Cross Larkya La to Bhimthang

We leave Dharamsala, at about 4,460 m, by headlamp at 4 or 5 am. The trail climbs gradually across moraine beside the Larkya glacier, past small frozen lakes, for 3 to 5 hours. The pass is wide, with several false tops before the prayer flags and cairns of Larkya La at 5,106 m. Your guide sets a slow, steady pace from the start, with short stops every hour for water and snacks. Breathing is hard above 5,000 m, so small steps and regular rests matter more than speed. Porters usually go ahead to secure rooms at Bhimthang.

From the top you see Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru and the Annapurna II region to the west, and back toward the peaks of Nubri. It is cold and windy; take your photos, drink some tea from the flask and start down. Groups usually spend 15 to 20 minutes at the top, no more, because the wind is strong and the cold bites through gloves. Keep your camera battery in an inside pocket so it does not die in the cold just when you need it.

The descent to Bhimthang is long and steep, dropping about 1,500 m on loose rock, snow or ice in places. Microspikes help in early spring and late autumn. You reach the meadow and its lodges in the afternoon, tired and happy. We do not cross in bad weather, and your guide decides on the day. If anyone in the group shows signs of altitude sickness at Dharamsala, we wait or descend rather than push on. There are no lodges between Dharamsala and Bhimthang, so the decision is made before dawn. A spare day in the itinerary removes the pressure to cross in poor weather.