Ganja La pass is one of the most challenging trekking in Nepal which is in the Langtang region north of Kathmandu. the trek only goes over 5130 meters sea level which is not as high as the other passes but considers a strenuous pass.
on the first leg of the trek to Langtang Ganja La pass, it takes you through the famous Langtang valley which is situated near the Tibetan border. The valley takes you through traditional villages of the Tamang ethnic group, who once migrated long ago from Tibet with their traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture.
You also can enjoy walking through beautiful forests of rhododendron, Himalayan oaks, maple, and pine trees along with stunning views of snowcapped mountains. The valley is also home to varieties of fauna such as the rhesus monkey, red panda, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan Thar, etc.
After the valley, the second leg of the adventure takes you over the Ganja La at 5130m which is the highest point of the trek and gives access to the Helambu region.
The heart-pounding climb to Ganja La pass will not disappoint anyone providing breathtaking views of several snow-capped mountains such as Langtang Lirung, Ganchempo, and Langshisha Ri as well as the view of mount Shisapangma (8013m) which is in Tibet, the 14th highest mountain in the world.
Getting to the trailhead
Driving by road is the only way to get to the trailhead of the Ganja-la pass trek which starts from Kathmandu taking a bus or private vehicle to Shabru Beshi via Pasang Lhamu Highway. This course takes about 8 hours to reach Syabru Beshi(1500m).
or if you want to start off from Melamchi bazaar which is the other way round but this route gets to higher altitude quicker so, provides less time to acclimatization before heading over the pass. as well as it involves steep climbs to get to Panch Pokhari first.
Langtang Valley Ganja La pass Trek Route
The trek starts from Syabru Besi which takes you through the forest along Langtang Khola to Lama Hotel(2470m) via Rimche for the first night of the trek. Then the trek continues onwards to the oldest village of Langtang (3430m) via Ghoda Tabela(3000m) for the second night.
The next day the trail treads upon an alpine meadow to Kyanjin Gompa(3865m), the last settlement of the Langtang valley with a beautiful ancient monastery and old cheese factory. Here, we have extra days to settle our bodies for high altitude in which we climb to viewpoints like Kyanjin Ri(4773m) or Tserko Ri(4948m).
After acclimatization, the day trek heads towards Ganja-la in which we camp at Ngegang(4000m) before, and in following day trekking takes you over the Ganja-La pass(5160m) and descend for the night camp at Kledang(4270m).
the trek continues in the wild and remote region of Helambu where we spend one more night at Dukpu(4040m) before reaching Tarke Gyang(2740m) for the next day's trek. Leaving Tarke Gyang our last two nights descend gradually to Sermanthang (2590m) and Melamchi Bazaar(830m) from where we drive back to Kathmandu to finish our trek.
Required permits and fees
you need two kinds of permits to do the Ganja-la trek. First, you need a "TIMS card"(trekking information management system) which costs $20 USD for individual trekkers per head and $10 USD for organized trekkers per head. Another permit you need is the "Langtang national park entrance fee" which costs 3000 Nepalese rupees per head.
Safety measures
- This region falls in the mountain region where you cannot find shelter and food for a few days at least, so be sufficient with all the supplies and tents.
- Be sufficient with all the warm trekking gear and especially with micro-spikes for boots as in some parts you walk on glaciers and ice.
- Walk with someone who knows the path as there are high chances of getting lost in this wild region. especially it becomes more impossible if the trail is snowbound.
- Watch out for landslide areas and scree slopes while crossing.
- Bring communication facilities as you might need to call for an emergency. Higher regions
