–17 ISRAELITES AND THE LANGTANG TREK —
17 Israeli guests with 11 porters and 3 guides left for Langtang Trek on May 9, 2022. Little did they know what their further adventure would look like. It was a one-of-a-kind adventure journey that included a week-long trek through the Langtang pass of 4600m to Ziplining in 1,022 m Nuwakot and Rafting in 750m Trishuli.17 different people from age group 20 to 62 were on the trip. We started our hike from Sundarijal. Most of the clients had come to Nepal for the first time. Everyone was really excited about the trip.
Our bus from Kathmandu left for Sundarijal on May 10. This was the first day of the trek. The first-day trek ended at Chisapani. Chisapani meaning “cold water” is located inside Shivapuri National Park and is the gateway to the Langtang-Gosainkunda trekking. It was quite an easy trek for everyone. It was roughly around 7 hours hike. Everyone started to relax and chill after reaching Chisapani. Some were ordering local beers; some were just relaxing with the views. The evening at Chisapani was the best. All the guests suddenly started to dance to Israeli music after dinner. 25 years Ohad was the main highlight of the day. He danced his heart out which encouraged everyone including the staff of the hotel to join the floor. Well, it was a good start to the trek.
2nd Day, May 11, our hike started from Chisapani for Kutumsang(2,371m). It was some 18 km hike. It was a tough day since we had to cover a long distance of forest. It was around 8:pm when we reached Kutumsang. Our guests were welcomed with hot chai and cookies as soon as they reached the destination easing their hunger before their big meal. Kutumsang is situated in the south of Helambu and has good road access. One can visit the place in their vehicle however the hiking route is to die for. Our guests were provided with clean rooms with an attached bathroom and hot water service.
On May 13 (the 4th day), we left at 7:30 am from Ghopte for Gosainkunda. Suddenly it started raining at our lunch stop. Everyone seemed very happy since it had been hard days for them the past two days. Our guests Shili and Yosef had a birthday cake surprise for Orit. Orit was turning 60 by the month. Everyone celebrated Orit’s birthday and we started dancing. It was a relaxed day after two difficult consecutive days.
May 14 (the 5th day) was one of the toughest days since we had to cross through Lauribina Pass at 4600m (highest altitude) to reach Gosainkunda (4300m). It was challenging for everyone but far more challenging for Aviva (62years), the oldest and the youngest soul of the group. Everyone was ahead of her when she was struggling to climb the rocky stairs. Even when she was tired, her strong commitment and dedication pushed her and she reached the pass 1 hour later than everybody. This was a very emotional moment for her since it had taken a lot of self-motivation and strength to reach that altitude of 4600m. After that point, the further trails were flat and downhill so she reached the destination quickly. Our female guide was along with her the whole time.
Some of our guests swam in the icy Gosainkunda Lake. That was pretty daring. Our guests were the real adventurers. After everyone’s arrival, we had quick lunch and sightseeing at Gosainkunda and continued our hike to Cholungpati. We spent our 5th night at Cholungpati.
Gosainkunda Lake is delineated as a religious site. In Hindu mythology, it is attributed as the abode of the Hindu deities Shiva and Gauri. Its water is considered holy and of particular significance during the Gangadarshahara and the Janai Purnima festivals. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Nepal and India visit the lake.
6th day, May 15, we hiked down to Dhunche. When we reached there, the whole village was celebrating the newly elected Mayor. Our clients were very amazed to see the rally and ongoing celebration since it was very new for them. It was a pleasant day since we were at the end of our hike.
Dhunche(2030m) is a beautiful small village filled with a native Tamang community. The main livelihood of the people there is animal farming. One can easily find a direct bus to Dhunche and can start the trek to Gosainkunda and end in Sundarijal. However, the best way to follow the trek is from Sundarijal as we did.
On the 7th day, May 16, we took our tourist bus from Dhunche to Nuwakot. We surprised our guests with an alluring farmhouse of Nuwakot called “The Famous Farm House”. It was a relaxing day, enjoying organic food and just chilling around. Also, we had an immediate plan of Ziplining there. The guests were very happy with the experience of 1300m long ziplining. They were also taken around the Nuwakot Palace. Nuwakot Palace is a seven-story fortress built by Prithvi Narayan Shah, who unified our country Nepal. This particular palace also served as the main fort for the king before he conquered Kathmandu city. In the evening few guests were treated to a quick session of yoga and breathing technique.
8th day, May 17, guests were taken down to Trishuli River from the farmhouse for Rafting. Trishuli is Nepal’s most popular rafting river with impressive gorges and thrilling rapids. When we started the rafting, the weather was sunny but when were almost at the end of the rafting point, it suddenly got dark and started raining heavily. Along with that, strong wind raised the water and started to throw the water current. Our professional guides then came to our rescue and took everyone to the edge of the river and hid inside a big rock. For a few seconds, we thought we will lose our lives since there were landslides all around and big trees were falling off. That was the most thrilling experience for everyone even for the professional guides. After 30 mins everything came to normal and we returned back to the hotel with the memory of what just happened still fresh in our minds. It was the last day of the trip. We ended our day with nutritious dinner, late-night chatting, and dancing.
On May 18, we returned back to Kathmandu. Our clients did their last shopping before leaving for Israel.
On May 19, we took the clients for a half-day heritage tour to Patan Durbar Square.
On May 20 they safely flew back from Kathmandu.
Little about Israeli Guests from the Company
After spending around 10 days with Israeli guests, we have a whole new discovery. Israelis are very progressive people with a sharp mindset. They are the real countrymen, as each one of them serves as an army to their country. Israel is known as a HighTech and entrepreneurial powerhouse in the world. Can we also recognize Israel for its strong community? The bonding between Israelis is the main highlight of this whole trip. We also want to appreciate them for their precise and practical personalities. This group of 17 people had diverse backgrounds, ages, personalities, and choices but their bonding made outsiders feel that they came from the same large family. Israelis’ love for sweets was pretty serious when Shiri and Yosef kept us feeding with the delicacies. A lovely bunch of people.
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