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Category – Moderately Strenuous) |
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For centuries Mustang or ‘Lo’ situated in the extreme
north of the Kaligandaki gorge was a forbidden land
forever raising the curiosity of travellers. The hardy
people of this Himalayan desert follow Tibetan Buddhism
and are of Tibetan origin having migrated south from the
Tibetan plateau centuries ago. Today, Mustang is one of
the few remaining dominions still ruled by ancestral
Tibetan nobility. The inhabitants of Mustang live in
oasis villages in reddish-brown rock deserts, fighting a
constant bitter wind and farm grains and potatoes in
sheltered plots of land. This hard grind of daily life
in the high Himalayas is interrupted by seasons of
colorful feasts and festivals marked by drinking,
dancing and merry-making. Most festivals are of
religious nature centering on temples and monasteries
with rites presided over by Lamas. The most important
festival is Dyokyabshi, which falls during
October/November.
Unlike tea-house dotted Solu Khumbu which has a fairly
self sufficing infrastructure for travelers through that
area, Mustang as well Dolpo are extremely challenging as
these regions are agriculturally impoverished.
Therefore, to visit these areas it is an absolute must
to carry all food and camping equipment from Kathmandu.
 The
trek begins with a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom
passing through a narrow slice between the tips of two
Himalayan giants: Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Annapurna I
(8,091m). The route heads northward along the banks of
Kali Gandaki gorge which is the deepest in the world
till Kagbeni, a fascinating old citadel where ancient
trails crisscross. The route towards north and beyond is
the forbidden land of Mustang. For the next 10-12 days,
passing through the ancient villages like Samar, Ghiling
and Charang finally leads to Lo (3,750m), the walled
capital city of Mustang. The villages and monasteries
around the capital city like Namgyal gompa, the village
of Thinkar, Garfuk and Nifuk are worth a visit where
people still live in cave dwellings cut into surrounding
cliffs. The return route from Lo can be made more
exciting by passing over Dri and Yara with a day trip to
Luri gompa then finally coming out over Tetang, visiting
the holy temple of Muktinath and then descending to
Jomosom and flying back to Pokhara the following
morning. |
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Day 01:
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Transfer to the airport and fly Pokhara/Jomsom (2,800m)
and trek to Kagbeni. 3 hours. (L,D) |
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Day 02:
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Trek from Kagbeni to Chhuksang (2,950m) 4½ hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 03:
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Trek from Chhuksang to Samar (3,450m) 4 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 04: |
Trek from Samar to Ghiling (3,520m) 5 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 05: |
Trek from Ghiling to Tramar (3,800m) 5 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 06:
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Trek from Tramar to Charang (3,580m) 7 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 07:
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Trek from Charang to Lomanthang (3,750m) 5 hrs walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 08: |
Visit Lomanthang and the nearby Namgyal monastery. (B,L,D)
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Day 09: |
Lomanthang. Excursion to Thinkar village and Chosser
valley. (B,L,D) |
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Day 10: |
Lomanthang. Excursion to
Garfuk and Nifuk. (B,L,D)
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Day 11:
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Trek from Lomanthang to Yara (3,580m) 6 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 12:
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Day trip to Luri Gompa Monastery and cave temples. (B,L,D)
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Day 13:
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Trek from Yara to Tangya (3,320m) 7 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 14:
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Trek from Tangya to Pa 4 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 15: |
Trek from Pa to Tetang (3,050m) 4 hrs. walk. (B,L,D)
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Day 16:
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Trek from Tetang to Muktinath (3,800m) 7 hrs. (B,L,D)
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Day 17:
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Trek from Muktinath to Jomsom. (2,800) (B,L,D)
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Day 18: |
Fly Jomsom/Pokhara. (B) |
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