Ruby Valley Trekking

Overview

Ruby valley is relatively a short, less explored yet very beautiful tourist destination. It lies at the base of Ganesh Himal, in between Langtang National Park and Manaslu Conservation Area. The highest altitude reached in this trek is 3850m, (Pangsang La) from where stunning views of Lamjung Himal, Langtang Lirung, Manaslu, etc are visible. Besides the beautiful view of snow-capped mountains, the trail to Ruby valley is also covered with hundreds of rare flora and faunas. Many endangered animals like musk deer, snow leopard, wild boar, etc are found here. The Ruby Valley is highly populated by Tamang, Chhetri, and Gurung people hence, you also get to experience the amazing hospitality and cultures of these people. Ruby valley got its name after the rare minerals available here like crystals, Zinc, and Ruby. Ruby valley is also home to 3 beautiful and holy lakes named Kalo Kunda, Seto Kunda, and Ganesh Kunda along with a number of monasteries, and temples. The trail to Ruby valley also passes through two amazing waterfalls named Ganga and Jamuna. Basically, the trek to Ruby valley is a combination of nature, diverse culture, and holy sites. 

Best season to trek Ruby valley

The best season to trek ruby valley is in spring (March-May), and autumn (September- November). Considering its bearable temperature, clear sky, greenery, the trails which are in the best condition, views of mountain ranges these seasons are certainly the best seasons. In winter and monsoon, there is quite heavy rainfall and snowfall which may also sometimes block the way to ruby valley. The trails are very slippery and muddy due to heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. 

Food and accommodation 

There are enough teahouses available throughout the way. They are small and provide very basic facilities. They have a small room with twin sharing beds, mattresses, blankets, and pillows. Toilets and bathrooms however have to be shared. They also provide home-cooked healthy food like Dal, Bhat, fresh vegetables, noddle, soup, bread, eggs, pasta, etc. As you reach a higher altitude, the teahouses are very limited.  

 Transportation 

The gateway to Ruby valley is Shyabrubesi to which a bus is available from Kathmandu which takes approx. 8-9 hours drive. Once you reach Shyabrubesi, you need to start trekking to reach Ruby valley. 

Electronics and communication

The teahouses in Ruby valley offer all the necessary facilities like electricity for charging your phones or other electronics. Communication services like telephones or you can just use local SIM cards for the phone coverage. There is also internet available in many teahouses. As you approach higher altitudes, the facilities are still available but might be very limited.

Guides and porters

Ruby valley is a very less explored area with very few numbers of people trekking. It is not likely to meet many people on the way. Without a travel guide to give you the right directions, and information about the places, your trek would be quite difficult. They usually charge 30-35$ per day. Porters carry all your stuff and help you with the burden. They usually charge 25$ per day. 

Permits and fees

1) Langtang National Park

SAARC countries- 1500 NRS (15$), excluding VAT 

NON-SAARC countries- 3000 NRS (30$), excluding VAT

2) Manaslu Conservation Area- 2000NRS (20$)

3) TIMS- 1000NRS (10$)

Difficulties of Ruby valley

The Ruby valley trek is very remote with rugged trails and steep roads. Even though it is relatively short it can be very tiring. Thus, the trek to Ruby valley is considered challenging. You will be trekking for 6-7 hours per day which requires an excellent level of fitness. Physical, as well as mental fitness, is a very important part of this trek. It is important to build muscle, ankle, and knee strength so that you do not have any problems during the journey. Is better to exercise, run, jog, and have healthy food before your journey starts. The highest altitude here is Pangsang la (3850m). There is also a risk of altitude sickness in this trek. Even though you will have opportunities for good acclimatization, there is still a low risk of altitude sickness. 

*Symptoms of Mountain sickness

-Headache

-Dizziness

-Loss of appetite

-Shortness of breath

-Fast heartbeats

*Preventing mountain sickness 

-Walk slow

-Stay hydrated

-Have nutritional food 

-Have enough rest

-Avoid smoking and alcohol 

*Medicines for mountain sickness 

-Acetazolamide 

-Ibuprofen, paracetamol (for headache)

-Promethazine (for nausea) 

Other requirements

Travel insurance– Trekking to high altitudes can always be risky. Travel Insurance is something you might want to do before trekking anywhere. Sometimes in emergency cases, people need to be evacuated through a helicopter and get medical service. So, in such cases, your travel insurance will be bearing the cost for you. Seeing all these benefits, the government of Nepal has made travel insurance mandatory thing before trekking. However, it is very important to mention the heights and all the places you will be reaching during your trek. Your insurance entirely depends on the details you have provided earlier. Travel insurance costs you around 150$ which is good for 1 month.  

Visas/passports– If you are not a Nepalese or Indian citizen, then a visa and a passport are mandatory. You can get your Nepalese Visa at Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu. The passport must hold a visa of a minimum of 6 months.