Tsum Valley Trekking takes you to northern Gorkha behind the great Mt Manaslu, where there is a secret hidden valley which used to belong to Tibet. The inhabitants, called ba, have lived in such isolation that their ancient Tibetan Buddhist way of life, art and language has remained unchanged for centuries. The Valley Trek branches off the Manaslu Ciruit Trek to the northeast and stretches up to the border of Tibet. The valley is surrounded by mystery, myth and majestic mountains such as Ganesh Himal, 7140m, Sringi Himal, 7187m, Himalchuli, 7893m. Manaslu, 8163m, and Boudha Himal, 6672m.

The Tsum Valley trek follows an ancient trading route with Tibet. The region was restricted until 2008 and even yet, very few adventure travelers have made it to this mysterious land. The Tsum people’s traditional family life may be quite surprising for many outsiders. Most of the brothers in one family marry a single girl, a practice called polyandry. Although the Tsum Valley is underdeveloped, the warm hospitality of the Tsumba people means you will not need to camp as you will be welcomed into their traditional homes to share simple typical food; dal bhat (lentil soup and rice), chapatis, flat bread, and thukpa (noodle soup). If you are not prepared to ´rough it´ a little bit, then this trek is probably not the one for you!

The trek starts and ends at Machha Khola, an eight-hour drive from Kathmandu. Most of the 14 days involve trekking at altitudes over 3000m for 5 to 7 hours; so a fairly good level of fitness is required. Half the route is spent on the main Manaslu Trail following the banks of Bhudi Gandaki River. We enjoy elegant views of beautiful dense forest, terraced fields, pristine glacial rivers and hilly villages where friendly locals are happy to chat with you. But, when we leave the main trail to enter the Tsum valley, suddenly there is a feeling of entering into the mysterious valley which is immensely rich with ancient Buddhist Gombas, nunneries, chortens and prayer walls, religious monuments, and endless mani walls.

The Buddhist saint Milarepa was supposed to have meditated in mountainous caves in this valley. Because of its detachment and inaccessibility, this sacred valley still feels like famous saints and Monk are living there.