The Manaslu circuit is often considered the highest rated trek in Nepal. This trek has stunning beauty, rich culture, and is much less crowded than many other Himalayan treks.
The Manaslu Leadership Expedition is an invitation to adventure! On this course we work together to build an intentional community where we explore concepts pivotal to an empowering culture. As we travel, we seek to engage honestly with each other and with God. This professional growth opportunity is specifically designed to be a catalyst for leaders to recharge and build a better community. Join this expedition to the rooftop of the world and learn the art of Expeditionary Leadership.
Introduction:
The Basics:
Who: This course is for adults (18+) seeking to advance leadership and culture building skills. Participants need to be in excellent shape with the capacity for hiking many hours per day carrying a 30 lbs backpack.
What: This is an adventure-based, experiential, professional-growth course using the framework of empowering leadership.
Where: The expedition begins in Kathmandu, Nepal and travels to the awe-inspiring Manaslu region of the Himalayas. After circumnavigating most of Manaslu, the trip concludes in Kathmandu.
When: March 13-28, 2025
Cost: $2,999 (Early bird rate until December 31, 2024). $3,199 per person after December 31, 2024. Price includes meals during the trek, lodging, travel insurance, and transportation within Nepal. Price excludes 5 meals in Kathmandu, international airfare, Nepali visa, tips for Nepali guides and porters, and souvenirs.
Guides and Instructors:
Lead American instructor: Les Zollbrecht
Les has lead 5 expeditions to the Himalayas. He is a National Outdoor Leadership School Educators graduate and has been guiding ice, rock, and mountaineering trips for over 20 years. He built and directed Mountain Leadership Institute and has served the past eleven years as director of Big Lake Youth Camp.
American Instructor/guide: Randy Folkenberg is an active climbing guide and outdoor facilitator leading climbs and expeditions around the world. He currently serves as the pastor of Common Ground, an adventure-based church community.
Lead Nepali Trekking guide: Chet Lama, Independent Trekking Guides. Chet has guided hundreds of people through Nepal. He has dedicated his life to the people of his home community of Kumari, where he has built a women's skill center, elementary school, clinic and farm.
The Trek
The Manaslu Circuit Trek is an often considered the best trek in Nepal. Much less crowded than the Everest region, this stunning route takes you up and around the base of Mount Manaslu (the eighth highest mountain in the world). Each night we will experience authentic Tibetan culture and hospitality as we stay in local guest houses. We will climb through the majestic scenery to over 16,000 feet as you reach the summit of Larkye Pass and take in the true magnitude of Manaslu.
Day 1-2:
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to Tibet Guest House. Enjoy getting to know Kathmandu shopping and historic sites.
Day 3
We will drive west to Machikhola by Land Cruiser. The drive will take us to the villages of Arughat. The magnificent scenic views from this drive is a perfect boost to kick-start our journey. We will end our day near the beautiful Budi Gandaki River in Soti Khola. Once here you can enjoy a quick village tour.
Day 4
Machhikhola – Jagat (4,600 ft): We start the day making our first cross of the Maccha Khola river and trek up the trail surrounded by Gurung settlements and hill farmlands. Continuing further on this trail we will reach the village of Khorla Bensi. You can enjoy the organic local coffee here. We will walk the carved paths between hill forests to reach Tatopani. Here we will relax for a while in the hot springs. Then, we will cross a steel bridge to reach the village of Dovan. We will continue through the settlements of Thulo Dunga and Yaruphant on the other side of Budi Gandaki. We will end our day at the Gurung settlement of Jagat.
Day 5
Jagat – Philim-Deng (5740) : We will have our permits to the Manaslu region checked here in the morning. In the meantime, we can head for a Tibetan-inspired cultural village tour with stunning Himalayan views. We will hike across the suspension bridge from Jagat to Salleri. This hike connecting Jagat to Sirdibas is mostly flat and provides us great views of the Siringi Himal (23,497 ft). We will then cross the Gandaki River and walk about an hour to reach Philim Village. We will take our lunch break here and continue our walk to Nayapul and on to Deng.
Day 6
Phillim – Ngyak - Namrung (7,070 ft): Today will be a shorter hiking day. We will enjoy the mountains, walking through a canyon, and will walk beside the Budi Gandaki to reach Deng. Ascending from the other side through the Pine forest, reach the village of Rana (1980 m). Climb up to the village of Bhim Phendi and through the gorge of Serang Khola. Going traverse the Budi Gandaki, you will reach the Namrung village in the afternoon. Overnight at a lodge in Namrung.
Day 7
Ngyak – Prok - Lho (10,427 ft): We will start today with hot tea and then hike passed pine and rhododendron forests beside a gorge. One can encounter many beautiful Himalayan and migratory birds in this stretch of Manaslu Circuit trek. We will cross the gorge on a wooden bridge and on to Namrung village. Namrung is the second checkpoint on our trek and provides us with fantastic view of Ganesh and Siringi Himal. The views of these mountains continue as we walk from Lho to Lihi and on to Lamagaon. We can take a short hike to visit the historic, Ribung Gompa. We will overnight at a lodge in Lho.
Day 8
Prok – Lho – Samagaun (11,549 ft): The trek portion from Lho to Samagaun is filled with incredible vistas and beautiful mountain flowers. We will be able to see Manaslu and the surrounding ranges. Shyala Village will be the lunch stop of our trek. Then we will continue through beautiful rhododendron forests and beside crystal clear streams. An hour of walking from here will lead us to the village of Samagaun. We will likely have a further acclimatization hike then return to overnight at a lodge in Samagaun.
Day 9
Rest in the Samagaun: Acclimatization is a must for safe and effective trekking in the Himalayas. At an altitude of 11,565 ft., Samagaun is the perfect place to rest and plan for the upcoming hike. The scenic mountain views from this village also makes this place incredible. We will have plenty of options for short hikes around Samagaun to continue to acclimatize and take photos. Punggyen Gompa, Manaslu Base Camp, and Monastery of Sama are some of the most popular hiking destinations from Samagaon.
Day 10
Samagoun – Larkye - Samdo (12,696 ft.): Our trek today is steep, hard, and beautiful. We will see the Manaslu Glacier and Birendra Taal throughout our walk up to Samdo. In the middle of the trail, we can see the ridge to Larkye La Pass (16,726 ft.). We will walk through the high yak grazing hills and beside the Mani walls leading to Samdo village. We will experience the dazzling reflection of culture and art in this region near the Tibetan border. Overnight at a lodge in Samdo.
Day 11
Samdo - Larkye Bazaar – Dharamsala (14665 ft.) : The Trek to Dharamsala from Samdo is a good acclimatization hike to prepare for Larkye Pass. We will walk past Chorten and Mani walls as we make our way down to the Budi Gandaki River. We will cross a wooden bridge and arrive at the legendary Larkye Bazaar. This village hosts trails to Tibet and was one of the most significant commercial trade centers of the central Himalayas. We will then continue hiking beside the Mani walls as we make our way to Dharamsala.
Day 12
Dharamsala – Larkya La Pass (16,879 ft.) – Bhimtang (11,811 ft.) Today is a big day! Today we climb to the summit of Larkye La Pass from base camp and descend down the other side to Bimtang. Prayer flags will welcome us to the pass and the magnificent views of Manaslu, Himlung, Kang Guru, and Annapurna II. We will take some time here to absorb the majestic scenery. As we descend to Bimtang, the trail is mostly smooth, as it drops over 4,600 ft to Bimtang village. Enjoy the beautiful sunset from the ridge nearby and rest for the day. Overnight at a lodge in Bimtang.
Day 13
Bimtang – Tilije - Dharapani (5,906 ft.): Today, we will start with a quick downhill to Kechyaku Khola Glacier and cross it. We will walk through red hills covered with rhododendron forests on our way to Yak Kharka. There are different colors of rhododendrons during their blooming season from March through April. We will also witness different views of the different aspects of Manaslu. We will descend through alpine to subtropical forests as we descend to Karche.
Day 14
Dharapani - Kathmandu: We will return to Kathmandu by 4x4. Approximately, 8+ hours.
Expeditionary Leadership
Expeditionary Leadership is a philosophy of team empowerment. It is has been presented to corporate teams, churches, and hospital leadership teams. It hinges on the simple premise that people either use fear or love to motivate others. When fear is used as the currency for leadership, a bullying, shame-filled culture is created. Instead, when the leader seeks to equip and empower those around him/her (love), followers become leaders that, in turn, build more leaders. In other words, embracing a culture of leadership abundance allows all to grow synergistically. Unfortunately, all of us have experienced shame-filled leadership and it takes time to reset and relearn healthy leadership habits. On this course, we will teach and discuss daily concepts that build this model of leadership. We will also spend time sharing our personal stories. Our ultimate goal is to build an empowering community that will provide a model for how we can more effectively live, lead, and thrive back home.
Reviews:
“Les truly provided my management team with an on-the-edge-of-the-chair experience about his expeditions and the difficult leadership and communication challenges that had to be overcome. His message was timely, relevant, and thought provoking as we lead our team through this complicated business environment and focus on individual accountability.” --Steven Stapp, CEO, Unitus Credit Union