Helambu

[Lars]

I will fly to Kathmandu early October, mostly to start a longish bicycle trip from
there through India.

Now I have come up with the idea to do the Helambu Trek, which I have never
done before.

As I understand it this trek can be either just 6 days or extended to about
double that.

Any thoughts or recommendations on this trek?
I trekked Langtang thirty years ago, but never crossed over by Gosainkunda.

[thesilvertops]

It's a long time since we hiked Helambu (2001) on our way to Gosainkund and Langtang. You can hike north from Sundarajil and then make a circular route ending up back near Kathmandu - probably about 6 or 7 days hiking. It's quite a nice hike through the foothills and along the tops of ridges. You can see the Himalaya ahead gradually getting closer. This is a low level hike and at no time do you feel that you are in the mountains. It was December when we hiked and there were very few other trekkers about. I have no idea how this trek might have been affected by road development (dirt tracks like the Kali Gandaki road in Annapurna).

[Sujoy]

There is a road on the other side to a place called Kuil so you can drive back to Kathmandu from Kuil if you start from sundarijal - think the trek will be reduced to 5 days or so .. there is also a dirt track beyond Sundarijal for some distance which can be used by a jeep!

[thesilvertops]

We're not the fastest walkers but here is our schedule from Sundarijal towards Gosainkund in December 2000. We went on into Langtang after this

(Friday 1st December - Had what I later discovered was my second TIA in a week whilst in our hotel in KTM - should I have gone on and done this trek?)

Saturday 2nd December: Taxi to Sundarijal, hiked to Chisopani
Sunday 3rd December: Hiked to Gul Bhanjyang - stayed at Khutumsang Lodge
Monday 4th December: Hiked to Magengoth
Tuesday 5th December: Hiked to Ghopte
Trail back to Melamchi Pul is at Tharepati between Megengoth and Gopte. There is also an alternative trail that goes back to Sundarijal shown in Lonely Planet - Nepal Himalaya.


Looking towards Gosainkund from the Helambu Trail near Tharepati.

Alternatively you could hike on over Gosainkund to Dhunche and then bus back to KTM. You would then have a chance to see the best view in the world from Laurebina Yak, of the Himalaya from Dhaulagiri to Langtang and Shishapangma.

[Lars]

Thanks guys. I am not really looking for shortcuts at the moment. Most of my
treks have been around a month long and it seems even without cutting short
Helambu can be a lot shorter.