Thorong La links the Manang valley on the east with the Kali Gandaki and Mustang side on the west. For centuries it was a trade route for salt, grain and livestock between the two valleys, and pilgrims from Manang crossed it to reach the shrine at Muktinath. Today it is the high point and the hardest day of the Annapurna Circuit, crossed by tens of thousands of trekkers a year in the clear months of autumn and spring.
There is nothing technical about the pass in normal conditions: it is a long, steep walk on a well-worn trail. What makes it serious is altitude and weather. At 5,416 m the air holds about half the oxygen it does at sea level, so every step is slow. Wind rises sharply after about 10 or 11 am, and fresh snow can turn the path into a slog or hide it entirely. Every year a few people get into trouble here because they started too late, crossed when sick, or set out in a storm.
Done properly, the crossing is a great day. You leave Thorong Phedi or High Camp in the dark, climb steadily for 3–5 hours past a string of false summits and cairns, and reach a saddle hung with thousands of prayer flags and a sign marking 5,416 m. On a clear morning the Annapurna range and the brown Mustang hills stretch out on either side. Then comes the long, knee-jarring descent of about 1,700 m to Muktinath, 4–5 hours more.
What to see and do
- The prayer-flag saddle at 5,416 m
The top of the pass is a broad saddle draped with prayer flags, a chorten, a large sign giving the altitude and a small tea hut that operates in season. Most trekkers arrive between 8 and 10 am, take photos, drink a sweet tea and start down within 20–30 minutes before the wind picks up.
- A dawn start under the stars
Crossing day begins at about 4 am from Thorong Phedi or 5 am from High Camp, with headtorches strung out along the zigzags. The sky is often clear and full of stars, and the first light catches the summits of Thorong Peak and the Annapurna range behind you as you gain height.
- Two valleys from one point
To the east lie the Manang valley, the Chulu peaks and the long Annapurna wall. To the west the land falls away to Muktinath, the Kali Gandaki and the dry hills of Mustang, with Dhaulagiri on the far horizon. Standing on the pass, you see the change from Himalayan to trans-Himalayan landscape.
- The long descent to Muktinath
From the pass the trail drops about 1,700 m to Muktinath at 3,710 m over 4–5 hours, on loose gravel and dusty switchbacks. It is hard on knees, but every step down brings thicker air and easier breathing. The first tea shops at Chabarbu appear about 3 hours below the saddle.
- Muktinath at the bottom
At the foot of the pass lies Muktinath, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 water spouts and an eternal flame fed by natural gas. Many Indian pilgrims arrive by jeep or helicopter from the Jomsom side; trekkers arriving over Thorong La get there the hard way and usually visit the next morning.
Experiences in Thorong La
How to reach Thorong La
On foot
From Manang, 3 days: Yak Kharka at 4,018 m, then Thorong Phedi at 4,450 m or High Camp at 4,880 m, then the crossing. Phedi to the pass takes about 4–5 hours with roughly 970 m of ascent; High Camp to the pass about 2.5–3.5 hours. Then 4–5 hours down to Muktinath.
Road
There is no road over the pass. Jeeps reach Manang from Besisahar on the east side and Muktinath from Jomsom on the west. From Muktinath, a jeep to Jomsom takes about 1.5 hours, and from Jomsom to Pokhara about 8–9 hours by road.
Helicopter
Helicopters are used for rescues from Thorong Phedi and High Camp in clear weather, flying to Pokhara or Kathmandu. Rescues are expensive and weather-dependent, so insurance covering helicopter evacuation above 5,500 m is essential. Sightseeing flights over the pass are possible by private charter in good conditions.
Where to stay
There is no accommodation on the pass itself. The two bases are Thorong Phedi at 4,450 m, which has a few large lodges with dining halls and basic rooms, and Thorong High Camp at 4,880 m, a single lodge complex perched on a ridge 1 hour above Phedi. Phedi is lower, so sleeping there is easier on the body; High Camp shortens the crossing day. Both get crowded in October, with rooms sometimes shared or overflow mattresses in the dining room. On the west side, Muktinath has many lodges and simple hotels. We usually book Thorong Phedi and adjust on the day.
Tips from our trip managers
- Leave Thorong Phedi by 4–4:30 am, or High Camp by 5 am, to reach the pass before strong winds start around 10–11 am.
- Fill two litres of water the night before and keep one bottle inside your jacket so it does not freeze on the climb.
- Do not cross if you have a severe headache, vomiting, confusion or breathlessness at rest: descend instead, even if it means going back to Manang.
- Wear proper gloves, a down jacket and sunglasses: pre-dawn temperatures on the pass in November can drop below −15 °C with wind chill.
- Ask at Thorong Phedi about snow conditions before you set off, and never attempt the pass in a storm or fresh deep snow.
