The primary motivation for our trip to Nepal was to head into the Himalayas for a trek.
This time, our destination was Langtang National Park, one of the trekking areas that’s relatively close to Kathmandu.
We had an outstanding time, and in this article, I’ll share some insight into our week-long journey into the Himalayas.
Booking Our Langtang Trek
When it comes to booking a trek in Nepal, you’re absolutely spoiled with choice, and no matter which trek you choose, you’re bound to have an epic experience.
My wife Ashley and I had been talking about coming to Nepal together ever since I returned from my visit there in 2008.
During the dark and wet months of the latter part of 2022 at our home on Vancouver Island, we watched Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake on Netflix. One of the regions highlighted in the film is the Langtang Valley, which got us talking about our travel plans for 2023.
We were captivated by the stories of the locals’ resilience in the face of disaster, and were also awestruck by the natural beauty portrayed in the film.
My good friend Neil has the enviable task of leading trips to this part of Nepal as part of his work, and his stories and pictures had also inspired me to visit the area at some point, too.
After some discussion, we set our sights on a week-long (or so) trek in the Langtang Valley for April 2023. This is one of the better times of the year for trekking in the area, which also happened to coincide nicely with some time that we had planned to take off from work.
We also chose this particular trek due to its relatively close proximity to Kathmandu. We didn’t have a lot of time to spend unplugged in the mountains, and since it was Ashley’s first time doing a trek, we thought that a week-long test would be a better idea than going all-in on a three-week slog into high altitudes.
After sketching out some dates, I reached out to my friend Mr. Thakur Raj Pandey of First Environmental Trekking in Kathmandu. He helped to arrange our trek in 2008, and we’ve stayed in touch over the years, as I’d long wanted to return to Nepal.
He also happens to be the Senior Vice President of the Nepal Trekking Association, and I trusted him and his staff to look after our trekking arrangements this time around.