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All destinationsGrade B (difficult climbing), Tibet. The Gurla Mandata massif is part of the western Himalaya, in Burang (Purang) county in western Tibet, close to the sacred Mount Kailash.
Grade B (difficult climbing), Tibet. The Gurla Mandata massif is part of the western Himalaya, in Burang (Purang) county in western Tibet, close to the sacred Mount Kailash.
Grade B (difficult climbing), Tibet
The Gurla Mandata massif is part of the western Himalaya and lies in Burang (Purang) county in western Tibet. The sacred Mount Kailash lies close by to the north.
Local people call the mountain Namo Nanyi, meaning "Fairy's Peak". It has six ridges. The west ridge is fan-shaped and runs from north to south, and the eroded east ridge forms very steep cliffs.
The holy Lake Mansarovar and Langa Tso also lie to the north.
Gurla Mandata was first climbed in 1985 by a Sino-Japanese expedition. This 7,000-metre peak has been climbed only six times since the first ascent, even though the first attempt was made as early as 1902. The ascent follows the northern slope by way of the Zalompa glacier. The route is relatively safe: it crosses the left side of the glacier to reach the plateau below the summit ridge. Base camp is at the foot of the glacier at 5,600 metres.
The views below are excellent, with Lake Mansarovar and Lake Rakshastal on the dry Tibetan plateau and Mount Kailash behind them.
Note: the Tibetan border has been closed since 2020. We hope it will reopen for Tibet tours from 2023. Please contact us for details.
Welcome to Nepal. One of our representatives will meet you at Kathmandu airport and transfer you to your hotel. After check-in, you have free time to rest until the evening, when we meet for a short briefing on the Gurla Mandata Expedition. Overnight at the hotel.
We spend two full days touring the Kathmandu Valley and its main UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Pashupatinath is a Hindu pilgrimage site where you can see traditional Hindu cremations. Swayambhunath is an ancient Buddhist stupa in the Kathmandu Valley, home to many monkeys and therefore also known as the Monkey Temple. It also has good views over the valley. Boudhanath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world, is a centre of Tibetan Buddhism, where we can visit monasteries and see monks chanting and people walking around the stupa. Finally, Patan Durbar Square is a medieval royal palace area in Patan, also known as the city of fine arts, with fine examples of metal and stone carving dating back to the 14th century and traditional Nepali architecture. Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
We leave Kathmandu early in the morning and drive towards the Tibetan border, passing villages, terraced fields and fine scenery on the way. At the border, we complete immigration formalities and then drive up to the town of Zhangmu. Over the following nights, we stay in hotels in several villages.
After several days of driving and trekking, we rest and prepare for the expedition at the Gurla Mandata base camp. This preparation is essential before the climb begins. Our team organises everything for the coming days and helps you prepare mentally for the ascent. Overnight at the camp.
Days 9 to 20 are spent climbing Gurla Mandata. The climbing period is physically and mentally demanding. The summit of Gurla Mandata is 7,694 metres high. It was first climbed in 1985 by a Sino-Japanese expedition. The route is relatively safe: it crosses the left side of the glacier to reach the plateau below the summit ridge. The views below are excellent, with Lake Mansarovar and Lake Rakshastal on the dry Tibetan plateau and Mount Kailash behind them.
On day 21, after the summit of Gurla Mandata, we return to base camp at the foot of the glacier at 5,600 metres. Overnight at the camp.
After the climb of Gurla Mandata, we trek around the holy Mount Kailash. The main highlights are Lake Mansarovar, the snow-covered Mount Kailash, the Tibetan plateau and the many monasteries along the way.
After three days visiting the holy Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar and other religious sites, we drive towards the border between Nepal and Tibet, passing many villages. Overnight at a guesthouse on the way.
On day 29, we leave the Himalaya and drive back to Kathmandu. In the evening, we hold a farewell dinner at a cultural restaurant in the valley to mark the end of the expedition. This is your last night in Nepal, at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Your Gurla Mandata Expedition ends today. We will take you to the international airport 2 to 3 hours before your flight home.
A look at the trail, the villages and the mountains.
April 2023, Tripadvisor
This company is very professional and very experienced in Nepal tourism. They have contacts all across Nepal and the quality they gave was fantastic. They were helpful in structuring my itinerary flexible in changing where necessary and things worked out fully for me. I had a great experience of Nepal and would 100% recommend this group for your trip to Nepal
April 2023, Tripadvisor
We are a family of four traveling in Nepal - 2 adults and 2 kids (11, 14). We planned 10 days with Earthbound Expeditions to explore Nepal for the 1st time. The trip's execution was flawless and each day was a new adventure for the whole family. We experienced trekking, rafting, touring the jungle, exploring and relaxing with the most professional and knowledgable guides and were in touch daily with Rajan, the company's owner to make sure all is going well. Altough we were there for a short time and our plan was full, in no way did we feel rushed but were able to take it all in a relaxed place. אנחנו משפחה של 4 - שני הורים ושני ילדים בני 11 ו 14. יחד עם חברת Earthbound Expeditions תכננו ביקור ראשון בנפאלץ. הטיול בפועל היה ללא רבב וכל יום היה הרפתקה חדשה לכל המשפחה. חווינו טרקים, ראפטינג, ג׳ונגל, וגם קצת בטן גב באופן המקצועי ביותר עם מדריכים מקומיים וכל יום היינו בקשר עם בעל החברה לבדוק שהכל בסדר. אמנם הטיול היה רק 10 ימים והתכנית מאוד מלאה לא הרגשנו שמזרזים אותנו או לחוצים בזמן בכלל.
April 2023, Tripadvisor
We have just arrived back from an absolutely fabulous 2 week family holiday in Nepal. This was my 4th time in this incredible country but my 1st time since I had children. I have been here as a solo traveller, with parents and also on my honeymoon, and every time I have used Rajan and Earthbound Expeditions. In fact I would never use anyone else. I completely trusted Rajan to create an itinerary perfect for my family. We have 3 children aged 9, 7 and 5, and Rajan didn't disappoint, providing a varied and interesting itinerary, which would be achievable for all the children. In the 2 weeks we toured Kathmandu, went white water rafting on the Trishuli River, visited the beautiful Newari town of Bandipur, did a 4 day trek in the Annapurna Himalayan range, spent time in lovely Pokhara and last but not least went on a jungle safari in Chitwan National Park. We all loved every part of the holiday, enhanced by Rajan always providing such excellent and professional guides. Namaraj, who was with us from the Kathmandu tour to the end of the trek was first class, and we were joined on the trek by Som and Robindra as porters and also extra help for the children, and the kids loved them! I think the highlight was making dance off videos with them for TikTok! Rajan remained in contact throughout the whole 2 weeks. When we decided that the drive from Pokhara to Chitwan was a bit too much for the children (a little bumpy and slow going at the moment whilst they upgrade the roads), he very quickly booked us onto flights. He also changed a hotel for us at the last minute because we thought it would be nice to reward the children with a pool after they had done so well on the trek. Overall I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience, both of Rajan, Earthbound Expeditions, and Nepal in general. It may not seem like an obvious family destination, however the people were incredible with the children, the experiences are life enhancing for the children, and even on the trek there are always food options, even for fussy children albeit basic. It is very accessible and children and parents alike will never be bored with the wealth of experiences to be had here. As their tourism slogan goes, Naturally Nepal once is not enough. Our family will definitely be back. We might even tackle Everest Base Camp next time!
April 2023, Tripadvisor
While my husband was trekking EBC , I sought Rajanji ‘s help to tour Nepal from Muktinath , Pokhara, Lumbini , Kathmandu and Janakpur. We culminated our Himalayan adventure with an Everest heli tour. Rajanji helped organize a very complex program elegantly. We enjoyed perfect stays at all locations, had the able help of your guides at all places. Sightseeing and stays, food and fun was well organized and we had an amazing experience
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30 days
$8,397 per person
