17 Days/ 16 nights

The fabled, long forbidden Kingdom of Mustang awaits those interested in exploring the high altitude trails and extreme deserts of this remote part of the world. Though part of Nepal, the landscapes and people of Mustang have more in common with Tibet. Lying behind the rain shadow of the Himalaya, the arid mountains and valleys of this once forbidden Kingdom have only been open to trekkers since 1992. Special permits are needed, which makes trekking here more costly, however the rewards are great.

Trekking Itinerary Day Location Day 1 Kathmandu Arrival Day 2 Kathmandu – Pokhara, flight Day 3 Pokhara – Jomsom, flight Jomsom – Kagbeni Day 4 Kagbeni – Chele Day 5 Chele – Eklebhatti Day 6 Eklebhatti – Ghami Day 7 Ghami – Tsarang Day 8 Tsarang – Lo Manthang Day 9 Horse-ride from Lo Manthang Day 10 Lo Manthang excursion Day 11 Lo Manthang – Tsarang Day 12 Tsarang – Tangya Day 13 Tangya – Tetang Day 14 Tetang – Muktinath Day 15 Muktinath – Jomsom Day 16 Jomsom/Pokhara/Kathmandu Day 17 End of Trip

Highlights: 13 days trekking, tent camping 02 nights hotel in Kathmandu 01 night hotel in Pokhara Exploring the Upper Mustang on horseback Return flights Kathmandu/Pokhara/Jomsom A difficult trek because of the high altitude, exposed terrain and continual strong winds. Inside the walled city of Lo Manthang are some of the largest Tibetan Buddhist gompas in Nepal.   Trekking Profile (click to enlarge)

Mustang Trek

The remote Kingdom of Mustang was for years sealed off and out of bounds to foreign trekkers, its desert landscapes and fabled walled city shrouded in the mystery and intrigue that forbidden places inspire. Since 1992, a limited number of visitors have discovered the breathtaking beauty of the region, trekking among its strange eroded canyons and dusty medieval villages, which are steeped in the Tibetan culture of the Lobas people.

Founded in the 15th century, the Kingdom lies on a major trade route running from the Tibetan plateau, through the Kali Gandaki Valley that bisects the Himalayan Range, between the Annapurnas and the Dhaulagiri Massif. We fly past these impressive peaks to land at the airstrip at Jomsom, where the trek begins. We head up the valley, towered over by the icy east wall of 8167m Dhaulagiri and 6879m Tukuche, to the village of Kagbeni, strategically located at the gateway to Mustang. The next days our trail continues along the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki, passing many villages, whose traditional homes are of mud and stone, painted in white and ochre. In spite of the low rainfall, a patchwork of plots cultivated with barley, buckwheat, wheat and apple orchards surrounds many of the settlements. The deeply scored valleys are predominantly in hues of rust and brown, their fluted cliffs lined with inaccessible caves, and as we are now north of the Himalaya, the peaks are lower and more rounded.

Peppering this extraordinary landscape are isolated fortresses, and monasteries and Chortens, their prayer flags fluttering in the wind. Climbing over several passes, we dip down to explore some of the region's remote valleys before arriving at the walled city of Lo Manthang. Mustang's 'capital' is a living museum of about 150 houses lining a labyrinth of narrow alleys, four major temples and the King's Palace. Though the King's role is largely ceremonial, he is much respected by his subjects and is a keen horseman and breeder of the fierce Tibetan mastiffs. We have two days exploring in and around Lo Manthang before returning via the highland route of upper Mustang to rejoin the trail in near Ghami.

Only a handful of foreigners have ever visited this isolated region. It is to be hoped that the limited number of trekkers allowed into Mustang each year will also limit the amount of adverse change to the environment and ancient culture.

Fitness & Experience: Our trek in Mustang mostly follows the ancient trade route that is still used by the mule trains of today. Though the trekking is not especially difficult, the remoteness, dry and dusty nature of the terrain and occasional strong winds can make it more challenging.

Note: The entry royalty is $700USD per person for 10 days, it is $70USD additional per day per person and the liaison officer is compulsory and equipment fee is $200USD for the liaison officer. At least 2 people should be on this trek.


ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu (1200m)

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be met at the airport and brought to your downtown hotel. We will be collecting your passport & photos (two pp sized copy each) in order to get the Annapurna Conservation Permit needed for the trek. The passport would be returned to you in the evening at the time of pre-trek briefing by the trekking staff manager. A traditional Nepali welcome dinner will follow shortly after the trip meeting. Overnight in the hotel in Kathmandu.

Day-02: Fly Kathmandu/Pokhara by plane, transfer to a lakeside hotel. After arriving Pokhara, we have lunch and then go boating on Phewa Lake. Overnight in Pokhara.

Day-03: Fly Pokhara/Jomsom

After the flight it is necessary to spend some time in Jomsom while the trek staff sort out the loads and prepare lunch. You also need to relax a little after the breathtaking flight through the mountains, and begin to acclimatize to the altitude. During this time you should visit the checkpoint and tourist department with your trek permits and liaison officer gives a short lecture on the rules of trekking in Mustang. Trek begins by crossing the second bridge north of the airstrip to the old part of Jomsom, where the bank, post office and German bakery are located. Trek about three hours to reach Eaklibatti village; another hour brings us to Kagbeni which is lies at the bank of two rivers: Kali Gandaki (flows from Muktinath) and Nilgiri (flows from Mt. Nilgiri). There are good current of wind that blows 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. through the trail. This village is picturesque with old fortress ruins, 'desert badland' landscapes and villagers going about their peaceful lives. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-04: Kagbeni to Chele (3100m) 7 hours walk

Having completed the permit formalities, proceed north out of Kagbeni past the mani wall and checkpoint. Almost immediately the path climbs quite steep into a jumble of gullies and small towers, zigzagging to a viewpoint over Kagbeni with Nilgiri providing a dazzling fluted backdrop. For 15 minutes the trail drops on to the plain, but returns again to the east bank undulating northwards past a village and monastery on the west bank. After two hours the trail starts to climb steeply north-east to cross a vertical walled bluff ahead. On the west bank there is an increasingly dramatic view up the canyon of the Lungpa khola. The trail climbs approximate 200m on to a flattish plateau region of small rounded wiry bushes and then climbs much more gradually. As soon a few of the upper cultivated fields of Tangbe village are visible. After crossing the small tributary of the streets lead into the village of white and red colored houses, with a few chortens and fairly extensive fields. Lunch here after about four hours walk. From Tangbe the trail again climbs to a high point around 3100m. From here the route ahead unfolds, a stunning view towards great red canyon walls where the river enters a narrow defile. The village of Chele can be seen, perched high above the river on the west bank up a side canyon. The trail then drops steeply and undulates along the east bank of the Kali Ghandaki for 1½ hours to the village of Chuksang. The trail passes below another fort and village with red and white striped buildings on the east. On the west side are great towering cliffs of amazing eroded pipes, chimneys and gullies in glowing yellow, gold, orange and red colors. From here, it is short sharp climb to Chele. About three hours walk after lunch. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-05: Chele to Eklebhatti (3820m) 6 hours walk

Immediately on leaving Chele camp, the path climbs steeply up to a plateau region through a small tunnel-like gully. Climbing more gradually, the village of Ghyakar appears to the west as the path rounds a corner. The trail, narrow in places, hugs the cast wall of the canyon, with almost vertical drops and edges. This narrow path leads around, always climbing, to a pass at 3550m. The view south offers a panorama of Nilgiri, Tilicho Peak and east over to Thorong La pass on the Annapurna Circuit. From the pass it is a short descent to Samar, a pleasant settlement in a grove of willows with running irrigation channel. Lunch here after about three hours walk. After lunch at Samar, if someone feels altitude problem, it would be wise to camp here with an afternoon to relax, wash and acclimatize. The path leaves near a large chorten and dives steeps for about 70m into a deep canyon. After about two hours walk, the trail reaches 3750m and then descend slightly to the first tea house. The ground here is not flat and there is little space for more than a few tents. After few hours walk, there is one solitary tea house here with a very nice flat camping area. This place is called Eklebhatti (meaning one tea house).

Day-06: Eklebhatti to Ghami (3520m) 4 hours walk

First, the trail climbs gently to a small pass at 3870m with views directly below into a deep corded canyon. Continuing northwards, it descends steeply into a fairly lush side valley with Syangmuche. Another gentle climb levels out to a chorten (3500m) after two hours and the first view of Gelling village below. From here the path descends gradually into another less severe gully and climbs out to a collection of houses for lunch after 2½ hours. A few minutes walk from the old fort we can see a superb view down over Gelling, well worth the effort. Gelling is a nice village surrounded by a monastery and fairly extensive flat fields. From the lunch spot the trail continues round and starts the long climb to the Nyi pass at 3950m. A long descent, out of the wind, takes you down more steeply to Ghami. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-07: Ghami to Tsarang (3500m) 4 hours walk

The trail climbs onto a gently sloping plateau and passes beside a very long mani wall. The trail then heads east, away from a very dramatic red eroded canyon wall towering above the village of Tramar in the distance. Climbing steadily, an altitude of 3770m is reached after about two hours walk from Ghami. The descent to Tsarang is mostly gentle and completed in a further two hours.

Day-08: Tsarang to Lo-Manthang (3700m) 5 hours walk

The trail leaves Tsarang to the north-west and once clear of the village drops steeply into the Tsarang Chu canyon. As you round the corner and head north, a fine view unfolds to the south, with Tsarang on the edge of the cliff in the foreground and the great white Himalayan peaks of Nilgiri,Tilicho and Annapurna I behind. The trail climbs again gently along the west side of a valley to an isolated chorten at 3620m, two hours from Tsarang. A further hour takes you to 3700m with we see some spectacular caves high up in the cliffs to the east. The trail now heads across an open region, always climbing gently beside a cliff of fine yellow conglomerate and dark horizontal iron bands. Having climbed to around 3850m a pass is reached and through a narrow 'window' at the summit, the view ahead opens out to display the western valley of Lo-Manthang. The bright red and gray monastery of Namgyal sits on top of a promontory, with the wide valley surrounding Tingkar (the site of the king’s summer palace) and Phuwa village behind. Just down from the pass is the first dramatic view of the walled city of Lo-Manthang and the ancient ruined forts on the hills behind. There is a tremendous view to the east of the red, blue, gray, white and yellow eroded Mustang Khola canyon, to the north lie the flattish red colored hills and the Tibetan border. The descent to Lo-Manthang is short and after crossing the small river and climbing freely, the fabled city is finally reached. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-09: Lo-Manthang & side excursion to eastern valley   (7 hrs by horse)

Leaving Lo-Manthang on horse-back at the north-east corner by the chorten and new health post, the trail drops into small valley north of the town. After crossing the river, the trail climbs out still going easterly, then contours around north above an area of extensive cultivation which stretches to the Mustang Khola. One hour later a long mani wall and isolated derelict buildings are reached. We come to a small dry gully back to the valley from the north-west and a rickety wooden bridge across the river. We follow the west bank until reaching a small village two hours walk from Lo-Manthang. Ahead to the right can be seen the dramatic cave village of Chosar and the red monastery of Nyphu set into the rock face. The trail reaches a chorten and round a bend opposite Chosar to display the village and monastery of Gharphu ahead on the east side of the Mustang Khola. This is reached by crossing two bridges close to Gharphu at 3760m. The path leads round below the cliffs to Nyphu, where the red Gompa is built out from a vertical rock face and partly set in a cave behind the walls. The return route is a shorter path which leads higher over the hillside, giving different views of the city. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-10: Lo-Manthang & side excursion to western valley

From the northern corner of the wall a track leads west, staying on the south side of the river for about a half hour. The trail then drops and becomes quite rocky before crossing the river. There is no bridge here. It climbs again towards the fields and joins another path from the east, leading up towards Naymgyal monastery for one hour. Other trails lead up the valley to Phuwa a half hour and Tingkar for one hour from here.

Day-11: Trek back to Tsarang 4 hours walk

Now same way back to Tsarang after spending the morning exploring the city of Lo-manthang.

Day-12: Tsarang to Tangya (3240m) 6 hours walk

Just after leaving the cultivated area by a wall, the path suddenly dives east into a hidden ravine which immediately widens into a colossal dry gully. This gully extends some 150m down to a very narrow 3m defile and exits into the Tsarang Chu valley. Now the route heads along the west side of the canyon to join the Kali Gandaki at about 3170m. The Kali Gandaki is once again a wide flat stony plain with the river meandering across the valley bottom. About 2½ hours from Tsarang is a great lunch spot below towering cream colored cliffs where two small stone shelters have been constructed. A superb place for fossil hunting. From lunch, the route once more heads across the stony plain and in the side valley of the Tange Khola, with several more river crossings. Finally about three hours from lunch the trail emerges from the stony plain to climb into the fields of Tange. The first view of the village is astounding as it is dominated by a series of chorten in a unique combination of bright colours.

Day-13: Tangya to Tetang (2940m) 10 hours walk (30km)

Along the dark narrow main street through Tangye, past the mani wall and chortens, the trail then leads down to the Tangye Khola and cross a bridge. On the other side it climbs slightly over black soil and oozing salt, contours back round overlooking Tangye. It climbs steeply up gaining over 900m, sometimes just a narrow path. The views north are increasingly fantastic as the panorama unfolds between Tsarang, Lo-Manthang and the northern border. Finally, 3½ hours after leaving camp, the summit of the pass is reached at 4050m. To the south is the first stunning view of Dhaulagiri, to the west one can pick out the route from Eklebhatti to Syangmuche. About a half hour from the pass is the only water source on this section. It is possible here to prepare some hot drinks but it is not suitable for camping except in an emergency. From this point the trail climbs again and contours round various bluffs, reaching an altitude of 4110m at six hours from Tangye. The trail continues to contour round and a further hour brings us to the rim top of the Narsing Khola. Care must be taken here as the scenery is so dramatic you may be tempted to venture too close to the edge of the 1000m gullies which drop almost vertically down to the river. This section along the canyon rim has quite the most amazing corrosion features of the entire trek, particularly when bathed in the soft sunlight of late afternoon.

With every turn of the path, one simply cannot believe the contorted colorful shapes of the canyon. Our view stretches from beyond Dhaulagiri in the south to Tibet in the north and this time we really feel to be on the top of the world. The late afternoon sun was already softening the beauty of the thousands of organ pipes far below.

The trail again rounds a bluff facing west and is very narrow. The canyon rim is barely 20m wide here and the path hugs the cliff with a lesser drop to the west. Soon the trail opens out away from the rim and to the south one can see the impressive V-shaped Kali Gandaki valley as it cuts between the Annapurna ranges, Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri. To the east are the peaks surrounding the Thorong La pass. While descending down, the path is steep and rough with a lot of loose stones. Eventually the path flattens out on a plateau and splits in two. The right fork leads to Chuksang, while the left fork leads on through yet more cones and gullies to Tetang. Camp will be near below Tetang.

Day-14: Tetang to Muktinath (3600m) 6 hours walk

The trail drops to cross the river and climbing up a willowy gulley into Tetang. The walls of the houses are over 10m high with few windows, giving a fortress-like appearance. The central area of the village has very low, narrow, dark streets and tunnels with eerie doorways leading into each house. The trail out starts from a small square adjacent to the main village past a mani wall above the willowy creek. Now the trail heads up across a plateau and turns east into a narrow river valley. After crossing an area of black shale, mudstone and oozing white salt, a small spring surrounded by green pasture is reached. This makes an excellent lunch spot with grazing for the pack animals. Looking east up the valley one sees part of the high trail which appears to cross the upper reaches of the Narsing Khola and is contouring round towards Muktinath. After lunch the trail leaves the main valley and climbs into a more open valley to the south. The summit of the pass at 3970m is reached after one hour. Muktinath can be seen to the south. The path of Muktinath descends gently, heading south-east and down into a small river valley. After a short climb Changur village is reached. The final stretch of path heads into a grove of trees, around a bluff into another small river, across a bridge, past a nunnery, and joins the main trail from Mustang by the Buddhist/Hindu temple complex above Muktinath. Overnight in tented camp.

Day-15: Muktinath to Jomsom (2700m)-about 5 hours walk.

The route is now of the frequented Annapurna Circuit trek.

Day-16: Jomsom/Pokhara/Kathmandu by plane.

Take breakfast early in the morning, then short walk to airport and fly back to Pokhara. After landing at Pokhara and having some tea, catch the next flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival to KTM, transfer to your hotel. Then free for personal activities or relaxing time.

Day-17: After breakfast, you are free to continue your travels or wait for a transfer to the International Airport for your flight home. Thank you for travelling with Peak Paldor Trekking & Expeditions.

Cost includes:

Two nights hotel in Kathmandu, one night in Pokhara, airport arrival/departure transport services, land & air transportation as per trek itinerary (Kathmandu/Pokhara/Jomsom/Pokhara/Kathmandu), meal three times per day, guide, porters. Entrance permit $700USD, all air ticket ACAP fee $30USD, horse-riding $40USD, accommodation in the tented camp and insurance for Nepalese staffs.

Cost does not include:

Hard drinks, cold drinks, sleeping bag, tips for guide/ porters, hotel in Kathmandu except two nights offered after upon arrival at international airport and return from the trek, rescue helicopter if used during the trek (travel insurance recommended!), international airfare.

RESERVATIONS

back to top