Chumling to Chhokangparo, Tsum Valley

Namaste
This post follows on from the most recent blog post "Into the Tsum Valley"

The Tsum Valley is high in the Himalaya, reached by a side path off the Manaslu Trail, two days walk from the road end at Sotikhola, Gorkha.

Looking back along the path to Chumling 

The valley side here is incredibly steep.  Everywhere you can hear the river a long way below, but you only rarely get a glimpse of it, turquoise from the glacier melt.

In the lower part of the valley many trekkers stay at Chumling, as we did.  There are several lodges there, catering for trekkers with food and accommodation. The village is spread out over the mountain side, with attractive wooden lodges.

The views of the mountains from here are fabulous, looking both up and down the valley.

A water-turned prayer wheel at Chumling

Prayer flags flying at the lodge where we
stayed.

Entering the Tsum Valley is like entering a different world, remote and very Buddhist with reminders at every corner;  prayer flags, chortens, prayer wheels, Gumpas and monasteries abound.







As well as the underlying sound of the river, the air is filled with the sounds of insects, birds, cattle and of local people calling and working in their fields.

Look carefully at the photo alongside to see a group of monkeys.  They were obviously a pest in Chhokangparo too, as we witnessed them boldly raiding the fields for millet and maize, with local people and dogs trying to chase them off.

Leaving Chumling the trail passed gently through woodland and between fields.  Always the river was to be heard below us. Flowers and coloured butterflies decorated the edges of the path.

After an hour or so of gentle walking the path changes. Time to climb steeply!  This is the boundary between the lower steep-sided river valley and the flat glacial plain above, at the top of the valley. I think it may be the remains of a glacial moraine, however it was an hour of hard climbing on the path to the top.
Half way up the steep slope we came across this improvised tented cafe, perched on a small rocky platform. We were carrying our own drinks so did not stop, but did notice the plentiful wild cannabis plants growing around it!

The upper valley has many Buddhist chortens, mainly on hill tops or in prominent places, where they can be seen from afar.  Mani stones, carved with Buddhist words and symbols are used in their making.  Festooned with prayer flags, they add to the special sights of this beautiful valley.

The new lodge where we stayed overnight

We stayed overnight in a very new lodge on the edge of the village of Chhokangparo. We arrived early enough in the afternoon to have chance to relax, and we also explored the village.

The path follows a narrow 'street' through
the village of Chhokangparo.

Stone roofed dwelling

Many of the houses are built of stone and some older buildings have roofs of overlapping stones too. Most newer roofs are of corrugated iron, which is much safer in an earthquake.

The new gateway in Chhokangparo has beautiful Buddhist paintings on the ceiling and walls inside. One in Phillim has similar decorations, and also others I have seen. I am always impressed by the workmanship and the bright colours, despite not understanding the meaning of these pictures and designs.

Looking back at Chhokangparo, with wonderful view of the Manaslu Range beyond.

Trekking into the Tsum Valley

Namaste
The Tsum Valley is a high Himalayan valley reached by taking a side path off the Manuslu Trail. The valley is at present two to three days walk from the road end at Sotikhola, in Gorkha District. A special permit must be bought in Kathmandu to travel into this valley and you must be accompanied by a registered guide.

The walk up the valley of the Buddha Gandaki River is strenuous and challenging with constant rises and falls, often over steep rocky places or steps. There is even a cantilever metal pathway attached to the vertical rock in two places.










The trail passes through many small settlements, which seem to exist mainly to serve travellers on their way up or down the valley. Most have small guest houses where travellers can stay and buy cooked food and drinks.

Each settlement has a few fields for crops and most have domestic animals; hens, ducks, goats, sometimes sheep or a buffalo.

Blasting the rock sides for the new road

A new road is being built up the valley, to connect these remote communities. This is being anticipated by many local people, but sadly it is spoiling the pristine scenery of the steep valley, with ugly scars where the cliffs have been blasted away to form the road bed.  When completed the walk into the Tsum Valley will be much reduced.

At times the views looking ahead and upwards towards the mountains is breathtaking. Several mountains over 7,000 metres can be seen, including Manaslu and Ginesh Himal.

A few hours walk above Phillim, the municipal centre of the region, the trail divides, with the Manuslu Circuit branching left and over the river. 

Taking the right hand path the traveller passes through the ornately painted Buddhist arch into the Tsum Valley.  The first settlement reached, high on the valley side, is Lokpa, comprising of only a couple of guest houses. We stayed there on our walk up into the valley.

Beyond that the path winds up and down through lush forest, crossing by suspension bridge over a spectacular side torrent which tumbled down the ravine it has eroded, over huge boulders. One can only imagine the massive impact that the boulders caused as they fell from high above. At times the main river can be seen far below, a vivid turquoise colour of glacier meltwater.  The forest was dotted with trees bearing pink blossom (as in the photo), despite it being the autumn season.

Across on the other side of the valley there are patches of cultivated terrace with remote small houses perched nearby. People who live in these houses must be almost completely self sufficient, growing most if not all of their food and using wood collected from the nearby forest areas for construction and firewood. 

In the photo here our Guide is talking to a man  working on an enormous hardwood tree that he was cutting into planks. Each plank was  precisely cut, using a chainsaw but without measuring instruments. We later stayed in newly constructed guest houses made of planks like these.

After several hours walk through the forest the path drops to a suspension bridge crossing the river. The bridge is festooned with colourful prayer flags.

This for many is the true start of the Tsum Valley. Once over the river the long winding uphill path takes the trekker to Chumling, a village perched on the steep side of the valley. Much of this village comprises of small guest houses made of timber, servicing the trekkers visiting the Tsum Valley. Chumling is a popular overnight stopping place, being a reasonable days walk from Phillim or even further from Jagat for some.

A newly built guesthouse near Chumling, made of locally sawn timber.