has successfully lured thousands of travelers each year with its remoteness and unbelievable beauty. The trek starts from Soti Khola; meanwhile, the endpoint of the trek is Syange. During the whole trek, one can witness the unparalleled natural escape, remote Gurung villages, rich culture, majestic sights of several mountains, and so on.
Manaslu also known as Kutang is the tallest peak in the Gorkha district and the eighth-highest mountain in the world. Standing at an elevation Following the wild famous Everest base camp Trek and Annapurna base camp trek, the Manaslu circuit trek of 8,163 meters above sea level, the Manaslu region has been protected under the Manaslu Conservation Area for a very long time. The region was opened to foreign trekkers only in 1991, before that time no foreigners were allowed to trek there. Despite the indescribable beauty of the Manaslu circuit, do you know that the Manaslu Trek without a guide is completely banned? So, in the below sub-headings, we will take you to the depth of why one cannot travel or trek in the Manaslu circuit without a guide.
Proper Navigation of Route
Route navigation is an essential part of trekking because it contributes to the whole experience of the trek. Understanding and knowing trails can help one to access the information they want as quickly as possible by just following the right path. Talking about the Manaslu, the trails are very uncertain and confusing because of the long isolation. Thus, some parts of the trail are uneven, grassy, and narrow so there is a high possibility for you to either catch the wrong way or get lost in the middle of the journey. To overcome this entire problem, you need to hire someone who is familiar with the trail. A guide will help you to navigate your Manaslu route properly.
Rural and Restricted Area
The main reason behind why the Manaslu region without a guide is not possible is because Manaslu falls under a restricted area in Nepal. It is full of risky to travel alone in those areas because of the poor trail and unequipped accommodation facilities. The only option not to get lost in those dense forests is to travel with someone who is familiar with the trail, place, and language. Similarly, the government of Nepal has made it compulsory to hire guides while trekking in restricted areas like Manaslu. So, if you have someone with you, then you can easily pass through all the difficulties that the rural Manaslu region has to throw at you.
Language barriers
Well, language connects people from different countries and different cultures. Just learning a few words and phrases in a new language invites you into a culture’s rituals, history, values, and more. Similarly, in the case of Manaslu, it is still far from development and most of the people here are illiterate. Thus, the chance of getting a problem to understand is very high. The people of the Manaslu region are highly influenced by Tibetan culture. Thus, they only speak their language even native Nepalese people have trouble communicating with the locals here, given their nuanced dialects. Therefore, in order to overcome language barriers, guidance is very important. They will help you to interact with the locals, and learn about the regional history, culture, and traditions.
Ensure Safety
As we have mentioned above, the trail of the Manaslu circuit is uneven, sometimes it is rocky and sometimes it becomes steep. Thus, trekkers find it difficult to trek over such places. In cases like these, the guide will provide guidelines and teach you to keep a slow pace. Similarly, during the trek guide ensures that itineraries are met and customers are well informed in an entertaining manner about the location, he/she is touring. They are also ensuring the safety of the trekkers. During the trek, the chance of getting altitude sickness is also high. In this case, the guide informs you about all the possible risks like altitude sickness, loss on the route, weather changes, etc before the trek and more importantly, they stand by your side as your strong pillar.
Enrich the Cultural Experience
The Manaslu region offers gorgeous monasteries, culturally rich villages, architecture, and so on. Each year, thousands of people just come here to explore the cultural beauty. The locals of the lower Manaslu region follow Hinduism whereas the upper Manaslu region is highly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. Thus, without a guide doing the Manaslu circuit trek will not allow you to dig into the cultural history of this region. In case if you desire to learn the story behind every monastery that you find on your way or about the arts and architecture, or about the dresses they wear, or about the farming practices, you must hire an experienced guide as their experience will help you a lot in knowing the details about the Manaslu region.
Trouble-free Trekking
Another reason why a guide must need during the Manaslu circuit trek is comfortless and hassle-free trekking. Without a guide, one cannot only know insights into the culture but also cannot have trouble-free trekking. Thus, to have a well-sorted trek, one must hire an experienced guide. They will help you from preparing the packing list including the required permits that include special Restricted Permits, booking the accommodation, managing the transportation, and carrying language. That’s why, if you are one of those who want to get everything sorted well while putting in less effort then a guide is a must.
Well, by now you might have already learned some of the reasons why guides are needed for the classic Manaslu circuit trek. If you are thinking to travel solo in Manaslu, it is quite impossible as a government-authorized, licensed guide is required. So, before planning to come here to Nepal for the Manaslu circuit trek contact some travel agencies and hire some experienced guides and go for it. The guide of the Manaslu circuit will take up almost every trouble that you might encounter during the trek.
