बरुण उपत्यका
A glacier-carved valley in Makalu Barun National Park, leading through forest and high pasture to the foot of Makalu.
The Barun valley is the deep, glacier-fed valley of the Barun river, a tributary of the Arun, which runs west to east below Makalu (8,463 m), the fifth-highest mountain in the world. It lies at the heart of Makalu Barun National Park, a 1,500 square km park established in 1992 as the eastern neighbour of Sagarmatha National Park. The park is known for an extreme range of altitude: from the Arun valley at a few hundred metres to the summit of Makalu, it spans forest types from subtropical to alpine within a short distance.
Visitors come mainly on the Makalu Base Camp trek, usually around 18-21 days from Kathmandu. The route climbs from the Arun valley through Rai and Sherpa villages to Tashigaon, the last permanent settlement, then crosses a high ridge at the Shipton La area before dropping into the upper Barun. The upper valley opens into broad grazing pastures such as Yangle Kharka and Langmale, with sheer granite walls and waterfalls on either side, before reaching base camp at Shershon below Makalu's south face.
Compared with Khumbu, the Barun is wild and lightly visited. There are few lodges above Tashigaon, facilities are basic, and the trail is often snowbound on the high ridge outside the main seasons.
The lower villages are home mainly to Rai, Sherpa and other communities, many of them subsistence farmers growing millet, maize and cardamom. Surveys by the Mountain Institute in the 1980s, which began partly as an investigation into yeti reports, documented the valley's biological richness and led to the creation of the park and a community-based conservation project; the surrounding conservation area later became the park's buffer zone in 1999. Local Buddhist communities regard parts of the upper valley as a beyul, a sacred hidden valley in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and the area is linked to Padmasambhava in local legend.
Makalu Base Camp trek
Usually 18-21 days from Kathmandu via Tumlingtar, Tashigaon and the Barun valley, with acclimatisation days.
Wildlife and birdwatching
The park is home to red panda, musk deer and many bird species; forests below Tashigaon and around Khongma are good for birding.
Viewpoints above base camp
Day hikes above Shershon give closer views of Makalu, Baruntse and the Barun glacier.
Forecast for 3,648 m. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
Weather data: MET Norway, licensed CC BY 4.0. A forecast, not a guarantee.
Apr-May, Oct-Nov
Simple teahouses and homestays run on most of the route; above Tashigaon lodges are few and very basic, and some groups camp.
No partner stays are listed here yet. List a property.
Fly or drive to Tumlingtar in the Arun valley, take a jeep to the road head near Num or Seduwa, and walk from there.
Nearest hub: Tumlingtar
Permit required
A Makalu Barun National Park entry permit is required, and a local rural municipality fee may be collected. Check whether a TIMS card is currently required. The route to base camp is not a restricted area, but nearby border areas of Sankhuwasabha are.
Verify before travel: permit rules and fees change. Checked 2026-10-06 against Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
A network of high and mid-hill routes about 1,700 km long that crosses Nepal from Kanchenjunga in the east to Humla and the far west, usually walked in sections, or as a through-trek of about four to five months.
Fly to Tumlingtar, take a jeep to Num or Seduwa, then walk about a week to the upper valley and Makalu Base Camp.
Yes, a Makalu Barun National Park permit is required. The standard base camp route is not a restricted area.
About 4,870 m. The route also crosses a ridge above 4,000 m, so altitude sickness is a real risk.
October to November and April to May. Winter snow often blocks the high ridge and the monsoon is very wet.
National park or conservation area
A remote trekking region below the world's third-highest mountain, with Limbu and Sherpa villages, two base camps and a restricted-area permit.
Valley or region
The Sherpa homeland below Everest, reached on foot from Lukla through stone villages, monasteries and glacial valleys.
Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,346 m
A limestone cave temple in Khotang held sacred by Hindus as Halesi Mahadev, by Buddhists as Maratika, and by the Kirat Rai as an ancestral place.