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Along Upper Kali Gandaki to Lo
Manthang, the former Kingdom of Lo, aka Mustang
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 Mustang
is an arid district in the upper Kali Gandaki River region
bordering on Tibet, referred to by local inhabitants as Lo.
The capital of Lo is Manthang, a compact settlement of some
two hundred houses, and the inhabitants are called Lopa.
Culturally Mustang is related to Tibet and Tibetan cultural
influence becomes stronger the further one treks north past
Kagbeni, a small village about 3 hours north of Jomsom and
essentially the gateway to Upper Mustang. From Kagbeni
trails branch west toward
Dolpo, east to Muktinath and
Thorong La to Manang, and north to the heart of Mustang.
Historically Mustang was once an
independent kingdom with close ties to Tibet proper,
accessible by low passes. Mustang's former wealth and
prominence came from being on the main trade route to Tibet,
controlling collection of taxes on salt trade. Originally Lopa were in charge and prospered, trading grains from lower
Nepal for salt and wool from Tibet, but already some 200
years ago the monopoly on salt trade was granted by the
Nepalese king to Thakalis, another ethnic group, whose
villages are found two-days walk further south from Jomsom
along the lower Kali Gandaki River valley. With Chinese
takeover of Tibet salt trade came to a halt and even the
Thakalis and their once thriving village of Thukche slid
into an economic decline.
With no trade and severe
winters, most Lopa of Upper Mustang make an annual trek to
warmer climate of Nepal midlands, namely Pokhara and
Kathmandu, and return back to Lo only in the spring to spend
the summer and cultivate wheat, barley, buckwheat and
potatoes.
Mustang is a barren landscape,
a high altitude desert, on account of its geographic
position in the rain shadow of the High Himalayas. The arid,
grey and reddish-brown surface of the landscape is
strikingly eroded, especially in the upper parts of the
valley, where steep vertical walls are studded with
numerous man-made caves that in the past were occupied by
meditating monks and in times of need by villagers alike.
The king of Lo is referred by
Lopa as Lo Pembu. Though today his title is basically
honorary, his family still retains their status of nobility
among the Mustang people.
Maximum elevation of the trek is approximately 4000m or
12,000 feet. Difficulty is medium with some short more
difficult sections. Basically you first trek along the
bottom of the river valley, then ascent couple manageable
passes. All in all the trek is not a difficult one and thus
suitable for any trekker in a reasonable physical shape.
Undeniably the
lure of the trek is the mystique of Lo, the once isolated
Mustang kingdom beyond the principal chain of the high Himalayas.
Trekking season for Mustang is May to October, though ideal
is June to early August, as in late August it starts getting
colder again. The trek is camping only, expedition style
with all support, guide, cook, camp hands, porters, pack
animals all provided. All food and supplies are brought by
air from Kathmandu. The trekking staff are all Sherpas from
Solu-Khumbu, only pack animals and yak drivers are hired
locally.
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Itinerary:
Physically fit
trekkers can accomplish the roundtrip trek from the
traditional trailhead at Jomsom in 9 days. Less fit trekker can complete the
trek from Kagbeni to Lo Manthang and back
to Kagbeni in 12 days. This longer trek allows you to
walk for 5 to 6 hours per day at convenient pace,
having no problem to covering the daily distances and fully
enjoy the scenery and ambiance. Though the landscape
is stunning, the main appeal of the trek is the
cultural connotation of the region, rather than a
purely physical challenge of the Himalayas. If you
prefer to opt for the shorter version of the trek,
we will secure a Mustang trekking permit for only 10
days for you, Kagbeni to Kagbeni, where the permit
is checked. For the longer, 12-day trek we need to
secure a 13-day Mustang trekking permit.
Following is a
day-by-day breakdown of the Mustang 12-day trek
itinerary:
Day 01: Fly or drive
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Day 02: Fly Pokhara to Jomsom (2700m) & trek to
Kagbeni (2800m)
Day 03: Trek Kangbeni to Chuksang
Day 04: Chuksang to Shangboche (3250)
Day 05: Shangboche to Geling (3570m)
Day 06: Geling to Tsarang (3560m)
Day 07: Tsarang to Lo Manthang (3770m)
Day 08: Lomanthang visit Chodhey monastery; meet the
King.
Day 09: Around Lomanthang; to Dokpa
Day 10: Lomanthang to Ghami.
Day 11: Ghami to Summer
Day 12: Summer to Shangboche
Day 13: Shangboche to Chuksang
Day 14: Chuksang to Kagbeni
Day 15: Kagbeni to Jomsom, finish trek
Day 16: Fly Jomsom to Pokhara and on to Kathmandu
Following is a
day-by-day breakdown of the Mustang 9-day trek
itinerary:
Day 01: Fly or drive Kathmandu to Pokhara (30 minutes by flight or 6-hour drive)
Day 02: Fly Pokhara to Jomsom (2700m, 20 minutes by flight) and
trek to Kagbeni (2800m)
Day 03: Kagbeni to Chele (3030m)
Day 04: Chele to Geling (3550m)
Day 05: Geling to Charang (3560m)
Day 06: Charang to Lo Manthang (3770m)
Day 07: Around Lo Mathang
Day 08: Lo Manthang (2-day stay in Lo is
recommended)
Day 09: Lo Manthang to Drakmar (3820m)
Day 10: Drakmar to Shyangmochen
Day 11: Shyangmochen to Chhuksang
Day 12: Chuksang to Kagbeni
Day 13: Kagbeni to Jomsom, finish trek
Day 14: Fly Jomsom to Pokhara and on to Kathmandu
Trek to Mustang does
not have to be an outright trek from Jomsom there
and back experience. Some trekkers favor a more
complete experience of this part of the Nepal
Himalayas.
Other itinerary
options along Kali Gandaki River Valley:
Following find 2
other popular itinerary options that can be
included as part of your Mustang trek.
Neither option shows
any days / nights and program before and after the
trek in Kathmandu itself. We recommend trekkers
include at least 2 nights in Kathmandu to get over
the jet leg upon arrival in Nepal with various
cheap travel
deals awaiting them, as well as to do some
sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley, and add at least
one more night in Kathmandu upon return from the
trek before departing home from Nepal.
In short, the options differ as follows:
Option 1:
Trek to Mustang via
Jarkhot and Muktinath
Fly Kathmandu to Jomsom in the
upper Kali Gandaki region and start the trek from
there. But rather than trekking straight north to
Mustang, we visit villages in some of the side
valleys, especially the area of Tibetan type
villages near the Muktinath temple below Thorong
La. As above, the trek finishes in Jomsom from where
we fly back to Kathmandu. To make the best of this
option add 3 extra days.
Option 2:
Trek to Mustang
from Pokhara via Ghandruk, Poon Hill, Tatopani,
Thukche, Ghasa and Marpha
Fly only to Pokhara and start
trekking from there, a rewarding journey that allows
one to enjoy the settlement areas of a variety of
Nepalese ethnic groups, passing through Chetri and Brahman
villages, Gurung and Magar villages, Thakali,
Baragaunle and Panchgaunle villages. From Mustang
return to Jomsom and fly back to Kathmandu. Option 2
involves a longer trek and requires at least 7 more
days,
but the experience of the scenic Kali Gandaki River Valley
between the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri Himal is truly
stunning. The trek offers also to savor the views of Machapuchare
and Nilgiri, and number of other peaks. Above all
trekking from Pokhara's low elevation of 820m above
sea level and gradually gaining altitude via
Ghandruk (1950m), Poon Hill (3200m), Ghorepani
(2850m), and then descending down to the bottom of
the river valley at Tatopani (1200m), before
ascending up to Ghasa (2020m), Marpha (2680m) to Kagbeni (2800m)
allows one to acclimatize well before
proceeding to higher elevations of Mustang.
Should you be
interested in a tailor-made itinerary along the idea
of Option 1 or 2, contact us.
Following are typical
itinerary inclusions and exclusions.
PRICE INCLUDES
Airport arrival / departure transfers.
Full board Camping Trek, freshly cooked food,
sleeping tent, dining tent, toilet tent, chairs and
tables, expedition guide/sirdar, cook, kitchen help,
porters, staff insurance and equipment for high
passes and snow, pack animals.
Conservation / national park fees.
Domestic airfare flights Katmandu / Pokhara / Jomsom
and Jomsom/ Kathmandu
Accommodation in Pokhara on BB
PRICE EXCLUDES
International flight & KTM departure tax,
Mustang trekking
permit
Accommodations and meals in Kathmandu.
Any expenses of personal nature.
Medical, evacuation and trip cancellation insurance.
Any other cost not included above.
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Private Tours
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| Difficulty
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"moderate"
Taking
part in the above tour you will trek
in altitudes of over 4000m, and thus you should be
familiar with the prevention,
recognition and treatment of
altitude sickness, including
shortness of breath, restlessness,
sleeplessness, and headaches, as
well as all the inherent dangers
arising from travel in high
altitude. To learn more about this
topic, click
here.
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720-220-6998
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Email us and we call you to discuss your Nepal travel
plans!
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