Independent Trekking and Travel

Nice day hikes include the 5000 m hill behind Kyangjin Gompa, also cross the bridge south of Kyangjin and take the path that heads up to the Gangja La pass.  Unfortunately the pass was snow bound when I was there but you can loop around and decend down a ridge further up the valley.  It is a beautiful hike through forests meadows and with great views across the valley at 7227 m Langtang Lirung.   You can also hike up to the upper Langtang Valley and the Langtang Glacier.  Opportunities for exploration are almost endless. I returned to the Langtang region in spring 2010.  As of fall 2009 apparently many of the locations along the trail at the cohesion of the large lodge owners had formed "committees" to standardize room rates and food.  While before there had been standardized menus but you could often work out deals for free rooms and discounted food with smaller lodges.  Now it seems with threats of physical violence as well as property damage by the "committees" against lodge owners who break this seems no longer possible for rooms.  It seems to have hurt the small lodges who can not compete when all prices are equal.  Only four of the 22 lodges in Langtang village were open in April a high tourist season forcing all the tourists in to a few lodges.  Fortunately I managed to secure a homestay with a family in the old village a much better experience.  You can try striking up conversations with villagers to explore these opportunities.  I talked with other individual trekkers who complained they got stuck in one of the few open lodges with big organized trekking groups and were therefore low priority for the lodge.  I would say the best option is to stay at places in between the main places.  Avoid Lama Hotel (the traditional first night stop) where the lodges charge an outrageous 400 rupees for a double, considering Kyangjin Gompa was only charging 300 and Lama Hotel is less than a days walk from the road.  Riverside an hour after Lama Hotel, or Rimpoche before are good alternative places to stay.  Also I would either avoid Langtang village or  talk your way into a homestay it was very depressing there this time around with so many closed lodges.   Kyangin you really have no choice but to stay there, and the surrounding area is beautiful.  Its still a very nice hike but the "committee" thing has ruined some places, we'll see how long they can keep up the enforcement.