Manaslu Flood Update: Open, Snow After Cyclone (31 Oct 2026)

By Manish, Mountain Hike Nepal · Kathmandu · Updated 31 October 2026

Quick answer (31 October 2026): Yes. Both Manaslu routes are open again after the 11 October Budhi Gandaki flood. On 25 October, the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) said trekking has resumed on the Manaslu Circuit and in Tsum Valley. Vehicles reach Machha Khola, and a 10-minute bypass trail avoids a difficult section at Yaru Bagar. TAAN says the Department of Immigration and MCAP have confirmed that permits are being issued. Trekkers have already crossed the repaired lower sections and reached Samagaun and Dharmashala. In Tsum, locals have built four new wooden bridges near the Sardi Khola, reopening the trail to Chhekampar and Mu Gompa. The trail is still partly temporary, so expect rougher walking than in a normal season.

31 October update: rain and snow from Cyclone Arnab

31 October 2026: Manaslu and Tsum are still open. The remains of Cyclone Arnab brought rain and high snow from 29 to 31 October, easing from the afternoon of 31 October. The Department of Immigration paused restricted-area permits and asked trekkers to stay somewhere safe for those three days.

TAAN asked for extra care on the repaired trail at Tatopani, Khorlabesi, Jagat, Sola and Namrung. The Soti bridge on the road to Machha Khola is still not replaced. We have found no report of anyone hurt on the Manaslu route.

What it means for you: Expect fresh snow on Larkya La (5,106m), which usually needs a day or two of clear weather before groups cross. Keep both spare days, and don’t cross until your guide confirms the trail.

What’s Inside This Page

31 October update: rain and snow from Cyclone Arnab
What happened, and when
Recovery progress as of 25 October
Bridges and settlements affected
Missing people, casualties and the rescue response
What caused it (not yet confirmed)
Downstream risk: Benighat, Trishuli, Mugling
What this means for trekking and bookings
Other regions, and our reopening estimate
How this differs from the 6 September Namrung flood
What we don’t know yet
Frequently Asked Questions

What happened, and when

A flash flood hit the Budhi Gandaki river in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, Gorkha district, before dawn on Sunday, 11 October 2026. NDRRMA’s flood forecasting section issued an alert at around 6:40am. Water began coming down from the Chumchet area at around 4am, and residents and trekkers fled after hearing the river rise. The Flood Forecasting Division’s notice put river levels “above the danger level” and said they kept fluctuating through the morning.

Figures in this story have moved a lot since the first day. House counts, missing persons and bridge damage all changed as officials reached the area. We keep the earlier figures below as a record, and mark which numbers are the most current.

Recovery progress as of 25 October

Update, 25 October: Manaslu and Tsum both open (TAAN)

TAAN issued a new trekking safety advisory for the Manaslu region and Tsum Valley on 25 October. It says partial repairs to roads, trails, bridges and teahouses mean trekking has resumed on both routes. Its main points:

Manaslu Circuit: back in full operation for the past few days. Trekkers have crossed the repaired sections from Machha Khola through Khorlabesi, Jagat, Philim and Nyak Phedi, and reached Samagaun and Dharmashala.
Tsum Valley: reopened after community-led repairs. Locals installed four new wooden bridges and restored the trail around the Sardi Khola, reopening the route to Chhekampar and Mu Gompa.
Access: vehicles reach Machha Khola, where the walk to Larkya La and Tsum begins. The 10-minute bypass trail at Yaru Bagar is still in use.
Permits: the Department of Immigration and MCAP have confirmed that the restricted area permit and MCAP permit are open.

TAAN asks trekkers and support teams to walk carefully and check route conditions with locals. It says the information was verified with Nima Lama, chair of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, and Serap Gurung, a local youth leader in Chumnubri. This is the first advisory to say the permit offices are issuing permits again. We have still not seen a separate notice published by MCAP or the Gorkha District Administration Office.

Upper route: Philim to Larkya La reported open

This is the biggest change since our last update. Bhuvan Raj Ojha, information officer at MCAP, told OnlineKhabar on 14 October that the trail from Philim to Larkya La is open and safe. He also said trekkers can reach Samagaun by flying by helicopter to Philim. In practice, that means the upper valley is usable, but only if you skip the damaged lower section by air. It is not a normal reopening, and a helicopter leg adds real cost. Tsum Valley was still suspended at that point.

The Bailey bridge at Arughat

Update, 20 October: The Bailey bridge at Arughat is open. The Nepali Army handed it to the Department of Roads on Monday, 19 October. That was eight days after the flood washed away a 22-metre section of the old bridge on the Gorkha side. It is about 27 metres long and 4.2 metres wide, with a load limit of 25 tonnes, according to OnlineKhabar.

For now, only pedestrians and motorcycles are allowed across. Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal said other vehicles can cross from Wednesday, 21 October, but that is an announcement, not yet confirmed. The bridge reconnects Arughat, Dharche and Chumnubri rural municipalities with the Prithvi Highway. It does nothing for the damage further up the road or on the trail. As of 22 October, we have not seen a report confirming that larger vehicles have started crossing.

Road to Machha Khola

On 12 October, Binod Pun, chief of the Gorkha Road Project, told OnlineKhabar the Arughat–Machhikhola road was buried in flood mud, not washed away. Machines were clearing it at Chheperebhir and Soti. One trekking company reported that buses reached Machhikhola again on 16 October, but we could not find the source it cited. On 19 October, a Nepal Police road bulletin reported by Radio Nepal still listed roads in the Soti area as blocked. That is wards 2 and 3 of Arughat. The Department of Roads said on 11 October that the Soti Khola bridge was completely washed away. We have found no report of it being replaced.

On 22 October, TAAN’s advisory said vehicles can now reach Machha Khola, so the road is open again, at least for the vehicles running on it. Above Machha Khola, the picture is worse. On 13 October, Dharche-3 ward chair Laxman Gurung said of the stretch from Phalambesi to Jagat: “There is not even a path for people to walk, let alone vehicles.”

Tourists caught in the flood

MCAP says everyone who was on the route when the flood hit is safe. Nepal Wire quoted MCAP’s Bhuwan Ojha on 13 October. He counted 87 trekkers in Chum Valley, plus 98 trekkers and 73 guides and porters at the entry point. Most have since walked out or left by air, some on chartered helicopters. Trekkers who had already crossed Philim into Nubri before the flood were able to continue toward Larkya La.

Trail partly reopened on foot (20–22 October)

Update, 20 October: Annapurna Post reported that the Manaslu trail is partly open again, nine days after the flood. Trekkers have started walking through the damaged sections in Arughat, Dharche and Chumnubri. Hotelier Ganesh Karki said 200–300 people walked the trail over two or three days. Some sections now use log ladders and ropes. Mules cannot pass yet, and the riverbed stretch at Jagat is still difficult. Dharche chair Laxman Gurung said mule and vehicle routes will be rebuilt once the Budhi Gandaki drops.

This is a walking route, not a full repair. We have not seen a formal reopening notice from MCAP or the district administration. Earlier MCAP advice not to cross unstable river sections still applies. If you are already in Nepal, go only with a guide who has checked the latest trail conditions. For new bookings, we will confirm the route with our own team on the ground before each departure.

TAAN advisory, 22 October

Update, 22 October: TAAN advisory. The Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal issued a trekking safety advisory for Langtang and Manaslu on 22 October. It says the access road, trail sections, bridges and teahouses damaged by the 11 October flood have been partly restored. Its main points for Manaslu:

The Manaslu Larke Pass trek (over Larkya La) is accessible again, though trekkers should go with caution.
Trekkers can travel by vehicle as far as Machha Khola, then walk on to Jagat, Nyak Phedi and Larkya La.
A 10-minute alternative trail at Yaru Bagar bypasses a severely damaged and difficult section.
Tsum Valley is still closed because of the collapsed cantilever bridge. TAAN expects it to reopen in about a week, with further updates as repairs continue. (Tsum reopened on 25 October; see the update above.)

TAAN is the national trekking agencies’ association, not a government body. MCAP and the Gorkha District Administration Office have still not published their own reopening notices, as far as we have found.

News reports, 23 October

Update, 23 October: The national news agency RSS reported TAAN’s advisory on 22 October, carried by Kantipur, Ratopati and Nagarik. It adds two details. Dharche and Chumnubri rural municipalities repaired the road, trail, bridges and teahouses together, and they are still building the remaining trail sections. Nima Lama, chair of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, said the Tsum trail is expected to reopen within about a week, once the cantilever bridge is repaired. We found no formal MCAP or district notice, no news on the Soti Khola bridge, and no update on the missing herders in Chumchet.

Bridges and settlements affected

Latest count (14 October): Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Shrestha told OnlineKhabar that 10 bridges were swept away. That includes the two permanent motorable bridges, Soti–Manbu and Arughat–Dhading, plus the Bailey bridge at Dobhan–Uhiya and several suspension and cantilever bridges. The Sardibhir cantilever bridge at Lokpa, on the trail into Tsum, is also gone, according to MCAP. Officials reported six bridges in the first two days. The police figure of ten is now the most complete count we have.

Named in multiple sources as swept away

Arughat bridge, linking Gorkha and Dhading districts (motorable) — Ratopati, Kathmandu Post, nepalnews.com, police
Soti bridge, linking wards 2 and 3 of Aarughat Rural Municipality (motorable, steel) — Kathmandu Post, nepalnews.com, police
Old suspension footbridge connecting Nyakchet and Sirdibas, Chumnubri-3 — Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times
Machhakhola–Kerauja suspension footbridge — Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times, Kantipur
Sardibhir cantilever bridge at Lokpa, on the Tsum Valley trail — MCAP via OnlineKhabar and Nepal Wire

Reported lost or damaged, one source only or severity unclear

Dobhan–Uhiya Bailey bridge — named by police (OnlineKhabar, 14 October); earlier reporting described it as the Dharche wards 1–3 Bailey bridge
Nyakchet–Philim Bazar bridge, the Manaslu/Tsum junction — Home Minister Sudan Gurung said it was destroyed; we haven’t seen independent confirmation
Thado Bharyang–Jagat footbridge — nepalnews.com lists it as damaged, not confirmed destroyed
Ghattekhola (Sirdibas)–Philim footbridge — nepalnews.com lists it as damaged, not confirmed destroyed

The practical result has not changed. The Arughat → Soti → Machha Khola → Jagat approach is cut at several points. There is no walkable trail between Jagat and Philim.

Settlements and houses

Latest figures (14 October): The Gorkha DAO reports more than 100 houses completely destroyed, in Salleri, Paiyun, Bagar, Jagat, Machhikhola, Shantibazaar (Arughat) and Soti. National disaster authorities separately count 204 homes damaged in total. That breaks down as 43 in Chumnubri, 39 in Dharche, 64 in Aarughat and 58 in Tripurasundari, Dhading. The two figures measure different things, destroyed versus damaged, so they don’t contradict each other.

Earlier reporting on 11–12 October, citing administrative chief Narayan Prasad Sapkota, estimated 35 to 40 houses lost in Chumnubri alone. The flood took Salleri bazaar entirely, and Jagat and Machha Khola bazaars took serious damage. Floodwaters also swept away a construction camp and equipment at the 341MW Budhi Gandaki hydropower project in Salleri. Villagers in Chumchet are now warning of food shortages, since supplies have to come up by mule.

Missing people, casualties and the rescue response

Latest figures

As of the latest reporting we can find (14 October), five people are still missing. They are herders who were staying at a sheepfold in Ungiling, Chumchet (Chumnubri-6), near the landslide site. No deaths have been confirmed. Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra said search and rescue is continuing. Rescuers have brought out about 400 people in total, using three Nepal Army helicopters. We have found no newer missing-persons figure since 14 October.

How the figures moved (11–14 October)

Reports did not agree in the first two days. Kathmandu Post counted four people missing from a riverside shed in Chumchet, plus four to five herders out of contact between Sirdibas and Chumling. Nepalnews.com, citing the Assistant CDO, gave a round figure of ten. The Associated Press, citing NDRRMA, reported “at least five” on 11 October. By 14 October, official figures had settled on five.

The rescue count also climbed quickly. We first reported six people airlifted from Jagat. The AP then put the total at 49 by Sunday afternoon, and The Himalayan Times reported 47 evacuated by army helicopter. Nepal Wire, citing Nagarik News, reported 314 rescued including 19 foreign nationals by 13 October. The CDO’s figure of about 400 on 14 October is the most recent.

What caused it (not yet confirmed)

Binod Parajuli is a hydrologist with the Flood Forecasting Section of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). He told Kantipur that satellite images show a large landslide near Chumchet, likely from the day before. In his view, it may have dammed a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki, and a sudden release may have triggered the flood. Parajuli was clear that this is preliminary. A Lokpa resident told Kathmandu Post there had been no rain in the area, but that is a local observation, not an official DHM reading. As of 20 October, we have not seen an official confirmed cause.

Downstream risk: Benighat, Trishuli, Mugling

On the day of the flood, the Flood Forecasting Division warned of “extreme high risk” on the Trishuli River. The warning reached as far downstream as Benighat, where the Budhi Gandaki joins it. It urged residents around Mugling, Chitwan and Nawalparasi to stay alert. We have not found a source tying this warning to a Prithvi Highway closure, so we are not claiming one. If you’re driving the Kathmandu–Pokhara road, check current conditions with us before you leave. See our main Nepal travel update for road conditions elsewhere.

What this means for trekking and bookings

Update, 25 October: You can book both the Manaslu Circuit and the Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley again. TAAN’s 25 October advisory says both routes are open and the permit offices are issuing permits. Vehicles reach Machha Khola. We still confirm trail conditions with our guides before each departure, because parts of the route are temporary repairs.

Prepare differently from a normal season. Much of the lower trail between Machha Khola, Jagat and Philim now runs over flood debris, with log ladders, ropes and short detours. Walking days through this stretch can take longer than before. Repairs are still going on, so conditions can change from week to week. Tsum adds four new wooden bridges near the Sardi Khola, built by the community after the flood.

What this means for you: train for longer, rougher days, and bring broken-in boots with ankle support and trekking poles. Keep one or two spare days at the end of your trip in case of delays. Make sure your insurance covers trekking above 5,000m and helicopter evacuation. If you’d rather skip the damaged lower valley, a helicopter to Philim is still possible at extra cost.

We’ll keep updating this page as repairs continue. Message us on WhatsApp for the latest trail report before you book flights.

Other regions, and our reopening estimate

Are Everest, Annapurna or Langtang affected by this flood?

No. This flood is confined to the Budhi Gandaki in Gorkha district. Everest (Khumbu) has no connection to it. Annapurna and Langtang have had their own separate flood problems this season, on different rivers and different dates. Check our Nepal travel update for their current status.

When did Manaslu reopen?

Update, 25 October: Both routes have reopened, faster than our earlier estimate of two to four weeks from the flood. The main circuit was accessible by 22 October, and TAAN confirmed Tsum Valley open on 25 October. Repairs are still going on in places, so expect a rougher trail than in a normal season. Late October and November are still good months to cross Larkya La before winter snow.

How this differs from the 6 September Namrung flood

Manaslu has already had one flood closure and reopening this season, and the two events are worth keeping separate. The Namrung flood on 6 September damaged a single crossing; temporary bridges reopened the route within about three days. By 6 October, jeeps could reach Jagat again and around 200 tourists a day were entering the region. The 11 October flood is different in scale. It damaged the road, several bridges and long stretches of the lower trail at once. Any page or listing still saying “Manaslu is open” without mentioning 11 October is out of date.

What we don’t know yet

Whether MCAP or the Gorkha DAO will publish their own reopening notice. TAAN says both offices confirmed permits are open.
When the Jagat–Philim trail will be fully rebuilt for mules and vehicles.
When a permanent Soti Khola bridge replaces the temporary crossing arrangements.
Whether the five missing herders in Chumchet have been found.
When the Department of Immigration resumes restricted-area permits after the 29–31 October weather pause.
The confirmed cause of the flood; DHM’s landslide-dam explanation is still preliminary.

We’ll update this page as these become clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Manaslu Circuit Trek open right now?

Yes. TAAN’s 25 October advisory says the Manaslu Circuit via Larkya La is back in full operation. Vehicles reach Machha Khola, and trekkers have already walked through to Samagaun and Dharmashala. Expect a rougher trail than before the flood, because some sections are temporary repairs.

Can I still reach Samagaun and Larkya La?

Yes. With the lower trail reopened on foot, you can walk the full circuit to Samagaun and over Larkya La (5,106m) again. MCAP also reports the section from Philim to Larkya La as open. After Cyclone Arnab (29–31 October) there is fresh snow on the pass, so wait for your guide to confirm it before crossing. If you’d rather skip the damaged lower valley, a helicopter to Philim is still possible at extra cost.

Is Tsum Valley open?

Yes. TAAN confirmed on 25 October that the Tsum Valley trek has reopened. Locals built four new wooden bridges and restored the trail around the Sardi Khola, so the route to Chhekampar and Mu Gompa is open again.

Manaslu Circuit Flood Update: Is the Trek Open Right Now?

31 October update: rain and snow from Cyclone Arnab

What’s Inside This Page

What happened, and when

Recovery progress as of 25 October

Update, 25 October: Manaslu and Tsum both open (TAAN)