Tsum Valley Trek

Overview of Tsum Valley Trek

Tsum Valley Trek is breathtaking and authentic experience in one of the least explored valleys in Nepal, called “The Hidden Valley of Happiness”. This lies in the northern Gorkha district bordering Tibet. The route is famous for its untouched natural beauty, the Tibetan influence firmly rooted in their religious practices and the peaceful environment. Unlike the more popular Annapurna, Langtang and Manaslu region treks in Nepal, Tsum valley trek remains relatively off the beaten track and provides a calm and religious journey to trekkers who want to explore the region in its true cultural form.

The trek exposes you to a number of forest, waterfalls, terrace farmlands, colorful typical Nepalese villages, and magnificent views of Ganesh Himal, Sringi Himal and Boudha Himal. During the course of the trip you are to visit impressive Tibetan Buddhist monuments which are centuries old monasteries like Mu Gompa and Rachen Gompa,  mani wall, wheels, and chortens highlighting the true spiritual value of the valley. The Tsumba inhabitants of the valley, are friendly and gladly show their guests the way of life that has remained virtually unchanged and follow the principles of Tibetan Buddhism.

The trek starts at Arughat or Machha Khola and passing through beautiful areas and suspension bridges over the rivers and gorges. When you go up, the air gets rarer but the environment gets even cleaner and quieter. Despite the trail being challenging, which needs good health and endurance, the payoffs are great; scenic beauty, cross-cultural encounters, and an opportunity to restore the human connection with nature.

A great trek best to be done between March-May or September-November, Tsum Valley Trek has its conservation and cultural benefits. Whether you are drawn by, spiritual significance, natural splendor, and warm-hearted hospitality, the trek indeed provides you thrilling experience of the Himalayan throughout totally detached from commercialized trail.

About Tsum Valley

Tsum Valley is suitable for cultural and historical tour because of its original inhabitants, the Tsumba people, who presumably migrated from Tibet. Being a controlled area of visit, the valley has not been so popular with tourists making the visit more natural. In the region, trekkers can experience traditional treatment from local healers using medicinal herbs that have existed for hundreds of years giving the trek an ethnopharmacological appeal.

In the valley one can find holy shrines for pilgrimage such as Piren Phu Gompa connected with the great Tibetan yogi Milarepa and artwork, sculpture found in Monastery like Mu Gompa. Besides, Tsum Valley offers nice views and various species of animals and birds protected in Manaslu Conservation Area. Some of the lesser known villages  like Chhekampar and Lokpa which offer charming and serene environment and help a trekker get closer to local people and their lifestyle hardly explored by other trekkers.

Tsum valley Trek Difficulty

The Tsum Valley Trek is moderate to challenging and requires good fitness and a history of trekking. 5–7 hours of hike daily on rough terrain with steep ascent and descent. The elevation rises above 3500 m and some of the trekkers suffer altitude sickness.

Because of the remoteness of the Tsum Valley it increases the work, as the simple lodging and the limited facilities demand proper preparation. The trail involves suspension bridges, narrow trails, and culturally rich villages both of which can be mentally and physically demanding.

Once acclimatized, rested and committed, the walk is within reach and enjoyable, providing spectacular panoramas of the Himalayas, with the Tsum Valley, a cultural landmark, available to visit.

Altitude Sickness

one of the Challenges on Tsum Valley Trek is altitude sickness which may be at frequent stage near Mu Gompa since the elevation tends to be more than 3700 meter. Headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and other symptoms may result from low levels of oxygen in the body. Life threatening cases may occur such a HAPE or HACE.

Acclimatizing, slow walk, drinking water, good meals, and no alcohol should be taken to avoid altitude sickness. Sometimes, drugs including medicines may be helpful but they need to be taken under the doctor’s prescription. However, taking necessary precautions, the place offers one of the most beautiful treks in the lap of Himalaya.

Food During Tsum valley Trek

The food during the Tsum Valley Trek is basic and tasty to give trekkers a taste of Himalayan food. Accommodation in simple teahouses with very simple dishes with fresh products of the region. The most common food is dal bhat (lentils with rice and vegetables)  which is healthy and rich, energizing for hiking.

Other favorite dishes are Tibetan bread and Noodle, fried rice, momo. pancakes. Other examples of soup includes garlic soup which is said to help in the acclimatization. Meals in high altitudes they might reduce in variety and the staple foods include potatoes, buckwheat and barley dishes.

Tea, coffee and herbal teas are regularly taken to warm up the body and keep the body hydrated. As much as people are encouraged to take vegetarian meals, limited meat may be served in the lower areas. Snacks, chocolates and energy bar are usually sold up to some extent but it is wise to have extra stocks for the longer journeys.

The food is quite plain but healthy for the trekkers to suffice their energy levels in this beautiful and historical trip. Stay as local as you can on this trek and enjoy the true flavors of Himalayan.

Accommodation

Like on many other treks in Nepal, the food and spending overnight during the Tsum Valley Trek is in teahouses and lodges along the track. These are local and small businesses which provide super primary amenities to the trekkers. Accommodation consists of twin beds with a mattress, pillow, and blanket, but clients are advised to carry their sleeping bags due to increased cleanliness and warmth in higher altitudes.

In the lower regions, teahouses can be a little improved in terms of facilities including attached bathrooms and solar heated hot showers. But as you go higher, the amenities are limited, with each room sharing a bathroom and limited hot water for bathing. Recharging for electrical appliances or getting Wi-Fi may be present in some areas but extra fees are charges.

Accommodation are usually clean but do not provide luxury, or luxurious services. better book in advance during the busy trekking months of spring and autumn since there are very few teahouses in this part of the world.

Staying in teahouse gives you a chance to directly engage with the Tsumba culture, besides making your rests within the breathtaking landscape of the Himalaya.

A Typical Day On Tsum valley Trek

Tsum Valley Trek starts by waking up early and having a hot breakfast at the local teahouse you will be spending the night in this area. Trekking should be done in the morning since the sky is normally clear and temperatures are high. It will be a 4 to 6 hours walk in a day through forests, terraced fields, and villages, all the time enjoying the scenery of Ganesh Himal and other Himalayas.

The trail is combination of uphill, downhill and suspension bridges with crossing rivers and friendly nepali people, monasteries, chortens, mani walls etc. Taking a lunch break in tea house or some attractive viewpoint relish the lunch and get some rest before again moving on the trekking.

Days are generally not as long as nights, with arrival at the day’s destination, we check into the teahose. After registering in a teahouse you are free to take tea, rest or even go sightseeing around scenic views. Meals are very plain and consist of food such as dal bhat or Tibetan bread for supper while chatting with other trekkers and locals. By evening, most spend their time early to bed to wake up early for the next day trekking in the serene and isolated Tsum valley.

Permits

1. MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area Permit): This permit is necessary for trekking in the Manaslu region and enables the government to prevent destruction of that part of the country and its resources. It will assist in the financing of local infrastructure and the protection of the local environment.
2. Tsum Valley Restricted Area Permit (RAP): Tsum Valley is a restricted region to trek, thus this special permit is required. It protects the cultural and natural heritage of valley, and it can be attain only with the help of registered trekking agency. This permit is valid for a particular period and therefore when planning for the trek make sure you got the permit within the recommended period of time.
3. ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit): Needed to cross the Annapurna Conservation Area whilst trekking. It funds environmental conservation and community development. Valid for all areas under the ACAP zone.

Both permits are available in Kathmandu or Pokhara, but they need to be arranged before starting your trek. The cost of the Tsum Valley Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is higher than other permits, and the procedure involves submitting your trekking details to the authorities. It’s also important to note that these permits are generally valid only for the specific trekking season.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is important while planning for Tsum Valley Trek since it provides coverage in the event of an emergency in that area. Hiking especially in the steep hills and in the areas few people get problems like altitude sickness, injury, or any other difficulties. It is a clear that an appropriate insurance plan should cover several aspects such as emergency medical, which is necessary for the treatment, for example, hospitalization or other problems in high altitude.

Such coverage will provide for compensation in the event that some personal property, including equipment or bags get lost during the trek. Finally, there is repatriation coverage in case you get ill or injured beyond the point you can be taken back home. One should select a policy that would cover trekking at high altitudes and all the activities that were planned for the trek, and ensure the policy meets the requirements.

Tsum Valley Trek Cost

The price of the Tsum Valley Trek differs whether you are a foreigner or a Nepali, and the amount which is overall includes the expense of permits, accommodation facility and foods, guide and porter charges.

Adding the accommodation cost for foreign trekkers the total cost is often likely to be ______. This comprises of permits, teahouse, foods, guide and porter, and transport to the trekking starting point.

For the Nepali trekkers, the cost is relatively cheaper ranging between NPR 30, 000 to NPR 40,000.

Best Time For The Trek

The best times for the trek to Tsum Valley are during springtime (March to May) and again in the autumn (September to November). Both of these months provide the best weather for trekking within this region.

The climate in spring is benign; this is the best time to trek since nature provides a lovely view of azaleas at this time. The climate is always favorable with moderate temperatures, clear skies that offer good view of the mountains.

Autumn is the best month for trekking to the Himalayas in Nepal because of beautiful weather conditions throughout the trek. Being warm, sunny during the day and cooler at night, are typical descriptions of the weather condition during this season. The best season for the views and the best time for the lesser know destination, such as Tsum Valley, falls on this season.

Although it can also be done on winter (December to February) or summer (June to August) they are also difficult. Some part of winter can be severely cold, especially at higher altitude and the summer period comes with a lot of rainfall that can make the trails slippery making it difficult to trek. Hence spring an autumn is the most advised season by the doctors when planning for a safe and enjoyable hold.

Drinking Water

Due to scarcity of water in the Tsum Valley Trek, water availability is also scarce and hiking requires proper hydration. Teahouses provide bottled water for sale but they are so expensive and poses a menace to the environment because of plastic bottle.

 Better and available at a small fee is water that is boiled and served in the facilities. Water purification tablets or portable filters are recommended. It is also recommended to have a hydration bladder or reusable bottles.. It is recommended to drink a lot in order to avoid altitude sickness on the trekking adventure.

WIFI, Electricity And Communication

There are no Wi-Fi, electricity and communication on the trek to Tsum valley and they get scarce as one ascend high altitudes. For example while there is a facility of Wi-Fi in some villages such as Arughat and Soti Khola, it is scarce, annoyingly slow and expensive after Philim.

 Electrical power though sometimes solar, is available in the lower reaches but is limited and uneven in the highland villages such as Chhekampar and Lokpa, where indeed charging devices are often charged extra. Mobile network coverage is reasonable in the lower altitude areas but deteriorates or is nonexistent in the remote areas thereby making satellite phones as the only mean of communication, which is however costly.

For communications and electricity, bring a portable charger, switch to mobile data in weak zones and use a restricted amount of WiFi or check-in points. Nevertheless, the trek provides great opportunity for solitude with a majestic mountain environment of the Himalayas.