Preparation for the Manaslu Circuit Trek is crucial, especially if you are a beginner after you have planned your journey. Trekking to any destination without proper preparation can lead to a dangerous situation. You are most likely to suffer from altitude sickness and encounter other challenges, such as natural disasters, if you are not well-prepared for a trek.
The Manaslu Trek is considered moderate to challenging and generally takes 12 - 14 days to finish. It is not an easy game to hike straight for a couple of weeks with a heavy backpack on your shoulder.
For an experienced individual, it ain't that tough at all. However, it's surely a demanding trip for those who are trekking such long days for the first time in their lives.
You may have watched several vlogs of the Manaslu Circuit Trek on YouTube that have excited and motivated you to go on this trek shortly. However, you should always be patient for a better outcome.
You know what? Even experienced hikers are not always safe and can face problems while trekking the Manaslu Circuit. You will reach up to a height of 5,106 m (16,752 ft), which is the Larkya La Pass, and it isn't that simple to make it up I guess.
Yes, adventure is all about leaving your comfort zone and being willing to take risks to some extent for a beautiful reward in the end. Nevertheless, we sometimes go beyond the limit in the heat of excitement and that is where we will have a high chance to face trouble.
In remote and high-altitude sections of the Manaslu Region, there are no health services available along the route. Facing serious problems in such a place can be a nightmare in the daytime for you.
When I say meeting problems while trekking, it doesn't always have to be only related to high-altitude sickness or natural disasters. It could also be something as easy as carelessness while packing your bag.
If you forget to bring any of the necessary things, like sunscreen, you will get your beautiful and precious facial skin burned by harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. See, we cannot stop sudden or certain danger from happening but at least we can do something to protect ourselves from it or avoid it.
Just remember that if we're not fully prepared for this trek, then it could even cost our lives. Therefore, today, you will learn about the preparation process for this amazing trip in detail to make it successful by avoiding any possible issues along the trail through this blog.
Preparation For The Manaslu Circuit Trek: Follow these Tips
First of all, what we need to know is that trekking falls under the category of hard adventure. However, it does not mean that every trek is challenging to conclude.
Some treks are also easy to some extent and short in duration. Nevertheless, the Manaslu Circuit Trek is a difficult one, as it is normally a 14-day journey away from your home.
As a result, I have designed some preparation processes for you that will definitely help you get ready for this amazing trek and succeed in it. Spare yourself some time to read the points stated below:
Physical Fitness:
Your good health condition matters not only while trekking, but also in your daily life. For better health, you should remain disciplined, dedicated, and consistent with everyday physical exercise.
You either go to a gym or do workouts at home. It's up to you; however, it should keep going.
If you are a regular exercise person, you're on the right track. If you aren't then you should start working out for an hour daily at least a couple of weeks before the date of your trek.
Some best exercises to prepare for Manaslu Circuit Trekking are as follows:
- Stretching: The body needs to be stretched first before undertaking various harsh workouts. Stretching gestures make your stiff body muscles flexible allowing you to be less prone to the ankle and knee injuries that most hikers encounter while trekking in the wilderness.
- Running: Slow running boosts your stamina, helping you cover a long distance while trekking. Try running for at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday morning after fully stretching your body. It will also strengthen your entire parts of both legs.
- Squatting: It's significant for trekking, as all the pressures shift to your thighs and you'll get exhausted too quickly while walking a long distance with a heavy backpack. This workout is especially for your thighs, making them strong and there'll be less chance of getting your thighs hurt, especially while ascending.
Mental Conditioning:
Your good mental health is a crucial thing that you should have in life to run it in a better way. Yes, being physically fit makes you strong and look perfect. But if you are mentally weak from the inside, then your fitness means nothing.
Having a positive mindset helps you to stay calm and optimistic in any intense situation. Since you're mapping out to go for one of the challenging treks in Nepal, the Manaslu Circuit Trek, your thinking should be strong and fully in your control.
If you get controlled by the hardship of this adventure, it ain't sure that you could cross the Larke Pass successfully. Your journey will be in question.
One of the best workouts you can do to prepare mentally for the Manaslu trek is a visualization exercise. It helps you reduce anxiety and stress if you have any regarding this trek. You can also start doing it with a physical workout at least two weeks before the trek.
The visualization exercise is simply a meditation or thinking about yourself doing better in any kind of task. Doing so enhances your real-life performance. Thus, you should start imagining completing your journey to the Larkya La Pass without facing any obstacles on the trail from now on if you have already fixed the date to go for the trek in the Manaslu Region.
Health Factors:
You should be concerned about your health while planning the trek to the Manaslu Circuit. If you're currently going through just a common fever or some kind of minor pain in your body, you better not leave your place for this or any trek until you get 100% fit, especially if you aren't experienced in trekking yet.
Even a minor fever can be a cause of big trouble during your wild journey. Hence, always focus on your current health condition and have some patience. Don't rush to immerse yourself in the wild.
Furthermore, if you're not confident about this trek because you're a beginner, then you can take the medicine which is called Acetazolamide. It is a medicine that helps prevent altitude sickness and is easily available in any pharmacy under the brand name Diamox.
But please note that you shouldn't take Acetazolamide directly. Rather concern yourself with your trusted doctor first and take it according to his/her guidance.
Diet:
During the high-altitude trek, you consume as much food containing high levels of carbohydrates as rice, pasta, potato, etc. This is because carbohydrate foods have high calories, which provides you with long-lasting energy, helping you dodge altitude sickness.
Just don't worry about your tummy. I guarantee you it won't rise while hiking with a heavy backpack on your shoulder. All the carbs you eat get thoroughly digested within hours.
Stay Hydrated:
The more you walk, the more you get wet by sweat. In such a condition, your body lacks water and altitude sickness has a high chance of getting into your body.
So, drink at least 3-4 litresof water a day. Besides, you should also eat foods that contain high portions of water like apples, watermelon, cucumber, etc.
Trekking Essentials:
If you are new to adventure, I am sure you want to know which essential things to pack for trekking. Beginners often find themselves in problems due to not having any prior knowledge of packing trekking gear. Below are Manaslu Circuit Trekking essentials for new trekkers to help you get fully prepared for your wild trip:
- A set of outdoor full-sleeve t-shirts and pants, along with a set of normal t-shirts and pants for overnight stays at teahouses.
- Good quality trekking shoes for hiking, along with comfortable shoes, slippers or sandals for use at teahouses.
- A good quality hat to protect your face from UV rays during trekking, and a warm woollen hat for overnight at hotels.
- A sufficient quantity of socks for both hiking and hotel stays.
- A good quality thermal zip set for use at teahouses.
- A good quality raincoat, or an umbrella as a backup for use for hiking, just because.
- Enough medicine snacks such as dried fruits, chocolate, protein bars, cookies, etc.
- Body lotion to help keep your skin moist.
- Sunscreen with minimum SPF 50+ to protect your skin, especially your face from sunburn.
- Lip balm to protect your lips from the cold.
- Good quality trekking poles to support yourself going up and relieve your knees from pain.
- Good quality backpack with a capacity of at least 55 litres.
- Good quality water and windproof jacket for use for hiking.
- Good quality down jacket to withstand at least -15'C temperatures.
- Good quality boot gaiters to keep your shoes dry and snow-free.
- A durable plastic water bottle for hot water and normal water (good brand to buy: Nalgene).
- One pair of inner fleece gloves and one pair of down gloves.
- First-aid kit.
- Headlamp for early morning walks and nighttime use at hotels.
- A power bank or a portable solar charger for charging electronic gadgets (e.g., mobile phones, cameras, etc.).
Permits:
To embark on the Manaslu Circuit Trail, you'll be required to obtain a few permits that allow you to stroll around the area. Moreover, the region is regarded as a restricted area by Nepal's government, which means it's mandatory to hire a guide or go through a local tour operator, such as Ammonite Adventure.
We'll arrange all the needed paperwork for you, making your adventure hassle-free. The purpose of these permits is to keep a record of tourists for their security and to contribute to the local community along the trail.
Here are the required permits for this trek:
- Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP)
- Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
- Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS)
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
Responsibility:
While you're planning for the Manaslu Circuit Trek with full excitement, you should also prepare yourself to become responsible out in the woods. Just don't get me wrong. I ain't saying that you're an irresponsible person.
I'm sure that you are a responsible individual in your daily life. However, far away from home, at locations like the Manaslu Region, walking for hours every day to cross the Larke Pass, you certainly feel spent and sometimes you might not think about anything else but yourself.
In such circumstances, you might unintentionally leave your waste behind along the trail. You should never forget to think about nature along with yourself, no matter what.
The entire trail lies in the Manaslu Conservation Area. Therefore, the region is rich in vegetation and other wildlife. You should enjoy your adventure very carefully and your presence shouldn't bother its environment.
Summary:
To complete the Manaslu Circuit Trek successfully, you should be well-prepared along with planning the date of your journey, as it is moderately challenging and normally takes 14 days to end. Especially beginners, most of them only get excited by the beauty of their trekking destination. But I'm not sure if all of them have proper knowledge about trekking and its preparation.
Some key points you should keep in mind to prepare fully for this trek: They're listed below:
Focus on daily workouts for at least an hour, such as stretching, squatting, and running. These are the best exercises for trekking that you can do at least two weeks before your trek if you ain't a regular exercise person.
You should always stay calm and positive regarding this trek because your mentality is everything. If you think positively like concluding Manaslu Circuit Trekking successfully, it reduces your stress and anxiety, helping you complete your journey with confidence.
You should be concerned about your current health condition. If you're not 100% fit, then don't rush to start your trek.
Eat foods like pasta, potato, and rice that are rich in carbohydrates as much as you can during the trek. Such foods are heavy and stay in your body for a long time, give you energy, and help you to bypass altitude sickness.
Stay hydrated all the time during trekking. Drink at least 3-4 litres of water daily to stay energised and avoid altitude sickness.
You should have quality trekking shoes, a full-sleeve t-shirt and pants, and a backpack of at least 55L to pack the necessary items for trekking, such as sunscreen, a woollen hat, gloves, clothes for an overnight stay, a first aid box, etc.
You should coordinate with the local tour operators for the required permits: Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP), Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP), Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS), and Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) cards. The trail is considered a restricted area in Nepal. So, it's compulsory to go through the local trekking agency.
You should be strolling around the trail responsibly by not leaving your waste behind. Your presence shouldn't destroy the vegetation and bother the wildlife in the area.
