Upon our arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be warmly greeted by a representative from Fortune trek. In the evening upon our reception, Fortune Trek will organize a Welcome Dinner at an excellent traditional Nepalese restaurant where we enjoy a Nepalese cultural program as well as a fine meal. Included meal: Dinner.

Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites; including the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath) and Buddhists shrine (BouddhaNath) which is one of the large Stupas in the world. At noon, there will be a pre-trip discussion where we can meet our trek leader and other team members. Fortune Treks briefs us regarding our trek as well as provides us with an opportunity to ask any questions we may have regarding our upcoming adventure. Overnight at Kathmandu.

We have to begin very early today as we need to go a long drive to reach our trek starting point. After breakfast, we leave Kathmandu at around 7 am and nearly after 8-10 hours’ drive we reach Syange or Jagat (as per situation) via Besishahar. En route, we see more of the countryside of Nepal that offers greeneries, rivers, villages, farms and beautiful mountain sceneries. However, the condition of the road is not equally fine in all portion of our drive today. The road up to Besishahar is a coal-tarred road, whereas after Besishahar the road is dusty and coarse though we can easily overlook it as we watch the outstanding sceneries through the windowpane. Overnight stay at Syange or Jagat Guesthouse.

Upon our breakfast, we start our journey today in a relaxed way. We enter Manang district after crossing a large bridge near Tal. The trail continues through barley, rice, potato fields, and pine forests. After passing the village of Kodo we will be at Dharapani, one of the big villages in the Manang valley. Overnight at Dharapani.

There are two routes that we can follow today. If taken upper route  i.e., the route through Upper Pisang via Geru, the sceneries will be outstanding. We feel like we are horizontally in front of the majestic peaks. The panoramic views of the mountain peaks, such as Annapurna, Pisang peak, and several others will definitely allure us. We notice a contrast with the landscape and vegetation from today onwards. The cold and dry climate creates a much harsher environment. We pay our memorable visit to Barge monastery, the largest in the entire district of Manang. Overnight in Manang.

Today is the scheduled acclimatization day. It is not recommended to stay idle but a short walk to higher altitude will be better to get acclimatized with the altitude. Manang is a good place to do that as the next two days will be a very challenging and tiring trek for us with the rapid gain in altitude. We should never be confident with the altitude and always be cautious. Bhojo Gompa or Gangapurna Lake is worth visiting sites from the acclimatization point of view. We make an easy excursion to a little distance away to a village called Varga, a small old village with a monastery. At this juncture, we also make our short visit to the Himalayan Rescue Association where we can get some ideas about Mountain Sickness. Overnight at Manang.

From Manang, we continue through alpine landscapes with high altitude vegetation and forests. A gradual ascent takes us to Yak Kharka and then to our today’s camp. Our today’s camp area is mostly used as the alpine pasture by the local people.

 Today, we continue our trekking from Leder to Chulu West Base Camp. From the Base Camp, we can enjoy the views of Annapurna Himalayas. We may also like to discover the surrounding areas. At this point, we will set up our camp for an overnight stay.

From the Chulu Base Camp, we continue hiking towards Camp I. The route is not that technical. But it would be better to remember that we are climbing at high altitudes. At this juncture, we relish the magnificent views of Annapurna II and Dhaulagiri mountains including Manaslu, Gangapurna, and Lamjung Himal.

Rest at Acclimatization Base Camp

Today, we leave camp I and continue climbing the rock band to Camp II. The route is not that technical but we may have to use ropes, crampon, and ice-ax. We set up Camp II at 5,530m. Some visitors also attempt the summit directly from Camp I. However, since the climb is relatively straightforward from the Camp II until the summit, we make an overnight stay at Camp II for proper rest and acclimatization.

It is our summit day, and it is going to be a long day. Therefore, we would wake up much earlier today. Each moment we have to work hard through the icy high-altitude trail but the outstanding high Himalayan scenes are such tempting that our eyes love to watch more over the horizon than on our trail. After the summit, we return back to Camp I.

Camp II to Lader 5-6 hours

Chame- Pisang [3,290m]: 5 – 6 hrs

It is our summit day, and it is going to be a long day. Therefore, we would wake up much earlier today. Each moment we have to work hard through the icy high-altitude trail but the outstanding high Himalayan scenes are such tempting that our eyes love to watch more over the horizon than on our trail. After the summit, we return back to Camp I.

Today, we clean up the base camp and head for Thorong Phedi. It is going to be mostly an easy way to walk downhill. However, we do not forget that we are still in a high altitude area.

In the beginning, we cross the famous high pass of Thorong La today. An early start is important to complete the mission. We reach Muktinath, an important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists after crossing the pass. Muktinath hosts a Vishnu temple and a monastery nearby demonstrating the religious harmony in Nepal. For the Hindus, the region is a “Muktikhsetra” or the region of liberation or salvation. There are water spouts channeled for the stream running above the temple. We enjoy the tremendous stunning views of the Dhaulagiri peak from Muktinath. From Muktinath, we continue back to Jomsom on a local bus.

Upon the completion of morning breakfast, we check in the airport to fly back to Pokhara, a 30-min dramatic flight to Pokhara between gorge of the two huge mountains, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Upon arrival at Pokhara airport, our guide will escort us to the lakeside hotel. We utilize the rest afternoon for discovering the beautiful Pokhara valley leisurely. While walking along the bank of Fewa Lake one of the biggest lakes of Nepal, we cannot stop admiring the state of Fish Tail Mountain reflecting in the lake. We can also take a boat around the Fewa Lake or just can take an hours’ walk to the World Peace Pagoda. In the evening, we engaged in exploring the lakeside.

Today upon our breakfast, we make a 200 kilometers drive back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. It will be better to hold on the left pane of the vehicle to enjoy the scenery through the route. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will be escorted to our hotel. There is nothing to do but trade emails with travel companions and organize the photos. We can spend the evening either leisurely or perhaps catch up on some last-minute shopping. Finally, we celebrate dinner together with Fortune treks staffs.

Our journey in Nepal comes to an end today,  Approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight, a representative from Fortune treks will escort us to the airport and bid farewell greetings. On our way to home, we will have plenty of time to plan our next adventure in a wonderful country like Nepal.

The number of days required for the Chulu West Peak Climbing depends on the trekking season and weather conditions. Normally, it takes about 16 – 20 days to complete the trip. There have to be numerous acclimatization and rest days. Remember that the weather conditions in the mountain region of Nepal are very unpredictable. Therefore, allot 2 – 3 days as a reserve day.