Thorung la Pass is one of the highest passes in the world which is at an elevation of 5416m above sea level. It is located on the border of Nepal's two most mountainous districts Mustang and Manang. The pass is the popular route that passes through the Annapurna circuit trek route and Manang village. It is considered to be one of the best trekking places for trekkers in Nepal from where you will witness the beauty of the whole Annapurna I, Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, and Dhaulagiri.

Not only that you will able to see Fishtail, Manaslu, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak as well as Tukuche Peak, and many other nameless mountains. The trek starts from a low elevation and slowly gains height. The trail is at a distance of at least 200m from Manang Valley. While going through the Thorung La pass, you will also encounter Buddhist monasteries, Chame, Pisang, and Manang. Furthermore, the gorgeous trek takes you to Yak Kharka from where one can witness the spectacular sights of Thorung Phedi and Chulu West. Each year thousands of tourists come here to explore the unreached beauty of Nepal. If you have a short vacation, you can go for the Annapurna base camp trek for exploring the beauty of the Annapurna region.  Now, allowed us to take you into the depth of Thorung la Pass.

Thorung la pass difficulties

Talking about the difficulties of Thorung la pass, the pass is considered to be one of the toughest passes in the world. As we have mentioned a couple of times, the pass is at 5461m above sea level. Thus, the main difficulties of the Thorung la pass are altitude problems. To cross the path, trekkers must have to wake up early morning around 5 am which might be another problem for those who are not morning people. Trekkers should start early to avoid the heavy winds that occur at high altitudes in the late morning before mid-day.

Furthermore, the main problem of the Thorung La pass is the knee-crunching descent to Muktinath in unpredictable weather.

Best time to do Thorung la pass

Talking about the best time to do Thorung la Pass on the Annapurna circuit, spring and autumn are considered to be one of the best among the rest. Generally, the spring month of Nepal consists of March, April, and May. During these months, the sky turns clear blue and the sights and the temperatures rise and the magnificent Himalayan vista becomes more visible. Not only that, the trails covered with Rhododendron flower petals will welcome you. The majority of the trekking trail is open, and you can see the mountain extremely clearly.

On the other hand, autumn is also one of the best times to do the thrilling Thorung la pass. During these months, the weather has increased, and no chance of rain in the bright sunny weather. Thus, trekkers can clearly witness the vistas of the high Himalayas of Nepal. However, the trails might be crowded during this season so, prepare yourself for that.

Nevertheless, trekking in winter and spring is possible but not a perfect time to do the trek. During this season the trails are covered with snow and slippery. And the sights are not visible as well. Thus, trekking in Nepal during the monsoon season is not recommended because there is a chance of heavy rain, flooding, landslides, and leeches and in winter the chance of getting snow avalanches is high.

Thorung la pass short Itinerary

Talking about the itinerary of the Famous Thorung la Pass, it starts from Kathmandu. Thus, firstly one has to reach Kathmandu where you will be staying at one of the fascinating hotels of Kathmandu. Following that, you will take a bus and leave for Besi Sahar. Besi Sahar is 1422m above sea level and a distance of 15km away from Kathmandu.  You will reach Besi Sahar in 4 hours and look for the checkpoint there to show your permit. Following two hours from the Besi Sahar, you will reach Bulbule at Ghermu. Ghermu is a beautiful village, full of greenery with a mesmerizing view of the mountain, terrace farming, and the view of breathtaking waterfalls.

On your next, you will head towards a new place named Tal which is at an altitude of 1633m. From Ghermu you have to trek for around 6 hours to reach here. During the trails, you will see several beautiful landscapes, lush forests, and rich cultural food. From that, your next destination will be Bagarchhap. As you leave Tal, you will trek along the bank of the Marysangdi River and cross the river after finding out stairway, you will find a small and beautiful village named Bagarchhap.

Following the beautiful Tibetan village, you will head toward Chame. On the trails, you have to climb so many rocky hills like Tyanja. When you reached Chame, you will able to use a plethora of the services like wifi, hot shower, and so on. Not only that you will witness the spectacular view of Annapurna II and Lamjumg Himal.

On day six, your next destination will be Pisang which is located at an altitude of 3115m. As you leave Chame you will reach Dhukur Pokhari at an altitude of 3060m after walking for an hour through the alpine forest. When you reach Pisang, you will find yourself surrounded by the Annapurna and Pisang peaks.

From Pisang, you have to walk towards another beautiful valley of Manang. On the trails, you will able to enjoy the magnificent view of the snow-covered Peak Mountains. At Manang, you will take one day's rest to be ready for the thrilling Thorung la pass. During your acclimatization day, you will have a splendid view of mountains like Gangapurna, Kangaru, Pisang, Tilicho, Chulu range, and Thorong Peak.

Then, you will walk through the ladder along the north of Marshyandi Valley passes. You will pass through beautiful villages, yak pastures, and farming lands. While observing the Tibetan Plateau and passing two small settlements called TankiManang and Ghunsa, you will finally reach Yak Kharka.

On this day, you will reach the world's highest pass i.e. Thorung la Pass. The trail leads you to several tea houses while enjoying the pristine landscapes. After a few hours of walks would take you to Phedi crossing the ThorongKhola. 1 hour's step from Phedi, you can go to High Camp. To reach the top of the pass, it takes around 4-5 hours to trek. Being there makes you feel like walking on the top of the hill. You can see many Buddhist flags and a small board at Thorung Top. Then, the trails go gradually down. You must carry a trekking pole to avoid the problem of your knee hurting. Finally, after a 3-5 hrs walk would take you to Muktinath side base camp. Following Muktinath you will head to Jomsom and Pokhara and back to Kathmandu.

Offerings of Thorung La Pass

As we have mentioned a couple of time, the trek is one of the world's highest trekking pass. Despite so much hard work and so much dedication, one might wonder what exactly the result of such dedication is. So without delay, we will highlight some rewards of Thorung la pass in the below list.

• Diversified lush green hills and pristine landscapes, rice fields
• Magnificent sights of Mt Annapurna II, Mt Manaslu, Ngadi Chuli, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Gangapurna, Khangsar Kang
• Beautiful and fresh Marsyangdi river valleys allow you to enjoy the high hills and green bushes and walk until Dharapani
• Crystal clear view of the east and west sides of Chulu.
• Beautiful outlook of the desert of Manang Valley
• Satisfaction with the hot natural spring of Chame.
• Challenging long climb to Ghorepani
• It takes you to insights into the culture and heritage of the Khumbu region.

Overall, the Thorung la Pass deserves one chance to visit adventure seekers once in a lifetime. The Thorung la pass has everything that one can seek for trekking.