Makalu Base Camp Trek takes you to the base of the fifth highest peak in the World Mt. Makalu. Located in one of the isolated and remote areas of Nepal, Makalu Base Camp Trek gives travelers an opportunity to explore the rich culture, unparalleled natural sceneries, picturesque villages, and diversified ecosystem. It is a venture that leaves an impact for a lifetime.
The trail goes through the Makalu Conservation Area which houses some rare species of flora and fauna. The journey takes you through one of the largest valleys in the world, the Arun Valley, which is popular for its natural abundance and pure wild nature. The exotic views of waterfalls falling into deep gorges, rocks rising behind the dense forests, the blooming of colorful flowers and vegetation are comparable to none. Therefore, the overall trip is one package of adventure, peacefulness, and tranquility away from the regular chaos of life.
Situated between Mt. Everest and Mt. Makalu, Arun valley has some spectacular mountain vistas to offer. One can see the eye-catching sights of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Chhamlang, Mt. Baruntse, and others during the trek. The beauty of this place is so heavenly that one cannot help but admire the moment every now and then.
Who can go on Makalu Base Camp Trek?
Anyone with a strong physical and mental health state with basic experience in trekking can go on the trek to Makalu Base Camp. As it lies in the isolated area of Nepal, one must be mentally prepared to be away from home in the wilderness for a couple of weeks. It is advised to train your body for carrying some amount of weight while walking in high altitudes as well. Endurance to challenges is absolutely necessary while going on such remote treks.
Check out the Gears you will need during the trek
Best Season to go on Makalu Base Camp Trek
Eight K Expeditions can organize the trek for you and your team at any time of the year but the best season for the best experience is pre-monsoon (March to June) and Post Monsoon (September to November) when the weather is mild, the sky is clear and you can enjoy the best views of natural landscapes.
Upon your landing at the airport and completion of immigration procedures, one of our representatives will meet and greet you and drop you off at your hotel. You may take some rest and then we will see you for the introduction session between trekkers and guides. The next day is for sightseeing and trek preparation. You may do some last-minute shopping as we will be heading to a remote location. While you go sightseeing, our team will prepare all required documents as well as obtain necessary permits for the trek.
You will be served a wonderful breakfast at the hotel in the morning. After breakfast, we head to the airport and take a domestic flight to Tumlingtar at 400m. Then, we will take a private jeep and drive to Num to rest overnight.
After a night's stay in Num, we set our feet on the trail towards Sheduwa. First, we descend steeply for 2 and a half hour to reach the Neguwa River with a suspension bridge, crossing which leads us to ascend the dense forests and small settlements. We get to witness the picturesque crop plantation in terraced fields. Later, we reach a check post of Makalu Conservation Area where we will need to take some entry passes.
The trail from Sheduwa to Tashi gaon is easy as we need to walk through flat surfaces through the bushes and occasional ascents. After walking for almost 4 hours, we reach Tashigaon, a huge Sherpa village, decorated with prayer flags. We will set up our camp to rest overnight.
The trail from Tashi Gaon to Khongma is an uphill climb through the forests of Rhododendron and pine trees. Kongma La is a ridge with a single tea house. So, we set up a tented camp and rest overnight. Enjoy the meals prepared by our chefs and cooks.
From Khongma, we head towards Mumbuk on a trail that ascends initially until we reach a beautiful lake, “Kalo Pokhari” meaning “a black lake” at 4004 m, and then descend to reach Mumbuk.
The trek gets a bit difficult as well as adventurous from Mumbuk as the trail passes through a section prone to landslides. The latter parts of the trails ascend through the grasslands and forests. The majestic views of Mt Tutse, Peak 7 (6185 m), Isuwa La (5340 m), and many other peaks. Nehe Kharka is pasture land and an exceptional spot for Camping.
From Nehe Kharka, we ascend towards the Lower Base Camp of Mt. Makalu. The views of Mt. Makalu (8481 m), Baruntse (7152 m) , Kali Himal (6985 m), Chamlang (7390 m), Makalu II (7640 m) are spellbinding from the Base camp. We will spend two more days in the lower base camp for acclimatization and expedition preparation.
We retrace our path back to Yangle Kharka through the adventurous trail. We will then rest overnight in a tented camp in Yangle Kharka.
From Yangle Kharka, we retrace the path with the landscapes of landslides. After 4-5 hours we finally reach Khongma to camp overnight.
During our return, we cover more distance as we descend on major parts. So, we trek to Sheduwa through Tashigaon upon our return.
The trail from Sheduwa to Num descends steeply at the start and later ascends to reach Num. After passing a small forest of bamboo and small villages, we finally reach Num. from Num, we will meet our crew and drive to Khandbari and rest overnight in a hotel.
After a night’s stay in Khandbari, we have our breakfast and drive to Tumlingtar airport. Then, we will fly back to Kathmandu and rest at the hotel.
In Kathmandu, you can relax in Thamel, a popular street for tourists where you can get anything you want. You may do some shopping, eat in a nice restaurant, get some spa, do some laundry and many other things. There are also many different attractions in Kathmandu including but not limited to Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath Stupa, Basantapur, Bhaktapur, Patan, and so on. You may go sightseeing around these areas with one of our city guides. We will join for the farewell dinner in the evening.
If you have not signed up for any other Add-ons Adventure packages, it’s time to bid you farewell. One of our representatives will drop you off at the airport 3 hours prior to your scheduled departure.
Trekking and mountain climbing in the Himalayas are highly dependent on weather conditions. We try to schedule our trips at the most favorable time but in case of extreme scenarios, the roadways may be blocked. In cases as such, we would like to notify you that except for the total number of days in the itinerary section, expenses of other extra days shall be borne by the client himself/herself. However, 8K Expeditions will make necessary arrangements for the accommodation of porters and guides.
Also, 8K Expeditions shall not be liable for any compensation for losses due to missed International Flights but we will surely help to make necessary arrangements to minimize your loss. To avoid missing flights, we suggest keeping some flexible time frames before trip departure and after trip departure.
Also be notified that as we will be traveling in remote areas with extreme climatic conditions and geography where trails can be distorted at times, we might need to adjust our itineraries as required. But we assure you that the quality of service shall not be compromised at any cost.
Thank you for joining us on our Expedition!!
