Manaslu trekking route reopens after locals rebuild flood-damaged crossing
Local residents restore access after floods swept away a bridge, but an official advisory urging trekkers to postpone travel remains in place
The trekking route to Nepal’s Manaslu region has been reconnected after local residents built a temporary wooden bridge over the Therang River, which swept away an existing crossing during a flood earlier this week, a local official said Wednesday.
The bridge was washed away on September 6, cutting access to parts of the remote mountain region and prompting authorities to advise trekkers to postpone travel until further notice.
But residents have since repaired an old trail and constructed a makeshift bridge using timber logs and planks, restoring a route into the Manaslu region, according to Nima Lama, chairman of Chumanuwri Rural Municipality.
“Now you can visit the region. Locals have found an old trail and built a wooden bridge to cross the river,” Lama told Everest Chronicle.
The route is an important access point for trekkers heading towards the Manaslu Circuit, Tsum Valley and other settlements and trekking destinations in the remote northern part of Gorkha district.
Lama said local residents had worked to reconnect the trail after the flood disrupted the main route.
However, the Gorkha District Administration Office has not withdrawn its advisory asking trekkers to postpone travel to the Manaslu region until further notice.
The administration issued the warning after the September 6 flood swept away six houses and two bridges along the Manaslu Circuit, raising concerns about the safety of trekkers and residents in an area where access can be difficult even in normal conditions.
The contrasting positions mean that while local authorities say the physical route has been restored and trekkers can enter the region, the district administration's formal safety advisory remains in effect.
The incident has also heightened concerns among communities and trekking operators following a devastating flash flood in neighbouring Rasuwa district in August.
That disaster, which swept through the Bhotekoshi river system, was linked by experts to a massive collapse of ice and rock near the Nepal-China border and caused extensive destruction downstream.
The latest flooding in the Manaslu region has similarly raised alarm among residents, officials and trekkers planning to enter one of Nepal's more remote mountain areas.
The Manaslu Circuit is a major trekking route that circles Mount Manaslu, the world's eighth-highest mountain at 8,163 metres, and passes through rugged valleys and high mountain passes close to the Nepal-Tibet border.
The route's remoteness means that damage to bridges and trails can quickly isolate settlements and disrupt access for both local communities and visitors.
For now, residents have restored a basic crossing over the Therang River, allowing people to move along the route again.
But the district administration's advisory remains in place, meaning trekkers planning to visit the area are still being urged to wait for an official update on safety conditions.
UPDATE on Manaslu Trek
District Administration Office in Gorkha lifted its ban on trekking on the Manaslu and Larkya Pass routes after floods swept away bridges and damaged sections of the trails. Trekking can now resume following repairs to the damaged trail infrastructure
