Manaslu
A full circuit around the eighth-highest mountain in the world, in a restricted area with a fraction of the traffic.
The Manaslu Circuit is what the Annapurna Circuit was twenty years ago: a long walk up one valley, over a high pass, and down another, through villages that are Tibetan in language and practice as you climb.
The trail follows the Budhi Gandaki through gorges and terraced farmland, then opens at Samagaon under the north face of Manaslu. Larke La at over 5,100 m is the crux — a long, cold day, usually started in the dark.
More than Annapurna Base Camp and rather more commitment than Everest Base Camp, mostly because there is no quick way out from the middle of it. This is a restricted area: a special permit, a licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers are compulsory, and the permits are issued for fixed dates.
Autumn and spring. The pass can be closed by snow in winter and early spring.
