Trekking in the Makalu Region has a feel of its own, remote but rewarding; now yet nostalgic. The different routes leading to different destinations meander, through the lush green Arun Valley; on the slopes and hilltops; along the edges on sharp hill faces as well as the Arun River and its tributaries; and then enters an uninhabited glacial valley, the Makalu-Barun Valley. As the waterfalls, overflowing from the glaciers above, race down the slopes of steep cliffs in a series of cascades before disappearing in the deep gorges below, the route continues through pastures and over ridges towards the barren foothills of Mount Makalu, fifth on the altitude scale at 8,481 metres, as well as the other peaks in the Mahalangur Himalayas, notably, Chamalang (7,319 metres) and Baruntse (7,129 metres).
Calm during the night, the villages en route swing to life once the darkness gives in to the first rays of the sun, lighting up the entire Manaslu Region. Plants in the terraced fields feel the touch as a farmer seeks to tend to his crops still the old fashioned way; firewood crackle inside many kitchens as the flames and smoke push upwards through earthen stoves; pastures on hills, plateaus, and valleys see cowherds and shepherds, along with their share of livestock, heading their direction; outside a place of faith, some kind and perhaps soothing words leave the mouth of a Lama directed towards the ears of a trusting devotee while the monasteries, the chortens, the cairns, and the prayer flags remain unbiased, stimulating thoughts in all passing by.
The morning changes to late noon then evening. In the process, night falls in Makalu-Barun National Park, the sanctuary rich in wildlife. A white-necked stork rushes towards its long-stick nest on a solitary oak in the middle of an agricultural land; the soaring eagles soon disappear into the crowns of the rhododendrons, oaks and maples; the clouded leopard, the red panda, the Himalayan Tahr, as well as the elusive snow leopard, all reach their resting places either among the evergreen and deciduous broadleaves or the birches, firs, and junipers while the butterflies settle down next to their favourites: the primroses, the orchids, some aromatic herbs or the wildflowers.
Makalu-Barun thus temptsall travellers welcomingly. A trek to the Makalu Base Camp (4,870 metres), also known as the Hillary Base Camp, is certainly an option, and so is the Salpa High Pass Trek .