Tilicho Lake and Manang: Beauty Behind the Himalayas

TIlicho is a lake at the altitude of the 4919m, North of the Annapurna ranges. Getting there is not easy. It requires some trekking experience and you need to be physically and mentally prepared. The difficulties of travelling off-road, the dangerous landslide trails and the never-ending walk from Tilicho base camp to Tilicho are some things that come to mind, but all that takes a back seat because the the adventurous and beautiful journey there overshadows all the hardships.

This trail provides many scenic and diverse landscapes, picturesque villages, new cultures and warm-hearted people. When you do reach the lake, you will be greeted by clear blue water collected from the glacial melt of the Annapurna range. Tilicho lake is a destination you must visit at least once in a lifetime!

How to get there?

To get to Tilicho lake you must first get to Besisahar by road. Besisahar is a small town, one of the starting points for the Annapurna circuit trek. You can buy any extra clothes, first aid, extra food you need for the journey here. Accommodation at Besisahar costs from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1200 for one room with the triple bed and it costs Rs. 250 for local home made meal ‘Dal Bhat’.

Chame is your next destination. The distance between the Besisahar and Chame is 65 kilometers. You can take a SUV from Besisahar which will set you back Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per person. You can also opt to drive all the way to Khangsar which will cost between Rs. 3000 to Rs.3500 per person. If you are travelling on your motorcycle, make sure it is in good condition. Waterfalls, the beautiful Himalayas, charming villages are never far away during the journey. We drove past villages like Bulbule, Ngadi, Bahundada, Jagal, Chamje, Bagar chap, Dharapani.

We reached Chame after 8 hours. We thought this was our stop for the day but the driver said we would reach Manang by tonight. The roads after the Chame were pretty good so we reached Manang in the next 2 to 3 hours. Our rooms in Manang cost Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 for breakfast and dinner.

The next day clear skies and beautiful mountains wished us Good Morning! We were pretty excited that morning because we could finally start our trek. Locals were friendly and helpful. As we started our trek I was awestruck by the beauty of this place. Manang, really is the jewel of the Annapurna Circuit. We cannot find such a diverse landscape anywhere in Nepal. The Tibetan and Buddhist culture were clearly preserved by the locals.and we came across some Buddhist monastery in the trek. Spotless skies, a cool breeze and beautiful snow-capped mountains, what more could i ask for? We could see Pisang peak, Annapurna 2nd, 4th, Gangapurna, Tare Kang, Khangsar, Tilicho peak, Chulu east to name a few.

After about 3-4 hours we reached Khangsar where we rested for an hour and had lunch. Then we started walking to Shree Kharka which was our resting point for a day. The 3-hour journey to Shree Kharka was very difficult because we made a mistake of eating only light snacks instead of Dal Bhat. There is a saying “ Dal Bhat power 24 hour” and damn right it is true!

TIP: Always carry a lot of water, foods, electrolytes and energy bars with you during the trek. Due to the low oxygen levels, scorching heat, your body drains pretty fast.

There are only 3 hotels in Shree Kharka so be sure to bring tents and blankets or have your reservations confirmed. Room prices for Shree Kharkha is about Rs. 400 to 500 rupees with two beds. The food cost increases as we move upward to our journey. Food prices range from Rs.1500 to 2000 for lunch, breakfast and dinner

Next day was a big day for us; we had to walk the highly talked about; dangerous landslide trail to Tilicho. This time we made sure our stomachs were full and off we went.. After a 45 minute walk, we finally reached the landslide prone area. At first glance we felt like we couldn't cross as it looked very dangerous. Steep hills, small rocks rolling down the mountain sides every minute made it feel - ‘one small mistake and you are gone’. These things make you realize how small and insignificant human beings are in front of nature. But we went on. The trail is so small that only one person can walk at a time. Rails and bars have been made in some places for support.

After Reaching Tilicho base camp we discovered it would take 4 hours to ascend almost 1000m and that the trail was more extreme. Only one of the four hotels remain open during the rainy and winter season as the whole region is covered by snow. The temperature can plummet down to -30-degrees Celsius in the winter. But since trekkers travel throughout the year the hotel owners take turns to stay for all 12 months .

Very early next morning we were informed that the winds will be very strong and will hit you very hard in the afternoon so we had to get back before the wind starts to get stronger. Leaving all our backpacks at the hotel, just carrying some water, medicine and energy bar chocolates we began to ascend.

During the ascent, there is a pathway known to the locals as “bais ghumti” . it translates to 22 roundabouts. Imagine that. We were not too excited about the bais ghumti as we were exhausted from the climb and could only think about resting.

After a while, when we finally reached the lake we forgot all our pain, tiredness, everything. Snow-capped Annapurna on the south side, clear blue water in front of you and mountains at the right side. It is quite the sight to behold. Obviously we had to walk down to the lake, and take some photographs. we did not want to leave. It is a shame we had to return to base camp early due to the winds.

When we started to descend the winds got very strong. They were not joking about the winds being strong. It was getting very hard to move because the wind was so strong that it looked like we would be blown away literally.

We had lunch at the base camp and return back to the Khangsar the same day and reached around 9pm. Next day we returned back to the Besisahar but this time we were able to see beautiful villages from Manang up to the Chame. Pisang village is really beautiful. We reached Besisahar late night and next day we returned home to Kathmandu with the first bus we could catch.

It was a beautiful and challenging trek to do but I was happy that I can tick off Tilicho from my bucket list. It felt like quite the accomplishment for me.

Would I go back?

Yes! Despite everything I love an adventure!

Words & Photos : Bibesh Shrestha