Baden Powell Scout Expedition – 16 Days

It will be a huge thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. You will be greeted by views of snow-capped Himalayan peaks – a sight not to be forgotten. Our representative from Alpine Club of Himalaya and a driver will greet you at the airport.

On Day 2, you are encouraged to do last minute shopping for winter clothing etc. We will check our equipment and gear and if needed. You will also be taken on a tour of the Swayunbunath Stupa, an ancient place of worship in Kathmandu, located at the top of a hill.

After breakfast, we take a 4 hour bus ride to Trishuli from Kathmandu. From Trishuli, we drive uphill to reach Dhunche (2120 m) and view the mesmerizing panorama of the Himalayas, including the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and the peaks of the Langtang region. After Dunche we take the winding road downhill to Syabru Besi (1460m), where we stay overnight at a tea-house.

We traverse the ridge on Syabru Besi’s main path and reach Ghopcha Khola. We will pass through terraced fields, and dense forests of oak, maple, alder, and bamboo. If you are lucky, you may see a yellow-throated martin, wild boars, the Langur monkey, a red panda, or the Himalayan black bear. We will cross a bridge across a stream and then pass by several small bhattis (tea shops). As we continue ascending the steep trail, we will come to a steel suspension bridge at 2000 meters. Cross this bridge to the north bank of the Langtang Khola (river) to view cascading waterfalls and an oak forest. Upon reaching 2748 meters, we arrive at the Lama Hotel where we conclude the trek for the day. Overnight at tea-house.

From Lama hotel, we continue to ascend from Langtang Khola, where the trail becomes steeper as we near the Himalayan mountains. The trail leads to a log bridge and on climbing further we come across lush meadows at Ghora Tabela at 3000m. There will be several lodges and a police check-post. Further on, the route opens up into a wide valley of yak pastures and Tamang villages with water-driven mills and prayer wheels. We arrive at Langtang village, the headquarters for Langtang National Park, after crossing a stream and reach a height of 3500 meters. With flat-roofed Tibetan style houses, lodges, and land growing buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, and barley, it is a beautiful sight. Overnight at tea-house.

The trail skirts through rich yak pastures and the traditional villages of Muna and Singdun. We cross a wooden cantilever bridge and reach a wide valley after climbing a moraine. Finally, on ascending several mountain passes, we arrive at Kyangjin Gompa. There is a small monastery and a government-operated cheese factory near the village. Overnight at tea-house.

Tserko Ri is situated like an island to the north of Kyangjin. This is a good peak to start with and is a rewarding day trip. We follow the upper trail from the village, across the river, and climb up the ridge to our left. From the top, which is awash with the colours of the prayer flags, we can see the Kyagjin peak and Kyimoshung, with Langtang Lirung towering above them. To the north-east we see the Yala glacier and Yala peak. Across the main valley, Naya Kanga dominates the scenery, with the Baden-Powell Scout Peak peeking behind the camp.

The route to the base camp is an uphill climb. This little trek goes up through a rhododendron forest. We cross a river and head west up to the mountain and move towards the south.

It takes around 3/4 hours to reach the base camp at 4,987m. The base camp is setup on open ground, which is a large rocky area but with fresh water flowing through it. The view from the camp is fantastic. To the north, you have a magnificent view of Langtang Lirung, Langshisa Ri and Shisapangma in Tibet. To the south, the impressive south face of Naya Kanga (5844m) towers above. Since the camp area is totally flat, we can put up our tents easily. We spend the night at the base camp.

A day spent preparing for the climb.

We rise early and begin our ascend to the Baden-Powell Peak. From the base camp, we cross the rocky field and climb up about 50 meters until we get to a rocky slab on the right. From there we ascend the snowy 30 degree slope that leads to a glacier, which soon becomes a large glacial bowl. We zigzag our way up, keeping to the right, aiming towards the rock face to the west. From here, the slope gets a little steeper at about 35-40 degrees. At least 100 meters of ropes are fixed. We stay on the ice and climb around the rocks until we get to the top of the ridge at about 5,500m. Then there is another steep portion. We fix another 10 meters of rope. A couple of crevasses are on the way up before we climb 100 m straight to the top. We need another fixed rope to reach the summit. The ridge at the top is very narrow and has very little space. From the top we have fantastic views of Shishapangma, Naya Kanga, Ganesh Himal, and even Kathmandu valley on a clear day.

We return back to base camp.

We trek back to Langtang village.

From Langtang village we trek to Ghora Tabela. We stop briefly for lunch and thereafter continue the steep descent to Lama Hotel. Overnight at tea-house.

From Lama Hotel, we head back to Syabru Besi. We can wander along the undulating path leading to the village. This gives us an opportunity to experience the culture and customs of the Tamang community. We can also simply savour the beauty of the majestic Himalayan Mountains. Overnight at tea-house.

From Syabru Besi we drive to Kathmandu.

Today is the last day in Kathmandu, after our breakfast, we will have last hour shopping and get ready to transfer to airport for final departure