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While talking about trekking in Nepal, Manaslu trek makes the list despite being underrated. With some wild trails, Manaslu circuit offers one of the best off the beaten path trek in Nepal which offers an adventure of a lifetime. The best time for Manaslu trek is during spring and autumn season when the trails are dry, sky is clear and the scenes of the mountain range is as glorious as it can be.
Manaslu trek has been one of the favourite trekking destination among the trekkers in last few years. There are some top reasons to choose Manaslu trek for your journey in Nepal. The thrill of trekking to Manaslu is an adventure of a lifetime. However, there are different seasons in Nepal for trekking. Sometimes the best season for trekking depends on the individual according to their degree of thrill.
How is the Manaslu trek Weather like ?
Like any other mountain regions, the Manaslu trek weather is quite unpredictable. While Nepal follows the same four seasons of weather ever year but you can expect a sudden change in weather at different times throughout the year. You can choose the best weather among the four which generally is considered as the best time for the Manaslu trek.
Among the four, which is the best season for Manaslu Trek?
Generally, spring and autumn seasons bring the best months with best weather for Manaslu Trek. These two seasons are even considered to be the best time for Everest Base Camp trek (one of the most challenging and adventurous trails) as it brings favourable environment for trekking.
However, Manaslu circuit trek can be done in all four seasons of the year depending on the trekkers and their degree of thrill for the adventure. Here is a breakdown of all four seasons to know the best time for Manaslu trek
1. Spring season ( March- May)
The three months of spring are generally considered to be the best time to do Manaslu trek. From scenes to the greens everything is best during this season. The daily weather pattern is perfect which is neither too cold at high altitude nor too warm at the low.
The trails are not too slippery and stays dry for most of the time. The dry trails makes it less difficult for the trekkers to move up to the higher altitude. The clear skies during the trek also lets you witness the beautiful scenes of the mountains ranges.
Spring is a pre monsoon season and everything looks fresh. Flowers starts to bloom and take new beginnings. So along with the dry trail and clear sky, the surroundings and environment gets more beautiful with colorful flowers which adds beauty to trek. This is the time of Rhododendron to Bloom and the Ponkar lake starts to melt.
2. Monsoon season (June – August)
Monsoon is the time of rain. As it rains most of the time during this season, the trekking trails to Manaslu sets a whole new adventure. The trails are slippery and there is also a risk of landslides at some parts. As many avoid to trek during this season, there will be few to no crowds on the trails of Manaslu.
Having recognised the risk and the slippery trails, travelers can witness the best scenes of the mountains and gorgeous views from the top after the rain. With the start of June, the monsoon season starts in Nepal. The weather gets slightly humid and it can get chilly at times after the rain. As the dust and pollution is cleared by the rain, you get to witness the best natural scenes and the greens.
In July, you can expect continuous rainfall as there is a very high chance that it might rain every day. Small streams might fill up and gets bigger in size which makes it difficult to cross the wooden bridges. The chances of rainfall might decrease by August, but this month of the year is not recommended for Manaslu trek. Still, some adventure lovers move on. Beware of humidity and the slippery trails.
3. Autumn Season ( September – November)
Atumn is no doubt the best season for Manaslu trek. The perfect climate , dry trails and amazing scenes of the snow capped mountains provides a total package of the Manaslu trek. The trails gradually starts to get busier. Lodges and tea houses gets filled up during this season.
It is neither too hot nor too cold during this season at Manaslu. The stable temperature creates best weather for the Manaslu trek which makes this season more favourable among the tourists. The trails are less crowded during September as the autumn starts from this month. The sky is as blue as it can get in October, hence you get to witness best view of Himalayas.
Past the monsoon, you can trek to Manaslu in a beautiful climate to get some awesome views of the mountains afterwards. Among the three, October is considered as the best month for Manaslu trek. The trails starts to get busier during this month. By the end of November, the temperature starts to decrease gradually as it hints the start of winter season.
4. Winter season ( December- February )
With the start of the winter season, sky becomes clear and the weather is pretty much dry. Days are sunny and bright during the winter but the nights are cold. The temperature drops below the freezing point and might even reach up to -20°c.
Higher the altitude, cold is the temperature. So the number of tourists starts to decrease for Manaslu trek during winter season. Many might not be used to the cold temperature of the mountain region. So the number of tourists for Manaslu trek gradually decreases once again during this time of the year.
December marks the start of winter season. The weather starts to drop significantly and by mid-December January is the coldest month in Nepal. Even the locals starts to move down to Pokhara due to extreme cold nights. So the tea houses and lodges are mostly closed during this time. Therefore, Manaslu trek will be more challenging during winter season.
You can still witness the amazing views of the snow- capped mountains during winter season.
How difficult is Manaslu Trek?
As mentioned earlier, Manaslu trek is one of the best off-the-beaten-path treks of Nepal which is moderately difficult. Manaslu circuit trek is about 177km long which offers uneven terrain, rocky trails that might add fatigue. With the harrowing steep Budi Gandaki, the first few days of Manaslu Trek will be difficult. Uphill and downhill along with several wooden bridges makes it a little challenging as well.
Manaslu trek difficulty can also be considered according to the different seasons as well. With different weather patterns, it might be challenging to trek on the same trail at different seasons. It is a whole new challenging adventure and very difficult to trek Manaslu during winter and Monsoon.
It is always good to have a guide with you to trek Manaslu if you are a first timer. If you are wondering about whether you can go for a solo Manaslu trek without a guide then I am afraid, the answer is ‘No’ as it is mandatory to have a guide.
Now if you are ready for the thrill of Manaslu trek, you can start packing and get your gears ready. Talking about the packing list for trekking to Manaslu , you will definitely need some important trekking equipment and regular trekking gears. Proper clothing, toiletries, altitude sickness pills, water purifier, first aid kits and other antibiotics are very much important for this trek.
FAQs:
How many days will it take to complete Manaslu trek ?
Starting from Kathmandu and back to Kathmandu, it will take around two weeks for the complete journey. You can also include and combine Tsum valley with Manaslu trek. With the combination of Manaslu Tsum valley, it might take around three weeks.
Do I need a guide to trek Manaslu?
Manaslu is a restricted trekking area, so you might need a guide and trekking agent approved by the Government of Nepal. Heading into one of the remote trekking routes of Nepal, having a guide is always a better option.
Is Wi-Fi available during the Manaslu trek?
Trekking into one of the remote places, technology and services are not available easily. Higher the altitude, fewer are the services, so not all but in some places like Dharapani, Namrung and so on, you can get access to Wi-Fi during your trek.
Are there any tea houses during the trek?
You can find a handful of tea houses and small lodges at different stages of your trekking journey in Manaslu. However, you might not find as much tea houses during the winter as the locals move down to Pokhara due to extreme cold temperature. Many avoid Manaslu Trek during winter.
Do I need any permits for Manaslu trek?
As mentioned earlier, Manaslu is a remote destination and a restricted area as well. Under the Manaslu conservation, the route remains a restricted area. So you need an special permit for trekking in Manaslu.
Restricted Area Permit
Manaslu conservation Area project permit
Annapurna conservation area project permit
What are the symptoms of altitude sickness ?
It is quite common to have altitude sickness if you are heading on to the mountains for first time. Altitude sickness symptoms are headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, weakness etc. So it is better to bring altitude sickness pills along with you.
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