Re: Travelling to start of Langtang
 |
Re: Travelling to start of Langtang
|
|
In Reply to: Travelling to start of Langtang posted by Veebs on January 21, 2007 at 20:30:51:
Hi, …..there`s plenty of time for writing, we have an unexpected `strike` here and an scheduled breakdown of electricity supply,
The road to Dhunche/Syabru Besi is an adventure, that`s well known.
As I am planning to go to Langtang since 1998 I always watched for newspaper reports about major accidents on this particular road…..I did not hear about a single one in all these years. The reason might be that there are VERY few cars and buses on this road, while you find accidents on the road to Pokhara frequently, not to say daily (truck traffic from India),
The conditions on the road (from Kalikasthan onwards) are sometimes serious due to landslides. But…..the road is very well looked after, it looked like each new stone fall is removed immediately.
If you are not used to Nepalese conditions perhaps you should take a land cruiser to reach Dhuche or Syabru Besi. It is costly (5.000 to 8.000,- NRS one way), but you might try to share the costs with others.
The public bus is mostly very crowded, the music very loud, but it keeps the driver awake (9 hours drive or more) and……the people tend to vomit a lot (mostly in the back part of the bus, the front is better in this regard).
Hmm, met a French couple in Ghora Tabela which still had only one thing on their mind: the public bus drive, it must have been a kind of shock for them.
If you take the bus back to Kathmandu you are less likely to be shocked because you have the trek experience behind you and it keeps you fresh. The bus was nearly empty till Betrawati (Trishuli valley), a pleasant drive. By the way…….the valley around Trishuli Bazaar (Nuwakot) is a wonderful surprise,…subtropical climate, mangoe trees, pineapple and cardamom plants, plain fields over few kilometers (to be fascinated by this is a private thing, I did not see a flat piece of land since 2001…..).
We walked quite slowly having our son with us. Made it from Dhunche to Bharku to Thulo Syabru on the first day, to Lama Hotel second day( both days were not easy, it goes up and down through forests, physically demanding but the nature is fantastic), third day was a long one to Langtang Village (you leave the forests at Ghoda Tabela and walk south of the 7.000m Langtang Lirung), forth day through yak pastures to Kyangin Gompa (no snow there, should have gone to Langshisha Karka but too lazy…..).
The costs are 1.000 to 2.500 NRS per day per person, depends on what kind of meals one buys and if and how a guide is paid.
Olga