Chulu West Peak Climbing and Thorong La

We welcome you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, we gather for a welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant to discuss the expedition details.

We spend the day in Kathmandu checking climbing gear, securing permits, and finalising expedition logistics with our lead guide and Sherpa crew.

We board a local vehicle early in the morning and drive over winding mountain roads alongside the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers, reaching the village of Syange at 1100 m after 8 to 9 hours.

Our trek begins as we follow the Marsyangdi River upstream, crossing suspension bridges and passing through forested gorges to reach Dharapani at 1960 m after 7 to 8 hours of walking.

The trail climbs through pine and fir forests, offering our first close glimpses of Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II before we arrive at the district headquarters of Chame at 2690 m.

We walk through a steep, narrow valley carved by the river before the canyon opens up into the wide Pisang valley, where the towering face of Paungda Danda rock cliff rises above us at 3220 m.

We take the upper trail through Ghyaru and Ngawal, enjoying panoramic views of Annapurna IV and Gangapurna, before descending into the dry, wind-scoured Manang valley at 3470 m.

We spend a necessary rest and exploration day in Manang, taking a short hike toward Gangapurna Glacier to help our bodies adjust to the 3470 m altitude.

We leave the main valley floor behind, climbing steadily past juniper scrub and yak pastures until we reach the small settlement of Churi Ledar at 4230 m.

We leave the Annapurna Circuit trail and ascend steep, rocky slopes off the main path to establish our Chulu West Base Camp at 4900 m, where our crew sets up our tented camp.

We climb across loose moraine and snow patches to reach Chulu West High Camp at 5100 m, where we rest early and prepare our technical equipment for the summit push.

We start our summit push well before dawn, navigating steep snow slopes and exposed ridges with crampons and fixed ropes to reach the 6440 m summit before descending safely back to base camp.

We pack up our camp and retrace our steps down the loose moraine slopes, rejoining the main valley trail to sleep comfortably at Ledar at 4230 m.

We trek upward past Thorong Phedi and continue climbing the steep switchbacks to reach Thorong High Camp at 4790 m in preparation for crossing the pass.

We cross the 5416 m Thorong La pass early in the morning, descending rapidly into the Kali Gandaki valley through Muktinath before taking a vehicle to Jomsom at 2700 m.

We board a morning mountain flight from Jomsom down the Kali Gandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, landing in the lakeside city of Pokhara.

We board our tourist bus for an 8 to 9 hour drive along the Prithvi Highway back to Kathmandu, returning to our hotel for the evening.

We transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport in time for your flight home.