Langtang and the Laurebina La The Langtang region is a collection of Sherpa valleys north of Kathmandu, close to the Tibetan border. The rough road now reaches as far as Syabru Besi, only a day’s drive from Kathmandu, yet despite this Langtang remains a relatively less trekked area. Bill Tilman, that famous explorer and climbing partner of Eric Shipton, described Langtang as “one of the world’s most beautiful valleys”. From Syabru Besi it takes several days’ great trekking to enter the upper reaches of the valley, where we have allowed time for rest and exploration. We exit by passing the holy lake of Gosainkund and crossing the Laurebina La, 4,610m/ 15,125ft. Here we should have excellent views into Tibet, and meet Hindu pilgrims, before gradually dropping down into the beautiful Helambu region which offers some excellent ridge walking, before driving back to Kathmandu. The area is renowned for its rhododendrons. 24 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com Porter, Sinion La Photo: Gillian Marshall The Kingdom of Nepal Nepal …is situated in the central region of the Greater Himalaya and it contains more of the world’s highest mountains than any other country. These include Makalu, Lhotse, Annapurna, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and of course, Everest. As in Bhutan and Sikkim, the brief but heavy monsoon nourishes an abundance of exotic vegetation which cloaks the hills with bamboo and a multitude of plants, flowers and trees. Pleasant rural villages are linked by paths through paddy-fields, forest and yak-pasture, giving trekkers access to the foothills and mountains beyond. £1,685 £1,065 Wed 02 Apr – Mon 21 Apr £1,585 £1,065 Wed 01 Oct – Mon 20 Oct land only land only Grade: Vigorous/Strenuous On Trek: 15 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 3 Tea Houses: 15 Optional: Single Room £60 (Kathmandu only) Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 20 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –3 Drive to Syabru Besi, begin trek 4–17 On trek through Langtang, exit via Gosainkund –18 End trek, drive to Kathmandu 19–20 At leisure in Kathmandu, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Spring – known as the Rhododendron trek 2 Capital City Town Airport Major peak International Border Road Railway Pass ] [

25 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Left: Mustang lady Right: Entrance chorten at Tsarang in Mustang Photos: Jude Limburn Turner The Kingdom of Nepal £2,395 £1,860 Dates: Sun 28 Sep – Sun 26 Oct land only Grade: Strenuous On Trek: 23 days European Leader: Ian Coxan Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Camping: 23 Optional: Single Room £70 Single Tent £85 Insurance: £106 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 29 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu 3–4 Rest, fly to Taplejung, begin trek 5–26 Trek to Kangchenjunga base camps and return 27–28 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –29 Fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of5clients £2,795 £2,260 Dates: Sun 31 Aug – Sat 27 Sep land only Grade: Strenuous On Trek: 22 days European Leader: tbc Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Camping: 22 Optional: Single Room £70 Single Tent £75 Insurance: £156 (Insurance Plus) Days Itinerary Duration: 28 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu 3–4 Fly to Nepalganj and Juphal 5–12 Trek to Shey Gompa 13–25 Trek via Saldang and Dho Tarrap 26–27 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –28 Fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of5clients The Kingdom of Mustang Mustang lies behind Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and geographically forms part of the Tibetan plateau. 1992 the Government of Nepal allowed the first access. The people of Mustang, Lobas, boast a long and proud history, their independent state dating back to the Century A.D. In the 7th Century, Songtsen Gampo, most famous of all Tibetan kings, incorporated the land of Lo his empire. Mustang only reappeared as an independent kingdom in 1430 when Gyalpo, ‘Precious Ruler’, Ame founded a dynasty whose descendants survive to this day. Our trek begins with a flight to Jomsom via Pokhara. start walking beside the Kali Gandaki River and as gradually gain height we pass salt mines, and hermit caves set in the cliffs above. Our route visits many villages on way, including the rarely-seen settlements north of square-walled city of Lo Manthang. We leave Mustang by different route to add further interest. Upper Dolpo Trek & Shey Gompa This region of west Nepal has only been open since 1988, and has been widely acclaimed as one of Nepal’s best trekking regions. We have previously organised many different treks in the area and in 1997 we retraced the core elements of Peter Matthiessen’s journey, made famous in his book The Snow Leopard. First we fly to Juphal, west of Dhaulagiri. Trekking north we enter Phoksundo National Park and continue along Matthiessen’s original trail, crossing the Kang La, 5,279m/ 17,320ft, to reach the very remote monastery of Shey Gompa. On the way we pass the mystical Crystal mountain. Shey Gompa was established in the eleventh century and little has changed here since then. This is a special trek in one of Nepal’s Restricted Areas and as such we have to pay the same levels of permit fees as for Mustang. However it is ideal for the keen walker who would like a wild experience away from the main trekking routes. £2,395 £1,860 Dates: Sat 14 Jun – Fri 04 July, Sun 14 Sep – Sat 04 Oct land only Grade: Moderate/Vigorous On Trek: 15 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Camping: 15 Optional: Single Room £85 Single Tent £70 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 21 days 1–4 Fly to Kathmandu, fly to Pokhara & Jomsom 5–9 Trek to Mustang’s capital, Lo Manthang 10–13 Visit villages north of Lo Manthang. Attend festival (Summer) 14–18 Return trek to Jomsom 19–21 Fly to Kathmandu, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Summer – Festival at Lo Manthang Another Kangchenjunga trek – see page 22 4 Kangchenjunga North & South Base Camps In 1988, the Nepalese authorities tentatively opened routes to the mountains in eastern Nepal, and more specifically, Kangchenjunga. The Spring of 1999 saw a private party of some of our most regular clients, with masses of Himalayan travel between them, complete this trek, proclaiming it the best they had ever done! This trek visits both the southern base camp used by the 1955 expedition, and the northern one recently used by the late Dr Ginette Harrison when she became the first woman to climb Kangchenjunga. To ease acclimatisation, we first visit the southernmost base camp at Oktang at 4,600m/15,000ft next to the Yalung Glacier, before crossing the Mirgin La and Sinion La. The finale at Pang Pema, 5,030m/16,500ft, offers unsurpassed panoramas of the north faces of Kangchenjunga, Yalung Kang and their satellites.