Lumba Sumba Pass Trek - 18 Days

Eastern Nepal · 18 Days

Lumba Sumba Pass Trek - 18 Days

· Strenuous · Max altitude 5,160m (16,929 ft) at Lumba Sumba Pass · Max group 2-12 people

Duration

18 Days

Max Altitude

5,160m (16,929 ft)

at Lumba Sumba Pass

Grade

Strenuous

Lodging

Tented camping (full crew) + Kathmandu hotel

Overview

The Lumba Sumba Pass Trek is one of the great wilderness connectors of eastern Nepal - an 18-day camping expedition that links the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area with the Makalu Barun National Park via the 5,160m Lumba Sumba pass. It is part of the Great Himalayan Trail and one of the least-walked sections of it; full crew, full camping, no teahouses for most of the route.

The trek starts in the upper Tamur valley above Taplejung, climbs through Olangchung Gola and the Walung trading villages, crosses Lumba Sumba into the Arun watershed, then descends past Thudam and Chyamtang to Hatiya and out to Tumlingtar. You walk through two restricted areas, two national-park-grade ecosystems, and three distinct cultural zones (Limbu, Walung-Bhote and Lhomi) in a single trip. Snow leopard and red panda habitat both sides of the pass.

Highlights

  • Cross the Lumba Sumba Pass (5,160m) - the watershed between Kanchenjunga and Makalu
  • Visit the 400-year-old Diki Chhyoling gompa in Olangchung Gola (3,208m)
  • Walk one of the most remote sections of the Great Himalayan Trail
  • See both Kanchenjunga (8,586m) and Makalu (8,463m) from the pass viewpoint
  • Pass through Lhomi villages (Thudam, Chyamtang) - one of Nepal's smaller ethnic communities
  • Traverse two restricted areas (Kanchenjunga and Makalu) in a single trek
  • Camp in genuine wilderness for 14 nights - no road access for most of the route
  • Wildlife: snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan tahr habitat
  • Tea-garden entry via Ilam, Arun valley exit via Tumlingtar
  • Full camping crew - guide, cook, porters - and all permits handled

Itinerary

Day 1

Kathmandu, fly to Bhadrapur, drive to Ilam

⏱ Flight + 3 hour drive 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning flight east, drive into the tea hills, overnight in Ilam.

Day 2

Drive Ilam to Taplejung

⏱ Long road day 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Up into the eastern hills to the trek's road head town. Overnight hotel.

Day 3

Taplejung to Rani Pul, trek to Lelep (1,860m)

⏱ Jeep + 4-5 hour trek 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive to the trailhead, walk into the Tamur valley to the camp at Lelep.

Day 4

Lelep to Illa Danda (2,051m)

⏱ 7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climb through farmland and forest.

Day 5

Illa Danda to Selep Kharka (2,525m)

⏱ 6-7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue up the valley through mixed forest.

Day 6

Selep Kharka to Olangchung Gola (3,208m)

⏱ 7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Reach the historic Walung trading village.

Day 7

Acclimatisation day at Olangchung Gola

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit the gompa, walk the village, short climb for the climb-high-sleep-low effect.

Day 8

Olangchung Gola to Upper Langmale (3,893m)

⏱ 7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climb through pine and juniper into the alpine zone.

Day 9

Upper Langmale to Lumba Sumba Pass Camp (4,748m)

⏱ 6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Exposed high camp below the pass. Early night.

Day 10

Cross Lumba Sumba Pass (5,160m), descend to Chauri Kharka (4,598m)

⏱ 10 hours ▲ 5,160m 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The trek's biggest day. Pre-dawn start, slow climb to the pass, panoramic Kanchenjunga and Makalu views, long descent into the Arun watershed.

Day 11

Chauri Kharka to Thudam (3,500m)

⏱ 7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Descend to the first Lhomi village.

Day 12

Thudam to Kharka (2,877m)

⏱ 6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue down the valley.

Day 13

Kharka to Chyamtang (2,229m)

⏱ 6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Past the second Lhomi village.

Day 14

Chyamtang to Hatiya (1,595m)

⏱ 6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The valley widens, sub-tropical vegetation returns.

Day 15

Hatiya to Gola (1,128m)

⏱ 6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lower hill country.

Day 16

Gola to Hedangna Gadi (1,179m)

⏱ 7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Through villages and farmland.

Day 17

Hedangna Gadi to Num, drive to Tumlingtar (1,020m)

⏱ 6 hours trek + drive 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Final walk to the road head and jeep to Tumlingtar.

Day 18

Fly Tumlingtar to Kathmandu, departure

⏱ 50-min flight 🍽 Breakfast

Morning flight back to Kathmandu, transfer for international departure.

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What's included

Included

  • Kathmandu-Bhadrapur and Tumlingtar-Kathmandu flights
  • Private jeep transfers Bhadrapur-Ilam-Taplejung and Tumlingtar
  • 2 nights' Kathmandu accommodation (3-star, BB plan)
  • Full camping setup - sleeping tents, kitchen, dining, toilet, shower tents
  • All meals, snacks and hot drinks during the trek
  • Government-licensed English-speaking guide
  • Cook and assistant cooks
  • Sufficient porters for camp gear and personal duffels
  • Crew insurance and meals
  • Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit
  • Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) permit
  • Makalu Restricted Area Permit
  • Makalu Barun National Park entry permit
  • HHT company sleeping bag and duffel
  • Group first-aid kit and oximeter
  • All applicable government taxes

Not included

  • Nepal entry visa
  • International flights
  • Mandatory travel insurance covering trekking to 5,500m with helicopter rescue
  • Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
  • Personal trekking equipment
  • Bottled drinks and alcohol
  • Phone and internet
  • Tips for crew and drivers
  • Costs from weather or flight delays

Trek guide

The Great Himalayan Trail

The GHT is a notional 1,700-km traverse of the Nepali Himalaya from east to west. The Lumba Sumba section is the connector between the Kanchenjunga eastern terminus and the Makalu Barun region. Very few trekkers walk the GHT end-to-end, but the Lumba Sumba section in isolation is a self-contained 18-day expedition.

Lumba Sumba Pass

The pass sits on the watershed between the Tamur (east) and Arun (west) river systems. At 5,160m it is just below the snowline threshold for autumn but routinely snowed in by late November. The pass day is one of the longest of the trek - typically 10 hours from camp to camp.

Two Restricted Areas

The route crosses both the Kanchenjunga and Makalu restricted-area zones. Both require permits, mandatory licensed guide and a minimum group of 2. We process all four permits (two area permits, two conservation/national park) in Kathmandu before you arrive.

Lhomi Villages

The Lhomi are a small Tibetan-related ethnic group inhabiting the upper Arun valley villages of Thudam, Chyamtang and Hatiya. Their language and Buddhist tradition closely mirror those of the Walung on the Kanchenjunga side - the same trade-route culture, split by the pass.

Climate Zones

  • Days 1-3: Sub-tropical Terai and lower hill. Tea gardens, cardamom.
  • Days 4-7: Temperate hill forest. Oak, rhododendron.
  • Days 8-11: Alpine and glacial. Pass camp at 4,748m.
  • Days 12-17: Reverse sequence through Arun valley back to sub-tropical Tumlingtar.

Acclimatisation

Built-in rest day at Olangchung Gola (3,208m) and a steady climb through Upper Langmale (3,893m) and pass camp (4,748m). The pass day is the highest point and the longest. The descent into the Arun is rapid, so altitude is not a problem after Day 11.

Best Season

  • Spring (April-May): Pre-monsoon, warmer
  • Autumn (late September-mid November): Coldest but driest and clearest

We do not run this trek in monsoon (June-September) or deep winter. The pass window is short.

Fitness

Strenuous. The trek is graded Level 4 - the highest non-mountaineering category. Full camping for 14 nights, a 10-hour pass day, real altitude. Prior multi-week Himalayan trekking and 4,500m+ experience strongly required. 5 months of dedicated training before departure.

Packing list

Clothing: Down jacket -15C, fleece mid-layer, waterproof shell, soft-shell trousers, 3 trekking shirts, 2 trousers, base layers, 6 pairs hiking socks, beanie, sun hat, buff, insulated and liner gloves

Footwear: Waterproof high-ankle trekking boots, gaiters, camp shoes, possibly micro-spikes for pass day

Accessories: 40L daypack, 65L porter duffel, -20C sleeping bag, trekking poles, headlamp + spare batteries, polarised sunglasses, 2L water capacity, water purification, power bank, adapter

Documents: Passport with Nepal visa, insurance certificate, 4 passport photos

Medical: Diamox 250mg, painkillers, antihistamines, antibiotics (per doctor), blister care, SPF 50+ sunscreen, lip balm, rehydration salts

Frequently asked questions

How hard is this trek?
Very hard. Graded Level 4 - the highest non-technical category. 14 nights of camping, a 10-hour pass day at 5,160m, and remote terrain. Prior multi-week Himalayan trekking experience essential.

Why two flights?
Bhadrapur is the closest airport to the Taplejung start; Tumlingtar is the closest to the Hatiya finish. Reversing the trek would require driving the same long road twice. Two flights keep it logistically clean.

Is solo trekking allowed?
No. Both Kanchenjunga and Makalu are restricted areas - minimum group of 2, mandatory licensed guide. We arrange both permits and pair solo travellers where possible.

How many permits?
Four. Kanchenjunga restricted-area, Kanchenjunga conservation area, Makalu restricted-area, Makalu Barun national park. We process all in Kathmandu.

Is camping comfortable?
Comfortable for an expedition. Four-season tents, insulated mats, kitchen with hot meals, toilet and shower tents. Not glamping.

How cold does it get?
-10 to -20C at pass camp in autumn. A -20C sleeping bag is essential.

Mobile signal or Wi-Fi?
Very limited - Olangchung Gola, Ghunsa-area lodges, Tumlingtar only. None on the pass days.

Can the pass be closed?
Yes, by snow. Early or late in the season the pass can be impassable. We monitor conditions and may reverse or shorten the route in extreme weather.

How does this compare to Sherpani Col?
Sherpani Col (23 days) is harder still - includes three glaciated passes above 5,800m and requires technical equipment. Lumba Sumba is a trekker's pass; Sherpani is a mini-expedition.

Best season?
Late April-mid May for spring, mid October-early November for autumn. Both windows are short.

Still have questions? Talk to a guide →

Why book this with us

Senior local guides. Small groups. Honest pricing.

  • Departures led by a guide who grew up in the region.
  • Max 8 trekkers per group — no convoys.
  • 100% Nepali-owned. Profit stays in the valleys.
  • Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure.
  • Permits, internal flights and TIMS handled by us.
  • 24/7 in-country support during your trek.

From $2850

per person

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