The Langtang National Park is one of the more popular trekking regions in Nepal, and it’s easily accessible from Kathmandu. It offers a combination of high-altitude mountain scenery, Tamang and Tibetan culture, villages, and Buddhist traditions.
Both the Tamang Heritage Trail and the Langtang Valley Trek start and end in the small town of Syabrubesi. On both treks, friendly Nepali people host trekkers in their traditional tea houses, and delight with local dishes (momos, dal bhat, dhendo, etc). But even though both treks take about the same amount of time (six to eight days), they have significantly different features that should be considered when you’re trying to choose between them.
Hike a circuit or in-and-out trail
The first big difference between the two treks is the type of route. The Langtang Valley Trek follows the valley up to Kyanjin Gompa, the final village in the valley. There are no teahouses further up than that, and you walk alongside the river, where yaks and wild horses graze. Many trekkers prefer to stay a couple of days in Kanjin Gompa to explore the area, instead of rushing back down. On the return journey you must backtrack to Syabrubesi.
The Tamang Heritage Trail was organized as a loop, passing through ethnic Tamang villages, so you see something different each day. Trekkers usually approach the Tamang Heritage Trail clockwise, but you can hike it either way as the route has many steep ups and downs.
If you can’t decide what to
choose, you can combine the two treks. The easiest way is to first trek the Tamang Heritage Trail
clockwise and, on the last day, continue to the Langtang Valley instead of
descending back to Syabrubesi.
Hike through
Himalayan scenery or see it in the background
The Langtang Valley Trek slowly takes you
through stunning oak and rhododendron forests up to high alpine meadows and yak
pastures. Once you reach Kyanjin Gomba, you have views across vast open valleys
at the end of the trek.
From Kuanjin Gomba, there are also a handful of different trails that offer perfect day trips in typical Himalayan scenery. You can climb Kyanjin Ri (4850 meters) or Tserko Ri (4983 meters) for mesmerizing views, or take a gentle hike up the valley along the river to Langshisa Kharka, for 12 kilometers or less. You will see glaciers up close, too.
The Langtang Valley Trek is also a good choice
for experienced mountaineers who want to climb more difficult peaks. The most
common ones are Yala Peak (5520 meters, it requires two days and one night of camping)
or Naya Kanga (5846 meters, it requires a special permit and it is more
technical).
If you go on the Tamang Heritage Trail, you see the snow-capped peaks of the Himalaya on the opposite side of the mountain. You have a beautiful view of Langtang Lirung (the highest in the area at 7227 meters) from Chilime village (day two), and especially from Nagthali Ghyang (3165 meters on day three). But once you cross the river on the other side of the Bhote Koshi Valley, you won’t see the Himalaya any more as you hike at their foot.
Experience
local culture or yak pastures
The Tamang Heritage Trail is a cultural trek and offers an authentic experience of Tamang mountain villages and their architecture. On this trail, you go from one village to another, seeing how people live in traditional households, work the land, and cook local dishes.
Gotlang village features houses with intricate wood carvings, while Briddhim has customary water mills spinning prayer wheels, and women making woolen bags on looms. Also, between villages, lines of Tibetan chortens (stone pyramids with mantras on them) sometimes flank the footpath. You won’t see yaks on the Tamang Heritage Trail. Hiking this route, you have a strong feeling of authentic Nepali life, and you’ll meet no or few other trekkers.
Several villages dot the Langtang Valley Trek too, but they are far fewer. At Kyanjin Gompa, at 3860 meters, is the highest village on the trek, surrounded by yak pastures, high peaks, and alpine scenery. If you want to see yaks, this is the route to choose as they live at higher elevations.
The post The Tamang Heritage Trail or the Langtang Valley Trek: Which Trek Should You Choose? appeared first on Inside Himalayas.