Lumba Sumba Pass Trek – 20 Days

Namaste and Heartily welcome to Nepal. Our company representatives welcome you warmly at the international airport of Kathmandu and transfer you to the hotel. You take your rest and enjoy your meal in the evening. Also, the trekking guide would do a briefing or explain to you about the trek. Overnight at the hotel. 

Today we will fly to Bhadrapur, and after arriving at the airport, we will drive to Phidim for an overnight stay at a lodge/tea house.

Today, after breakfast, we drove directly from Phidim to Chiruwa. The scenic drive passes through hills and rural settlements of Taplejung district, leading us to Chiruwa, a small but lively market town and the gateway to the Kanchenjunga region. Chiruwa offers a few lodges and good camping sites and is a popular stopover for both locals and trekkers. Overnight at a tented camp 

This day, the trek runs along the mighty Tamor River. At the start of the trek, there are two big stones with religious significance. The trek passes through Ulmus trees until we reach a big landslide that takes around half an hour to cross. After a walk of two and a half hours from Chiruwa through beautiful cardamom gardens, we reach Tapethok (1,340m) for lunch. It is a small market with some tea shops. There is also a KCAP checkpoint at Tapethok. After lunch, it is a pleasing walk for about an hour until Pembu (1,486m). From Pembu, it is an uphill climb for about two and a half hours to Lelep (1,687m), our destination for the day. The KCAP headquarters is in Lelep. Similarly, there is a police station, some tea shops, groceries and hotels. Overnight at a tented camp with full board meals.

After breakfast, the trek runs along the bank of the Tamor River through dense forest that offers them. After a walk of around half an hour from Gowatar, we reach a place that offers spectacular views of two waterfalls about 100 meters tall. A walk of about half an hour from here takes us to Phedi. After crossing the Tamor River, it is an uphill climb for about 40 minutes until we reach a resting place known as Chautaroo in the local dialect. Another 20-minute walk will take us to our camping site, Ela Danda (2,051m). The place offers panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, including the small Kasturi peak and Tampor River. Overnight stay at a tented camp with full-board meals.

The walk on the sixth day is pleasing as it passes through Ulnus and Rhododendron forest for about an hour until we reach a suspension bridge. After crossing the suspension bridge, the trek passes through dense bamboo groves. The place is popular among trekkers as the habitat of red pandas. If you are lucky, we might catch sight of the red panda from the trail itself. 

After a total walk of three and a half hours from Ela Danda, we reach Maguwa (2,423m) for lunch; the trail passes through maple and Ulmus forest. There is a big landslide on the way, and trekkers must be careful while crossing it. After a walk of about one and a half hours, we will reach Selsp Kharka (2,525m), our destination for the day. Overnight stay at a tented camp with full-board meals.

Today’s trek runs along the bank of the Tamor River leading to a place called Jongim (2641m), a flat land surrounded by snow-capped hills, after a walk of about an hour. Another 40-minute walk through the rhododendron forest from Jongim takes us to a suspension bridge. 

After an uphill walk of about an hour, we reached Ramite (2,685m) for lunch. At Ramite, we can see the mixed forest of deodar and rhododendron. We see a beautiful waterfall after a walk of about an hour from Ramite. If you are lucky, you might be rewarded with the views of the red panda from here. 

We caught the first glimpse of Olangchung Gola after a walk of around 45 minutes from the waterfall, and we finally reached the camping site at Olangchung Gola (3,200m). Olangchung Gola is a beautiful Sherpa village with around 45 houses, a 465-year-old monastery with a golden manuscript and the KCAP office. There is also a sub-health post, a primary school and a border police station at Olangchung Gola. Overnight at a tented camp with full-board meals.

The tenth-day trek can be interesting as snow leopards have been sighted numerous times from this trek. The trek runs along the Tamor RIver and on the other side of the river lies a dense rhododendron forest. After a walk of about three hours, we reached Tangchetar (4,203m) for lunch. Another three-hour walk after lunch will lead us to our camping site at Pass Camp (4,747m). Overnight at a tented camp.

This would be the most difficult yet most memorable day of this trek. This day’s trek will pass through the Lumba Sumba Peak (5,200m). The trek climbs a bit up and again runs down. It is better to take a packed lunch, as there are no good camping sites around. After a walk of about four and a half hours from pass camp, we climb the Lumba Sumba Pass and descend to Chauri Kharka (4,595m) for a night’s stay. Overnight at a tented camp.

The trek is downhill from Chaurikharka as we come back to civilization after a tiring walk for three days. After a walk of about three and a half hours, we came across two roads- one to Lyasha in Tibet and another towards Thudam. We prepared our lunch at this place. A walk of about three hours to take us to Thidam for the night’s accommodation. Thudam (3,500m) is a small village with around 30 houses of Sherpa people. Overnight at a tented camp.

On this day, the trek runs along the banks of Chujung Khola. The trail offers a panoramic view of peaks in the Makalu range. On the way, you see lots of small bushes and bamboo groves, the best habitat for red pandas. If you are lucky, you can see this endangered species. It is better to carry a packed lunch, as it is difficult to find drinking water along the trail. After a walk of about six hours from Thudam, we reach Kharka (2,877m) for the night’s halt. Overnight at a tented camp. 

On this day, the walk passes through a dense rhododendron forest. As there are no villages on the way, there are numerous side trails. After a walk of about three hours from Kharka, we reach a place called Chaurikharka for lunch. From Chaurikharka, we can clearly see Chaymthang (2,229m). Arun River, Ridha Village and the road that leads to Kimathanka. After lunch, the trek is all downhill for about three hours until we reach the Arun River. After crossing the suspension bridge over Arun, the trek is uphill for about an hour until Chyamthang, our destination for the day. In Chyamthang, a small house, Sherpas are the dominant population in the villages. Overnight at a tented camp.

The trail on the day passes through a rhododendron forest. The walk is easy, as the chirping of birds makes you feel refreshed. The trail is one of the popular places for birding as we are entering the Arun valley, which is home to several bird species. A walk of about two and a half hours from Chyamthang takes us to Glimber village (1,585m) for lunch. Glimber village offers a spectacular view of snow-capped peaks in the Makalu range. From Glimber, the walk is easy, and after a trek of about three hours, we reach Hatiya (1,595m) for the night’s stay. Hatiya, a small village of the Bhote people, is the entry point to the Makalu National Peak. Overnight at a tented camp.

The trek on the 15th runs along the banks of the Arun River. After a walk of about two and a half hours from Hatiya, we reach the confluence of the Arun and Barun rivers. After having lunch near the river confluence, the trek progressed towards Gola, our destination for the day. A walk of around two and a half hours after lunch takes us to our camping site at Gola. Gola is a very small village with 12 houses. Sherpa, Rai and Tamang people reside here. Overnight at a tented camp.

The trek passes through paddy fields on the 16th day, a sign that we are now in the lowlands. The walk is pleasing as the trail makes a short descent, but again makes a short climb. After a walk of about two and a half hours from Gola, we reach Pathibhara (not to be confused with the Pathibhara temple in Taplejung district) for lunch. 

Pathibhara (1,524m) is a small Gurung village with tea shops, groceries and some hotels. The trail after lunch passes through agricultural land, and we can find plenty of water sources and small settlements along the way. 

We reach Gadhi (1,179m), our destination for the day, after a walk of around three hours from Pathibhara. Gadhi is a place of great historical significance as the Nepali army fought bravely with the invading Tibetan Army at this place and chased them away. Gadhi is a small village market with a health post, a school and a police station. Overnight at a tented camp.

This is the last day of our trek. A walk of about two and a half hours from Gadhi takes us to Num. From Gadi, the trek is about an hour downhill to the Arun River. After crossing the river, an uphill climb of about one and a half hours takes us to the Num village (1,560m). As Num is linked with a motorable road, we can take a drive of around 4-5 hours on a dirt road that takes us to Tumlingtar. Overnight at a guest house. 

After breakfast, we will fly back to Kathmandu. After arriving in Kathmandu, we will transport you to your hotel. 

After the long, exhausting trek, you might have worn out a bit. Today, you can do some relaxation activities or just take some rest and connect with your friends and family back home. You can also just wander down the lively streets of Thamel and Asan and buy some souvenirs. In the evening, your tour officer will pick you up for dinner at one of the cultural restaurants of Thamel. After the dinner, you will be escorted back to your hotel.

Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! We will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home, you will have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.