Chulu Far East Peak Climbing - 16 days

Welcome to the Himalayan country of Nepal! On your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, complete the formalities with customs. You will then be warmly greeted by our representative from Third Rock Adventures at the arrival gate. 

We will transfer you to your respective hotel. After some refreshments, if you are up for it, you can choose to visit our office and head out to the streets of Thamel; the tourist hub in Kathmandu. Enjoy a stroll in the evening market with your guide. Late evening, enjoy some authentic Nepali dinner. 

Overnight stay at hotel in Kathmandu. 

Kathmandu is known best for the religious and historical monuments scattered around the city. Enjoy a guided tour around the UNESCO World Heritage sites in the city. Visit the historical Kathmandu Durbar Square to learn about the architecture of the temples and the long-gone monarchical days. 

From there, head to Pashupatinath, the most popular and revered Hindu Temple. Thereon, take a drive to Swayambhunath/ Monkey temple, a stupa most revered amidst Buddhist pilgrims in the world. If you wish, you can also go to visit Bouddhanath Stupa, one of the largest stupas in the world. 

After the amazing tour, head to our office to have pre-trip discussions where you can ask your queries to the climbing guide and team members. Head back to your hotel to check all the packing list. Have dinner and take a rest for tomorrow’s long journey.

Overnight stay at hotel in Kathmandu. 

We leave from Kathmandu by taking an early morning drive to Chame. Along the ride, you will come across rivers, rolling hills, and green landscape. After leaving the Prithvi highway the road takes you through the Marsyangdi valley. The off-road drive can be a bumpy one at times. You will even spot waterfalls where you can make quick stops to enjoy the views. 

Chame is located in Manang district and is the trail to many other treks in the area like Annapurna Circuit Trek. Annapurna Conservation Area Permit must be shown at the checkpoint. You can explore the traditional lifestyle of the locals living in Chame. 

Overnight stay at Tea House in Chame. 

This day will be your first trekking day on the trip. The trek on this day is very exciting as you will come across many dramatic sights. You will walk past a steep and narrow trail through the dense forest then head to the Paungada Danda. You will get to view the amazing peaks from here. Keep your eyes open for the views of numerous waterfalls streaming down from huge boulders. Walk past an organic apple farm where you can enjoy delicious apple juice. 

Surrounded by rolling hills on both sides and at times walking beside the sapphire Marsyangdi River is an exciting journey. 

Overnight stay at Tea House in Lower Pisang. 

Today’s trek is a short one but rather exciting. Early in the morning after having breakfast, you will commence your trek from the heavenly villages with majestic Himalayan views. The dusty road is wider than others that you passed earlier in the trek. 

Humde is generally famous in the area for having the only airport in Marsyangdi valley. You will walk past a few scattered houses and lodges in the area. It is inhabited by the local Manangays. In the village, you cannot miss out on one of the longest mani walls in Manang with 266 prayer wheels. Show your permits at the local police station. Humde has all the basic facilities like a health post, safe drinking water, and more. 

Overnight stay at Tea House at Humde.

After having breakfast, you will head through the forested trails of Pine, Cedar, and Oak towards Julu Khola. On the way, visit the Lophelling Monastery with views of mountains in the backdrop. Then you will head towards Sher Gompa which is a retreat center for the local Tibetan Buddhist nuns. 

Walking ahead you will reach the Julu Khola that is fed by the Chulu peak. The Pisang Peak can be seen in proximity to where your camp is to be set for the night. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Julu Khola. 

After the long trek, take some rest on this day. Note that it has also been set aside for acclimatization as the next day’s trek will see a drastic rise in elevation. You will leave your heavy stuff in the camp and take short hikes along forested trails. Beside the Julu Khola, take an ascend to Julu Peak Base Camp. The base camp offers views of the snowcapped Annapurna Massif at a distance and the Pisang Peak up-close. 

Take a descend to your campsite. Make preparations for the next day’s challenging trek. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Julu Khola. 

The trek for today poses a slight challenge since there is a high-altitude gain. Also, the trail follows a steep climb to reach Chulu Far East Base Camp. You will walk past some tough rocky terrain. The area is laden with snow most time of the year so watch your footsteps. 

Despite all the hardships of the trek, the exertion will be taken away by magical views of Annapurna Massif. Upon reaching the base camp, the crew will hae already set up the camp for overnight stay. After the tiring trek, take a rest. Drink plenty of warm fluid to keep yourself hydrated and warm. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Chulu Far East Base Camp.

Due to the rise in altitude, we will take acclimatization day at the base camp to cope our body with the falling oxygen level. Leave all the heavy stuff at your tent and take a hike to the nearest glacier on the base camp.

Your climbing guide will provide pre-climbing training to prepare for the following days climb. Ask questions to clear any of your doubts. Your guide will demonstrate the correct use of climbing tools like a karabiner, ascender, ice axe, harness, and others. The guide will offer special tips and techniques on climbing. You will be asked to ascend and descend using ropes, as a part of the training activity. Moreover, you will get to hone your rappelling and belaying skills with the assistance of your experienced guide. After the rigorous training and confidence booster hike, take some rest because you will have to wake up early to begin your next day's trek. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Chulu Far East Base Camp.

Today we begin our climb to the Chulu Far East High Camp. Although a short climb, it is challenging as the trail passes snowy slopes. With mesmerizing views of Annapurna Massif, Chulu East, Chulu west, and Chulu Far East, the ascend is motivating. Moreover, the views of Pisang Peak are in front of you. 

Through a snowy path, reach the campsite on the rocky platform of the high camp. After setting up your camp you can explore a small lake near the area. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in the Chulu Far East High Camp. 

On this day, you will reach your main destination, the summit of the Chulu Far East Peak. Early around at 2 am, when it is still dark outside, begin the climb. It is important to start early as it gets very windy in the mountain terrains as the day progresses. The trail to the summit begins with a level climb. It then becomes steeper gradually and covers rocks in mountain tracks. The trek becomes demanding as you traverse to the climax of the peak. 

Finally, reaching the top of Chulu Far East is a rewarding feeling. Conquering the peak is the most challenging point throughout the trail, but the views from the summit wash away all of the pain. The vistas of incredible peaks such as Annapurna II, III, IV, Pisang Peak Chulu West, Himlung Valley, and Gangapurna are seen at full glory. The snow-blanketed Himalayas are captivating beyond expressions. After enjoying the rewarding views and feeling proud about your climb to the summit, descend the vertical slopes until High Camp. 

After reaching High Camp, you will head back again through the descending trail to Base Camp. After the rewarding but tiring trek, rest at the campsite. Drink plenty of warm water and hot soup to keep yourself warm. 

Overnight stay at Tented Camp in Chulu Far East Base Camp.

A spare day will be set aside in case of any contingencies that might occur during the summit climb. As the weather in the Himalayan region is unpredictable, there might be delays in the plan. Flight cancellation or delays, minor injuries, bad weather, altitude sickness are just some of the incidences that might need contingency daybreak. 

However, if all things go well, and your trek goes as planned, then you can use this extra day any time during your trip to explore the villages that fall on the Chulu Far East Peak Climbing route.

On this day, you will be tracing the same trail as before, now to descend to Humde Village. The descend back is easier than the climb so it will not take you long to cover such a long distance. Along the way, pass by the Julu Khola and pass the scattered settlement to the airstrip village of Humde. 

As you have come across your first Tea House service after about seven days, you can utilize the shower facility here. You can enjoy the local delicacy and drinks at night listening to the stories and folk songs of the local people there. 

Overnight stay at Tea House in Humde. 

Leaving the Humde village early in the morning after breakfast, you head to Chame. Along the way, you will bid farewell to the preserved and age-old Lower Pisang. The trail widens at times then sees narrow routes. After a while, you will reach Chame where you can enjoy the hot shower and other facilities.

Overnight stay at Tea House in Chame. 

On this day, you will move to Kathmandu City. After having breakfast, bid farewell to the locals in Chame and take a drive through the beautiful Marsyangdi valley. Views of the swift-flowing river can be spotted below. Pass through the mesmerizing waterfalls, villages as you move through the bumpy roads.  

Your adventure will come to a rest as you reach Kathmandu. After the long trip, you will be transferred to your hotel in Thamel. You can choose to rest at your hotel or head out to the streets of Thamel to enjoy some souvenir shopping. At night, a farewell dinner will be organized for your departure from Nepal. 

Overnight stay at hotel in Kathmandu. 

This day will mark the end of your stay here in Nepal. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Tribhuvan International Airport. Our representatives will bid farewell as you enter the airport for the final departure. As you take your flight homewards, you will remember the amazing time you had in the remote Humde Village, views from the Chulu Far East summit, and the Marsyangdi Valley. For similar climbing or variant trekking experiences, remember us again on your next tour to Nepal.