The Kingdom of Mustang

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Our airport representative will be waiting outside the airport terminal a few metres from the exit door. Look out for the Peregrine signboard. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes. A briefing given by our group leader is scheduled for the late afternoon. He will discuss our trekking program and co-ordinate any last minute arrangements. The evening is free, but usually our tour leader will organise an evening meal (optional) at one of Kathmandu’s fine Nepali restaurants. Alternatively you can enjoy a dinner at the hotel.

In the morning we explore Kathmandu on an organised sightseeing tour. We visit Bodhnath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world, where we observe Buddhist monks in prayer in the monasteries surrounding the stupa. We also visit Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats. The rest of our time in Kathmandu is free for further sightseeing and exploration. In the late afternoon you will be issued with your Trek Pack and departure information for the next morning.

(Flight time: approx 30 min) We make an early departure from the hotel to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu's Tribhuvan Airport for the flight to Pokhara. The short flight is spectacular with views of the main Himalayan chain including the 8000-metre peaks of Manaslu and Annapurna. After arriving in Pokhara we are transferred to our lakeside hotel in time for lunch. The afternoon is free for us to do our own exploring. It is well certainly worthwhile hiring a boat for a row out on the lake (Phewa Tal), which is the second largest in Nepal. Pokhara has an interesting old area as well as an elaborate Hindu temple and a Buddhist monastery. The lakeside area has good shopping opportunities and internet cafés. In the evening there is the option to dine out at one of the many fine lakeside restaurants (cost not included).

(Flight time: approx 40 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 Kali Ghandaki 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) Before leaving Kagbeni we have to complete special permit formalities as we enter the restricted zone. The trail then climbs above the village and continues on a series of short ascents and descents on the east bank of the Kali Ghandaki. Whilst the valley floor is a flat river plain, it cannot be followed due to the number of river crossings that would need to be made. On the west bank we soon see the Gompa Kang Monastery, belonging to the Nyingmapa sect. The high trail that disappears into the barren distance leads to the Dolpo region. The first village from Kagbeni is Tangbe (2940m), located above the valley and identified by a trio of black, red and white chortens (Buddhist shrines). The village itself is a maze of whitewashed, flat- roofed houses linked by narrow alleyways. We take lunch close to the village near fields of buckwheat and apple orchards. The afternoon walk is shorter and we should reach Chuksang in a further two hours. Again we follow the east bank until we reach the confluence of Narshang Khola and the Kali Ghandaki. The village is split into three sections and the remains of an old fort can be seen close by. The scenery is totally unlike the traditional views one sees of Nepal; here the terrain is barren and very similar to that associated with Tibet. From our camp, huge red and orange sculptured cliffs with inaccessible caves dominate the opposite side of the valley.

(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 (Pass) (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 Annapurna ranges 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) Our return route has a few variations from the approach. The trail to the interesting monastery at Lo Gekar follows a minor path, away from the major route. We follow herders’ tracks up to a pass with final views of Lo Manthang before crossing into another valley and climbing to the valley head at 4050 metres. A further ascent and descent across two more valleys leads to a steep ascent and descent to the fertile valley and the monastery at Lo Gekar.

(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 (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 6-7 hours) We retrace our steps back to Kagbeni. As we are walk in the opposite direction, it is difficult to imagine we travelled this route just over a week before.

(Trekking: approx 4 hours) 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 40 mins) We rise early in the morning for the return flight to Pokhara where we return to the Hotel Barahi, located close 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.

(Flight time: approx 30 min) After breakfast we are transferred back to the airport in the morning for our return flight to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu we are met and transferred back to our starting hotel. The rest of the day is free to do souvenir shopping or further sightseeing. Located in the south of the city, Patan is also worth a visit with its own Durbar Square full of historic structures and statues of past kings. Our final night in Kathmandu gives us a chance to go out on the town and enjoy a final dinner (optional) with our travelling companions and new-found friends. (You can extend your trip and combine your trek with a wildlife adventure by connecting with our 'Chitwan Safari Extension' program directly from Pokhara. Those doing so will instead be transferred from Pokhara to Chitwan National Park on Day 18 - a drive of about 3½ to 4 hours. On completing this program they will then be driven from Chitwan back to Kathmandu. Please consult us or your travel agent for further details.)

Our trip ends today after breakfast. Your leader will be on hand to advise and assist with your onward travel arrangements. A departure transfer to the airport is not included and Kathmandu has so much to offer, so we recommend that you consider booking pre-tour or post-tour accommodation and a departure transfer before you commence your travels.