• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trek Duration: 7-17 Days
• Max. Elevation: 3,709M for main trek; about 4,200M for side trips.
• Accommodation: Homestays, Camping.
• Start/End Point: Lokpa

Tucked up to the northeast off the main Manaslu Circuit, the Tsum Valley has only been open to trekkers for a decade. The views are wonderful but they are not the attraction here (although if you have camping gear then an overnight trip to the Ganesh base camp at about 4,000m rewards with a stunning view of mountains). Instead, this is all about venturing off the beaten path and discovering an older pace of life where the farming seasons and Tibetan Buddhism are all-important.

There is a set trail that takes about seven days but much of the delight of the Tsum Valley lies in making your own routes. Add in overnight excursions to the frozen Tibetan plateau at the head of the valley and veer off to explore Milarepa’s Cave, Lungdang gompa and the stunning Ganesh Himal base camp, and you’ll need at least 10 to 12 days to see this fascinating region. The Tsum Valley rewards time and patience and the more of it you have, the more you’ll be enchanted.

Note that the trailhead is Lokpa which takes two to three days’ walk along the Manaslu Circuit to reach. You need to include this into the minimum time frame below. For the ultimate Tsum and Manaslu experience, when you’ve finished in Tsum head up the Manaslu Circuit and over the Larkya La.