Nabin K. Sapkota · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Trekkers can resume the Manaslu and Larke Pass routes with safety precautions, according to a September 9 notice from Gorkha’s District Administration Office. The reopening follows the September 6 flood near Namrung that destroyed crossings and prompted an official suspension, with independent reporting now describing an alternative trail and temporary wooden bridge.
The change matters for travelers holding September departures: a closure notice dated September 6 is no longer the administration’s latest instruction. Ask your trekking operator to confirm how your itinerary uses the restored crossing, rather than treating either an older cancellation message or a broad reopening headline as a complete account of conditions.
This is a Manaslu access update, not a reopening of every flood affected route in Nepal. Deep Arrival’s separate Rasuwa border travel advisory report concerns a different corridor and should not be treated as superseded by the Gorkha notice.
- Latest official change: Gorkha’s September 9 notice allows trekking to resume with necessary safety precautions.
- Affected routes: Manaslu and Larke Pass, also commonly written as Larkya Pass.
- Recovery: Tourism Times reports an alternative trail and wooden bridge at Therang Khola in Namrung.
- Original interruption: Flooding on September 6 damaged bridges and led to a trekking suspension.
- Important limit: The notice is not a guarantee of normal conditions on every trail or transfer in Nepal.
Gorkha’s September 9 Notice Changes the Official Position
The District Administration Office’s reopening notice explicitly refers back to the earlier instruction that stopped trekking after the flood. It says the damaged infrastructure has been repaired sufficiently to bring the trail into operation and informs travelers that trekking may take place while observing necessary safety precautions, with district administration, emergency operations and police contacts listed for disaster incidents or unusual conditions encountered along the way.
That is a meaningful change from simply seeing construction underway or hearing that residents have crossed a river. The September 9 document supplies the administrative confirmation that was missing from earlier recovery reports, while retaining a caution that should stay attached to any advice about returning to the route.
For a booked traveler, the next conversation with an outfitter can now be about the revised walking route and departure arrangements, rather than an indefinite suspension alone. It would still be premature to assume that every previously advertised daily stage, accommodation stop or transfer has reverted to its original itinerary without checking the actual booking.
A Temporary Crossing Restores a Missing Trail Connection
Tourism Times reported on September 9 that local residents had built an alternative trail and wooden bridge at Therang Khola, restoring pedestrian access towards Samagaon and Larkya Pass. The report identifies the lost Suksam suspension bridge as the connection whose destruction had interrupted this section of the Manaslu trekking trail.
According to the report, Chumnubri Rural Municipality credited Ward No. 4 Chair Pema Gyalpo Lama’s leadership, the Manaslu Conservation Area Project office and local residents for the work. It also reported that the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal had announced the reopening through the locally constructed alternative trail and bridges.
The distinction between restored access and replacement infrastructure matters here: the independent account describes a wooden crossing and alternative route, not the reconstruction of the original suspension bridge to its former specification. Travelers should have their guide explain the actual crossing they will use and any changes to that day’s walking plan before setting out.
Why Some Manaslu Updates Still Say Closed
The September 6 suspension was real, and articles reporting it were describing the situation at that time. Tourism Times’ original report said the flood struck near Namrung early that morning, damaged two bridges and prompted the district administration to ask people preparing for, or already undertaking, the Manaslu and Larkya Pass journeys to stop.
The information changed as local recovery progressed, which is why a search result can now show a closure beside a reopening without either headline explaining the full sequence. Check the date and the underlying notice, then use the September 9 administrative instruction for this reopening decision rather than relying on when a search engine last visited an older page.
One example is Nepal Now’s Manaslu and Tsum Valley advisory, which displayed a September 9 recovery update while retaining its September 6 advice to defer trekking. Its recovery text described work on a temporary crossing and local expectations that it could be ready within days; the later district notice provides firmer evidence than that earlier expectation.
Manaslu Reopening Does Not Clear Tsum Valley or Rasuwa
The original reporting also described a separate landslide affecting the Tsum Valley trail around Chaurikharka, alongside the bridge damage affecting Manaslu. The September 9 Gorkha notice reviewed for this story names the Manaslu and Larke Pass trail interruption, so it should not be expanded into a claim that every section of a combined Manaslu and Tsum itinerary has reopened.
If your booking includes Tsum Valley, ask for a separate status check on that branch instead of accepting a general message that Manaslu is operating again. Likewise, travelers combining a trek with an overland border journey need to assess that journey independently: a restored pedestrian crossing near Namrung does not establish the condition of another district’s roads or border facilities.
The new crossing is also not an invitation to treat the recovery site as a sightseeing stop. Tourism Times reports a specific caution about photographs and selfies around the newly accessible waterfall and bridge area, a useful reminder that access has been restored through a recently damaged section rather than an unchanged stretch of trail.
| Your situation | What changes now |
|---|---|
| Your Manaslu departure was paused after September 6. | Ask the operator to reassess it using Gorkha’s September 9 reopening notice and the alternative crossing. |
| You are already on the affected route. | Confirm the currently used trail with your guide and follow the notice’s safety precautions before moving through Namrung. |
| Your itinerary includes Tsum Valley. | Get a separate check of that trail; the Manaslu reopening is not proof that its landslide interruption has cleared. |
| You also plan travel through the Rasuwa border corridor. | Assess that separate journey against its own current advisory, not the Manaslu recovery notice. |
September 6 was the suspension point. Flood damage removed essential crossings and triggered an official instruction not to trek on the affected routes.
September 9 is the reopening update. Gorkha now permits trekking with precautions, while independent reporting identifies the alternative trail and wooden crossing behind the recovery.
Before your departure, confirm the revised itinerary. The notices reviewed do not specify a guaranteed walking time across the replacement section, a permanent bridge completion date or terms for restarting an individual canceled booking.
Is the Manaslu trek open after the September flood?
Yes, Gorkha’s District Administration Office issued a September 9 notice allowing trekking to resume with necessary safety precautions after repairs. Tourism Times separately reports restored pedestrian access using an alternative trail and wooden bridge near Namrung.
Is the original suspension bridge fully rebuilt?
The independent reopening report describes a temporary wooden bridge and alternative trail, not a rebuilt original suspension bridge. Confirm the crossing arrangement with your operator rather than assuming the route has returned to its previous physical layout.
Does the reopening include Larkya Pass?
The official notice refers to the Manaslu and Larke Pass routes, and the independent report describes restored access towards Samagaon and Larkya Pass. That permission still comes with safety precautions and does not guarantee weather or conditions at every point on the journey.
Can I assume my Tsum Valley extension is open too?
No, the earlier Tsum Valley landslide was a separately reported interruption. Check that part of the itinerary directly with your trekking operator rather than extending the Manaslu bridge reopening to a different affected trail.
