Thorong La or Thorung La is a mountain pass with an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

in the

Damodar Himal Damodar Himalaya () is a mountain range in Gandaki Province. Peaks References

{{commons, Damodar Himal Mountain ranges of Nepal Mountain ranges of Tibet Mountains of the Gandaki Province ...

, north of the

Annapurna Annapurna (; ne, अन्नपूर्ण) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at above sea level and is well known for the diffic ...

Himal, in central

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

. Khatung Kang and Yakawa Kang are the mountains forming Thorong La. The pass is located on a

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

which connects the

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Manang Manang ( ne, मनाङ) is a town in the Manang District of Nepal. It is located at 28°40'0N 84°1'0E with an elevation of . According to the preliminary result of the 2011 Nepal census it has a population of 6,527 people living in 1,495 ind ...

in the

Manang District Manang District ( ne, मनाङ जिल्ला , a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Chame as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population (2011) of 6,538. ...

to the east, with the temple of

Muktinath Muktinath is a Vishnu temple, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It is located in Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang, Nepal. It is one of the world's highest temples (altitude 3,800 m). Within Hinduism, it ...

and the nearby village of

Ranipauwa Ranipauwa is a town in central Nepal in the district of Mustang, formerly in the Kingdom of Mustang, about 12'140 ft. / 3'700 meters above sea level. Ranipauwa with its numerous hotels, guesthouses, cafes, restaurants and souvenir-shops is ...

, in the Mustang District to the west. Thorong La is the highest point on the

Annapurna Circuit The Annapurna Circuit is a trek within the mountain ranges of central Nepal. The total length of the route varies between 160–230 km (100-145 mi), depending on where motor transportation is used and where the trek is ended. This trek c ...

, a route around the Annapurna mountain range. In addition to trekkers, the pass is regularly used by local traders.

Mountaineering

Most trekkers cross the pass from east to west (Manang to Muktinath), which is the easiest and safest direction. It is not possible to cross Thorong La from Manang to Muktinath in one day. Trekkers usually spend the first night in Yak Kharka and second night in Thorong Phedi — which is situated at , or at Thorong High Camp — which is situated at before attempting to go over Thorong La Pass. Choosing this option decreases the elevation gain and loss for that day's hike, as well as decreasing the distance. The staff of the Himalayan Rescue Association post in Manang recommend that trekkers spend five nights between their arrival in Manang and the crossing to Muktinath. The additional time spent in Manang allows trekkers to acclimatize sufficiently to minimize the risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS). The Himalayan Rescue Association operates a medical clinic at Manang, and a small satellite medical clinic at Thorong Phedi. The route from west to east (Muktinath to Manang) is much more difficult, because it does not allow most trekkers sufficient time for acclimatization to the altitude. For trekkers choosing this direction of travel, the last place where it is possible to spend the night is located at Ranipauwa, where there is a lodge situated at . There is also a very basic lodge located at Muktinath Phedi, situated at , but this lodge is only open seasonally. Trekkers going from west to east must therefore ascend at least and descend at least in one day. The safest months to cross the pass are March–April and October–November. Attempting to cross Thorong La Pass at other times of the year is dangerous due to the increased risk of

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and eart ...

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the ha ...

and the likelihood of a storm or a whiteout, which can cause trekkers to become disoriented and lost. Trekkers usually depart Thorung Pedi / Thorung High camp a few hours before sunrise, as strong winds typically begin a few hours after sunrise.

Local climate

The local climate on the western side of the pass is much drier than on the eastern side. There is practically no vegetation on the western side, except where irrigated, while in the Manang valley there is much more vegetation and cultivation is possible, while it is still fairly dry, as the valley is protected from the wet southern

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

winds by the Annapurna mountain range.

Gallery

Thorong La 2, Himalaya, Nepal.jpg File:Manang site (85).JPG File:Manang site (90).JPG File:Thorong-La General overview.jpg, General view over Thorong-La from Yakawa-Kang sidehill

Photos

References

{{Mountain passes of Nepal * Stan Armington, "''Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya''".

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, 2001. Mountain passes of Nepal Mountain passes of the Himalayas Hiking trails in Nepal