Nepal Floods 2026: Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna Trek Update

Updated 12 October 2026. On 26 August 2026 a rock and ice avalanche off the Langtang Lirung massif turned into a debris flood down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. On 6 September a separate flood hit Namrung on the Manaslu Circuit. Then, on 26 and 27 September, late monsoon rain blocked the Marsyangdi at Chame and buried Thorong La in snow. Nepal's count stood at about 1,454 dead and more than 5,000 missing by early October. For trekkers the picture now is this. Langtang's access road is still broken. Manaslu is open on a temporary bridge. The Annapurna Circuit reopened in early October with some walking where the road used to be. Everest has run normally throughout.

What happened: three events in five weeks

Langtang Lirung, the 7,227-metre peak above the Langtang valley, shed a huge mass of rock and ice on 26 August 2026. It became a fast debris flow that tore down the Lhende Khola into the Bhote Koshi and the Trishuli, through Syabrubesi, Timure, Rasuwagadhi, Betrawati and Mailung in Rasuwa district, before the damage spread into Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan. Seismographs picked up the collapse as a signal of about magnitude 5.2, and the US Geological Survey later concluded the collapse itself made the signal, with no earthquake behind it. Across the border, Gyirong County in Tibet took part of the same flow, and China reported 43 dead there by mid-September.

The toll in Nepal climbed for weeks as search teams reached cut-off villages. By 4 October at least 1,454 people had been confirmed dead and about 5,300 were still missing, and different official tallies still don't quite agree. Treat every figure here as provisional. Damage to the road network is enormous. The Roads Department has counted 69 kilometres of road and dozens of bridges destroyed or damaged, much of it on the Trishuli corridor to Rasuwagadhi.

On 6 September a flash flood hit Namrung, on the Manaslu Circuit in Gorkha. It took out the main suspension bridge over the Budhi Gandaki, a smaller bridge, four houses and two micro-hydro plants near the Therang Khola. Within three days the Manaslu Conservation Area Project and villagers had built a temporary wooden crossing and cleared a side path, and the Manaslu Circuit and Larkya La reopened on 9 September. Gorkha's provincial government has agreed to pay for a permanent bridge. No start date yet.

The third blow came late. On 26 and 27 September the Ghatte Khola, coming down off Lamjung Himal, dumped mud and boulders into the Marsyangdi at Chame, the district headquarters of Manang. The river backed up, submerged the road bridge in Chame's bazaar and swept away houses on the far bank. Lower down, about 200 metres of the Besisahar to Chame road fell away at Kharkhere Bhir. At the same time heavy snow fell on Thorong La. More than 150 trekkers were turned back, all reported safe, and ACAP closed Thorong La and the Tilicho trail on 30 September.

Which regions can you trek in right now?

Langtang is still badly disrupted. The trail above Syabrubesi survived, but the road from Kathmandu did not. As of early October vehicles still couldn't reach Syabrubesi. A temporary track opened on the Galchhi to Betrawati section on 2 October, with a Bailey bridge expected soon after, and the trek effectively starts and ends at Thulo Syabru by 4WD jeep. There's no official date for the Syabrubesi road. If you're booked on Langtang for late 2026, reconfirm two to three weeks before you fly.

Manaslu is open, on a temporary bridge. The circuit and Larkya La have been walkable since 9 September, and the stopgap crossing at Namrung has held through weeks of trekkers. A landslide above Samagaon on 26 September grounded rescue helicopters for about four days, and flights had resumed by around 28 September. We still check conditions with our guides on the ground before confirming any Manaslu departure.

The Annapurna Circuit is open again, with caveats. The Besisahar to Chame road reopened on 3 October. Above Chame the road to Bhratang is still damaged in places, so for now trekkers walk that stretch, which suits most itineraries anyway. Volunteers organised by the Muktinath hotel association cleared the snow from Thorong La, and trekkers were crossing again by 5 and 6 October. ACAP's closure notice of 30 September may not have been formally withdrawn, so check the latest with your agency before relying on a specific crossing date. The rest of the Annapurna Circuit region, including Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal, wasn't in the flood zone, though landslides can still close mountain roads after heavy rain.

Everest has been unaffected. Lukla flights, the Khumbu trails and the lodges have run as normal. The only knock-on was a short closure of the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara after the August flood, cleared within about a day.

What we are doing about existing bookings

For Langtang departures in the coming weeks, our guides check road and lodge conditions at Syabrubesi and Thulo Syabru before we lock the plan. If things haven't settled, we'll offer a new start point, a short delay or a switch to another region. Manaslu bookings get the same on-the-ground check because of the temporary bridge at Namrung. Annapurna Circuit departures get the same check, covering the Chame road and Thorong La. Everest bookings carry on unchanged. If you're planning or already booked on the Langtang Valley trek, use our enquiry form and we'll confirm current conditions before you fly.

How many people died in the 2026 Nepal floods?

By 4 October 2026, at least 1,454 people had been confirmed dead in Nepal and about 5,300 were still missing. China reported 43 deaths in Gyirong County, Tibet, from the same August event. The figures rose through September and are still provisional.

Is the Langtang trek open?

The trail is intact, but the road to Syabrubesi isn't. Treks start and end at Thulo Syabru by 4WD jeep, and there's no confirmed reopening date for the Syabrubesi road. Reconfirm conditions two to three weeks before any Langtang departure in late 2026.

Is the Manaslu Circuit open after the Gorkha flood?

Yes. The 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. That bridge is a stopgap, so we check conditions on the ground before confirming a departure.

Are Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit affected?

Everest hasn't been affected at all. The Annapurna Circuit was hit in late September, when floods blocked the Marsyangdi at Chame and snow closed Thorong La. The Besisahar to Chame road reopened on 3 October and trekkers were crossing Thorong La again by 6 October, with a short walk where the road above Chame is still damaged.

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

If your route goes through Rasuwa, Gorkha or Manang, ask your operator for a current, on-the-ground check before you travel, not a general news summary. Everest and Annapurna Base Camp bookings need no action.