Day 3 Chipling Danda to Mangengoth

Chipling Danda Mangengoth Latitude 27°52.60'N 27°58.83'N Longitude 85°27.64'E 85°29.27'E Altitude 2,394 metres 3,220 metres Ascent 1,580 metres Descent 740 metres Time (excluding rests) 6 hours 45 minutes Distance 14 kilometres

You'll have to share this forest with the local leeches...   Gulfhubhhjang is the most difficult name to spell on the whole trek...

Leave Chipling Danda and follow the path down through the rhododendron forest. The verdant forest’s cool misty atmosphere makes it a favourite place for leeches. They just love it here. If you’re lucky like me, maybe you’ll get one too! Leeches can, apparently, be discouraged by soaking your socks in salt. After around 20 minutes the leech infested forest gives way to more open views of the mountains.        Continue along the level path until it descends to the Mandarin Restaurant and bar- which was closed when I was there, possibly permanently.        The long linear village of Gulfhubhhjyang (1 hour) [2,141 metres] which lies on the ridge crest is marked at its southern entrance by a small chorten. Pass the following lodges:   Gulfhubhhjyang Lodge Thorung La Lodge Lodge AN Other        Pass a bigger chorten (1 hour 15 minutes) and then pass the following lodges: Shree Ganesh Lodge Himalaya Lodge Maya Lodge Laxmi Lodge Gosaikund Lodge Himalaya Lodge.

YetiZone Guidebooks   YetiZone Langtang and Helambu Guidebook     Helambu - Langtang map from Nelles Verlag

The path can be hard to find... 'Kutumsang' Lodge is an hour before Kutumsang... Yaks or cows? For political reasons, it is better for a cow to be a yak... Kutumsang. A lodge in Kutumsang...

Eventually the Gulfhubhhjyang High Street ends where the path turns uphill. (1 hour 30 minutes) Here the path forks - take the right hand fork directly up hill. This is the deeply eroded path, and this is one clue that this is the right path. [2,200 metres].        The soil in this path contains brightly coloured sheets of the mineral mica, weathered from the garnett-mica gneiss bedrock. This metamorphic rock was formed during the immense pressure that built the Himalayas, as India crashed into Asia. The driving hasn’t improved much since then.        At a lovely level pasture with flowers and a little stream lies the cunningly named Kutumsang Lodge (2 hours) [27°55.25’N 85°29.18’E 2,410 metres] - The real Kutumsang is an hour further ahead! It’s a great place to stop for a cup of tea. The ridge above is Jongin Dhanda. To the right you can see a huge boulder on the skyline. The path heads towards this rock, and then turns to the left (west) of the rock (2 hours 20 minutes), to a col at the crest of the ridge. Climb up stone stairs to the authentic Jongin Danda ridge. Here you will find the Tibetan Dragon Lodge (2 hours 30 minutes) at an altitude of 2,550 metres. [27°54.85’N 85°29.15’E]. It’s the perfect place for a rest. You can see the path to Gosainkund on the far side of the valley.        The path winds down past yak pastures to a razor thin ridge, that descends to Kutumsang (3 hours). [27°55.80’N 85°29.23’E 2,400 metres]. Here you can find the following lodges: Dolma Lodge Sherpa Lodge Aima Yangrima Lodge Khutumsang Yak Lodge Mountain View Lodge Gosaikund Lodge Kutumsang Lodge Namaste Lodge Helambu View Lodge There is also a kerosene dealer. Kutumsang with Helambu beyond

Buy your Langtang National Park entrance permit here for Rupees 650. Finally cross the crest of the ridge... Mangengoth gets the evening sun...

Continue, initially on a level path. Just outside of Kutumsang is the ‘National Park Entrance Ticket Office’. Here you will pay Rupees 650 for your entrance permit.       Continue uphill and pass the Darjeeling Lodge (3 hours 30 minutes) Begin the ascent up the ridge towards Panghu Danda. The path includes the remains of some stone steps. The forest hereabouts has deteriorated. (4 hours) The stunted trees have been cropped for firewood for use in back in Kutumsang. So don’t ask for boiled water for your water bottle - it’s a waste of firewood. Use iodine tablets to purify water.       Continue uphill to the Hotel Evergreen (4 hours 50 minutes) [27°57.21’N 85°29.06’E 3,058 metres]. The hotel has an excellent view to the south, and is well situated in a meadow just outside the forest.       Continue to walk uphill to a level area where there are Buddhist prayer flags strung between the trees. (5 hours 40 minutes) Rest here only briefly. The path turns left along a level section. You will soon see a tea shack ahead. The Hotel Sherpa (5 hours 55 minutes) [27°57.92’N 85°29.08’E 3,400 metres] lies 25 minutes below the crest of Panghu Danda.       About 10 minutes further ahead it is finally possible to see north over the ridge. Nevertheless, the path continues relentlessly upwards. At 6 hours 20 minutes the path finally crosses the crest of the ridge. [27°58.38’N 85°29.18’E 3,500 metres]. This point is marked with prayer flags and a chorten composed of loose rocks. We would call this a cairn in the UK, but maybe our cairns are ancient chortens? From here you can see north to Mangengoth below you.       Walk a further 25 minutes steeply down the path to Mangengoth. (6 hours 45 minutes). [27°58.83’N 85°29.27’E 3,220 metres]. Here there are three lodges. I stayed in the older one with ‘ensuite kitchen’, as it was much warmer sitting around the fire in the evening. View of Gosainkund Lekh from Mangengoth  Note that Mangengoth is not marked on the Nelles Verlag Langtang map Last updated March 2000 - copyright Ian Johnson