Nepal Floods 2026: Langtang and Manaslu Trek Access Update

A glacier collapse on Langtang Lirung sent a catastrophic flood down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers on 26 August 2026, and a second, unrelated flood hit Gorkha district on 6 September 2026 near Namrung on the Manaslu Circuit. Together these two events make up one of Nepal's deadliest disasters in decades: more than 1,450 people confirmed dead and over 6,000 still missing in Nepal alone, by the most recent figures from mid-September. Trekking access now looks different in every region. Langtang is disrupted and reachable only by jeep as far as Thulo Syabru. Manaslu reopened on 9 September on a temporary bridge. Annapurna and Everest have run on schedule throughout. Here is what is confirmed region by region, and what we are doing for anyone with a trek booked.

What happened: two floods, five weeks apart

Langtang Lirung, the 7,227-metre peak that gives the Langtang region its name, shed a large section of glacier and rock on 26 August 2026, an event Nepal's disaster authorities now rank among the country's worst. The collapse sent debris and meltwater down the Lhende Khola into the Bhote Koshi and then the Trishuli river system, tearing through Syabrubesi, Timure, Rasuwagadhi, Betrawati, and Mailung in Rasuwa district before the damage spread into Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Chitwan. The US Geological Survey logged the event as a magnitude 5.2 seismic signal produced by the collapse itself rather than a preceding earthquake, and a straightforward glacial lake outburst has since been ruled out as the sole trigger. Gyirong County, across the border in Tibet, took a share of the same debris flow, with China's own death toll from the event standing at 43.

Nepal's disaster authorities had confirmed more than 1,450 deaths by 18 September 2026, with over 6,000 people still listed as missing. Both figures climbed steadily through the search and rescue effort rather than settling in the first days, and they may still move as recovery work continues into autumn. We are treating any number here as an interim count, not a final one, and will update this page as official figures firm up.

Namrung, a village on the Manaslu Circuit trail in Gorkha district, took a separate flash flood on 6 September 2026, unconnected to the August event beyond sharing the same monsoon season. The flood destroyed the main suspension bridge over the Budhi Gandaki along with a second, smaller bridge, four houses, and two micro-hydropower plants near the Therang Khola. The Manaslu Conservation Area Project and local residents rebuilt a temporary wooden crossing and cleared an alternate path within three days, and the Manaslu Circuit and Larkya La reopened on 9 September 2026. Gorkha's provincial government has agreed in principle to fund a permanent replacement bridge, though no construction date has been set yet.

So which regions can you actually trek in right now?

Langtang is open on paper and disrupted in practice. The valley trail above Syabrubesi was not physically destroyed, but the access road from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi was, so the trek now effectively starts and ends at Thulo Syabru, several hours short of the old trailhead and reachable only by 4WD jeep since the through-buses have nowhere left to run. No government agency has published a full reopening date for the Syabrubesi road, and local operators are watching October and November, the core of the autumn season, as the point normal access might return if repair work holds. If you have a Langtang departure in the next month, reconfirm road and lodge conditions two to three weeks out rather than assume the printed itinerary runs unchanged.

Manaslu has reopened, though on a temporary bridge rather than a rebuilt one. The Circuit and Larkya La have been walkable since 9 September 2026, and Namrung's stopgap crossing has held up through several weeks of trekking traffic since. Because that bridge is still a temporary structure, we check current conditions with our guides on the ground before confirming a Manaslu departure, the same way we do for Langtang, even though the route itself is open.

Annapurna and Everest were unaffected by either event. The only disruption either region saw was a short closure on the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara after the August flood, and that cleared within about a day. Routes from the Annapurna Circuit to Everest Base Camp have run on their normal schedules the entire time, and nothing in either disaster changes a booking in these regions.

What we are doing about existing bookings

For clients with a Langtang departure in the coming weeks, we confirm road and lodge conditions in Syabrubesi and Thulo Syabru directly with our guides before locking the itinerary, and we will offer a revised start point, a short delay, or a switch to another region if conditions have not settled by then. Manaslu bookings get the same on-the-ground check given the temporary bridge at Namrung, even though the route is officially open. Annapurna and Everest bookings continue without any change. If you are planning or already booked on the Langtang Valley trek, reach out through our enquiry form and we will confirm current conditions before you fly out.

How many people died in the 2026 Nepal floods?

Nepal's disaster authorities had confirmed more than 1,450 deaths by 18 September 2026, with over 6,000 people still missing. China reported 43 deaths in Gyirong County from the same event. These figures rose through September as search and rescue continued and should be treated as interim rather than final.

Is the Langtang trek open?

The trail itself is intact, but the access road to Syabrubesi is not. Treks now start and end at Thulo Syabru by 4WD jeep, and there is no confirmed date for the Syabrubesi road to reopen. We recommend reconfirming conditions two to three weeks before any Langtang departure through late 2026.

Is the Manaslu Circuit open after the Gorkha flood?

Yes. The Manaslu Circuit and Larkya La reopened on 9 September 2026, three days after a flood destroyed the main bridge at Namrung, once a temporary wooden crossing was built. The bridge is a stopgap rather than a permanent rebuild, so we still check ground conditions before confirming a departure.

Are Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit affected?

No. Neither the August Langtang Lirung flood nor the September Gorkha flood reached the Everest or Annapurna regions. The only disruption was a brief closure of the Prithvi Highway, which cleared within a day, and both regions have operated normally throughout.

What should I do if I have a Nepal trek booked?

If your route runs through Rasuwa or Gorkha, contact your operator before departure and ask for a current, on-the-ground check rather than relying on a general news update. If you are booked on Annapurna or Everest, no action is needed, since neither region has been affected.