Live from the Hima­laya (5): Thorung La – the greatest pass in the world

The plan was different: after my exploration with Tashi Ghale for the Snow Leopard Trail, I wanted to hike with my small team, consisting of guide Pemba and porter Dhami, over Tilicho Lake and Mesukantu Pass to Mustang. My goal was to check if this route would be suitable as an extension to the Snow Leopard Trail. The constantly changing weather and the massive snowfall at the end of March made my plan as simply impossible right at the beginning of my journey. So I had no choice but to get to Muktinath via the Thorong La. At 5,420m, Thorung La is 100 meters higher than Mesukantu Pass. However, due to its northern location, towards Tibet, it has received less snow and, above all, is a lot of activity.

Thorung La High Camp (4,925m): Starting point for the last stage over the pass

This is also the main reason why I have (privately) avoided this pass so far. After all, it represents the key point for the many trekkers on Nepal’s most famous trekking route, the Annapurna Circuit. It has therefore always been the scene of many personal triumphs, but also numerous tragedies (such as cyclone Hudhud in 2014). So I was quite curious as to what to expect. Because of the weather forecast (she predicted a nice weather window for Easter Saturday), we canceled one day in Manang and started on Thursday. Well, unlike the trekkers, I had driven up to Manang by car (which certainly shouldn’t be imitated), but I already felt well acclimatized. A quality that has often helped me in Nepal, but for which I cannot do anything. Our first daily destination were lodges of Ledar (4,200m) and the slightly longer choice than the usual daily destination Yak Kharka (4,050m). Nevertheless, we started quite late from Manang to avoid the main stream of hikers. So we hiked quite lonely (a luxury on the Annapurna Circuit) up to the beautiful Alm of Gunsang (3,950m), from where the trail leads north, always high above the Thorung Khola creek. From Gunsang it is quite leisurely without any major climbs, past Yak Kharka to the three lodges of Ledar, which we reached after four hours of walking. The lodges were well filled and the colorful trekking crowd spent the afternoon chattering excitedly, reading to themselves or playing cards in the dining room. Young, hip polyglot backpackers from all over the world characterize the scene. Thank God there are also organized trekking groups with the older semesters, otherwise I would have really felt like a Methuselah up here. True to my tried and tested rule of thumb “Climb high, sleep low” I climbed about 300 meters in altitude in the direction of Chulu West Base Camp in the afternoon when the snow began to fall. While I was still wondering why not a single trekker did the same, I met a couple from Denmark in the snow. The two had a good reason for the trip: They are mountaineers and want to scale Chulu West (6,420m). After a deep sleep, the next morning brought what I had expected: several trekkers had become altitude sick overnight and had to turn back. Whereby a well-trained American could no longer stand on his feet. The arm was strapped to a mule to get to the lower climes because the helicopter couldn’t take off because of the weather. We continued walking at our own leisurely pace. Although the weather cleared up, we immersed ourselves more and more in a winter landscape. A foretaste of tomorrow’s pass crossing. Until Thorung Phedi (4,525m) the path did not change its less strenuous character, but we kept overtaking trekkers who obviously had to struggle with the altitude.

It starts at dawn! Trekkers cross the first snow-covered slopes above the High Camp.

A young, exhausted Israeli with a rasta hairstyle asked me, probably because of my relaxed state: “Please give me these pills”. It was only with difficulty that I was able to explain to him that there are no miracle pills against altitude sickness. As much as I liked the young, colorful trekking people, the naivety and ignorance about the upcoming undertaking was often hair-raising. Because of the reports about the snowfall, I had taken my heavy mountaineering boots with me, which were compatible with crampons, while many trekkers were out and about with ankle-free, light trekking shoes. More than 30 came towards us that day because they gave up their dream. Even if they are disappointed: they are the sensible ones, because at five and a half thousand meters the fun stops quickly. Thorung Phedi is now referred to as Base Camp. Since we reached it at 10:30 a.m., we went straight on to Thorung High Camp at 4,925m. This path is now really steep! Accordingly, we leisurely climbed up the snow flank and reached the High Camp, it is a single, large lodge that can accommodate up to 200 people, around noon. I repeated an acclimatization hike from the previous day, this time followed by several trekkers. In the evening, when it cleared up after some snowfall, a helicopter suddenly rattled up. Two Indian women suffered from altitude sickness and had to be transported away before nightfall. The dining room was well filled and reminded me of those in Adlersruhe at home. Everyone was excited and after a short, cold night, the first started at 4:00 am under a starry sky. We then followed at 5:30am to save ourselves from walking with headlamps in the first morning light. The day began with a cloudless sky and a biting cold southerly wind. Cautiously and still a bit awkwardly we groped up the icy slopes and were happy when, after an hour and a half, the sun finally rose behind the Chulu chain. Time to rest and enjoy the stunning views of the Annapurna range. It is a very unique feeling to advance to great heights in the Himalayas. Every time a very special emotion takes possession of me and the certainty of my own tinyness on this unique planet. At least now, in the minutes of sunrise, I was happy to have made the decision to climb Thorung La and to share this experience with such special people as Pemba and Dhami. From about 5,250m the terrain slopes back noticeably and so the last few meters to the top of the pass are no longer too strenuous. And so we are already at 08:00 sharp at Thorung La, the most famous high trekking pass in the world, decorated with prayer flags flapping in the wind. “The greatest pass in the world”.

Almost like before on our expeditions 😁 The feeling of moving outside the comfort zone still tingles…

Standing on a high pass is always like stepping from one world into the next. Here at Thorung La from the now familiar Manang into the so unique Mustang. This barren and fascinating highland, the northern part of which was completely closed to foreigners until the early 1990s. And was able to maintain its status as an independent kingdom until 2006. The snow-covered grey-brown sea of peaks, which was soon joined by the immaculate white pyramid of the imposing Dhaulagiri (8,167m), magically attracted us. So a quick souvenir photo and we started the descent. At this point at the latest, my heavy hiking boots proved to be an unbeatable advantage, because the descent is steep and icy. The pass is therefore practically never climbed from this side either, since the last lodge (Muktinath Phedi) has to be climbed a strenuous 1,400 meters in altitude. Of course it was easier to hop down the steep snow slopes. Oh, if only I had my touring skis with me, because the finest firn snow shone in the Mustang sun. We reached Phedi long before the next group and the wonderful day of hiking ended gently on the alpine meadows above Muktinath. We soon reached Muktinath. This so famous place of pilgrimage at an impressive 3,850m, which is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists alike. The variety of pilgrimage that bustles here is correspondingly fascinating. Indians who, crammed together in shaky buses, undertake the arduous day-long journey up here. Or the Dolpo Pa women, who are particularly fascinating with their headdresses decorated with turquoise and coral. And have completed their pilgrimage on foot, from the archaic world of the Dolpo highlands over the fierce 5,600m high Sangda La. Muktinath alone would be worth a blog, but we decided to turn our backs on Mustang today, despite the uncertain weather, and drive as far south as possible on the infamous Mustang Highway. And so, dead tired, we reached Tatopani at eight in the evening, in the middle of the deepest gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki Gorge. At 1,200 m altitude, with palm trees and bamboo as vegetation. 12 hours earlier we were still 4,200m higher, standing in the icy heights of 5,420m. An experience that only Nepal can offer.

After 1,700m descent in a new world: The pilgrimage site Muktinath with the Dhaulagiri (8,167m) on the horizon.

My conclusion: The Thorung La is absolutely suitable as an extension of the Snow Leopard Trail. If you are ready to immerse yourself in the colorful world of trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit after the lonely trekking days in Naar Phu. But as the saying goes: The best thing is to share unforgettable experiences with as many people as possible!

And in the evening in the evergreen monsoon forests of the lower Kali Gandaki Gorge: 4,300m below, in Tatopani. Something like that only works in Nepal….

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