UPPER MUSTANG JOURNEY

On arrival where you will be well received by our staff and guide and then transfer to your respective hotels in the centre of the city in Kathmandu, after checking into your rooms getting refreshed from jet-leg join with other members of Upper Mustang Journey.

Our guide / leader will brief with information about the hotels-including detail of trekking regarding local lodge, walks, view, history and culture with few important do’s and don’ts while you are with us having enjoyable times.

Evening includes a nice dinner in a pleasant Nepalese restaurant with local cultural programs of all parts of the country to enlighten the environment along with your dinner.

A free day to prepare for the upcoming treks to Upper Mustang, morning an optional sightseeing tour at places of great interest, exploring around Kathmandu world heritage sites for few hours and back at hotel, afternoon free for individual activities and preparations for next morning overland journey to reach Nepal Mid-West at Pokhara for Upper Mustang.

Morning after breakfast taking an interesting drive on Nepal main highway that connects with various parts of the country, where drive leads around warmer low areas past farm areas with villages and towns, following Trisuli River for sometime as drive heads further west to reach at beautiful and scenic Pokhara city by its serene Phewa lake for overnight stop.

Pokhara one of the renowned touristic spot in whole Himalaya of warmer climate but with close views of towering and massive Annapurna Himalaya and majestic Machhapuchare Himal known as Fish Tail peak.

Options by air to Pokhara take about 30 minutes of scenic air flight from Kathmandu.

After overnight stop in Pokhara, early morning transfer to Pokhara airport for short scenic flight to reach at Jomsom, a large town as well headquarter and administrative town of whole Mustang area, during air borne close views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalaya range.

On arrival at Jomsom with time around this interesting town which is famous for delicious apples and its products, Jomsom home to Thakali tribe interwoven with Buddhism religion and culture.  After a break here walk heads towards Kali-Gandaki River valley, a good walk of 2-3 hours reaches you at Kagbeni village, where strong influence of Tibetan culture dominates from here onward. Kagbeni is the start and end point of Upper Mustang trekking and route to Tibet border by Karo-la pass.

Kagbeni an interesting village of strong Tibetan influence in culture, traditions and way of daily life, afternoon time to explore this impressive village and to observe the local people and around its old monastery.

From Kagbeni adventure begins taking a drive beyond Kagbeni village, towards uphill on leaving Kali-Gandaki River behind, as drive leads within arid and barren country with occasional stops, heading past small villages as ride progress leading beyond Tangbe, with few hour of good journey brings you at Chusang line up with few trees amidst the red earth surrounding. Chusang lies at the confluence of the Narsang stream and the Kali Gandaki River.

From Chusang / Tsuang, starts our actual walk leads to Tshle or Chele village after crossing a stream through broken canyons and ruin castle walls on the surrounding cliffs, across the river from Chusang are some spectacular red eroded cliffs above the mouths of inaccessible caves.

After crossing the small bridge an uphill walk for an hour brings you at Chele village, where walk gets steeper for an hour up at a ridge above 3,130m, from here great views of Gyagar across a huge canyon.

Trek continues with a slow climb on the windswept terrain till the pass is reached at 3,540 m and then gradual descent leads you at Samar for overnight stop.

Morning walk leads to a short climb above Samar village to a ridge, with downhill heading to a large gorge past a Chorten painted red, black, yellow and white-all the colors are made from local rocks. The journey continues into another valley with juniper trees, after crossing the stream the walk follows uphill path to a ridge at 3,800m, the trail climbs over to another pass, from here the route descends to Shyangbochen, a small settlement with few tea shops at 3,710m. After a good break here, the trek continues to a gentle climb to a pass at 3,770m entering towards a huge valley, from here taking the right downhill path towards our overnight stop at Geling with its large fields of barley on the outskirt of the village.

From Geling, our route climbs gradually unto fields to the centre of a valley, past below Tama Gung settlements walk continues with long climb across to a valley and then cross Nyi La pass 3,950m.

The highest point of the trek as well the southern boundary of Lo. From here a gradual descend for half hour brings to junction; the right path leads direct to Tsarang while the left leads to Ghami village for overnight stop one of the main major of Lo region.

Walk today leads to our major highlight and destination in walled former kingdom at
Lo-Manthang, as morning begins with short descend crossing Charang-Chu River with steep climb to a ridge, then past Tholung valley. The trail diverts north with gentle climb as walk ascends to a large Chorten, which marks the boundary between Ghami and Tsarang with Lo.

Walk follows crossing a stream, reaching a great wide windswept landscape, finally reaching on top of a hill at 3,850 m, offering grand view of walled former kingdom of Lo Mananthang, where short descent brings you to a stream that outlines the walled kingdom and a village, form here a short climb on a plateau that leads you to southern wall of Lo Manthang village.
The only entrance to the village is from the northeast corner, so one has to circuit the wall to the main entrance gate sometimes.

At Lo-Manthang with full day to explore around amazing place, which is a large village about 150 houses plus number of resident for the lamas, the houses are closely packed, and the palace and monasteries are in the bottom portion in this vertical part of the L shaped houses.

The school, health post, police post and several important chhorten are located outside the walls to the north of the gate and east of the monastic part of the city. Despite the apparent squalor of Lo Manthang, the village is prosperous and maintains a strong sense of community.

Although the local call them as Lobas, people from Lo, of strong Tibetan influence and practice similar culture. Before strong trade with Tibet was disrupted, all of the salt and wool trade on the Kali Gandaki passed through Lo Manthang, and this brought a substantial amount of money to this great village town. The Mustang raja’s palace stands an imposing 4 storey building in the centre of the city. It is the home of late Raja, Jigme Parbal Bista, and the rani (queen), who was from the noble family of Lhasa.

After breakfast return journey using the same route for some hours with pleasant walk, where our trail diverts heading east-ward with steep descends leading to a small village of Dhi situated on the bank of the Phuyung Khola.
The trail crosses the small wooden bridge over the Phuyung Khola and climbs steeply to reach the small village of Yara where the Buddhist player flags greets you, explore the incredible erosion landscape on the way to Yara village.

A rest day at Yara to explore around this amazing country where  few hours of walk from Yara village brings to a small settlement of Luri Gompa and explore Luri Gompa and caves of full of Gompas (monastery and shrines).

After an interesting and fascinating time above high country of Upper Mustang and in Luri Gompa with historical and impressive phenomenal monastery, starting morning on a high trail through grass less and barren, arid terrain with just bare red eroded hills weathered by strong winds and snows, and then walk slowly encountering a small ridge top to head downhill to Tangbe village at 3,370 m high, this is a moderate size village of about 30 houses, the houses are closely attached.

On the rooftops piles of dry big logs and woods stored for many years as status, which reflects prosperity of the society which is common traditions in this arid areas of Mustang and in Tibet where woods are very scarce.

Walking on barren wilderness of red earth landscapes in complete ambiance the path is gentle for few hours with views of distant snow capped peaks and the heading downhill and up at Tetang a small village for overnight stop around Yak pasture field.

Walk from Tetang to Muktinath, heading towards Lower Mustang a long day before Jomsom, as the morning begins on a gradual winding trail   where there are several routes to reach at holy Muktinath while other trails leads to  Kagbeni.

Our direction heads north east, past temporary huts and shelters of Yak herders facing super views of Nilgiri’s peaks and Dhaulagiri range, trail winds on the gradual with much wider trail to Muktinath for overnight stop, afternoon visit the holy Muktinath temple and its premises.

Muktinath, a sacred pilgrimage area where people from Nepal and India visits here to offer prayer and to Liberate from bad deeds, as the Mukti means to be free, here natural elements are displayed in miraculous form-flickering blue flames of natural methane gas burn on water, stone and earth an offering said to have been first lighted by Brahma, the Hindu creator, this natural wonder have awed man from the beginning, for Muktinath sanctity goes back into antiquity of 2,300 years ago.

This area is equally holy for Hindu and Buddhist, around Kaligandaki and Muktinath pilgrims search for black shiny fossils called Shaligram (ammonite), found in abundance around this area.

From holy sites of Muktinath with views of Dhaulagiri range, morning where our walks ends with short overland ride to reach at lower area of Mustang, as motorable road has been built where trek is disturbed by movement of vehicles, so taking a drive instead of walking.

Drive leads towards wide Kaligandaki River within its windswept landscapes to reach at large town in Jomsom, headquarter town of Mustang area, which is home of Thakali tribe been on this windswept country for hundreds of years.

Jomsom located on old Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade Route of Nepal to Tibet, which extends towards Upper Mustang over Karo-La pass, Jomsom and Kaligandaki area famous for delicious apples and its product also.

After a great time on high hills of Annapurna, where early morning at Jomsom a short to its airport terminal for scenic smooth flight to land at picturesque Pokhara city for last overnight by its Phewa Lake side. 

With enjoyable time in high both sides of Annapurna Himalaya where morning overland journey takes you on the same route to reach back at Kathmandu, after a wonderful time and experience on Upper Mustang within Nepal Far West with rest of the afternoon free at leisure.

For people with options by air to Kathmandu 30 minutes of scenic flight from Pokhara.

Finally approaching last day in Kathmandu after a great adventure and wonderful experience on Upper Mustang Journey, with your last final day in Nepal where Mount Vision Trek staff and guide transfer you to Kathmandu international airport for your flight home ward bound.