This region is in third place in terms
of popularity with visitors. The gentle
hills of the Helambu just north of the
capital are the ideal playground for
travelers that are new to trekking or
otherwise prefer short treks. This is
home of the Tamang and Helambu sherpas.
The numerous monasteries, prayer flags
and walls are proof of the sherpas’
strong roots in the Buddhist religion.
From March to June the rhododendron are
in full bloom and the trekker will
encounter a colorful landscape near the
passes to the Langtang. While the
Helambu may be visited practically
anytime outside of the monsoon season,
winter does make it difficult to cross
Laurebina La and Ganja La as they are
often snowed in from December to
February. Only attempt Ganja La if you
are well acclimatized and have
sufficient mountaineering experience and
equipment. Since 1974, the Langtang
Valley has been a national park. This
dry mountain valley with its Yak herds
and Bhotia (Tibetan) inhabitants offers
stunning mountain scenery, jungles, and
plenty of game. The Langtang National
Park provides abundant opportunity to
observe nature in various climatic
zones, from tropical to alpine.
Semi-wild yaks graze in Kyangjin and
Tibetan mountain goats live on the
enormous moraines above. This is also
the home of the snow leopard. But don’t
expect to see this shy and elusive
animal. The Langtang National Park is
easily accessible from Kathmandu and is
therefore well suited for shorter
excursions.
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