it for you?
If you have trekked before at altitude, enjoy long days and want fewer people on the trail, yes. If this is your first Himalayan trek, start with a shorter route such as the Langtang Valley. The Tsum Valley Trek is another restricted area route in the same part of Nepal if you want to compare. You can also read the full Manaslu guide or ask us about your fitness.