This trek is a great combination of great mountain views and wonderful cultural experiences. We walk through Tamang villages with strong Tibetan cultural links and eventually reach Gosainkunda, the lake, which lies spectacularly at 4200m. We pass through fields of beautiful wildflowers such as daisies and primulas and see yaks leisurely grazing. With good reason, the Langtang River valley is called “the valley of glaciers”. On either side of valley that we walk through, majestic mountains rise, soaring to the sky. Early in the walk, it is peaceful t to walk through Pine, Rhododendron and Oak forests, and refreshing to pass slow moving rivers and swift mountain streams. However, other moods of the mountains are evident in the rugged rocks and snow-capped peaks that surround us and it is not uncommon to see avalanches thundering down in the distance above us. As we ascend, we pass snow bridges across surging waters, high passes enveloped in mist, and stunning lakes like bright turquoise.
Gosainkunda is regarded as a holy lake in Hinduism, and the view of the lakes dotting the mountain is really special. A number of devout visitors come for the annual summer pilgrimage in August but very few outside that time. This particular trek takes in paths that usually become impassable in Winter.
Being a shorter trek, this is good for those with less time in Nepal or those who want to combine the trek with another trip to Pokhara, Chitwan or one of the bird sanctuaries. All these can be arranged here at Himalayan Sunrise. As with most of our treks, you only need to carry your day pack only and can walk at your own pace. Most days will involve 5-7 hours of walking.