Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley Trek

Manaslu is eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,156m, concealed deep within the Mansiri Himal which is part of the North-Western Himalayan range in Nepal. The name is derived from Sanskrit which is translated as Mountain of the Spirit; its structure seems to form and elongated, serrated blade, jutting up from ground in a great mass of snow and ice, frozen in spatial harmony. The mountain falls away steadily into the foothills below which are sparsely populated with few agricultural ventures. Rough steep trails wind throughout Manaslu providing incredible mountain vistas of many great giants such as Ngadi Chuli, Himalchuli and Baudha, although the breathtaking beauty is wrought with some hardship as Manaslu is prone to get hit by heavy rains during monsoon season sometimes rendering landslides and rock falls which can in turn cover up pathways calling upon our guides to take the lead and show the way through.

The Manaslu Conservation Area has been declared as such since 1998, leaving it mostly untouched and unknown by the torrents of trekkers sweeping through Nepal every year, comprising sub-tropical Himalayan foothills to arid trans-Himalayan high pastures on the border with Tibet, the area covers a total of six climactic zones. Accommodation is not so luxurious as one could expect on the more frequented routes, but none the less warmth of hospitality and spirit is never lacking. These areas are very culturally intriguing maintaining strong ties to the ancient Tibetan traditions throughout the mountains and Tsum Valley.

Tsum valley is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting places to be explored in all of Nepal. It was a restricted area until 2008, its population consisting of mostly Tibetan origin peoples. Within the valley there is an ancient tradition of polyandry which still thrives today; this is the practice of all the brothers of one family marrying the same wife. Perhaps the most attractive element of the valley is the fact that hunting and fishing are not permitted due to Buddhist prohibitions which in turn make the wildlife population here thrive as if it were a Garden of Eden. In local folklore the valley is said to be a beyul; one of the sacred valleys Padmasambhava Buddha blessed as a great refuge, only to be discovered when society can no longer sustain its people and the world becomes too corrupt for spirituality.