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The Gosainkund Trek is a lovely short trek, among the most spectacular sights near the city of Kathmandu. This area is quieter than the most popular routes in the Annapurna and Everest region. Yet, it offers you the real Nepali Himalayan mountain experience.
This trek lets you experience it all: hillside terraces, pine forests, deep gorges, authentic villages, peaceful valleys and, breathtaking glaciers originating from the high mountains surrounding you. And, finally, the sacred Gosainkund Lake (4,380 m / 14,620 ft), also spelled as Gosainkunda or Gosaikunda.
When we trek to Gosainkund, we will start off with a drive to Dhunche in the Rasuwa District. This is the home of the Tamang, an enthic group from the hills of the Himalaya. The next day, the trek begins by setting off in the rhododendron and oak forest landscapes. After climbing to Shin Gompa, you will have the opportunity to explore the Buddhist culture of this region. The main highlight of this trekking route is – of course – the stunning Gosainkund Lake, an alpine freshwater lake high up in the mountains. When you trek to the lake between October to June, you will probably see a frozen lake.
The lake is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, as they believe that Shiva created the lake by piercing a glacier with his trident. He wanted water to quench his thirst after consuming poison, gathered from the churning of the oceans. The lake is a famous pilgrimage site, so you may see Hindu followers who visit the lake for ritual bathe and dip in the icy water. And, by drinking of its holy water, it relinquishes the sins of a hundred lifetimes.
Welcome in Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the backpackers area of Thamel.
airport transfer – hotel
After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for a pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your mountain guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.
Note: please, make sure you bring your passport to the meeting, along with your travel insurance policy. Carry both the original policy and a copy for us. We wil also request you to clear the due balance, if any.
What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.
breakfast – hotel
From Kathmandu, we set off to Dhunche by private vehicle, the starting point of our trek. Dhunche is north of the Kathmandu Valley in Langtang National Park. This is also the capital of the Rasuwa district. It takes us a 6 to 7 hours drive to reach the place.
breakfast – private vehicle – dinner – mountain lodge
In the morning, we cross the river Trisuli Khola and climb steeply through a beautiful forest of blue pine. This day is excellent for seeing wildlife. For instance, troops of langur monkeys and red pandas make this forest their home. As we approach Thulo Syabru, the Langtang Valley and snowy peaks of Tibet become visible.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
Today, the track goes steeply up through forests of rhododendron, pine and banyan trees. These forests are the habitat of many different species of birds and wild animals. Once we have reached Sing Gompa, we can visit the Newari-style monastery if it’s open and the nearby yak cheese factory.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
From Sing Gompa the trail climbs steeply up a ridge. This ridge marks a transition zone between rich, moist mountain forests on the northern slopes, and the dry scrub vegetation on the slopes that face south.
Later on, we will begin to see the waterfalls from the first of the lakes, Saraswati Kund. The trail climbs gently but continuously to a spur marked by prayer flags and two rock carvings of Ganesh. Shortly after, the second lake in the chain appears, Bhairav Kund. Then it is only a further 35 minutes untill we reach the third and largest lake Gosainkund (4,300 m).
At Gosainkund are half a dozen lodges, a Shiva shrine and a helipad. And on the northwestern side of the lake are numerous small stone shelters for pilgrims.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
The trail traverses the northern side of Gosainkund Lake and climbs on a rocky trail marked with cairns towards the pass. Passing three more small lakes, the trail finally reaches Laurebina La pass (4,610 m). From the pass, you have some fine views over the surrounding hills and the large Surya Kund (Sun Lake).
The trail descends alongside a stream through alpine country to High Camp. Then, the trail goes along a rough, knee-busting route that descends for an hour down the middle of the valley to Phedi. From here, the route drops down to a stream then climbs through scrub bamboo to a crest (3,750 m). Then, the trail descends further through forests, climbing in and out ravines below the towering cliffs of Thare Danda. On one of these ridges are some prayer flags. Just beyond these is Gopte (3,440 m), the village where we have dinner and spend the night.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
Descending from the ridge at Gopte, the trail makes numerous ups and downs. We trek across ravines and the boulders of old moraines, and make a final ascent to Tharepati (3,640 m). This is a stunning place, as it ‘hovers’ beneath a jaw-dropping curtain of Himalayan peaks.
Then, the trail goes steeply down through a dense pine forest till we reach the small village of Magin Goth (3,285 m). From here, we have an ongoing descend. The trail ducks in and out fir and rhododendrons forests, passes isolated farms till we reach a big white chorten towards a ridge. And by passing this chorten, we reach Khutumsang.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
We start off by climbing the ridge and continue over a small pass (2,580 m). We descend on the other side and pass the Tamang village of Golphu Bhanjyang. We pass a white chorten and leave the village behind us and ascend again.
The trail leads us further south, via the Tamang village of Thotong (2,260 m), Lapchu Danda (2,420 m) and Chipling (2,170 m). Then we pass the Brahmin and Chhetri village of Pati Bhanjyang (1,770 m). And as we get near Chisopani, we get a rewarding view of the mountains.
breakfast, lunch & dinner –Â mountain lodge
Today is the last day of our trek. We trek uphill through peaceful forests of brown oak and rhododendron, till we reach the pass at Borlang Bhanjyang (2,440 m). We descend on the other side through a rhododendron forest. If the sky is clear, we can see the Kathmandu Valley from here. And maybe even flights taking off and landing at Tribhuvan Airport. We pass the Tamang village of Mulkharka (1,800 m) and follow the trail downhill till we reach the entry checkpost for the Shivapuri National Park.
The final part is a steep walk downhill to Sundarijal. Here, the private vehicle will be waiting for us and takes us back to Kathmandu.
In the evening, we would like to offer you and your guide a farewell dinner together in a traditional Nepalese restaurant.
breakfast & lunch – private vehicle – farewell dinner – hotel
If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.
breakfast – airport transfer
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Nature & culture
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