Plain-language guides to the permits, routes and altitude logic behind our four restricted-area treks — Manaslu, Tsum Valley, Kanchanjunga and Makalu — written by the team that runs them.
29 Oct 2026
6 min read
The glacial meadow at 3,720m where the circuit lands after the pass: the descent in, a lower night's sleep, the west face at breakfast and the long walk down to Tilije.
Read the post →29 Oct 2026
6 min read
The RAP, MCAP and ACAP: what each covers, where your guide shows them at Jagat, Namrung and Dharapani, and why the fees sit inside our price.
Read the post →25 Oct 2026
4 min read
Day 10 from Samdo to the basic lodges at 4,460m, your highest night, and how to use the afternoon and evening before the Larkya La.
Read the post →24 Oct 2026
6 min read
Crowds, permits, the Larkya La and Thorong La, villages and cost, and where the two circuits meet at Dharapani.
Read the post →23 Oct 2026
4 min read
Our team's Tsum photos, grouped by what they show: waterfalls in the lower gorge, chortens and a gompa, terraced lodges and snow peaks at dusk.
Read the post →23 Oct 2026
4 min read
More people know about Manaslu now. Here's why it's still quiet, where you'll see other groups, and what we do to keep your days calm.
Read the post →22 Oct 2026
4 min read
The 33 items on our Makalu list, grouped the way you'll pack them, with what changes on a camping trek and what the crew provides.
Read the post →22 Oct 2026
4 min read
Every night of the 21 days, from Ghunsa's teahouses to the basic lodges at Khambachen and the camps around the Sele La, and what the kitchen crew does.
Read the post →21 Oct 2026
4 min read
Same trailhead, different valleys: the Larkya La or Mu Gompa, 15 days or 13, solo or two, and how to choose between them.
Read the post →20 Oct 2026
4 min read
Day 4: from Jagat's checkpoint past Philim, off the Manaslu trail and up the narrow, waterfall-lined gorge to Lokpa, the gateway to Tsum.
Read the post →19 Oct 2026
4 min read
The 32 items we ask you to bring for 21 days, from sun hats for the Tamor valley to a -20°C bag for the camps above Ghunsa.
Read the post →18 Oct 2026
4 min read
Dobato, Yangle Kharka, Langmale Kharka, Merek and base camp at 4,870m: the six days in the upper Barun valley, with the rest days that make them work.
Read the post →17 Oct 2026
4 min read
Three nights at the top of the Nubri valley: Samagaon's monastery and yak pastures, the mani wall out of town, and Samdo, the last village before the pass.
Read the post →16 Oct 2026
4 min read
The four days after the Larkya La: the walk down to Tilije, the jeep through Dharapani to Besisahar, the highway back to Kathmandu, and why your flight goes on Day 15.
Read the post →15 Oct 2026
4 min read
The day-by-day altitude profile of Tsum: no pass, a highest night of 3,361m at Nile, Mu Gompa at about 3,700m, and how the climb is paced.
Read the post →15 Oct 2026
4 min read
Day 2 and Days 20 to 21: the Bhadrapur flight, the drive through the tea hills to Taplejung, the spare day, and the way home.
Read the post →14 Oct 2026
4 min read
Days 3 and 4 up the Budhi Gandaki: Tatopani's hot springs, the first permit check at Jagat, and the cliff-cut trail to Deng.
Read the post →13 Oct 2026
4 min read
Eleven teahouse nights from Machha Khola to Tilije: the twin-share rooms, bucket showers above Samagaon, dal bhat with refills, and evenings in the dining room.
Read the post →12 Oct 2026
4 min read
Days 5 and 6: out of the gorge into the Nubri valley, the MCAP check at Namrung, and Lho's gompa terrace, our favorite view of Manaslu.
Read the post →12 Oct 2026
4 min read
Days 2 to 5 of the Makalu trek: the Tumlingtar flight, Num, the Arun River crossing to Seduwa, and Tashi Gaon, the last village.
Read the post →11 Oct 2026
5 min read
Every item on our Manaslu list, from base layers to a -15°C sleeping bag, plus what the porters carry and what stays in your daypack.
Read the post →10 Oct 2026
4 min read
Day 8 at Samagaon (3,530m): the longer hike toward Manaslu Base Camp past Birendra Tal, the shorter walk to Pungyen Gompa, and how to choose.
Read the post →10 Oct 2026
4 min read
Days 3 to 8: the Tamor valley's Limbu villages, the first RAP check at Sekathum, the steep Amjilosa climb and the arrival at Ghunsa.
Read the post →9 Oct 2026
5 min read
Where altitude starts to matter on the circuit, the early and serious signs, and what your guide checks at every stop above 3,000m.
Read the post →9 Oct 2026
4 min read
Chumling, Chhokangparo and Nile, with Rachen Gompa, Lamagaon and Chhule between them: the Tibetan-culture villages of Lower and Upper Tsum.
Read the post →8 Oct 2026
6 min read
Our 21-day route reaches both: Pangpema at 5,140m under the north face, and Oktang at 4,730m above the Yalung Glacier, with the Sele La in between.
Read the post →8 Oct 2026
6 min read
It isn't a beginner's trek, but it needs no technical skills. Which kind of first-timer you are, what will feel new, and how the pacing and your guide carry you to the Larkya La.
Read the post →8 Oct 2026
5 min read
Day 2 is 8 to 9 hours on the road, west toward Arughat and up the Budhi Gandaki to 869m. What to keep with you, and why the drive home runs down a different valley.
Read the post →7 Oct 2026
4 min read
Solo, a couple or a group of eight: how the Manaslu price changes with group size, why we stop at 8, and what each kind of trip is like.
Read the post →7 Oct 2026
4 min read
What a crew-supported camping trek is like above Tashi Gaon: who does what, a camp day hour by hour, meals, cold nights and what you bring.
Read the post →6 Oct 2026
6 min read
Our own trip, 25 April to 12 May 2023, in dated entries: the hazy Tamor valley, Ghunsa, fresh snow on the way to Khambachen, and the Sele La white from side to side.
Read the post →6 Oct 2026
5 min read
Back-to-back long walks, legs for the 2,800m of descent after the Larkya La, how to train without hills, and the part altitude adds that you can't train at home.
Read the post →6 Oct 2026
5 min read
No, and here's why: where the permits are checked, what your guide actually does from Jagat to the Larkya La, and how much independence you keep.
Read the post →5 Oct 2026
7 min read
Our own trip, 25 March to 4 April 2023, one dated entry per day: the Budhi Gandaki gorge, the rest day at Birendra Tal, snow at Samdo and the Larkya La at first light.
Read the post →5 Oct 2026
7 min read
Day 11 of the circuit, stage by stage: the night at Dharamsala, the headlamp start, the 5,106m top and the long descent to Bimtang, with photos from our April 2023 crossing.
Read the post →4 Oct 2026
5 min read
Manaslu is the one restricted-area trek where we can file the RAP for a single trekker. How a solo trek works, what $2,100 covers, and why the pace and the rest day become yours.
Read the post →4 Oct 2026
5 min read
The full Manaslu price table, from $2,100 solo to $1,650 each for groups of seven or eight, with what the price covers and what you pay for separately.
Read the post →4 Oct 2026
5 min read
Autumn or spring on Manaslu: how the two permit windows compare on the Larkya La, with a day-by-day log of our own late-March 2023 trip.
Read the post →3 Oct 2026
4 min read
Tsum first, then the Larkya La: how our 21-day combined route works, why the Tsum week helps on the pass, and who should do it.
Read the post →3 Oct 2026
5 min read
The whole 21-day route in one ledger: altitude, gain, hours and overnight for every day, plus how the four sections of the trip fit together.
Read the post →2 Oct 2026
7 min read
Every village, checkpoint and overnight on the circuit in order, from Machha Khola over the 5,106m Larkya La to Dharapani, with altitudes and what you'll find at each.
Read the post →2 Oct 2026
8 min read
Thirteen days into a restricted Tibetan-culture valley north of Manaslu, up to Mu Gompa at about 3,700m. Route, difficulty, permits, teahouses and who it suits.
Read the post →2 Oct 2026
7 min read
Our 2023 trip from Taplejung to Khambachen and over the Sele La: a warm, hazy approach, snow above Ghunsa, rhododendron in bloom, and what that means for planning.
Read the post →1 Oct 2026
5 min read
Day 8 and Day 16 of the Makalu trek: the Shipton La, Keke La and Tutu La in one push, how we pace it and why the forecast decides.
Read the post →30 Sep 2026
6 min read
About 147km over nine walking days. Distance and hours for every stage, why the days above Samagaon are short, and what the 26km Larkya La day asks of you.
Read the post →29 Sep 2026
4 min read
Crowds, permits, a loop versus an out-and-back, the Larkya La and the lodges: how the Manaslu Circuit compares with Everest Base Camp.
Read the post →28 Sep 2026
4 min read
Day 8 from Nile to Mu Gompa at about 3,700m and back down to Chhokangparo: the longest day of the Tsum trek, and the reason for its altitude profile.
Read the post →27 Sep 2026
5 min read
Fifteen days in Nepal, ten of them on foot. Where each day goes, the rest days you shouldn't cut, how much time off to book, and adding the Tsum Valley.
Read the post →26 Sep 2026
6 min read
Our Challenging grade explained: daily hours and altitude for all ten trekking days, what makes the Larkya La the hardest day, and how the pacing keeps it manageable.
Read the post →25 Sep 2026
4 min read
Why we grade Kanchanjunga Very Challenging: the length, the 5,140m high point, the Sele La complex and the remoteness, and what makes it doable.
Read the post →24 Sep 2026
6 min read
The 18-day route from Tumlingtar to 4,870m, the camping stretch above Tashi Gaon, permits, seasons and who it suits.
Read the post →23 Sep 2026
5 min read
The RAP, MCAP and ACAP permits, the licensed-guide rule, why solo trekkers can go, where each permit is checked, and why the restrictions keep the trail so quiet.
Read the post →23 Sep 2026
7 min read
All 15 days on one page: altitudes, walking hours, distances and overnights from Machha Khola over the 5,106m Larkya La to Tilije, and how the climb is paced.
Read the post →22 Sep 2026
8 min read
Difficulty, permits, cost, best season and who the Kanchanjunga Trek suits, before you book the 21-day route to both base camps of Kanchanjunga.
Read the post →22 Sep 2026
7 min read
Difficulty, permits, cost, best season and who the Manaslu Circuit Trek suits, before you book the 15-day route over the 5,106m Larkya La.
Read the post →21 Sep 2026
5 min read
Heading to Manaslu, Kanchanjunga or Makalu? You'll need two permits: a Restricted Area Permit, plus a second one for whichever protected area you're walking through. We can only apply for the RAP as a licensed agency, with a licensed guide along, and for a group of two or more (Manaslu is the exception: solo is fine there).
Read the post →21 Sep 2026
6 min read
Manaslu is the shortest, and the only one of the three with teahouses the whole way. Kanchanjunga is the longest and the most remote, with two base camps. Makalu leans hardest into camping and sees the fewest visitors.
Read the post →21 Sep 2026
5 min read
Every itinerary spends a set number of nights at set altitudes, with rest days built in before the hardest crossing. Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and a standing evacuation protocol on all three routes.
Read the post →21 Sep 2026
4 min read
All three treks run in the same two windows: September–November and March–May. Autumn's the most popular and most reliable for the high passes; spring brings rhododendron blooms and slightly warmer nights.
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