Makalu Base Camp Trek

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuwan International airport a representative from Naata Travel & Adventures will be waiting for you at the airport displaying a playcard imprinted with your name. He/she will then transfer you to the designated hotel. In the evening we can enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by Naata Travel & Adventures. During the dinner we can enjoy Nepalese cuisine which will introduce us to the country’s food culture.

After breakfast, we will have a pre-trip meeting where you will be introduced to your Guide. During the meeting, you can provide yourself with any queries regarding the trip.
We visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the most significant Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks praying in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. After Boudhanath Stupa we visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River.

Here, we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing, and occasionally, funeral pyres burning on the ghats. We will also visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a collection of pagoda and shikhara–style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The attractions of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square are the Lion Gate, the Golden Gate, the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows, art galleries, and the Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla.

We fly to Tumlingtar after breakfast and meet the rest of the crew members who will also be joining us for the trek. Next, we drive to Chichira, a small Gurung settlement. We take a rest at Chichira as we need to be prepared for the next day’s trek.

We start early in the morning and head towards Num after a warm breakfast. A moderately paced walk through the picturesque villages and lush mountain forests will take us to Num. A ridge line with great views on both sides and perched on the end, this is Num for us.

A steep descent through forests and terraced farms takes us to the Barun River. We cross the river and follow an equally steep ascent up the other side again. Often quite hot – the forest in the valleys offers a bit of shade. This is where Makalu Barun National Park begins, and we register our permits. We camp right at the top of the village.

Ascend the ridge bounded by the Ipsuwa Khola on the west and Kasuwa Khola to the east. Crossing the hillside through quiet villages and passing by small paddy fields, we reach the exotic village of Tashi Gaon. Once there, we are surrounded by breathtaking Himalayan panorama.

This will be a bit of a tough day as we have to walk on a steep trail in higher elevation. We will ascend through forests to a stream and then onto a ridge. From here the trail gets even steeper and passes a Kharka (grazing land) and finally follows a series of rough stone stairs and small lakes ascending to the top of the ridge. From here it’s a short way down to Khongma Danda.

The day off will allow some rest before we take on crossing of the Shipton La the next day. For those who wish to explore the nearby surrounding can walk around the area.

Climb towards the summit of the Shipton La (pass) which takes a few hours to reach. After the lake Kalo Pokhari (3930m), pass over the Keke La at 4,170m. We can see the marvelous views of Chamlang (7321m), Peak 6 (6,524m) and Peak 7 (6,758m). After crossing the Keke La pass, we descend through the beautiful valley to Dobate.

From Dobate, we pass through the rhododendron forest, which leads to the Barun River and the upper reaches of the valley. We should be very careful during the first two hours of the trek as the trail is steep and arduous. We then take a pleasant walk, slowly gaining altitude until we arrive at Yangri Kharka, situated at the valley’s base.

Following a moderate walk to the valley, we pass through yak pastures, lush forests and boulder fields. The valley walls tower imposingly above us during the start of the trek. We pass Merek as we make our way further up and notice a significant rise in the scenic Himalayan views.

Today is the day we make it to the Base Camp. From Langmale Kharka we make our way up to Shershong and eventually to Makalu Base Camp. The trail is flat with icy glaciers and snow clad mountains accompanying us. Mount Makalu comes into view as we approach Shershong. As we make our way to the camp, we get to soak in the majestic Himalayan panorama surrounding us.

The Base Camp is a rocky barren place with the large Barun Glacier beyond it. From here we can see the magnificent south face of Makalu and the complete panorama of Everest and Lhotse. We can explore the surrounding lakes, glaciers and go for a short trek up where we may celebrate our accomplishment at the camp itself.

From Yangri Kharka we descend through rock falls, green forests and valley, making our way towards Dobate. We follow the river banks of Barun as we descend down the trail.

The trek continues with frequent long and steep descent cutting through the hillsides. The trail takes us through thick forests and finally making it to the indigenous Sherpa village of Tashigaon.

We retrace our steps as we exit the Makalu Barun National Park and descend to the Barun River. We then cross the hillside and come across villages and settlements as we move further down finally stopping at Seduwa again.

We leave Seduwa and trek through lush forests towards Num. The trail goes up and down and passes through dense forests and Sherpa villages as we move downwards.

Again we retrace our footsteps to Chichira from where we can savor the glorious vista of Mount Makalu for the last time. The final return leg of the trek will see us overnight at Tumlingtar, ready for an early departure to Kathmandu the following day.

Today, we fly back to Kathmandu after our long mountain trek. We have plenty of time in the afternoon to catch up with anything we feel we have missed. Tonight we will celebrate the success of our trip with a THANK YOU farewell dinner program hosted by Naata Travel & Adventures.

Our trip concludes today. A Naata Travel & Adventures representative will drop us off at the airport for our scheduled flight.