Oct 7. Kathmandu to Arughat Bazar. Nepal.

It was a long trip from Kathmandu to Arughat Bazar. We travelled by a fairly modern and comfortable 4wd. Arughat Bazar is a pretty village at the start of the Manaslu trek. It is situated on the fast flowing Buri Gandaki river.
This is it. We were now on our way to start our trekking. Our plan was to start from Arughat Bazar, where I will exit at Dharapani to join the Annapurna trekking circuit. Walter and Elena will continue to complete the Manaslu circuit thereon. The map shows the route we took, not quite as planned with a stop at Tatopani instead of Dobhan, but it all worked out as will be discussed on later blog entries.
I have permits galore for conducting this trip. I was glad that Rajesh organised them all for me. He also kept these on him during the trek so that 1) we don't lose them and 2) checkpoint processing is kept hassle free.
There is some useful sage advice on the trekking permit (simplified for this blog)
  • don't deviate from the trekking route
  • don't feed the local kids
  • respect the culture
  • do not litter and protect the environment
  • do not crap in the water
  • do not shove your camera in people's faces
  • don't lose your trekking permits 
We had a choice of transport: the bus or private hire of a four wheel drive. The thought of stopping every five minutes and getting loaded with farm animals and all sorts of baggage and listening to raucous Nepalese music over cheap sound systems did not appeal so we elected to hire a vehicle. The journey also meant a difference between seven and twelve hours.
The vehicle offered worked out to be $70 each, which considering the length and nature of the journey works out to be a good deal. We ended up with a very recent Toyota Prado, and we got a nice buffet lunch included.
The journey to Arughat Bazar was a long one as expected, but quite scenic going through mountainous terrain. As the crow flies it is around 65km, but wending through towns and over mountains it is a lot longer.The area is hot and humid, with a lower altitude of 570m compared to 1350m at Kathmandu.
Arughat Bazar is the starting point of the Manaslu trek. There is a checkpoint here to validate the passes. Nepal gains a good income from trekking so there are plenty of checkpoints around to ensure honesty. This trek also requires the use of an approved guide. I am not sure why, as the track is well laid out. It simply follows a valley and the maps available are excellent. Not that I am complaining, with high altitude walks it is well worth having someone who is local and familiar with the risks associated.
You need to cross a large suspension bridge to get to the town centre, as there is river flowing quite fast blocking access from the east; though there is vehicular access further along.
We stopped at the welcome sign for mandatory group photos, with me, Elena, Walter and our two porters, Anesh and Ga (sorry I forgot their real names).
Arughat Bazar was a pleasant town and has its offerings of accommodation, eating places and shops. There was another camping group heading along Manaslu as well.
The area around here is rural. Crops of rice and other grains abound. Quite a few mosquitoes with the humidity and water so I quickly applied insect repellent.
I walked down to the river and couldn't resist a bit of a dip in an eddy, joining with the kids. The water is considerably cleaner here than the cities, but there is a bit of a risk with communities further upstream. I figured that the snow melt would dilute the e-coli and other bacterial/viral contaminants enough to be safe for me.
For the first night at the beginning of trek, we stayed at Hotel Manaslu. The meals, bed, and company all acceptable. The camping group also stayed here on the land adjacent, in their tents. The amount of gear they had was incredible, seemingly requiring a porter per person. I grabbed the opportunity to was out my clothes and wondered it it would dry in this humidity.
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Location: Aarughat, Nepal

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