Manang spoke to me, through its smiling mountains, rivers and cold air. Its voice followed me relentlessly for almost a decade. Those melting snows and quiet nights of Manang remain fresh in my memory. Two days after I returned to Kathmandu after beating Manang for the second time, heavy snowfall has started above Pisang (3,250 meters). Hundreds of tourists have had to be rescued.

The recently established Mountain Rescue Training School of the Armed Police Force in Humde has made it easier to rescue citizens trapped in snowfall. Although Asoj-Kartik is the ideal season to visit the Himalayan district, the weather is not as patient as it seems due to the effects of climate change.

The journey to Manang begins from Mugling (400 meters), following the 175-kilometer-long Marsyangdi River to its source at an altitude of 5,000 meters. After going north from Dumre Bazaar in Tanahun along the Prithvi Highway and passing through the customs to Paundi, Lamjung district begins and reaches Besi Sahar. In this distance of about 40 kilometers, the vast cultivable fields of Tanahun and Gorkha stretch north-south across the Marsyangdi.

The journey of about 100 kilometers from Besi Sahar to Upper Manang was once very difficult to navigate. Even a decade ago, reaching Manang was an adventure in itself. The road expansion has largely relieved the difficulties of crossing the unpaved roads and rivers, and motorcycles and jeeps have become a relief. Although the adventurous aspect of the journey has decreased, the ease has increased. This time, one could have guessed this when seeing the crowds of vehicles during the Dashain-Tihar holidays.

A decade ago, I had made a very difficult journey from Besisahar, standing on the back of a Bolero jeep, to Timang at midnight via Jagat and Dharapani. After crossing the Myardi River on the border of Lamjung and Manang, the road carved out of a huge rock, about one and a half kilometers long, would terrify anyone. After climbing that steep cliff, the small and beautiful Talgaun beyond Marsyangdi can be easily scanned from the road. The cultivable Timang village (2,750 meters) nestled at the foot of the Lamjung Himal is dominated by the lower-lying Gurung tribe. This is a good place to see the Manaslu Himal.

Chame (2,670 meters), the headquarters of Manang, is located in a narrow gorge. As you pass through the small Chame market and cross the Marsyangdi bridge to the northwest, you will come across a huge apple orchard in the Bhratang plain. Apples are seen growing on small trees on both sides of the road. Manang Agro's apple orchard and wine production encourage tourists to pick and taste them directly from the trees. I had done a similar type of beverage tourism trip to Georgia five years ago, where millions of tourists annually get to see and taste the extensive production of grapes and wine for free.

This apple orchard is connected to a giant, smooth rock foundation in the form of a stadium. Locals also consider this mountain to be the difficult road to heaven or the gateway to heaven. After winding through the rocks, one enters the Manang or Nyesang Valley in an unexpected way. The average altitude of the plain is 3,500 meters, stretching from Pisang in the lower part to the east-west, about 20 kilometers. Despite being a high mountain plateau, the greenery that surrounds the mountains is a specialty of Manang. Hark Gurung has written in his book ‘Maile Dekhko Nepal’ about migrating from Tenggar in Tibet and reaching Manang via Manangwa.

Since their ancestral profession is trade, the Mananges have a history of expanding less towards Tibet and more towards the south. Another source of income is barley, phapar, potatoes in agriculture and herds of buffalo, sheep, horses and cheongsam in animal husbandry. Another identity of Manang is the low population and low productivity throughout Nepal. The Upper Manang region is particularly influenced by the culture, architecture and traditions related to Tibetan Buddhism, while the lower part of the district headquarters, Chame, is dominated by the mixed Buddhist-Hindu Gurung community.

As Manang, which was once an uncharted and difficult route, becomes easier day by day, the number of domestic tourists seems to be increasing. However, it is not pleasant to see foreign hikers forced to walk on the dusty road with their faces covered. The concerned authorities do not seem to have paid attention to this. When most hotels complain that they are charging the same amount of money to their guests as they did in the difficult situation before, it does not seem to have sent a good message to new tourists. When essential goods were transported from Besi to Sahar on horses and mules for a long time, that is definitely not the situation today.

The true form of Manang is seen again after crossing the Marsyangdi bridge, crossing the Pisang forest and winding uphill. On the other side of Marsyangdi, there is a thick green forest of pine, dhupi, thorn juhi, and bhojpatra. Beyond that, the majestic white mountains of Annapurna, Gangapurna, and Nilgiri do not even allow travelers to blink their eyes. Mountains and greenery, rivers, and settlements. Such a beautiful combination is rarely found in the world.

Nowadays, lakes and ponds have been protected in Manang. However, artificiality in the name of protection is human exploitation of natural beauty. Green Lake in Pisang on the other side of Marsyangdi, although small, looks beautiful and peaceful. However, the hotels and concrete structures built on the banks of the lake do not satisfy nature lovers.

The story of Blue Lake, which is found near the slope after passing Humde village and the airport without aircraft, is different. In the flat terrain, the land and water surface look like rice fields with rice fields. Since it is round and surrounded by fields, people are seen driving around in vehicles. Some tourists were even seen swimming. It seems that this is the swimming pool of a star hotel. It is noteworthy that there is no presence of a body protecting the lake/pond anywhere.

After about five minutes of driving, we come across the village of Mungji, which is located on the banks of the Marsyangdi River. Since the road is nearby, there is no question of tourists not being busy here. However, since it is close to Braka village and the main Manang market, most tourists do not stay for long. Nowadays, a new unpaved motorway has been opened from this base to climb the northern hill. At its top is the ancient Sher Gumba, where the Anis have a tradition of staying in the forest for three years, three months, and three weeks without speaking. That is why Mungji below the monastery seems peaceful.

It is not very easy to drive on the very high, winding, and rocky road. That's why most of the travelers are girding their loins and measuring their feet from Braka and Manang. I, on the other hand, took the risk and rode a motorcycle. After climbing about 6 kilometers of difficult dirt road, the road suddenly ends. In remoteness, the alternative is on foot. A steep climb, that too above four thousand meters. From the south in front, the white Annapurna III does not stop accompanying us, until we reach Kharka. A few thin Chhyorten and Lungdar are visible on the waist of Annapurna. According to local Karma Bhai, the famous Milarepa cave is located inside.

After one and a half to two hours of walking, a small lake is found. The reflection of Annapurna in the clear water of the lake and the mountains on all sides. A small hut and herds of grazing Theh (Naur) are visible. It is a very panoramic view beyond imagination.

From above, it is visible that the white Chhyorten is shining on the upper hill about two hundred meters high. At its foot, there is a silent and sweet, beautiful Khicho Himtal (4,620 meters). Which the Khaires named, Ice Lake. Otherwise, it would have received a traditional name like Rara, Fewa, Gosainkunda and Panchpokhari! This lake is the head of Manang. Even though hundreds of travelers are passing by it daily, the beautiful lake nearby is not overlooked, perhaps to preserve its beauty. There is no complaint at all, about the enchanting Khicho Lake.

To the north of the Marsyangdi pass, the three brothers Mungji, Braka and Manang (3,519 meters) seem to live together like a band. Although the religion and culture are the same, these three old settlements have their own identity and existence. The Kagyu monastery on the other side of Braka (according to the locals, it is nine hundred years old) forces the hiker to stop for a while. The difficult geography, complex structure and religious architecture make this monastery very important.

The appearance of the Ganga-filled glacial lake, which sometimes swells and sometimes dries up, is clearly visible from the window. After descending from Manang Bazaar and crossing the Marsyangdi, one reaches this lake with a bang. Nowadays, the lake is not as beautiful as it was a decade ago due to the access of the motorway and the construction of dams. It cannot be said that the existence of the blue Ganga-filled lake and the Ganga-filled mountains smiling at the sky will not be erased tomorrow due to the pressure of such physical structures.

Manang seems like an open museum. There are stone alleys that carry primitiveness, all over the village. Tall wooden gates entering the village and houses made of stone and wood. A troop of Manes everywhere. Author Kumari Lama has explained Manang well in her latest essay-book 'Darju Sanlap'. It seems the same when you look at the world inside the slums. That said, Manang does not lack modern hotels, restaurants, and other facilities. Artificiality is just a veil in front of primitiveness.

The very old Bhojo Gumba (3,650 meters) located on the top of a hill across the river from Manang has its own importance among Buddhists. If you take the recently built wide motorway, you can reach Khangsar directly, while on the northwest road of Manang, there is a small village called Tanki, from where you can cross Thorung La (5,416 meters) and descend to Kagbeni via Muktinath through the lap of Damodar Himal on the Mustang side. I spent 6 days from the foothills of Pokhara to reach Muktinath 35 years ago. Today, you can reach it in a single day by motorway.

After descending from Tanki village, after passing the confluence of Marsyangdi and Jargeng rivers and ascending again, one can easily reach Khangsar (3,760 meters). This is the last point of the Manang Motorway for now. To find the source of Marsyangdi, one has to climb another 19 kilometers north. The trekking route to Tilicho Lake starts from Khangsar, which has about 50 households.

Alternatively, one can reach Tilicho Base Camp via the dense forest path from Upper Pisang via Srikharka. As the tarpaya reaches the Meso, the green bushes start to leave and the empire of rocks begins. Although the form of the 22 ghumti and bhirala pakheras, which are considered difficult, looks like a beautiful sketch from the distant hills, it is very challenging to step on the bare rocks. Due to the limited number of hotels, there may not be a convenient stay at Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 meters). Therefore, hikers must be content with limitations and sharing. The trek from Khangsar to Tilicho base camp is considered very risky.

The highest point in the world, Tilicho Glacier (4,919 meters), is also famous for its natural beauty, where all the moments of the arduous journey are absorbed into the blue water of the lake. This place is a heart-warming place for tourists and a holy place for pilgrims. The interesting thing about this lake is that despite being a glacier, it remains blue and the source and outlet of the water are not visible. Since the mythical legends of Tilicho are related to Tibetan religion, Tilicho is considered very important especially among Tibetan Buddhists.