Upper Mustang Trek
For centuries Mustang or ‘Lo’ situated in the extreme north of the Kaligandaki gorge was a forbidden land forever raising the curiosity of travelers. 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 but most of trekkers trek to upper mustang go to Lo-Manthang and return same route for their easier option.
To arrange Upper mustang trekking need a special permits which is cost USD 500.00 per person for the 10 days and after 10 days per day per person USD 50.00.
To obtain Mustang special permit you should arrange trekking trip through government registered company - Alpine Adventure Club treks & Expedition is well established company who have fully authorized from Nepal government to operates all kind of adventures trekking trip in Himalayas so feel free to ask for any information regarding the Upper Mustang trekking.
TRIP ITINERARY:
Option 01 : Upper Mustang - Lo-Manthang Trekking (Fly in Fly Out)
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Sightseeing around Kathmandu
Day 03: Kathmandu drive to Pokhara (820m.)
Day 04: Pokhara flight to Jomsom & trek to Kagbeni (2800m)
Day 05: Kagbeni trek to Chele (3000m)
Day 06: Chele to Syangboche (3800m)
Day 07: Syangboche trek to Charang (Tsarang) 3650m.
Day 08: Charang trek to Lo Manthang (3760m)
Day 09: Lo-Manthang Excursion
Day 10: Lo-Manthang trek to Yara (3580m)
Day 11: Yara Visit Lori Gompa
Day 12: Yara trek to Tange (3320m)
Day 13: Tange - Tetang (3100m)
Day 14: Tetang to Muktinath (3800m)
Day 15: Muktinath trek to Jomsom (2700m)
Day 16: Jomsom Flight to Pokhara (820m)
Day 17: Pokhara drive tourist bus to Kathmandu
Day 18: Bhaktapur and Patan Sightseeing
Day 19: Free day in Kathmandu
Day 20: Depart Kathmandu
Option 02: Upper Mustang Trekking (Drive in Fly Out)
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu air port drive to hotel o/n camp
Day 02: Sightseeing around kathamndu o/n camp
Day 03: Kathmandu to Pokhara bus /air o/n camp
Day 04: Pokhara drive to Nayapul then trek Hille o/n camp
Day 05: Hille trek to Ghorepani (poon Hill) o/n camp
Day 06: Ghorepani trek to Tatopani 0/n camp
Day 07: Tatopani trek to Ghasa o/n camp
Day 08: Ghasa trek to Tukuche o/n camp
Day 09: Tukuche trek Kagbeni o/n camp
Day 10: Kagbeni trek to Chele (3000m)
Day 11: Chele to Syangboche (3800m)
Day 12: Syangboche trek to Charang (Tsarang) 3650m.
Day 13: Charang trek to Lo Manthang (3760m)
Day 14: Lo-Manthang Excursion
Day 15: Lo-Manthang trek to Yara (3580m)
Day 16: Yara Visit Lori Gompa
Day 17: Yara trek to Tange (3320m)
Day 18: Tange - Tetang (3100m)
Day 19: Tetang to Muktinath (3800m)
Day 20: Muktinath trek to Jomsom (2700m)
Day 21: Jomsom Flight to Pokhara (820m)
Day 22: Pokhara drive tourist bus to Kathmandu
Day 23: Bhaktapur and Patan Sightseeing
Day 24: Free day in Kathmandu
Day 25: Depart Kathmandu
