Manaslu Conservation Area

The Manaslu Conservation Area protects 1,663 square kilometres of north-central Nepal around Manaslu (8,163m), the eighth-highest mountain in the world. Established in 1998 and managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation, it borders Tibet to the north and the Annapurna Conservation Area to the west.

The area rises from river valleys at around 1,400m to the summit of Manaslu, taking in forest, alpine meadow, glacier and the high Larkya La pass at 5,106m. It is important snow leopard habitat and also shelters red panda, Himalayan tahr, blue sheep and musk deer. The upper valleys of Nubri and Tsum are culturally Tibetan, with old monasteries, mani walls and a strong tradition of Buddhist non-violence in the Tsum valley, long a hidden pilgrimage sanctuary.

Manaslu is a restricted area: trekkers need a special permit and must travel with a registered guide in a group, which has kept visitor numbers and infrastructure modest compared with the Annapurna and Everest regions.

The Manaslu Circuit trek, increasingly regarded as one of the finest in Nepal, begins near Soti Khola in Gorkha district and crosses the Larkya La before descending into the Annapurna area. Spring and autumn are the trekking seasons.