A 27-year-old trekking guide died while receiving treatment at the Provincial Hospital in Jomsom, Mustang, after arriving in Muktinath following a trek across Thorong La Pass on the Annapurna Circuit. The incident was reported on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and police said further investigation was underway to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
The deceased, Lakchandra Kulung, was a resident of Mahakulung Rural Municipality–3 in Solukhumbu district. He had been guiding a French woman tourist through the Annapurna Circuit via Manang and Thorong La Pass before reaching Muktinath in Mustang on Wednesday night.
Guide Found Unconscious at Muktinath Hotel
According to Ishwar Mahat, information officer and police inspector at the District Police Office in Mustang, Kulung had gone to take a shower in the bathroom of a hotel in Muktinath, located in Varagung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality–1. When he did not return for an unusually long period, the hotel owner alerted the Muktinath Area Police Office.
Kulung was subsequently found unconscious inside the bathroom. He was taken to the Provincial Hospital in Jomsom for medical treatment, but died later that night while receiving care. Police have not yet disclosed a confirmed cause of death.
Guide Had Completed Thorong La Pass Trek
Kulung had been working through Himalayan Hub Adventure Pvt. Ltd. and was accompanying a French woman tourist on the Annapurna Circuit. The group had travelled through Manang and crossed Thorong La Pass before arriving in Muktinath, a major religious and tourism destination in Mustang.
Thorong La Pass, at an elevation of approximately 5,416 metres, is one of the highest points on the Annapurna Circuit trekking route. The crossing involves high-altitude conditions and physically demanding terrain, making appropriate preparation and awareness of altitude-related risks important for both trekkers and guides. However, authorities have not confirmed whether altitude or any other trekking-related factor contributed to Kulung’s death.
Police Investigation Underway
Police said an investigation into the incident was ongoing. The circumstances that led to Kulung being found unconscious in the hotel bathroom, as well as the precise cause of his death, had not been confirmed in the report. The incident highlights the demanding conditions faced by trekking professionals who accompany visitors across Nepal’s high-altitude trails.
Guides play an important role in supporting visitors, navigating mountain routes and managing trekking logistics, making their safety and access to timely medical assistance important considerations for the trekking industry. As investigations continue, the cause of Kulung’s death remains subject to official findings.
