Trekkers hoping to walk the Manaslu Circuit have a way through again, but it comes with a hefty caveat. After a flash flood destroyed a bridge on the Therang River, villagers in the Chumanuwri Rural Municipality — on the forested lower reaches of the Manaslu trekking route — sprang into action. They threw together a temporary crossing from wooden logs and planks, reopened an old side path that reconnects with the main trail, and local authorities have now declared the route passable.
There's a catch, though. The new bridge was built quickly, mainly so residents could reach a neighbouring valley, and it would not survive a swollen river. Meanwhile, Gorkha district officials — the district where Chumanuwri sits — are still urging trekkers to postpone trips until further notice. The safety advisory issued after the flood remains in effect.
Context matters here. The incident follows catastrophic flooding in Nepal's Rasuwa region roughly two weeks earlier, so authorities are on high alert, even though the Manaslu flooding was caused by heavy rain rather than a glacial lake outburst. Forecasters expect more rain in the coming days, and officials can't rule out another flood on the Therang.
So what does this mean if Manaslu is on your list? The trail itself is technically open and doable, but conditions are volatile. The lower sections pass through steep, forested terrain where rivers can rise fast during the monsoon-to-autumn window. Crossing on a basic log-and-plank structure over a river that flooded days ago is a genuine risk, not just a rough patch of trail. If you have a trek booked for the coming weeks, check with your trekking agency and the Gorkha district authorities before setting out, and be prepared to adjust your route or dates.
The upside? Manaslu remains one of Nepal's great alternatives to the crowded Everest and Annapurna routes — a remote circuit around the world's eighth-highest mountain, complete with Tibetan-influenced villages and a challenging high pass at Larkya La. The local response to this flood is also a good reminder of how much these trails depend on the communities that maintain them. For now, though, patience is the smart move: wait for the rains to ease and for a sturdier bridge before committing.