travel
Peak Happiness
A mountain adventure, immersed in the breathtaking beauty of Langtang Valley leading to Tsergo Ri, a mountain peak located in Langtang National Park, Bagmati Province of Nepal.
Arpita Vadgama
Every year, as winter approaches, we eagerly lace up our trekking shoes, driven by a longing to explore the mountains. This season, we set our sights on the breathtaking Langtang Valley in Nepal—a captivating region in the Tamang homeland, nestled close to the Tibetan border. The unforgettable journey and the stunning landscapes and rich culture made it a magical destination. It promised stunning mountain views, rich Tibetan Buddhist culture and amazing wildlife at the Langtang National Park. But the highlight of it all was summiting 5,000 metres to reach Tsergo Ri (“Ri” means peak) which sits at the foot of Kyanjin Gompa village.
Getting There
We took a flight to Kathmandu via Delhi where we spent the night. Next morning, we set out on a painfully slow and incredibly shaky but picturesque bus ride to the last motorable town Syabru Bensi (1,462 metres). The picturesque views of Ganesh Himal Mountain range accompanied us. It took 7 hours to cover 130 kms. After resting overnight, our journey on foot began.
Day 1: Syabru Bensi to Lama Hotel
We trekked 12 kms ( approx. 7 hours) amidst dense forest along the Langtang Khola (“khola” means river), crossed several suspension bridges and the landslide zone towards Bamboo village (1,960 metres), passed Rimche village (2,400 metres) and finally reached Lama Hotel (2,500 metres). This is not an actual hotel but the name of a village where there are 4-5 tea houses with minimal facilities – think toilets, beds and blankets. There is no electricity, no network. We gulped down ginger lemon honey tea and thukpa, not wanting to leave the warm dining area where trekkers from across the world exchange stories. When trekking, I always detest waking up in the middle of the freezing night to step outside and use the washroom, but the stargazing opportunity more than makes up for it.
Day 2: Lama Hotel to Langtang Village
We started climbing the next day, embarking on a six-hour trek, still following the Langtang River. Throughout the journey, we are accompanied by the majestic view of Langtang Lirung mountain. Our path takes us towards Ghoda Tabela (3,000 metres), a farm where ponies and donkeys reside, followed by vast yak pasturelands dotted with Tamang settlements. We then pass the vast ruins of the old Langtang Village, which got devastated completely during the 2015 earthquake. Crossing this void does give an eerie feeling, only to lead us to the new Langtang village (3,500 metres) where Tibetan prayers flags are fluttering with joy and homestays host tourists with utmost warmth and great food.
Day 3: Langtang Village to Kyanjin Gompa
We ascend forward to cross Mundu village and finally a beautiful suspension bridge to cross Laja khola and reach Kyanjin Gompa village (“Gompa” means monastery). The trail is flat but the altitude brought massive winds and slight difficulties in breathing. This picture-prefect Kyanjin Gompa village sits at an altitude of 3,830 metres, below the Langtang Lirung mountain. We spent the rest of the day exploring the village and the old monastery. The next day was to summit Tsergo Ri (5.050 metres). As an alternative, people also climb Kynajin Ri (4,700 metres) but we picked the former for it’s a bigger adventure and for the thrill of summitting a 5,000+ metre peak. We then prepared our daypacks and discussed what to carry as packed lunch. All this to distract ourselves from the anxiety of the impending summit push!
Day 4: Tsergo Ri Summit
After ultimate anticipation, the summit day had arrived. Depending on fitness levels, it can take about 5 hours to reach to the top and about 4 hours to return. We started before sunrise with packed lunch and a lot of water – because there is no water source en route. We were one of the first trekkers on the trail from where one gets picturesque views of the Langtang valley, glaciers and the Kyanjim Gompa village. The hike was gruelling with breath-taking views and the last ascent was tricky because of the snow. After spending some time atop, taking photos and grabbing a bite, we descended down to make it in time. We didn’t go back the same way as climbing down on the snowy patch would be difficult. Taking a rather long route scared me until I was able to see Kyanjim Gompa village again.
Day 5 & 6: Retrace our steps
The next two days we trekked back the same way we came, spending one night at Rimche village and the next at Syabru Besi. The walk was long and as always, the realisation dawned that it was time to head back to civilisation.
One bus ride later, we were back in Kathmandu, and two flights later, back home in Ahmedabad, with blistered feet, a backpack full of dirty clothes and heart full of memories.