Gosainkunda Holy Tour

The road north out of the Kathmandu valley climbs to the Kakani ridge, drops to Trishuli Bazaar and then grinds up the Bhote Koshi into Rasuwa — six to seven hours, the last part slow.

Dhunche (1,960 m) is the district headquarters and the entry point to Langtang National Park, where permits are checked.

The afternoon is free to walk the bazaar and adjust. The mountains are not yet visible from here, but the air has changed.

Overnight at Dhunche.

The first walking day and a substantial climb — around 1,400 m of ascent on a good trail through oak and then rhododendron forest.

In March and April this forest is in full flower and the walking is superb; in autumn it is quiet and the light comes through in shafts. Langur monkeys are common and the birdlife is excellent.

Chandanbari (3,330 m), also called Sing Gompa, is a ridge settlement with a small monastery and a yak cheese factory founded with Swiss assistance — the cheese is genuinely good and sold at the door.

Five to six hours of walking. The altitude begins to be noticeable tonight. Overnight at Chandanbari.

The trail climbs out of the treeline onto open ridge, and the view arrives with it: Langtang Lirung (7,227 m) to the north-east, Ganesh Himal west, and on a clear morning Manaslu beyond it.

The path passes Lauribina and a series of smaller kunda — Saraswati, Bhairav and others — before Gosaikunda (4,380 m) itself appears in its rock basin.

The lake is a deep blue-black and quite still. The rock formation in the middle is said to be the reclining Shiva, and the tradition holds he struck this mountainside with his trident to make the water after swallowing the poison of the churned ocean.

Pilgrims bathe in the lake even in cold weather and circle it clockwise. Take the altitude seriously — 4,380 m after two days is a fast gain.

Five to six hours. Overnight at Gosaikunda.

Sunrise over the lake is the reason to sleep up here. The water is dead flat at dawn and the peaks come up behind it, and there is usually nobody about outside festival season.

The morning is for the ritual and for walking the shore — the shrine at the water's edge, the trident, and the smaller lakes above.

Anyone with energy can climb towards the Lauribina La for the wider view before turning back; the pass itself leads on to Helambu and is not part of this route.

The descent to Chandanbari (3,330 m) takes four to five hours and the air thickens with every hundred metres, which most people feel as relief.

Overnight at Chandanbari.

A long descent back through the rhododendron and oak forest — around 1,400 m down, which is hard on the knees, so poles are worth having.

Going down gives you the forest properly. On the way up most pilgrims are watching their feet and their breathing; coming down there is time to notice the moss, the birds and the flowers.

Dhunche (1,960 m) in the afternoon, with a hot shower and a proper meal.

This is where the porters finish and tips are given. Overnight at Dhunche.

The drive south down the Bhote Koshi to Trishuli Bazaar and back up over the Kakani ridge into the Kathmandu valley — six to seven hours with a lunch stop.

The Kakani section on a clear afternoon gives a long view of Ganesh Himal and the Langtang peaks you have just walked among.

You reach Kathmandu (1,400 m) in the late afternoon and transfer to your hotel.

Many pilgrims close the circuit with an evening darshan at Pashupatinath, which your guide can arrange. Overnight in Kathmandu.