Langtang Valley Trek in May

Excellent walking conditions on a warm trail. The forest below Lama Hotel is dense and green with the flowers finished, and the open valley above Ghodatabela is at its most pleasant, with grass rather than snow and wildflowers appearing at the higher elevations through the month.

Tserko Ri in May is the most comfortable it gets. No snow, mild air, and an early start that does not involve waiting for the sun. The one caution is timing: be off the top by mid-morning, because a May afternoon at 4,985m with thunder building is not where anyone wants to be.

Leeches appear in the lower forest between Syabrubesi and Lama Hotel in the last week or two of May once the rain sets in. Above about 2,800m they are absent.

The spring crowd thins quickly in the first half of May and the valley returns to its usual quiet. Every lodge is open and running full service, and Kyanjin Gompa has rooms available on arrival. This is the easiest month to trek Langtang without booking anything ahead.

The road stays dry for most of May with the first pre-monsoon rain occasionally causing delays late in the month. Vehicle availability is easy again. Nothing about May access is difficult, though the eight hours remain eight hours.