Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 5: Shyala to Samagaun

I Continue From Here: Manaslu Circuit Trek - Day 4: Namrung to Shyala

Day 5: Shyala (3575m /11,730ft ) to Pungyen Gompa (4040m/13250ft) and to Samagaun (3.530m/11,581ft) - 15km (12 +3)/ 6H(5+1)

11 May 2026

I woke up at 5 AM and headed to the terrace to watch the sunrise. The view was spectacular. During the golden hour, the first rays of sunlight slowly illuminated the summit of Mt. Manaslu. 

To sit quietly before a mountain as the rising sun bathes it in a golden glow is an incomparable experience. Yet what matters even more in that moment is silence. For a while, we should stop speaking—not just aloud, but within our minds as well—and simply observe nature as it is, fully present in the moment.

By 6 AM, we were at the breakfast table, and by 7 AM, we were on the trail to Pungyen Gompa (4,040 m / 13,250 ft). After walking nearly 72 kilometres over four days, it was a welcome relief to hike without a heavy backpack. My body truly deserved the chance to recover.

The walk was pleasant. We crossed fields where villagers were at work and meadows where mules and yaks grazed peacefully. After passing through a stretch of forest, we reached a beautiful viewpoint. Snow-capped mountains surrounded us in every direction.

After spending some time taking photographs and filming videos, we continued our journey. Beautiful yellow and violet flowers bloomed along the trail. The scenery was so captivating that I wanted to walk as slowly as possible, lingering a little longer to absorb the beauty of the place.

Pungyen Gompa is a 400-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monastery perched amidst a dramatic mountain landscape.

The view from the monastery was breathtaking—a 360-degree panorama of snow-capped peaks, with Mt. Manaslu dominating the horizon beneath a clear blue sky.

Ward and Gilou were ardent fans of blue M&M's. M&M's Crispy—with its puffed rice centre coated in milk chocolate and wrapped in a colourful candy shell—was their snack of choice throughout the trek. They came up with the amusing idea of having each of us promote it in our mother tongue: Nepali, Flemish, French, Italian, and Kannada.

We relaxed there for a while, and I shared some Indian energy bars—chikkis—with the group. Gilou, Ward, and I even managed to play a game of pétanque before KP shouted, “Yalla!” It was time to head back.

On our way back, we spotted more mountain goats grazing on the slopes.

We reached the guest house at around 1 PM. I had washed some clothes the previous evening, and under the scorching afternoon sun they had dried completely. After lunch, we began our walk to Samagaun. It was a short trek of less than an hour, mostly flat and easy.

At Samagaun, I bought a pair of sunglasses, without which walking in the snow the next day would have been nearly impossible. Our second acclimatisation hike was optional, and our guide left the decision to us. He warned us that the trail to Manaslu Base Camp would be covered in snow and that proper gear would be essential. Despite the warning, everyone except Antonio decided to attempt the hike.

We spent some time exploring Samagaun, the largest village along the Manaslu Circuit. To my surprise, there was even a pool hall where local youngsters were busy playing snooker.

Ward had come prepared with a few interesting games. Naruto Uno was a fun variation of the classic card game, complete with a few unexpected twists. Another dice game called Encore quickly became my personal favourite. As usual, after dinner, we gathered in the common dining area and spent the evening playing games together.

To Be Continued...