Last updated: August 30, 2026 — this is a developing situation and figures below will change. Check with us directly before making travel decisions.
On the morning of August 26, 2026, a catastrophic flash flood came down the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibet side of the border into Rasuwa district, causing severe damage across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan, Tanahun, and Nawalparasi. This is one of the most serious disasters Nepal has faced in recent years. As of this morning, Nepal's disaster authority has recorded 734 confirmed deaths and around 2,500 people still listed as missing, with search and rescue operations continuing. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, including the local communities in this valley who are at the center of this tragedy. We're sharing this update for the practical reason our clients need it — to know what it means for current and upcoming trekking plans — not to speak beyond what's actually confirmed.
What's confirmed closed or disrupted
Syabrubesi and Timure, the gateway towns for the Langtang Valley trek, took direct damage, along with the Pasang Lhamu Highway that connects Kathmandu to them through Rasuwa. Vehicle access along this corridor remains suspended while roads and bridges are assessed and repaired. If your itinerary depends on driving through Dhunche, Syabrubesi, or Timure, that plan needs to pause until authorities and our team confirm safe access.
Our current expectation — not yet an official confirmed date — is that the road may resume from the first week of October. Because Syabrubesi itself took direct damage to its lodges and services, we don't expect trekkers to overnight there even once the road reopens. Our current plan is to route the first night either to Thulo Bharkhu or, where road conditions allow, drive straight through to Khangjim, a village on higher ground above Syabrubesi, for the first overnight stay instead. We'll confirm this routing closer to the date once we've had our own guides walk it.
What's confirmed unaffected
Everest and Annapurna region treks are running normally and have not been impacted by this event. Manaslu is similarly unaffected. If you have a trip planned in the coming weeks and would rather not wait on Rasuwa's recovery timeline, all three remain solid, fully open options, and we can help you rebook into one of them.
Gosaikunda: a more nuanced picture
Gosaikunda itself — the lakes and the trail leading up to them — was never in the flood's path and remains fine. What's affected is the standard road access to the trailhead at Dhunche, which runs through the same damaged Rasuwa corridor. There is a verified walking alternative that avoids Rasuwa entirely: the classic route from Kathmandu via Sundarijal, Chisapani, Thadepati, and Ghoptebhir into Gosaikunda, approached through the Helambu hills on a completely different road out of the city. Multiple independent reports confirm this route is currently open and unaffected. We've seen a separate claim online about a route via Dupcheshwor being "officially" opened for this purpose — we haven't been able to verify that with our own guides or any authoritative source yet, so we're not recommending it until we can confirm it firsthand.
If you have an upcoming booking
Please contact our team directly before finalizing any travel toward Rasuwa, Langtang, or Gosaikunda. We're monitoring the situation daily and can give you the most current picture for your specific dates, including rebooking options if your trip falls in a window where we can't yet guarantee safe access. Given how quickly conditions are changing, treat any trekking blog post you read on this — including this one — as a snapshot of the day it was written, not a permanent status.
