Upper mustang trekking

EXPLORE UPPER MUSTANG

‘on an ancient Salt Trade and Caravan trail of Nepal to Tibet via scenic Upper Mustang route’

Introduction: 

Explore Upper Mustang, in the land of Lo people as called since ancient times as Upper Mustang located on an extension of vast Tibet South West dry plateau, considered as world’s highest and largest table-land.

The area around Upper Mustang was closed for outside visitors and travelers for many centuries being close to the frontier of Tibet-China, has been opened past three decades where travelers can visit to witness it time-forgotten villages enriched with age-old traditions and culture of Buddhist and Bon sect of pre-Buddhism religions.

Explore Upper Mustang takes you within scenic and photogenic country where you will be thrilled with natural beauty of eroded high cliffs and canyons shade with dramatic colors of red-brown and grey dotted with many holes serving as smaller caves.

Journey to Upper Mustang will be a great adventure of lifetime experience exploring its medieval time cultures and custom with strong Tibetan influence, where border to Tibet is just within a mere distance through high Karo-la pass at above 5,120 m.

Explore Upper Mustang adventure takes you to once and former walled kingdom of Lo-Manthang where you can observe immense culture and visiting its narrow alley lined with Tibetan style houses and old monasteries.

An interesting tour around its walled villages takes you to impressive Namgyal Gompa, Champa Lakhang (God House), Red Thubchen Gompa, Chyodi Gompa and the great Entrance Hall to enter its former fort like palace where special permission required, which was the seat of former Raja of Mustang (king). 

Upper Mustang located Nepal Far North Western Himalaya close to the border of Western Tibet, extends towards west around Dolpo and east to Manang areas of Nar and Phu towards south touches Mygdi district as well massive Dhaulagiri Himalaya.

This wonderful country Upper Mustang famous for its scenic beauty of unique landscapes, high peaks of Bhirkuti and Damodar Himal as well its impressive ancient cultural villages enriched with religious monuments where you encounter long series of prayer walls and spinning bells on walks.

How to reach Upper Mustang?

Upper Mustang can be reached from scenic Pokhara, a city blessed with natural beauty of rolling green hills, verdant valley and high snow capped mountains of Annapurna Himalaya with majestic Machhapuchare ‘Fish Tail’ peaks that reflect on its calm lakes of Phewa and Begnas.

From Pokhara taking an early morning short and panoramic flight to land at Jomsom in a small aircraft either Dornier-Twin Otter or similar types, Jomsom situated at 2,715 m high a headquarter town of whole Mustang district, which is on the famous old Trans Himalayan Salt Trade Route of Nepal to Tibet via Upper Mustang.

From Jomsom after pleasant short flight either start walking or take a four-wheel drive in jeeps to reach its various interesting villages past Kagbeni, the village with an entry and exist points of Upper Mustang (where foreign travelers requires special permits on this restricted areas of Upper Mustang).

Drive or walks leads you through windswept dry and arid country with grand scenery of its unique terrain and desert-like landscapes, where tree lines declines for short bushes of juniper and Burberry, few trees exists around village areas Poplars and Willow trees with some Juniper and birch.

Trekking or overland journey takes you past Kagbeni towards Chussang, Samar, Ghiling, and Tsarang to reach at Lo-Manthang at 3,780 m /12,402 ft high within its former walled kingdom, after a great interesting tour return back the same way or take an alternative route via Yara with visit of Luri Gompa of great interest and then walk or take a ride to Jomsom via Tangbe and holy Muktinath.

Culture and Religions:

The whole Mustang areas and other western Himalaya where people are of Tibetan origin with similar culture, religion, traditions and custom Upper Mustang was separate country from Tibet since early 7th Century.

The area around Upper Mustang known as Lo where its ancient culture remains as it was for hundreds of centuries.

Important sites to visit around former walled kingdom of Lo-Manthang:

At Lo-Manthang, which was once a capital of Lo (Mustang district), the largest village with more than 150 houses includes resident quarters of priest, monks and lamas, houses are closely packed with palace and monasteries located at bottom section within vertical section of 

L shaped houses. 

School, health post, police post and several important chhorten are located outside the walls to the north of the gate and east of monastic areas of this large village. 

The Mustang former and late raja's palace stands impressive 4 storeys building in the hub of the village or a city. Resident of former Raja (king), Jigme Parbal Bista, and Rani (queen), comes from noble family of Lhasa and Shigatse in Tibet.

What crops are grown around Upper Mustang?

Due to its desert-like landscapes and arid country, where few staple crops are grown especially barley-buck wheat and common wheat as basic diets of Mustang people, beside crops in some areas grows cabbage-carrots-radish-potatoes and some spinach.

Meats from lamb and Yaks are other important diets of Mustang people to consume and to keep healthy from cold climate, where tea made like in Tibet with salt and butter, hot water mixing with special tea-leaves. Barley roasted flour called Chamba the main specific diet of Mustang and other higher mountain people.

Best Seasons to visit Upper Mustang?

Upper Mustang can be visited from March to mid November months includes monsoon months of June to mid-September, as Upper Mustang located within Rain-Shadow country where heavy monsoon rain clouds blocked by high Himalayan mountains.

Upper Mustang shares same climate as Tibet with less rain, moisture and precipitation that is why Mustang remains as a desert like country, with few traces of occasional showers and heavy snow from December onwards till February months.

From November till March the area around Upper Mustang village will be almost deserted as the native migrates to lower warmer areas to escape the cold winter months.