Once again Nepal Myths & Mountain Trails organized for my wife, two friends and me to trek in the mountains of Nepal. Ngima Dorji Sherpa, the managing director of NMMT, fetched us from the airport on arrival. The following day, Lhakpa our guide, Pasang the assistant guide, two porters and us set off for Langtang Valley. The first part of the adventure is by jeep on a 7-hour trip along a winding and sometimes muddy road to the start of the Langtang Valley trekking trail which is situated to the north of Kathmandu and very close to the border with Tibet.

Spring is a glorious time to trek in Nepal. This is when the rhododendrons are in full bloom. The beautiful flowers come in red, pink and white varieties. They add another dimension of beauty to the beautiful Langtang Valley landscape of verdant forest, snowy towering mountains, raging rivers and plunging waterfalls. Among the various treks that I have done in Nepal this is especially true in the Langtang Valley. The valley comes alive in spring and the beauty greets and delights as one turns a corner along the trail or reach the top of a slope. The enduring memory of Langtang Valley is one of many beautiful natural scenery.

The Langtang river is a constant companion from the start of the trail in Syabrubesi to Kyangjin Gompa at the upper end of the trail. The emerald green water sometimes calm and sometimes foaming as it rushes down in between rocks and boulders as huge as a house. The sound of the torrential river is deafening as it leaps down the mountain slopes and at times reduces to just a murmur as it reaches flat land.

After 2 days of walking we emerged from the lowland forests and bushes into the treeless alpine area of dry brown short grass, yaks, snow mountains, cold and crispy low-oxygen air. The valley is broad but the sides are steep with towering rocks and mountains crowned with white ice. Light wind pushed clouds up the valley turning the bright sunlit valley suddenly into a misty mysterious land. Buddhist chortens dotted the trail punctuated with Mani walls. The fluttering of prayer flags in the cold wind added a dose of mysticism to the place. We climbed Kyangjin Ri to get a better view of the surrounding mountains. Big brown eagles soared and floated down riding the wind with their huge extended wings. The wild remoteness, raw natural beauty and peaceful feeling give one a surreal experience. One that is full of excitement yet in a state of tranquility.

And once more we would like to thank Nepal Myths & Mountain Trails and its wonderful staff to show us the wild natural beauty of Nepal and sharing with us the adventures in the mountain trails.

KK Chim, Malaysia.
April 2019