Flash floods along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river valleys hit some of Nepal's busiest trekking corridors hard last week, and the recovery is still under way. More than 100 travellers were caught in the flood as they made their way toward the Langtang Valley or the overland route to Mount Kailash, and at least 36 guides and support staff from five trekking companies remain missing, according to Nepal's trekking association TAAN. The gateway town of Syabrubesi and the Pasang Lhamu Highway took serious damage, and the trigger appears to have been a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) high in the mountains.
The headline for anyone with a trip booked: the damage is localised, and most of the country's famous routes are running normally. The Langtang region as a whole is currently off-limits. That includes the Langtang Valley trek, Gosaikunda, the Tamang Heritage Trail, the Helambu Circuit and Ruby Valley, plus the Rasuwagadhi overland crossing toward Mount Kailash, which is not an option this season. Areas downstream of the flood zone are still on alert, including parts of Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, so check conditions before adding lowland stops.
The big-name high routes sit in different watersheds and are unaffected. Treks and expeditions to the Everest-Khumbu region, Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu, Mustang, Dolpo, Dhaulagiri and Kangchenjunga are going ahead as planned for the autumn season, and major operators have confirmed their programmes are on schedule. Autumn is Nepal's peak trekking window, so the industry is keen to welcome visitors who are willing to tweak rather than cancel.
On the climbing side, Manaslu is the peak of the moment. Nepal has issued permits to 18 teams with 219 foreign climbers so far, and that number is likely to climb because Tibet's Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu are closed this year, pushing teams like Madison Mountaineering to Manaslu instead. A Sherpa rope-fixing team is already on the mountain and expects to have the route to the summit fixed by the third week of September.
Practical takeaway: if you're headed to Nepal in the next few weeks, double-check your route with your operator, steer clear of Langtang and the Kailash road, and feel confident about Everest, Annapurna and Manaslu itineraries. Travelling now also puts money into communities that need it. Kathmandu-based agencies have published detailed breakdowns of closures and at-risk watersheds worth reading before you fly. ExplorersWeb