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Peter M

2022-12-07

A highly recommended trek This was my tenth trek in Nepal and my fourth trek this year as I am making up for lost time during Covid. In October 2002 I trekked in Dolpo with a group for a month and then wanted to do a shorter and cheaper trek in November 2002 before returning to the UK. The Makalu Base Camp trek seemed ideal as I wanted to have close up views of the mountains and trek somewhere that wasn’t too commercialised or busy.Makalu Arun Social Treks (MAST) was mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide book and, after looking at their website and reading the good Tripadvisor reviews, I decided that the service they were offering was what I wanted. What I wanted was a good porter/guide at a reasonable rate and for someone to organise the required transportation and other aspects of the trek like the TIMS card.MAST was set up to help fund an orphanage but no longer does this as the government has taken over this responsibility. MAST is run by Tejanath who is a retired English school teacher who lives in Khandbari. This year they haven’t organised many treks and mine was their fourth trek for the year. Tejanath was extremely helpful from the moment I contacted him and always promptly replied. He prefers Whatsapp so we soon switched to that and he is happy to talk on Whatsapp also.Tejanath allocated me a porter/guide called Suk (aka Strong Man) who was very good and friendly, strong enough to carry all my gear and spoke some English. He also lives in Seduwa, which is at the start of the trek, so he knew the trek and the local people very well. I didn’t expect him to speak English and the only problem was that he thought his English was better than it was. As a result it was sometimes a bit difficult and frustrating trying to understand him.Tejanath personally met me at Tumlingtar airport and brought me by tuk tuk to my hotel in Khandbari and also took me back to the airport. He and his wife were both very hospitable and looked after me very well whilst I was in Khandbari. The trek was very well organised and I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending MAST for the Makalu Base Camp trek. It is much better and cheaper to use MAST than a Kathmandu based trekking agency. I also think that the Makalu trek is excellent and one gets very close up to so many 6,000 to 8,000 metre peaks. You can fairly easily get up to 5,738 metres on this trek, which is higher than on a lot of other treks in Nepal.I have posted a trip report on the Tripadvisor travel forum:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293889-i9243-k14193957-Lower_Dolpo_and_Makalu_Base_Camp_Treks_Trip_Report-Nepal.html

ELCAMINENTE

2022-11-16

Makalu basecamp yrek I returned to Nepal for the 8th time, to do Makalu basecamp trek in October 2022, starting from Phaplu to the Arun river and up the high passes to the Barun river towards the basecamp and back the same way to Tumlingtar. I used the services of Makalu-Arun social trek (MAST) because it fits my budget supplying a porter/guide only (a porter who knows the trail). The walk was great and Tejanath of MAST took care of all the details. Really there was no need for a guide as the trail was clear all the way and it was nice to walk alone in the nature as my porter was most of the time well ahead or behind. Here follows some notes for other travellers :1- For the first time i noticed a lot of Nepali trekkers on the trail, this will definitely make the experience richer and change the old image of trekking in the Himalayas forever.2- The trail is a lodge trek with new and big lodges all the way, there are even smaller lodges halfway for lunch or a less crowded experience. Note that prices here are higher than elsewhere in Nepal (rooms from 500 to 700 per person and same for a Dahlbat). The smaller lodges tend to charge more than the big ones.3- the big "draw back" for this trek is the terrible jeep ride from Khandbari to Num, really 4 to 5 hours of non stop shaking through deep muddy trenches and big rocks. I hope that the national park authority will really try to find a walking alternative adding 2 more days to the trek.

splixer

2022-10-20

Scenic and strenuous hike in the Himalays I completed the Makalu Base Camp trek early October and had a great experience. The trek itself is a pretty hard one. Harder than Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Cicuit trek which I did back in 2016. But it is more rewarding. Still a pristine off-the-beaten path trail. Especially the Barun valley is heaven on earth. During 14 days I just met one foreign tourist. Besides him just friendly locals on the trail. On the lower section of the trail you will see mainly Hindu people. The higher you go the more Bhuddist people you will meet. This gives the trek a nice contrast. Accommodations and food a pretty basic on this trek (don’t expect deep fried chocolate bars). I recommend vegetarian food while hiking in order to prevent food poisoning.With MAST you pay for the porter guide and transportation in advance. Your personal expenses on the trek you pay as you go. This consists mainly of food and accommodation. Sometimes I experienced some bigger price differences between the accommodations/food places. I recommend you confirm the price in advance at these places. In short this is a more cost-effective way to hike. If you go for a Kathmandu based agencies you could easily spend double the price.My guide was a local from Seduwa village on the trail. He was very strong and helpful person. However I experienced a culture-shock sometimes 😉.While hiking I recommend to get up as early as possible to experience clear conditions. Yes, it still rains a lot even during mid-September. Also you should bring good hiking sticks hence the trek can be quite technical at some points. Expect landslide areas and rough river crossings.In a nutshell I recommend this trek to the experienced hiker. This is not a hike for rookies. But it is definitely worth the struggle. Your reward will be higher than on other treks in Nepal.

hugo m

2022-10-05

Very beautiful trek Very beautiful trek, very wildBut you need to be prepared for quite basic food and accommodation, and be aware of the hard path of the trek

Sham Tatkare

2019-12-16

Brief Trek Report and Feedback about Makalu Arun Social Trek (MAST) Makalu (27,820 ft.) is worlds 5th highest mountain. It is located at 20 km southeast of Mount Everest, Nepal. Our journey and trek route was, Pune - Delhi - Kathmandu - Biratnagar – Dharan – Khandbari - Num – Seduwa – Tashigaon - Danda kharka – Khongma – Dobato - Yangle kharka - Shiv Dhara - Langmale Kharka - Makalu Base Camp. Trek route is initially through Arun valley and then we enter in to Barun Valley. Due to lack of basic facilities & development, this region of Himalaya has been preserved in its best form. Quality of air, water and vast variety of fauna & flora are really exceptional. Barun valley has many Rudraksha trees and medical plants (Jadi-Buti). As per local belief, people living in Barun valley never have any disease and look much younger than their age. Recently (April 2019) Yati foot prints were reported by Indian army expedition team near Langmale Kharka. Tashigaon is the famous village of high altitude specialist mountaineers i.e. “The Sherpas”. At Danda Kharka, near Tashigaon, we had a tea break. The hotel owner Sherpa Mr. Lakpa Gylzen, 22 years age, casually told us that he had climbed Mount Everest twice and few more peaks. I felt ashamed that Everest climber was serving tea to an ordinary trekker like me. . . Shiv Dhara is a 500 feet tall waterfall, on the mouth of a huge dome shape cave. It is believed that God Shiva using his Trishul made a hole in the cave (top side) to solve water scarcity problem in this region. Guide asked me to stand at about 8 feet away from main stream of water fall and then we started praying God Shiva. After about 5 minutes, the water fall changed its position and water started falling on our heads. Guide informed that we are blessed by the God. Of course, there is a scientific reason for this natural phenomenon. However, such incidents help to strengthen one’s belief in God and inspire us to follow the path of righteousness & virtues. . . No words will be enough to Thanks my brave guide Mr. Shuka Bahadur Ghimre & the respected school teacher, Mr. Tejanath Pokharel, Chairperson, Makalu Arun Social Trek (MAST) & his family for organizing such a wonderful trek and all the help. We are also thankful to Mr. Mohan Kumar Kafle, Chairman (MAST) for the coordination & arranging necessary trek documents.

gillgill999

2019-11-25

Well organised trek We did the Makalu Base Camp trek in November 2017. This was our ninth trek, organised through different agents in Nepal. For this trek we chose a local agent rather than one based in Kathmandu because the route is still relatively undeveloped and we wanted the benefit of local knowledge and contacts. We have no hesitation in recommending Tejanath. He always answered our email queries promptly and fully, gave us wonderful hospitality before and after the trek, found us an excellent porter and guide, and efficiently organised all the paperwork and land transport before and after the trek. Our guide was related to the extended family that runs all the guest houses on the trek, which enriched our experience. Makalu Base Camp is a beautiful and relatively uncrowded trek, well worth the extra hassle and expense of the flight into Tumlingtar. But you need to be prepared for quite basic food and accommodation, and be aware that once over the Shipton La communications (and hence rescue, should it be necessary) are difficult. Best for trekkers who have some experience.

Alex W

2019-11-25

Makalu BC Trek Nov. 2016 Tejaneth of MAST organized a porter/guide (Suk Bhadur Ghimibre) and porter (Raskamar Ghimibre) from the village of Seduwa for our teahouse trek to Makalu Base Camp in November 2016. What an amazing experience! The route and teahouses along it were relatively uncrowded, the natural landscape was epic, the cultural tapestry overlaying all of it was fascinating. Our guide and porter were fantastic and everyone we met along the way was friendly. I would definitely recommend this trek and MAST. I would love to return someday to do this same trek again, and/or one of MAST's Social Treks. Tejaneth and his wife were very gracious and welcoming at the beginning and end of our journey. Namaste, Dhanyavaad, and Feri Betonlah!

Ejeebee

2019-11-23

Makalu base camp April 2019 I did the trek in April 2019. MAST was very helpful in helping organizing the trek in general. Tejanath coordinated a porter guide for my solo trip and also arranged accomodation in Khandbari. He also helped me get a seat on a plane back to KTM, thank you again! My guide Suk Bahadur was very knowledgeable about the trail and did speak some english. I also stayed at his house and his family was very welcoming. He helped arrange accommodation in tea houses and was regularly asking other sherpas for trail updates along the way. I would just recommend anyone who does this trek in general to bring lots of snacks - past Shipton La expect a diet of rice and potatoes. I got really hungry on the way down. If you do the trek with MAST specifically, be aware that not all porter guides are equipped equally. All i had for my guide was a duffle bag, which he ended up carrying in a very uncomfortable way for 16 days because he didn't like to use straps or baskets like most porters across Nepal. So i would recommend that you ask in advance who your guide will be and what kind of equipment they have or don't have. In doubt, bring a backpack for you and for your porter.The trail conditions were unexpectedly snowy last April (several meters of snow and warm T up and down Shipton La). Nepalese people have no training/awareness of avalanche risks. Use your best judgement and speak up if you feel uncomfortable.

Jamie G

2019-11-20

Makalu BC trek My 7th trip to Nepal and I am so pleased to have MAST on hand to help organise and deliver it. Tejanath is organised and eloquent, he answered all questions clearly in the months leading up to the visit and the trek (for all 8 of us) went without a hitch - very well put together.Our main guide was Suk and he was attentive and helpful throughout. At times he seemed to disappear under the rucksacks as he helped people over the cols. We also stayed at his house and met his lovely family.

Patrick C

2019-11-19

Makalu Base Camp trek I did the trek in September/October of 2018 and after 10 previous treks in Nepal I can say that it was one of my best trekking experiences in Nepal. Tejanath organised the trek well, and he and his wife were most welcoming. My guide Pasang Sherpa made the trek a rich cultural experience by welcoming me to all his wonderful relatives along the trail, and looking after me the way that he did. Because of what I had understood to be big altitude changes between teahouses and that I am prone to altitude sickness, I had planned to camp for 2 nights, however a teahouse between TasiGaun and Khongma meant that I only had to camp for 1 night, and even this would now not be necessary because a new teahouse has been built between Yangri Kharka and Langmale.....so camping is no longer required on this trek even if you are prone to altitude sickness. This is a remote trek and there are very few trekkers, but it is serviced by flights from Kathmandu. So if you want to do a trek that combines fantastic scenery with a true cultural experience, then this may the best in Nepal.

Upper Barun valley located at the base of Mt. Makalu in eastern Nepal with an altitude of 5000 m is a heaven for nature lovers. Green forest, high waterfalls, cascading into deep George, and colorful flowers blowing below the snowy peaks add beauty to this area. The area is lying inside the Makalu Barun National Park, along the trekking route to Makalu Base camp.

This is the area where we can find rare spaces of flora and fauna in a different climate. The place is a great destination for great scenery, and research about biodiversity. The dome-like cave called Shiva Dhara about 500 feet tall has a large waterfall falling out of the stone roof. This waterfall is considered the most sacred tap of Lord Shiva. This is a large stone cliff that has a hole in its face and through which a waterfall cascades. But to get at this place one has to climb an extremely dangerous cliff for three to four hours with the help of a local porter guide.

Upper Barun Valley Trek Highlights

Total Program days: 15 without porter guide.
Total Trekking days: 13 with porter guide.
Trek Grade: Fairly Strenuous
Altitude:The Kharka (3750 m)
Accommodation: Local tea houses.
Best Trekking time: September to November. Mid-March to May.
Permits: TIMS card, MBNP permit fee.
Transportation: Reserved jeep/ Regular jeep/ Plane
Activity: Trekking/ sightseeing/volunteering.
Total trekking hours per day:4-6 hours.
Equipment rental: You are requested to bring all your necessary clothing and gear from home. However, in Kathmandu there are many shops to buy and rent trek-related equipment.
Trekking Backpack: Your baggage on the trek will be carried by our locally employed porter guides. The maximum weight per trekker is 15 kg. If you have any items which are not required on trek can be stored in our MAST office in Khandbari.

Upper Barun Valley Trek Present situation

Nowadays a regular jeep service from Khandbari to Num (38 km) is available. Since the road to Num, is dusty and not good. Sometimes it is muddy because of rainfall. As result, a jeep takes about four hours to get to Num from Khandbari bus station.

But a regular jeep leaves the station only when it is able to receive 10 passengers. So you will have to wait for until the jeep until it is full. So waiting for the regular jeep to be full may be not suitable for you as per your time and comfort. So you may have to have to consider reserving a jeep from Khandbari to Num or from Num to Khandbari.

If you like, after you land at Tumlingtar airport you can reserve a strong four-wheeled Bolero brad jeep to go to Num (52km) directly on the same day and stay at a tea house there

Photos

Itinerary

Day 1Khandbari

Flight (30 minutes) from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar airport. Receive and welcome by MAST staff at the airport. Catch a jeep, drive for about 15 minutes and get Khandbari hotel room and have a rest. Explore Khandbari bazaar, Child Welfare Home Khandbari etc. Meet your porter guide and be introduced with him. Overnight stay at the hotel/ home stay in Khandbari.

Day 2Travel from Khandbari to Num (1500m)

After breakfast round 8 am catch a reserved jeep to Num. The Jeep leaves Khandbari passes Manebhangyang, ArunTthan, Bhotebas, Chhyankuti to Chichila. At Chichila stop the jeep and order for lunch at any one of the tea houses there. Then enjoy observing the natural beauty, the Himalayan range toward the north. After having a rest for some time , you’re travelling starts. The road pass Hururu , Mude and finally gets Num at around 2 pm ( 4- 5 hours travelling) Find one of the best tea house for your overnight stay there

Day 3Trek from Num to Seduwa (1540m)

After having breakfast at about 8 am at the hotel, trek down to the Arun river, cross the suspension bridge on the river. Then walk and pass Lumluma and trek up up to Seduwa (4-6 hours trekking). Find one the best tea houses at Seduwa village for your overnight stay. Enjoy sightseeing around Seduwa village. Visit the Secondary school if you like. Go to Makalu Barun National park site office there and Pay Park entrance fees Rs.3000 per person.

Day 4Trek from Seduwa To Tasi Gaun

Have your breakfast at around 8 am at the tea house , start your next day trekking. Trek through meadows, farms up to Tasi Gaun (4 to 6 hours trekking). Enjoy trekking slowly with sightseeing. Rural scene on the both side of the trekking trial will be welcoming you. Get Tasigaun in the evening, find one of the best tea houses and have good and accommodation there

Day 5Trek from Tasigaun to Khongma Khongma (3550 m)

Have your breakfast at around 8 am at the tea house, commence your trek. Walk slowly for 4 to 6 hours. Take care of your energy for huge elevation gain. Get Khongma in the evening. Find one the best tea houses for overnight stay there..

Day 6Trek from Khongma to Dobato (3,550m)

After your breakfast at 8 am at your tea house, trek up to Dobato for 4 to 5 hours. Find one the best tea houses there for food and accommodation.

Day 7 Trek from Dobato to Yangre Kharka ( 3600)

After breakfast at 8 am at the tea house trek up to Yangre Kharka for 4 to 5 hours. Find one the best tea houses there for food and accommodation.

Day 8Trek from Yangre Kharka Rest Day. ( 3600)

This is your rest day for acclimatization. Have enough rest and also enjoy natural beauty around the place. Food and accommodation at the tea house there.

Day 9Trek from Yngle Kharka to Nhe Kharka to Shibha Dhara to Yangla Kharka (3600 m)

Commence your trek early in the morning, carry enough food and water to drink. Trek uphill slowly up to Shibha Dhara with the help of your guide. Have a bath at the sacred river. Visit the Parbati Gupha, Ama Bhujung and other places. Enjoy sightseeing and trek back to Yangle Kharka. ( 6-8 hours trekking) Overnight stay at the same tea house at Yangle Kharka.

Day 10Trek from Yangle Kharka to Dobato

After breakfast at the tea house at yangle, trek down to Dobato for 4 to 6 hours. Find one of the best rooms at the tea house and stay there having food and drinks. Enjoy more sightseeing around the place. Overnight stay at a tea house there.

Day 11Trek from Dobato to Khongma

After breakfast at the tea house Dobato , trek down to Khongma for 4 to 6 hours. Find one of the rooms in a tea house enjoy your time having food and drinks. Enjoy more sightseeing around the place. Overnight stay at a tea house there.

Day 12Trek from Khongma to Tasigaun

After breakfast at the tea house at Dobato , trek down to Tasigaun for 4 to 6 hours. Find one of the best rooms in a tea house enjoy your time having food and drinks. Enjoy more sightseeing around the place. Overnight stay at a tea house there.

Day 13Trek from Tasigaun to seduwa Seduwa

After breakfast at the tea house in Seduwa,, trek down to Seduwa for 4 to 6 hours. Find one of the best tea houses enjoy your time having food and drinks. Enjoy more sightseeing around the place.

Day 14Trek from Seduwa to Num to Khandbari

After your breakfast at the tea house, trek back to Chaulakharka for 3 to 4 hours. Catch a reserved jeep and drive for 4 hours and arrive Khandbari in the evening. Say goodbye to your poerterguide. Overnight stay at a hotel/Home stay in Khandbar

Day 15Khandbari to Tumlingtar to Kathmandu

Have your breakfast at the tea house/Home Then Catch a jeep and drive for about 20 minutes to get Tumlingtar. Prepare for your flight to Kathmandu. Say goodbye to MAST company staff and border the plane and fly to Kathmandu.

Map

FAQ

I'm a solo traveller, is there a single supplement?

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite.

Which currency is most widely accepted on this tour?

– Austria – Euro (EUR)
– France – Euro (EUR)
– Germany – Euro (EUR)
– Italy – Euro (EUR)
– Netherlands – Euro (EUR)
– Switzerland – Swiss franc (CHF)
– United Kingdom – Pound sterling (£)

Should I book pre/post tour accommodation?

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia.

It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however.

Upper Barun Valley Trek

Why Trek With MAST?

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