Ganesh Himal Expedition – Sacred and Scenic Himalayan Climb

Standing at an altitude of 7446m, this is one of the most beautiful mountains in the country. It is located northwest of Kathmandu and east of the Langtang Himal. Ganesh Himal is a range where the tallest peak is Mount Ganesh I or Yangra.

Yangra is situated at a higher altitude, and you can see it even from Kathmandu on a clear day. Ganesh Himal is one of the rare mountains that wasn’t climbed for a very long time.

Unknown for the reasons, but it took more than 30 years to make a successful climb of Ganesh Himal. Following the successful attempt in the last 80’s the doors were open for other mountaineers to climb to the top.

Beginning at Syabrubesi, you will need to take an 8-hour ride to reach Kathmandu. The experts from The Trek Nepal will guide you all along the way.

During the sparkling journey, you will be able to see other peaks like Ganesh Himal I, Ganesh Himal II, Manaslu, etc. This allows for a stunning view, which is so close and wonderful. Following the trek, you will be able to see various dense forests, rhododendron trees, along the pine forest. Beauty on behold.

History of Ganesh Himal Expedition

Eventhough there is historical importance to the Ganesh Himal expedition, there have been attempts to conquer it in the past. The first attempt to climb Ganesh Himal was in 1950.

This attempt was made by H.W. Tilman and his team. Fair to say this was the very first attempt on the very first Ganesh Himal expedition. But it failed badly.

Again, after 5 years, the successful attempt came to life. A Franco-Swiss expedition team was able to climb it from the Southeast ridge. Meanwhile, the actual conquest took place in 1981.

This particular attempt came out through the Northeast spur and also the Northeast face. This officially is called the Ganesh Himal expedition record.

Highlights of Ganesh Himal Expedition

• Chance to visit the sacred Parvati lake along with the white and black lakes
• Opportunity to study minerals like zinc, crystal, ruby, and tin
• Dive into the natural hot spring to forget all stress at Neber
• Stunning mountain views of Ganesh Himal, Langtang, and Manaslu Himal
• Presence of various wildlife animals like Thar deer, wild goat, alpine sheep, yak, etc
• Suspension bridges, deep gorges, waterfalls, rhododendron forest, and pine trees along the journey.

Routes to Ganesh Himal Base Camp

Eventhough Ganesh Himal expedition is one of the rare attempts but it is also one of the most beautiful mountains. Various routes can be taken to reach the base camp.

Some of the famous ones include:

Ganesh Himal trek via Gorkha

The first route to Ganesh Himal base camp is through Gorkha. You will start the trekking journey from the very famous Gorkha Durbar and move ahead.

You will be around the beautiful villages like Laprak, Arughat, etc. This will allow you better opportunities to explore. You will also find Manaslu Base Camp on the way.

The Trek Nepal team has done this route, and this is a popular route for the trek. In order to reach the base camp, we will have to spend around 18 days.

Ganesh Himal with Ruby Valley Trek

The second option is with Ruby Valley in sight. This particular trek begins from Syabrubesi, which brings Ruby Valley into the overall journey. To the readers unaware, Ruby Valley is named after the precious gemstone.

In the past, the valuable gemstone was found at this location, which is also the name. The trade of gemstones was in the past, but trekkers take this route to find whether they can see some rubies on the way.

Well hard to find easily on the trek. Meanwhile, you will have to spend between 15-17 days to complete the Ganesh Himal base camp visit from this route.

Ganesh Himal Base Camp via Samari Bhanjyang

Not many trekkers discuss it, but Samari Bhanjyang is a crucial route to reach Ganesh Himal base camp. Starting the journey from Gatlang, we will pass through the Tamang and Gurung settlements on the way.

Not only that you will also see the beauty of the landscapes along the way. Samari Bhanjyang, Shertung, Chalish, and Ganesh Himal Base Camp are the critical landmarks of this route. 18 days is the minimum time required to complete the trek to the base camp.

Ganesh Himal and Paldor Peak Expedition.

If you haven’t heard about the Paldor peak route for the Ganesh Himal expedition, we are here to help. This is one of the popular routes, mainly for the mountain climbing of Ganesh Himal.

Known to consist of Paldor Peak, this particular location is famous among mountaineers. Starting from the Syabrubesi point, we will move ahead to take on Paldor peak.

Depending on the weather and the strength of the trekkers, it will take around 25 days to complete the journey from here. You will also have a chance to ace the Paldor peak, making it interesting.

Ganesh Himal Expedition: A Less-Performed Trail

Readers might be thinking the Ganesh Himal expedition isn’t done. Well, you are mistaken. Eventhough the Ganesh Himal expedition isn’t talked about as others like the Everest expedition or the Annapurna expedition, you will know that Ganesh Himal is also possible with The Trek Nepal.

One of the key reasons why the Ganesh Himal expedition hasn’t been done is due to the accessiblity factor. It is very hard to perform the Ganesh Himal expedition due to the limited infrastructure. Slippery roads, remote location, and poor facilities are the key reasons for fewer expeditions.

Along with that, you can’t go through the airplane like other treks to the closer area. Besides a helicopter, no airway is possible in the region. Interestingly, that is also very expensive to carry through.

Limited promotional activity, poor roads, along with limited teahouses and equipment facilities, make things tough for the Ganesh Himal expedition. We can assure that The Trek Nepal can perform this trek, but you will have to compromise on a lot of facilities.

With no airway service nearby, there are issues when emergency medical issues come to life. This makes this very hard. As the fear of no emergency rescue grows, the climbers aren’t always keen to do the Ganesh Himal expedition.

Even with all of these issues, we can say that climbers are interested in the  Ganesh Himal Range climb. If you have an interest in stepping off the usual road and also exploring to the core, the Ganesh Himal expedition could be the right option for you.

A less-visited region, an undiscovered destination, flora and fauna untouched, with history being hidden, the Ganesh Himal expedition could be the perfect choice for avid trekkers and climbers.

Permits Required For Ganesh Himal Expedition

Permits are the key if you are thinking of making a climbing or trekking trip in Nepal. Without the presence of a proper permit, any trek will be difficult, let alone the Ganesh Himal expedition.

If you book with The Trek Nepal, we will manage all the permits for you. However, if you are thinking of doing it alone, here is the list of permits that will be required.

• Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) Card
• Annapurna Conservation Area Project Permit (ACAP)
• Restricted Area Permit

In order to make things clear, travelling or climbing solo at an altitude beyond 6000m isn’t allowed in Nepal. Therefore, always look for a dependable agency for ease of journey.

Religious Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Climb Ganesh Himal

There are a lot of questions, even with The Trek Nepal, as to why is Ganesh Himal expedition is not as famous as others. Well, some of the myths also state that it is due the religious reasons. Well, that is not true.

Although Ganesh is considered a god winning over evil, there is no religious reason as to why you can’t climb Ganesh Himal. The major reason is the difficulty of reaching the top. Being a secular nation, we dont hold any spiritual importance to a mountain based mainly on culture and religion.

Poor accessiblity, underdeveloped infrastructure, lower peak heights, and not as popular as Everest and Annapurna, climbers aren’t interested at all.

What works negatively against Ganesh Himal is the lack of popularity for the place. The natural beauty, along with the cultural legacy and the ability to explore off-beaten paths, is massive the result is scarce.

Even at The Trek Nepal, there aren’t a lot of people who are interested in doing the Ganesh Himal expedition. Lack of proper service compared to other peaks in Nepal has pushed the Ganesh Himal expedition backward in Nepal.

Detailed Itinerary For Ganesh Himal Expedition

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

The first day of the trek is all about arriving in Kathmandu and resting back in your hotel. The members of The Trek Nepal will guide you through, and you will be placed at your respective hotels. Climbers also have the chance to view the city and explore it.

Day 2: Kathmandu Sightseeing

On the second day of the Ganesh Himal expedition, we will be getting around the city. The Kathmandu sightseeing will be a key factor, as the members from The Trek Nepal will help you with the sightseeing activities. As you stream through the city, we will be able to collect the permits that will be required

Day 3: Drive to Arughat and hike to Liding

On the 3rd day of Ganesh Himal expedition, we will be touching down to start the ride. It will be a drive from Kathmandu to Arughat. This hilly, adventurous road will show various mountains, a marketplace, and even greenery along the way. We will be reaching Arughat and start the hike towards Liding along with the Budi Gandaki river in sight.

Day 4: Trek from Liding to Khorla Besi

Early morning will start with a fresh breakfast in the foothills of the mountains. We start the journey with a trek alongside the Budhi Gandaki River. Slowly we will reach Machhakhola and later to Khorla Besi. Today we will be staying at tents set up by guides.

Day 5: Trek from Khorla Besi to Jagat

The trek gets intense, slow, and steady. We target to reach Jagat by the end of the day and start the trek early. There are various ups and downs as we reach Tatopani. We will walk to the other side of the Budi Gandaki River and later reach Jagat. Similar to last night, we will be staying at the camps.

Day 6: Trek from Jagat to Lokpa

As the Trek Nepal team will be all along the way, the journey will be easier. We will go through various small villages and settlements before reaching Lokpa. It will be a 6-hour trek before reaching our destination.

Day 7: Trek from Lokpa to Phedi

We will have an early morning breakfast at Lokpa before heading towards Phedi. It will be a tough 6 hours of trek. You will be crossing through various smaller settlements with fewer to no people. By the end of the day, we will reach Phedi and also spend the night there.

Day 8: Trek from Phedi to Domje

After we wake up early at Phedi, our journey moves towards Domje. For the first set, we will be descending and later take a climb. 6 hours of hard trek will take us to Domje, where we will be staying in the setup tents.

Day 9: Trek from Domje to Landan Kharka

After descending in altitude, we will take a rise again. The journey, as it starts from Domje, will head towards Landan Kharka. Slowly Ganesh Himal expedition gets interesting as we push for 3700m again. You could feel the altitude rise as we take the trek very slowly. By the end of the day, we will be at Landan Kharka setting up camps.

Day 10: Trek from Landan Kharka to Ganesh Himal Base Camp

Finally, the day has arrived when we hit the base camp in the Ganesh Himal expedition. A good early morning breakfast will lead us to the Ganesh Himal journey. We will gain major altitude, so you could face issues of headaches and dizziness. We set up tented camps after we reach the location after 7 hours of trek.

Day 11-26: Climb to Ganesh Himal

These 15 days will be key in the Ganesh Himal expedition. From practicing your climb to the top and coming back, we will have experts teaching you the process to make it happen. For the first week, we will practice using the equipment and also get the idea.

It is in the second half that we will be keen to go to the top. Experts from The Trek Nepal will teach you the right techniques as we touch down on 7429m, which is an achievement. Further, we will return to the base camp, clean the base camp, and enjoy the journey.

Day 27: Return from Base Camp to Gumba Lungdang

Slowly, our steps will be tracing back to the destination. We will leave the base camp and return towards Gumba Lungdang today. We will be losing almost a 1000m in altitude. Due to the downward fall, the job will be easier. We set up camp and stay.

Day 28: Trek from Lungdang to Dhampa Gompa

Ganesh Himal expedition escalates quicker as we move towards Dhampa Gompa today. Leaving the trails of Lungdang, we move towards Dhampa Gompa early in the morning. With some rugged roads and greenery, we will reach the Gompa after 7  hours of trek.

Day 29: Trek from Dhampa Gompa to Lokpa

We come back to Lokpa again, the beautiful setting and greenery. After the early morning breakfast, we will hike towards Lokpa. We will leave the Manaslu trail behind and also stay up at Lokpa for the night. Sadly Ganesh Himal expedition is slowly coming towards the end.

Day 30: Trek from Lokpa to Jagat

Following the same trails as we went upwards, we will push towards Jagat today. It will be a significant drop in altitude as we trek for almost 7 hours today. Upon reaching Jagat, we will set up tented camps and celebrate the journey of reaching Ganesh Himal.

Day 31: Trek from Jagat to Khorla Besi

After having a good breakfast early in the morning, we will push alongside the Budhi Gandaki River. First, we will walk beside the downstream and enjoy the beautiful sound of the river. By the end of the day, we will reach Khorla Besi and enjoy the night there.

Day 32: Trek from Khorla Besi to Liding

It won’t be a mistake to say that today is the last day at the Ganesh Himal expedition in that particular region. We will be heading to the banks of the Budi Gandaki today. The target will be Liding as we spend the night at the tented camps.

Day 33: Trek to Arughat and drive to Kathmandu

Finally, we will be leaving the Ganesh Himal region today. Following the early morning breakfast, we will push for a trek towards Arughat. It is a short trek early in the morning. As we reach Arughat, we will get onto the bus towards Kathmandu. Following 8 hours of driving, we reach the capital.

Day 34: Departure for the home country

Finally, after 33 beautiful days of the Ganesh Himal expedition it’s time to go home. A member from The Trek Nepal will drop you off at the airport as you leave for your home country. We promise to meet again.

Book With The Trek Nepal Today

There aren’t a lot of trekking agencies that can perform the Ganesh Himal expedition at the moment. Looking at the lack of infrastructure and difficulty of basic facilities, agencies back out.

But with The Trek Nepal, things are different. We have been performing the  Ganesh Himal expedition for a very long time. From high-quality service to an experience of a lifetime, we do it all.

You can either look up on our website or check the reviews to know it all. The best part about booking with us is the customization of the overall package, making the job much easier. Choose The Trek Nepal and you will know the beauty of trekking to the wilder regions of Nepal.

From high-quality service to affordable rates and packages, we do it all. Contact us and leave the great work to experts.