Langtang National Park is located north of Kathmandu and stretches all the way to the Nepali–Tibetan border. The views are spectacular and well worth the strenuous trek that it takes to see them. Along with breathtaking views of the Himalayas, the region is home to the Tamang people who have built monasteries that house brightly colored Buddhas and Thangka paintings that are hundreds of years old. A bus will take you from Kathmandu to the location where the trek begins, typically at Shyaphru Besi. From there, two weeks of walking (or more should you desire to take it slowly) will take you back to Kathmandu. You can also choose to walk back to Shyaphru Besi and take the bus back to Kathmandu instead.

The bus ride from Kathmandu to Shyaphru Besi will try your patience: It’s spine-shattering and nerve-wracking, and you should consider yourself quite lucky if it takes anything less than ten hours for the 80-mile (130-kilometer) drive. It is not unusual for the bus to break down at least once, perhaps more. The buses are driven and conducted by boys whose ages added together wouldn’t equal that of your average trekker. All that said, once you get on the trek, you’ll have an incredible experience.

Shyaphru Besi is a largish farming village set on terraced hills, full of guest houses, restaurants and shops that provide basic goods for trekkers. It even has an Internet café or two, but unfortunately it rarely has electricity so trekkers have little, if any, opportunity to take advantage of the luxury. This is where the trek begins, at 4,790 feet (1,460 meters). From there it winds down towards the Langtang River, a rushing torrent of water, even during the dry season. The trail then heads up, up, up, from a couple of guest houses at “Landslide,” to Rimche at 8,045 feet (2,455 m) where many trekkers spend their first night. From here on a clear day, trekkers can get their first glimpse of snow-capped peaks. After this first day of walking 6 miles (10 km) and ascending around half a mile (1 kilometer) in altitude, trekkers can sleep well at Rimche’s comfortable guest houses and enjoy one of the last decent hot showers they’ll have on the trek.

In April the trail from Rimche to Ghodatabela (at 9,750 feet or 2,972 m) is lined with beautiful rhododendrons in all the colors of the rainbow: red, white, pink, yellow and purple. Because this part of the trail follows the riverbed up through the valley, the view is typically only of the mountains, trees, waterfalls and streams that are directly surrounding you. Once in a while, when you least expect it, you will round a corner or climb up a hill and there,
through the moss-covered trees, you will get a look at the peaks you are trekking toward. One moment you’re staring at the ground; the next moment you look up and BANG! There in front of you are far off views of the majestic Himalayas. You will also chance upon Buddhist prayer wheels built over streams. Buddhists believe that each turn of the prayer wheel gets them good karma and so have built some of them so that they are turned constantly by the running streams—that way they get good karma with hardly any effort at all!

After Ghodatabela the valley widens and the trail from there to Langtang Village flattens out somewhat. Yak-cows (a hybrid of the temperamental yak, which can handle high altitudes and low temperatures and the more mild-mannered cow, which cannot handle high altitudes but is more pleasant to work with) are more prevalent and can be seen grazing on dried-out grass or being used to till the fields. As the valley widens, the Himalayas are constantly in view. Not only are these views incredible, but the views back down the valley to where you’ve come from are rewarding as well. In Thyangsyapu, which is close to Langtang Village, you will find yourself surrounded by craggy rock peaks and occasionally glimpse Langtang Mountain.

The walk from Thyangsyapu to Langtang and on to Kyangin Gompa is likely to be the most spectacular walk of your life. The landscape becomes sparse as trees and grass give way to scraggly bushes and rocks. In April, past 11,482 feet (3,500 m), keep an eye out for the Himalayan iris, a stunning little purple iris that looks like a miniature version of the irises back home. On this leg of the trek, enormous peaks, some with snow, some just craggily, scraggily rocks will tower in front of you while the blue foothills fall away behind. Here you will get your first full view of Langtang Mountain in all its majesty.

The village of Kyangin Gompa (12,697 feet, or 3,870 m) is where many trekkers finish their ascent. Really hardcore trekkers can continue on, but the last of the accommodations are found in this village, so continuing on means carrying (or having a porter carry) tents, food, cooking equipment, etc. Once you reach Kyangin Gompa, there really isn’t any need to continue on as the views from this village are absolutely spectacular. You get a 360-degree view of soaring mountain peaks and a good view of an ice-blue glacier. Every way you turn you will see snow-capped mountains—this is an ideal place to just sit and appreciate them. In addition to towering crests and glaciers, there is a 400- year-old monastery with a local Buddha statue and colorful Thangka paintings that are more than 400 years old. It is no longer an active monastery inhabited by resident monks, but important local celebrations are still carried out here and are attended by important local lamas and monks. The monastery is looked after by a local woman who opens it up every day for worship or tourists.

The trek down from Kyangin Gompa back to Shyaphru Besi is just as beautiful as going up. Watching the world come back to life is a staggering experience. Streams start to reappear, scraggily bushes turn to lush green trees and the barren ground again starts to yield grass. Additionally, it is nice to be back down where the air is full of oxygen and we lowland folk can breathe.The Langtang Region of Nepal doesn’t provide views of the highest mountains in Nepal, but at the relatively low point of 12,408 feet (3,870 m) you get one of the best mountain views in the world, views that are well worth the trek. You will relish this experience for the rest of your life.

By Tabatha Smith