Upper Mustang Valley Trek

Upon arrival in Kathmandu. Our airport representative will be waiting outside the airport terminal a few metres from the exit door. Please check your name at play card. He will bring you to hotel in kathmandu. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes

Free day in kathmandu or sightseeing yourself. Kathmandu Valley includes several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Pashupatinath (famous Hindu temple and cremation ground) Boudhanath (massive Buddhist stupa). You can also visit Swyambhunath, also known as Monkey Temple, which was built roughly 2000 years ago. Finally, you can visit Patan, city of fine arts. In the afternoon, you will be meeting with your trekking guide and will check all the necessary things. Overnight stay at the hotel.

The bus journey will take approx 7 hours but by air it takes only 35minates.Pokhara is set in a lovely valley at the foot of the Machapuchare so you get spectacular views of the mountains from all parts of the town. It is quite different from Kathmandu, with few temples, but it does have plenty of scenic attractions and is close to the mountains. There are some interesting short walks or bicycle rides from Pokhara, you can swim and canoe on Lake Phewa or just watch the last rays of the sun stream across the dip in the mountains that hold the lake. Along the lakeside road there is a continuous stretch of small hotels, restaurants and shops; it’s an area which still has a bit of the old hippy scene feel about it.

(Flight time: approx 25 mins; trekking approx 3 hours) Weather permitting the flight from Pokhara to Jomsom leaves early in the morning and is perhaps the most exciting flight in Nepal. There are fantastic views as we fly up the Kali Ghandaki Gorge, flanked on either side by the Himalayan giants of Annapurna 1 (8091m) and Dhaulagiri (8167m). Our trekking crew will already be in Jomosom (2715m), awaiting our arrival. We begin the trek from the airport on the west bank of the KaliGhandaki River before quickly crossing to the east bank and into the main part of Jomsom. The walking is easy as we follow the Kali Ghandaki through barren, windswept trans-Himalayan scenery. This is our first day at altitude so a relaxed pace is recommended. After just over two hours we reach the few houses of Eklabhatti, where the main trail ascends to Muktinath (3880m).We bear left and continue up the valley to the small village of Kagbeni, which marks the beginning of the restricted zone.

(Trekking: approx 6 hours) There are five villages in this immediate area linked by ethnic ties - Chele, Gyakar, Chuksang, Tangbe and Tetang. They are related to the people of the Manang Valley rather than those from Jomsom and Kagbeni or Lo Manthang. It is a tough existence for people in this area - arable land is limited and trading is necessary to supplement any income made from the soil. The morning walk follows the riverbed before crossing the Kali Ghandaki on a steel suspension bridge close to the place where the river passes under a huge block of red sandstone. From here there is a steep ascent to the village of Chele, where we take lunch close to barley fields and nearby willow trees. In the afternoon we climb again to a cairn at 3130 metres. Here we witness views of the village of Gyakar, lying across an impressive canyon where a patchwork of green fields gives a dash of colour to the barren terrain. The trail which is narrow in places continues to ascend to a pass at 3550 metres. To the south great views of the Himalayan peaks can be enjoyed including Nilgiri and Tilicho peaks. From the pass it is a short descent to the village of Samar and our camp close to a willow grove and irrigation channels.

(Trekking: approx 4 hours) From the village we descend steeply past a red, black, yellow and white chorten nearly 60 metres into a deep ravine before inevitably climbing out and descending again into another canyon. We then ascend and continue our climb through an area of shrub juniper. It takes nearly two hours to reach a small ridge at 3750 metres after which a short descent leads to a couple of tea houses at Shangmochen and a welcome break. We ascend again to reach another pass at 3770 metres, where we enter a huge east-west valley. Here we bear to the right and drop down to Gheling, where we make camp close to the extensive barley fields. It is a long morning’s walk, but we have kept the afternoon free to assist with our acclimatisation.

(Trekking: approx 7 hours) We begin the morning by ascending gently through the fields up the valley, passing below the settlement of Tamagang and a large chorten. We rejoin the main trail and begin another steep climb to the head of the valley to Nyi La (3930m). We are now at the border of Mustang and descend gradually for half an hour to meet a trail junction. The right fork heads to Charang and our track bears to the left towards Ghami (3250m) where we take lunch. In the afternoon the track crosses a river gully before ascending to a plateau and mani wall where we head east, climbing above the village of Tramar to a ridge at 3770 metres. From here it is a gradual descent to Tsarang, a large and fertile village populated by people form Mustang - the Lobas. The village has a magnificent monastery.

(Trekking: approx 5 hours) After spending part of the morning exploring Tsarang, we descend from the village into the Tsarang River canyon before ascending a stony trail heading north, with fine views behind us of the Nilgiri, Tilicho and Annapurnaranges to the south. The trail passes an isolated chorten and spectacular caves etched into the surrounding cliffs, before reaching a ridge at 3850 metres for our first views of Lo Manthang and the spectacular scenery of the Mustang Khola and the snow-capped peak of Mansail in the west. From the ridge we descend to a small river and climb briefly to enter the fabled walled city from the north-eastern corner.

(Exploration day) The ’city’ contains around 150 houses and four monasteries, one of which is reported to date back to the 15th century. Inside the temples we are able to view many Buddha images and religious paintings. Photography is sometimes not permitted and you should beware of the fierce Tibetan mastiff dogs that guard the monasteries. The city itself has declined since the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Prior to this, Lo Manthang was a centre for the old salt and wool trade and at one time was a prosperous city. The dominant building in the centre of the city is the King’s Palace. The Royal Family are descendants of an aristocratic family from Lhasa in Tibet and today, though their duties are largely ceremonial, the King is a well-respected horseman and breeder of Lhasa apso dogs. After exploring the city in the morning we may take an optional walk towards Chosar in the afternoon.

(Trekking: approx 5 hours) From the monastery there are views of the two neighbouring villages of Marang and Charang. We begin the day with a climb to a pass marked with a cairn at 4100 metres. The trail then passes through alpine meadows before twisting down a red and purple eroded gully to the village of Tanmar. We pass through lush fields that are a stark contrast to the surrounding barren terrain and climb a further ridge that precedes a short descent to the village of Ghami (3440m). The village has a monastery but is off limits to tourists following the theft of religious artefacts some years before. We move beyond the village and make camp further up the trail en route to the Nyi La (Nyi Pass).

(Trekking: approx 5-6 hours) From the camp we ascend to a ridge marked by a cairn and then continue to climb until we meet the trail that comes from Tsarang. We head to a pass and then descend steeply into Gheling Valley, where we rejoin the trail used on our approach. We retrace our steps back to Samar with a final steep climb to the campsite.

(Trekking approx 5-6 hours to kagbeni then drive to Jomsom) We retrace our steps through a barren, almost moon-like landscape dotted with patches of green cultivation. Man-made canals cut across the terrain, irrigating the crops and fruit trees. We lunch at Eklaibhati. Heading south, the wide, windswept valley floor has little fertile land, which means a hard existence for the inhabitants of the Upper Kali Gandaki. After a few hours following the valley downstream we arrive back at Jomsom, a dusty and windswept town where we spend the night in a lodge to await our flight back to Pokhara the following morning.

(Flight time: approx 30 mins) We rise early in the morning for the return flight to Pokhara where we return to the lakeside. After a welcomed shower, we have the rest of the day free to relax or do some exploring. There are various small museums scattered around town including the renowned International Mountain Museum. Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 827m from the sea level and 200km west of Kathmandu valley, the city is known as a center of adventure with several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panaromic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the city has not only become the starting point for most popular trekking and rafting destinations but also a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Pokhara is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet. To this day, mule trains can be seen camped on the outskirts of the town, bringing goods to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya. This is the land of Magars and Gurungs, hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers. The Thakalis, another important ethnic group here, are known for their entrepreneurship.

Both modes of travel- via air and road are available. It takes 25-minute flight through scenic mountain views or 6-7 hours bus tour of 200km long road to make it to Kathmandu. We will return to our hotel where you will enjoy a typical Nepali dish and a cultural show.

We will transport you to the airport. Thanks for trekking with Adventure Himalayan Travels. We look forward to seeing you again!