Trek to Gosaikund- the 8 days we blended with nature
Great things are done when men and mountains meet-William Blake
Having done few treks in India and Nepal, I was looking forward to another one this year when Murali suggested Gosaikund. I didn’t have to think twice after making few checks on the Google about the place and weather. When the Himalayas beckon, you just succumb !
The route :
The Nepal map below shows the location of Langtang region ( box 8) we trekked with respect to other regions and peaks.
While trekking, our plan was to stay at following locations :
Start- Katmandu -1200m
Day-1 Thulo Barkhu-1860m
Day-2 Thulo Syabru-2230m
Day-3 Sing Gompa-3327m
Day-4 Gosaikunda-4425m
Day-5 Gopte-3457m
Day-6 Kutumsangu-2567m
Day-7 Chisapani-2150m
End-Katmandu -1200m
Langtang region is directly accessible by road from Kathmandu. The serenity of the place and kindness of the people we met were the key attractions of the route.
Our team :
The team we formed was perfect size and of similar age group ( from 54 to 58).
Pierre, Jean-Luc, Murali, Sajeev and myself. All except Jean-Luc are colleagues at Yokogawa and Jean-Luc is from Indonesia.
Our guide: Prithuman aka PM
Porters : Pema, Langdon,Parbe, Babu, Ram
PM is highly skilled guide with training obtained in Nepal and Japan. Speaks good English, knows all one needs to know as guide for an international group.
Destination-Gosaikundu
Gosai Kunda is an alpine freshwater lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an altitude of 4,380 m (14,370 ft) in the Rasuwa District with a surface of 13.8 ha (34 acres).Together with associated lakes, the Gosaikunda Lake complex is 1,030 ha (4.0 sq mi) in size. There are 108 lakes in this area, small to medium in size. We also crossed the challenging Lauribina pass at an altitude of 4,610 m (15,120 ft) just above Gosaikund.
The lake melts and flows down to form the Trishuli River and remains frozen for six months in winter October to June.
According to Hindu mythology, Gosaikunda was formed when Lord Shiva struck his Trident ( Trishul ) in to the ground to extract water so that he could cool his stinging throat after he had swallowed poison produced from samudra manthana.
The samudra manthana ( churning of the ocean) is one of the best-known episodes in the Hindu mythology narrated in the Bhagavata Purana, in the Mahabharata and in the Vishnu Purana. The samudra manthana explains the origin of amrita, the nectar of immortality. Siva drank the lethal poison which escaped from the snake king during the churning process to protect the world. To know more about the story, click the link above.
As a matter of coincidence, my earlier trek in Uttarakand started at Haridwar, one of the 4 places where the nectar ( amruth ) fell on earth ( others being Prayaga (Allahabad), Trimbak (Nashik) and Ujjain). It is also an entry point to the Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri),
27th Sep Thursday
We arrived at Kathmandu airport and were received by PM and his team and garlanded by his sweet daughter. Stayed at Hotel Mudita a comfy place away from the city noise and neons.
28th Sep Friday
Katmandu to Thulo Bharku – 8 hours drive 110km -1200m to 1900m
After breakfast we started off in two TATA Sumo jeeps.
The road to Thulo Barkhu was picturesque, winding through the country sides steadily gaining height via Thrisuli and Dunche. How ever many places the road was severely damaged in 2015 earth quake and we felt as if we were sailing a yacht on rough seas !
We stopped at Trishuli for lunch .....obvious choice was Dal Bhat the common food comprising rice, millet soup / curry with a vegetarian dish typically radish/ potato / beans plus corn papads and pickles.
It was a big relief when we reached our first place of stay after a long and tiring ride-Krishi Rainbow Trout Fish farm and Lodge.
Just above the farm, there was a water wheel to turn the religious Ohm Mane Padamane drum.
They were farming Trout fish on several concrete tanks of water built on natural steps
on the mountain slope. We had some fresh fish fried for dinner- quite delicious indeed !
Day 1 –Saturday 29th Sep
Thulo Barkhu to Thulo Syabru -6h 11KM from 1900m to 2250m
Legend : Thulo means “ big” and Bensi means “ lower”.
The oak and maple trees give way to pine and fir trees as we go up. The Langtang Lirung peak is at 7234m
Culturally the park is home to many ethnic groups mostly Tamangs. (derived from Tibetan Ta-mang =horse trader.
We visited a traditional village of stone and wood houses with children playing and older women gossip and spin the woollen thread while husbands lazily split bamboo for mats and baskets. The open weave mats are used for fencing and close-weave mat is used for roof and floor covering.
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We went for a walk through the village downhill. Suddenly Murali called for help as he was bitten by leach ! PM could deftly pluck the devil out of Murali's leg and threw it away.....before the damage was done.
The leech landed on a tree trunk with its tail flung up with disappointment !
We stayed at lodge Hotel Evening View & Restaurant
The time we spent with the woman with spinning wheel and the enterprising lady with two girls was quite an investment in learning the Sabru life better and closer.
The lady with girls served us quite refreshing mint green tea on our way back. The smaller of the girls was adopted from a poor mother who lost her husband in the earth quake. The lady sold us a book titled “ easy trek” in lower Langtang part of an UNDP project to help local community. We were impressed by her positive attitude to life and flaw less English.
We visited the lodge owned by a music lower for beer and enjoyed some exquisite pieces of musical instruments and antique collection in the hall.
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| Collection of traditional musical instruments of the shop owner |
Day 2 –Sunday 30th Sep
Thulo Syabru to Sing Gompa -7 h 10KM from 2250m to 3327m
This was quite a steep climb. Though most part was through forest we found this very tough as there were several highs and lows to cover.
We could see some very thick forestation in this route.......
The forest was just as magical and heavenly as it looks in the photos. Huge trees framed winding stone paths upwards, and you would wonder why the “Lord of the Rings” director went to New Zealand instead of shooting the entire forest scenes here.
The Tarzans of our groups –Jean-Luc and Sajeev – dared the hidden dangers inside a hollow tree and climbed in to the tree just in time to pose for a perfect picture as we reached the spot !
As we climbed further, we could see wider and wider views of the surrounding snow peaks of Langtang range, Ganesh Himal etc....
The stunning views of these mountain ranges and vast meadows were the elixir that we needed to keep pushing and motivated to drag ourselves up despite the enormous strain and pain on the legs and whole body at least for some of us.
We stayed at Hotel Yak & Nak.
We visited the cheese factory at Sing Gompa where Yak- oops Nak is the right word as Yak is male J-cheese is produced for local consumption and export to Kathmandu..
The owner, a smart and young entrepreneur said he sells 3000 kgs of Nak cheese a month and owns hundreds of Yak and Nak in his farm. Though I am not a cheese lover, I bought some Nak cheese and it really tasted nice........
We visited the Gompa nearby. A Gompa is a Tibetan meditation room where people meditate and listen to teachings.
Sing Gompa has the statue of thousand armed Avalokiteshvara which means bodhisattva who appears in different forms and genders in different cultures. From Sanskrit, his name means "the lord who looks down." He represents the compassion of all Buddhas.
Day 3 –Monday 1st Oct
Day 3 –Monday 1st Oct
Sing Gompa – Gosaikunda 8 hrs 20 mt 11.9KM from 3327m to 4426m
We climbed total 1205m and descended 85m through forests and later on some tough rocky terrain. It was one of the toughest days for us. We were concerned about AMS ( Acute Mountain Sickness) due to lack of acclimatization but all went well and no one had any major health problems.
Emerging from the forests of moss and fern, there were lovely views of Langtang Lirung (7,225m) and Ganesh Himal (7,429m). This area marks the transition from the moist mountain forests to the north and the dry scrub of the southern slopes.
The tough terrain and long walk of 12 km were challenging to some of us ....
No more tall trees which meant we were missing all the oxygen rich air while walking through thick forest the previous day. Also there was less oxygen in the air due to higher altitude. It was double whammy to the trekkers struggling to execute the long and steep climb and the only relief was the beautiful snow peaks slicing through the mist and clouds once in a while.
As we progressed, we were rewarded with bright blue skies, and a view of the mountain range was crystal clear ! Magnificent.
We stopped at Laurebina (3900m) for lunch.
Climbing to over 4,000m, we started having good view of the lakes. Gosainkund is the third lake (4,380m) where there is a shrine housing a revered lingam symbolizing Shiva. According to legend, Shiva released the waters of the holy lakes with his trident, and the black rock in the center of the lake is said to be his head.
Janai Purnima, a sacred festival of hindus, especially performed by the Brahmins and Chettris, falls on August; Shrawan according to Nepalese calendar. The trekkers from all around the world can experience the huge amount of visit of nepalese people during the trek of Gosaikunda.
Nepalese celebrate the day of Janai Purnima by trekking to Gosaikunda lake, the sacred place of Hindu god Shiva. More than thousand people are said to trek every year on this day. So if you want to be part of the intense crowd, trek during this festival or as we did, pick peaceful and calm months succeeding August.
The hotel amenities were quite “ basic” as our guide PM would alert us. After a long trek usual, we had refreshing shower but this time it was under the sky with a bucketful of lukewarm water. As the water fell on the shivering body, all the pain and exhaustion disappeared and I got super charged and got ready for the “happy hours”. After dinner and drinks we set out to watch the starry night sky.
Pierre was an enthusiastic star gazer.....I thought we saw Venus, Mars and many known constellations like Orion, Ursa Major/ minor, Virgo Herdsman etc......
He wouldn’t mind climbing few meters higher at midnight to keep away from light pollution and catch a perfect view of the sky !
I forgot to mention we played cards for some time and that was quite obnoxious in the otherwise silent lodge !
In the evening, we had stepped out to see the magnificent lakes nearby including Gosaikund our destination spot.
When every one else had retired to relax after a tiring day, Jean-Luc did a “ parikrama” ( to go around ) of the holy lake like any devout Hindu would do ! Bundle of energy indeed......Nestle should feel proud !
This night was studded with more stars than we found in Sing Gompa.
We did star gazing again......with the vicinity of the serene lakes, many of us would become poets .......
The milky way was perfectly visible and glittered like a white Pashmina shawl draped over the shoulder of a lady wearing numerous diamond jewels on her naked dark blue body !! .........no wonder Wordsworth wrote :
CLOUDS, lingering yet, extend in solid bars
Through the grey west; and lo! these waters, steeled
By breezeless air to smoothest polish, yield
A vivid repetition of the stars;
Jove, Venus, and the ruddy crest of Mars
Amid his fellows beauteously revealed
At happy distance from earth's groaning field,
Where ruthless mortals wage incessant wars.
Is it a mirror?--or the nether Sphere
Opening to view the abyss in which she feeds
Her own calm fires?--But list! a voice is near;
Great Pan himself low-whispering through the reeds,
'Be thankful, thou; for, if unholy deeds
Ravage the world, tranquility is here!'
We did find tranquility all over the mountains....and in plenty !
Jove=Jupitar
The surface of Gosaikund was indeed " steeled by breezeless air to smootheset finish " !!
Day 4 Tuesday 2nd Oct
Gosaikunda-Gopte 8 hrs 20 mt 15.1KM from 4426m to 3452m
We left early morning as we had a long way to cover. The water was freezing in the tap as the temperature in the night and dawn was sub-zero !
We came across more lakes as we walked like Ganesh Kunda, Surya Kunda etc....
The view of the lakes in the morning was breathtaking !
Legend says there is a revered lingam stone symbolizing Shiva submerged in the Gosaikund lake. We tried hard but couldn’t spot the lingham.
The view of the lakes illuminated by bright sunny rays was magical, mystical and magnificent!
There is steady inflows and outflows of water that keep the lake water constantly moving beneath the calm and still outer surface just like a someone in distress suppressing his emotions with a calm and composed face.
There was certain heaviness in the air due to the apparent stillness of the lake and absolute silence draping the valley.......
As sun got brighter and brighter, the lake started sparkling like a fresh cut diamond !!
Once we left Gosaikunda, for an hour or so, the trail offered abundant views of multi coloured rocks and boulders, huge gorges and waterfalls. We crossed the point where, so says the legend, Shiva stuck his Trident and water has been gushing out from the mountain for thousands of years!
After 200 m of stiff climb, we reached Laurebina Pass (4,610m) the highest point of our trek. We took photos to mark our successful summiting the pass. The view of far away snow peaks from the pass was beautiful.
Nature has splashed multiple colours on the Gosai canvas as an invisible artist ......most of them looked like very carefully painted bathic art work......see the video below
The descent was quite long and monotonous. After some time thick mist engulfed entire trail and visibility was poor.
For several hours, we saw only steps of stones and no change in the topology.
On the way down, we stopped for lunch at Phedi near a place where a Thai airline had crash landed few years ago. The tea house show cased one of the parts of the plane as hunters would hang stuffed-tiger head as prime catch !
The lunch tasted one of the best we ever had as we were totally exhausted and any food was nectar to us.
We kept climbing down hill and had tea at upper Gopte. We crossed several rivers on the way......every river meant a long descent and steep climb immediately afterwards!
The good news was that the terrain changed in colour and texture. The colourful flora and fauna greeted us when we got down.
We reached Gupte quite late evening and stayed at a lodge which also had “ basic “ amenities. But it was quite refreshing as we enjoyed hot shower from LPG fired heater. It was a delicate temperature control system only the experienced knew how to tune to get continuous flow of hot water.
Day 5 Wednesday 3rd Oct
Gopte- Kutumsanga 8 hrs 40 mt 17.5KM from 3452m-2567m
This was a hard trek as we descended 1563m and climbed 689m.
The view from the lodge was amazing as the sun was painting the sky with crimson as it rose like a bindi on the forehead of eastern horizon !
The view from the lodge was amazing as the sun was painting the sky with crimson as it rose like a bindi on the forehead of eastern horizon !
We started the day with steep climb and had tea at Tadepati ( aptly translates to Shelter on Top ) and lunch at Mogankut.
Many times we would be confused which way to choose as the trail would fork in to two. Our porters marked the correct direction by scratching an arrow on the soil.
Day 6 Thursday 4th Oct
Kutumsanga-Chisopani 8 hrs 55 mt 19.5KM from 2567m-2150m
This was the hardest route of the whole trek. Total climb was 810m and descent was 1200m.
The long walk winding through the hills, numerous ups and downs across streams and gorges was interesting and we enjoyed it. There were many places with rocks and rubbles scattered from earth quake and trail was rebuilt by local people.
Started the day with a visit to a golden coloured beautiful stupa on the way.
Here we walked through green forests full of oxygen. There was a beautiful meadow that gave us a plenty of photo opportunity.
The long walk winding through the hills, numerous ups and downs across streams and gorges was interesting and we enjoyed it. There were many places with rocks and rubbles scattered from earth quake and trail was rebuilt by local people.
For the first time after 6 days we could hear honking of trucks as we approached a village connected by motorable road.
Some of us were stretched to the brink and blisters developed on toes due to long walk and constant compression by the shoes as we kept moving down steep slopes.
It rained for few minutes as we crossed the military check post and about half an hour from the hotel in Chisopani.
As we were following arrow marks, we stopped at an arrow that asked us to go back on a road parallel to the one we used..... we retraced our path for some time and reached a spot where the arrow directed us towards Chisopani. Confused, we called our base and two porters came to our rescue and explained that the arrow in reverse direction was drawn by others. Since this incident we were careful not to blindly follow the arrows.
The loooong walk, rain and detour sapped all our energy and finally when we reached the lodge we realized the value of a shelter ! After quick shower and some very good black tea we regained our strength. This was was severely hit by the earth quake as we could see from adjacent dilapidated building leaning like pisa tower !
The loooong walk, rain and detour sapped all our energy and finally when we reached the lodge we realized the value of a shelter ! After quick shower and some very good black tea we regained our strength. This was was severely hit by the earth quake as we could see from adjacent dilapidated building leaning like pisa tower !
Day 7 Friday 5th Oct
Chisopani-Sundarijal 5 hrs 9.6 KM from 2150m-1399m
Total climb was 360m and we descended 1077m.
We had nice lemon tea at a tea house.
While going downhill on dirt road, Sajeev shouted “ leaches beware” !
There were millions of these tiny dancing creatures all over the trail. Both Sajeev and I darted on the dirt road and stopped only when these disappeared.
Pierre also walked fast with us but never suspected these to be leaches as PM would confirm later.
Sundarijal was a beautiful place where we could see a water fall and mini dam.
The walk through the forest was very pleasant and helped us develop appetite ahead of sumptuous lunch in the capital hotel Muditha.
PM arranged a mini bus for all of us and we reached Muditha hotel in Kathmandu within an hour.
After lunch we all went to nearby Pasupathnath temple except Murali.
We could see a huge Nandi ( bull ) in front of sanctum sanctorum
As he is the assistant of the main god of Shiva - he can also grant many boons. In South India - there is a tradition of talking one's wish to Nandi's ears that is then believed to be granted. I would say Nandi is like a personal secretary to CEO in business world ☺
The shore of the rivulet was busy with people performing the rituals of cremating dead bodies. It was quite a sight for Pierre and Jean-Luc to watch the final rituals ahead of cremation and cremation itself live !
As Sajeev and I went inside the temple ( only Hindus are allowed inside ) Pierre and J-L captured the cremation rituals on camera. They even noticed that people gathered downs tream of the river fought to retrieve the gold piece thrust in to dead person’s mouth by the deceased 's relatives.
The Pasupathinath temple was devastated during earth quake. Rebuilding efforts were seen in full swing. We could see swarm of monkeys jostling all over the place.
On the way back we crossed a play ground where found many " kite runners " ....
No wonder Khaled Hosseini chose this title for his famous novel as it dealt with contrasting colours of a typical kite battle .........
No wonder Khaled Hosseini chose this title for his famous novel as it dealt with contrasting colours of a typical kite battle .........
I remembered the days when I used to make Manja thread to cut other kites in fierce kite wars .....my gurus were my cousins in Chennai.....
Manja is a cocktail of fine powdered glass from smashed tube lights, industrial adhesives called vajram, flour plus some abrasive chemicals.
After we returned to hotel, we did shopping around the Boudhnath area.
It was time for PM to say “thank you “to us and he did in style !
He took us to his sisters tea shop where ample homemade food and drinks were served with love and affection.
There was so much laugh and noise when kids got closer and started playing with Jean-Luc. It was this subtle thread of Nepalese culture that was binding the God given mountain beauty with the people of the land visible to us and helped us enjoy the trek throughout our time in Nepal.
Namaste Nepal ! Namaste Himalayas....we will come again !
References : Hand notes by Pierre and guide book "Easy Trek the lower Langtang ". Also Google search used. As the details are used with the good intention of promoting Nepal tourism, no attempt to seek permission was made. In case of any objection, material will be removed from the blog.
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