ACT

古桑（Ghusang，3950）的视野令人眼前一亮，甚至可以断言，古桑及其这个驿站之前15分钟的路程内，是常规ACT线路上观看整列安纳布尔纳主山脊最好的地点，可以从最东端的安纳布尔纳二号7744峰、一直看到最西端的大栅栏，视线不会受任何阻挡

在整个马斯扬迪河谷沿线，能达到类似效果的地点寥寥无几，几乎都需要走例如康拉垭口（Kang La，5306）、布拉喀冰湖（Bhraka Ice Lake，4600）、甚至皮桑峰（Pisang Peak，6091）这样至少在4500米以上的高海拔支线。古桑附近尽管海拔仍嫌低了点，但胜在不必耗费额外的体力走支线（Side Trip），除了看不见8091的主峰外，效果已是相当接近

 

（古桑的客栈拥有一流的景观视野）

 

 

（安纳布尔纳主山脊）

 

 

 

离开古桑区域继续往北，安纳布尔纳二号峰（Annapurna II，7937，16th）会变得清晰，在之前的路段中，我们始终没有机会真正看清她的北壁，现在这个草终于可以拔掉了。二号峰与一号峰所在的山体之间隔着显著低点塞提垭口（Seti Pass，5520），基本上是自成一体的独立区域

 

主要的四个峰尖，二号峰7937、四号峰7525、7744峰、兰琼雪山（Lamjung Himal，6893）我们之前都看到过了。由于后三者都没有超过500米的地形突出度（P值），都只能算是二号峰的卫峰（Subsidiary Peak）。从古桑往北一直到托隆冲锋营地（Thorung High Camp，4833），二号峰一直会以三位一体的形象出现在我们背后的南侧

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The shortest way to Lake Tilicho,
If you are in a hurry and don’t want to miss this awesome trip then here is the brief about the shortest path you can follow to Tilicho. In the first day, you go by jeep from Kathmandu to Besisahar.

Besisahar is a small town which is rich in beauty and culture. From there you have a view of the magnificent mountains of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, and Machhapuchre. Waterfall and ancient temples are also something to see in Besisahar. You can spend a night in Besisahar and explore everything or move on the same day.

After Besisahar drive to Bhulbhule. There are many vans and jeeps that you can hire to get to Bhulbhule or the option. You can go hiking During the trekking you will pass the forest area, some bumpy trails, and the distant mountain view. From Bhulbhule comes Jagat. Jagat is a charming little town in the middle of the hills.

As you move away from Jagat, Dharapani is your next stop. Dharapani is a picturesque village where people follow the simple lifestyles of agriculture and livestock. The village is characterized by the stone gate and one of the typical Tibetan villages. You will also see beautiful traditional stone houses.

If you continue your trip from Dharapani, now walk towards Chame. While you are heading towards Chame, you will find a confluence of Dudh Khola and Manaslu Circuit in a place called Thoche. A traditional village from Thanchowk to Koto also comes on the way.

Once in Chame, you can breathe deeply and rest for one night. You will find the headquarters of the Manang district near Chame, which houses hotels, hostels, banks, health posts, and trekking shops. Also from Chame, you can see a nice view of Annapurna II.

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Now Pisang is your next stop in Chame. Pisang is a traditional village with an ancient Buddhist temple. The village is located in the valley of the Marshyangdi River, just south of the Pisang Summit, north of Annapurna II and west of Paungda Danda. And finally, Manang comes to Pisang.

Spend a day in this beautiful hidden valley full of culture and tradition. The typical schedule for the trip to Tilicho Lake shows the migration from Manang to Tilicho BC on the next day.

However, this stage can be shortened slightly so that you can walk to Khangsar the same afternoon after completing the acclimatization trips and use them for about 2 hours in the morning. There are two roads west from Manang.

The main road leads to Ghusang village and continues towards Thorong La. Significantly fewer tourists travel to Khangsar and this is the shortest and farthest route to Tilicho Lake along the side road.

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The path leads along the lower fields over the River Canyon and the beautiful views of the west side of Annapurna II make the tourists constantly turn their heads. You can see the typical landscape of the upper Manang from the vantage point to the canyon: rocks formed by erosion that rise above the river.

On the horizon, you can see a bridge over which a promontory leads over the confluence of the rivers Marsyangdi and Thorong Khola. Above all, this is the large rock outlook that is reached from the upper Khangsar.

The road from the pretty village of Khangsar (3760 m) towards the mysterious Lake Tilicho drive through an interesting or occasionally surreal landscape and weathered rocky slopes. On the way, there is a beautiful view of many interesting mountains.

Especially the black rock Khangsar Kang (7485 m.), Which stands on the Great Barrier, is admired. Khangsar is a beautiful Nepalese village in the upper part of Manang. Prayer flags are everywhere and the hay is drying on the roofs.

The horizon is dominated by the special, pointed mountain Idam Phra (5875 masl). It is ideal to drive to Tilicho BC early in the morning when the mountains are in perfect light. After a while, you can see the entire end of the Marsyangdi Valley, and practically into the BC.

The road leads to the top of the river’s eastern shore, so do not be tempted by the roads to the river, for example. To the bridge, which you can see in this photo. The skyline is almost dominated by the frozen Tilicho Peak (7134 m) and Phra Idam (5875 m) as an observation tower.

After about 45 minutes on foot from Upper Khangsar, the previous viewpoints directly up to the Thorong Khola River, onto which the bridge leads, luckily decrepit. As you climb the promontory, you can see Thorong Khola Canyon, which is quite wild and practically impenetrable in these places.

This explains why the main road to the Thorong Pass on the surface of the river on the top of the hill above the canyon leads to more than 200 meters of altitude. The road slowly rises and the surrounding countryside gradually fills with forests.

After about two hours of walking from Manang, you will reach the beautiful village of Khangsar (3760 m asl). There is accommodation in the accommodation. Here it is ideal to climb the roof and enjoy the view. The view is best just after sunrise when the Great Barrier Reef and Tilicho Peak are incredibly colorful.

Even the once deserted route from Khangsar to Tilicho Lake is gradually changing. The new accommodations are built halfway, so it is necessary to bring bulky material such as wood. The local transport companies manage this and can even cover several hundred meters on each side in order to adapt to the road.

After a 40-minute walk from Khangsar, a small gompa (3930 meters above sea level) appears. There is a nice view to the east from the road over time with good visibility. On the first level, you will see the newly built property and the alternative road to Alto Khangsar and the road to Khangsar.

In the background from left to right: (6981 m above sea level), trekking peak Pisang (6091 m above sea level) pyramid ice Kangur, trio of high mountains – peak Manaslu (8163 m), Nepali “broad peak” of Ngada Chuli (7871 meters above sea level) and Himal Chuli (7893 meters above sea level).

On the path, you can see how the river Canyon is less and less accessible. The road turns off on a slope with unpleasant debris. Especially the Great Barrier is impenetrable.

In about half of the time, you will have to cross the largest tributary of the river at this point across the bridge: A Khola. This river “Mana” 750 meters perpendicular to Lake Memechho. According to the map, there is no way to take you, and there is no information about this lake on the Internet, so it is the perfect destination for the expedition of discovery :-).

From the bridge, there are a few meters unpleasant steep climb to the picturesque rock. People often admire the dominants of almost all stages of the walk. With a bit of luck, you can see on the rocks on the sheep road of the Bharal Himalaya.

Immediately behind the highest point of the journey, at about 4280 meters above sea level, there is an intersection. The original path led to the top of the Col (4920 m above sea level), but the path from this side perspective on screes disappeared and now this trail is not recommended.

Now you go around this mountain and go through unpleasant debris fields. It is probably the most difficult trekking tour in Manang. The road through the rocky slopes between the weathered rocks takes more than half an hour.

You have to be very careful not to fall 250 meters below the ground. For tourists returning from a trip to Lake Tilicho it is much more practical and moreover not the same way to go back to Manang, but go higher through the village spirits route: El Alto Khangsar and then straight down to Yak Kharka.

Through the beautiful little perspective cliff above the river valley. Moreover, this road is the least traveled by tourists who circle around Annapurnas.

After more than two hours walk from base camp Tilicho towards Manang we reach a newly built country house (4070 m asl), ideal for a break for tea. Just 200 meters beyond, there is a crossroads leading to the main road leading to Alto Khangsar. From this point begins this photo report.

The road crosses the slope and rises slowly. On the way, there is a beautiful view of the whole valley, the icy mountain range and the interesting mountain Phra Idam (5875 m asl). After half an hour, the upper Khangsar (4120 m above sea level) appears. It looks like a ghost town because there are many houses in that extreme altitude, but there is no soul here.

This is a bit confusing, it is a broad new road that is not marked on the maps leading somewhere towards the hills. However, the right path leads northeast along the edge of small fields. On the way, there is also a nice view of Gangapurna and Annapurna III.

Since it is facing southeast, it is difficult to photograph the giants here as they spend most of the day against the sun. After about an hour away from the High Khangsar, you get to the top of this shortcut: a small cliff (4150 m) with stunning views of the valley of Marsyangdi.

From here, you can see the confluence of rivers and the lower road to Khangsar and beyond Tilicho Lake. Annapurna II dominates the horizon in the south and the Pisang summit in the north. Directly across the side valley winds the main road towards Thorong Phedi.

A view to the north into the dry valley of Thorong Khola is unpleasant. You can see how the path from the small cliff first sharply and then gradually decreases to the confluence (3,850 meters) of Thorong flows with Ghyanchang Khola Khola from the massif of Chulu.

It is a loss of more than 300 meters in altitude. You can clearly see how the main road from Manang in the direction of the side valley. But it is still lost no altitude.

Gangapurna looks pretty interesting from the small cliff. It is very surprising that almost nobody goes around and the girls from Khangsar have a snack here. It is advisable to use their services, as the way to Yak Kharka or even further to Ledar is still long.

The descent from the small cliff is initially very steep. Then it goes on through the forest, which is surprising in such a dry landscape. The vegetation plays here with all the colors and views of Annapurna II. Give here the right mood of the Himalayas.

A Tibetan family has a small buffet just before the confluence of the rivers, so you can drink tea here, maybe just for solidarity reasons. From the bridge, you only have to climb about 150 meters and the main walk Manang – Yak Kharka (from the intersection there are still 40 minutes to Yak Kharka).

Finally, the goal of this stage appears the tactically located in the side valley Tilicho base camp with a small stream full of fresh water. You can also see the continuation of the road to Tilicho Lake. A few tens of meters in front of the base camp offers a beautiful view of the ridge of Khangsar Kang to the summit of the Tilicho.

There are only two accommodations in BC. So if you do not have a reservation, it is good to arrive early. So it’s better to start from Khangsar than from Manang. The second day is the best of this hike.

Tilicho BC – – Tilicho – Tilicho BC in one day, but then little time for the lake itself, because here it is finally seeing the magical Lake Tilicho (if he spent the night in Khangsar, you can have an even faster version Khagsar Manage very fast shadows, so it is best to leave Tilicho BC all day in the morning.

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Stage description

The whole mountain area around Manang is a real hotspot of the rare snow leopard. It is estimated that about 20 specimens of this cat of prey are permanently resident in this region. Together with Tashi R. Ghale, one of the best specialists on the snow leopard and one of the best wildlife photographers in Nepal, the wide footpath at the beginning leads you directly through Manang. There is still a busy life due to the numerous trekking tourists who make their way towards Thilicho Lake or Thorung La Pass to reach Jomsom. At the beginning you move on this frequented path, which leads towards Khangsar or Thilicho Lake.
Impressed by the beautiful snow and ice pyramid of the Gangapurna summit (7.454 m) with its crevasse-torn glacier tongue almost reaching down to the valley floor, you leave the official trail after crossing a suspension bridge. You climb steadily over a ridge that becomes steeper and steeper. It will not be long before our snow leopard expert will point out the first traces of snow leopards to you. Marker tracks or paw prints in the fine sandy ground show the constant presence of this beautiful and worth protecting big cat. Mighty white-headed vultures will circle above you and look for carrion. With a bit of luck, there is a good chance of spotting a snow leopard in the middle of the rocks during the ascent. But there is a much higher chance that blue sheeps, Himalayan ptarmigans and rock partridges will cross your path.
After the last steep ascent to Upper Khangsar (approx. 4.100 m), the trail now leads gently over the ridge to two well-positioned photo traps, which are intended to document the constant presence of the snow leopard. You have already reached almost 4.200 m and the view of the ice-armoured Annapurna chain is incredibly captivating. Back to the pre-peak in a few minutes and then take the scenic trail northwards to the extensive Thorung La valley.
After crossing the Thorung Khola creek, a small tea house invites you for a refreshment. Afterwards a short ascent up to the main route towards Thorung La pass follows. Now you descend comfortably with many scenic impressions over the small collection of houses from Ghusang to Manang, whose stone houses with their colourful prayer flags fixed on the roofs you can already see from far away.