Upper Mustang Trekking
Upper Mustang trek
-The barren landscape of the Tibetan plateau throws up a fascinating concoction
of medieval culture, monastic charm and spiritual purity unparalleled elsewhere
in the Himalayas.
We take a spectacular flight west along a range of massifs to Pokhara where we will stay the night. The following morning, we fly into the heart of the Annapurna region to the gates of the Kali Gandaki River, landing at the mountain strip of Jomsom (2,800m).
We take a spectacular flight west along a range of massifs to Pokhara where we will stay the night. The following morning, we fly into the heart of the Annapurna region to the gates of the Kali Gandaki River, landing at the mountain strip of Jomsom (2,800m).
From here we embark into a different world as the moonscape
of the Tibetan plateau presents hues of gray, red and brown. The view from our
lodge or tents is one of a deserted wasteland dotted with sporadic settlements,
and frequented by people who work hard in the dry soils to seek out a living.
The people of the valley were once very prosperous from a busy trade in salt
between Tibet and India, but nowadays, times are harder.
Up high in the sandstone cliffs above the trail, giant
towers of rock have been eroded into fascinating shapes by the wind, and hermit
caves are testament to the dedication of many monks of the region. Fossils
underfoot remind us that the high plateau we are trekking to was once a seabed.
From time to time the wind plays as messenger for the yak caravans up the
valley, and from the Buddhist monasteries, the prayer horns can seem haunting
in the thin air. The lonely lammergeyer soars high above, perhaps searching out
the next sky burial. It is an eerie sensation to be in these mountains, yet
utterly captivating.
The trail leads up the Kali Gandaki river valley towards the
capital of the Kingdom, Lo Manthang - a city with a royal palace, temples,
monasteries and a thriving culture. The people in this city are surprisingly
sophisticated. But it is the many
villages on the route into and out of Mustang which make this journey such a
rewarding one. With several passes over
4,000m, it is also a strenuous trek.
Trip Fact
Activities: Trekking
Start/End: Kathmandu
Destination: Jomsom , Mustang-Lomanthang
Trip Duration: 17 days
Max. Altitude: 3840 meters
Group Size: Min. 2 / Max.10
Best Season: February, March, April,
May, June, September, October,
November & December.
Trip Grade: Strenuous
Daily walking Hour: Approx. 5-7
Activities: Trekking
Start/End: Kathmandu
Destination: Jomsom , Mustang-Lomanthang
Trip Duration: 17 days
Max. Altitude: 3840 meters
Group Size: Min. 2 / Max.10
Best Season: February, March, April,
May, June, September, October,
November & December.
Trip Grade: Strenuous
Daily walking Hour: Approx. 5-7
Cost: info@alpineecotrek.com
Upper Mustang trek - Itinerary
Day 01- Arrival in
Kathmandu airport (1345meters). Meet our Airport Representative and
transferred to hotel by private tourist coach. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02- Sightseeing
around Kathmandu valley. Your sightseeing trip will start at 9 AM in the
morning after breakfast. We will provide a private vehicle and professional
tour guide. We visit Pasupatinath temple, Buddhanath, Monkey temple, Bhaktpur
durbar square and Kathmandu durbar square. The afternoon includes a final
briefing and preparations for the trek. Overnight at hotel. Or day on your own.
Day 03- Drive to Pokhara (900 meters) 7 hours by tourist bus. Trekking staff will come to your Hotel early in the morning at 6:30 am to pick you up and then the bus leaves around 7.00 am to Pokhara. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03- Drive to Pokhara (900 meters) 7 hours by tourist bus. Trekking staff will come to your Hotel early in the morning at 6:30 am to pick you up and then the bus leaves around 7.00 am to Pokhara. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04- Morning
flight to Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni (2800 meters). Early morning we are flying northwest
from Pokhara toward the great portal between the snows covered peaks of
Annapurna and Daulagiri. You will enjoy the well-raised massifs of more than
8000 meters, and the deepest gorge on this planet.
On arrival to Jomsom you will meet the rest of the trekking
staff. From Kathmandu you will have a guide with you. We start to trek towards
Kagbeni, the main gate to Upper Mustang. Overnight at Tented Camp or local
lodges.
Day 05- Trek to
Chaile (3050 meter.) The trail leads up towards the east bank of the
Kaligandaki climbing over many ridges as it heads north and reaches Tangbe
village. The town is a labyrinth of narrow alleys amongst white washed houses,
fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards. The Nilgiri peak,
dominates the southern skyline of Kagbeni, all the way by different shapes. Beyond
Tangbe we reach Chhusang village in about 1/2 hr, then we trek and cross the
river which continues north climbing up to a huge red chunk of conglomerate
that has fallen from the cliff above, forming a tunnel that the Kaligandaki
follows. The trek now leaves the Kali Gandaki valley and climbs steeply up a
rocky gully to Chaile. From here the culture changes from the Manangi culture
to the Tibetan culture of Lo. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 06- Trek to
Geling (3500 meters). The climb continues along steep, treeless, waterless
terrain, along the side of the spectacular steep canyon to a pass and cairn of
rock. Then the trail makes a long gradual descent to some chortens on a ridge,
and with a further descent before coming along a pleasant trail to Samar
village. We climb above Samar to a ridge, then descend into a large gorge,
which the trail goes into another valley field, crosses a stream and climbs up
to a ridge at 3800 meters. The route climbs over yet another pass, follows a
ridge and then descends to Shyangmochen. From there we gently climb to a pass
at 3770meters and descend to Geling Village. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 07- Trek to
Charang (3620meters). From Geling village the trail climbs gently up to an
interesting pass NYI LA and descends below the blue, gray and red cliffs. After
crossing a steel bridge of the Tangmar Chu (river) you will arrive to a MANI
WALL perhaps the longest and most spectacular MANI wall in Nepal. Climbing over
another pass at 3600meters, the route makes a long gentle descent to Charang
village. The huge five-story white Dzong and red Gompa are the main attractions
to visit and observe collections of statues and Thankas as well as many large
paintings, of seated Buddha's. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 08- Trek to Lo
Manthang (3840 meters). This is an opportunity to visit two other villages
on your trek. The trail climbs steadily until Lo-Gekar. Lo-Gekar Gompa is older
than Samye Gompa in Tibet and one of the oldest Gompa of Nepal. After visiting
Lo-Gekar continue trek to Lomanthang. The trail until Lo-Manthang is fine with
some minor climbing. Finally from the ridge there is a view of the walled city
of LO. After a short descent, cross a stream then climb up into the plateau of
Lo-Manthang. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 09- Visit Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar. It takes around 2 hours to Namgyal Gompa. Namgyal Gompa situates on a hilltop, which serves as an important monastery for the local community, also serving as a local court. After visiting Namgyal Gompa continue the tour to Tingkhar, which is a village of around 40 houses, the last main village to the northwest of Lomanthang. After visiting Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar return to Lomanthang. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 09- Visit Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar. It takes around 2 hours to Namgyal Gompa. Namgyal Gompa situates on a hilltop, which serves as an important monastery for the local community, also serving as a local court. After visiting Namgyal Gompa continue the tour to Tingkhar, which is a village of around 40 houses, the last main village to the northwest of Lomanthang. After visiting Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar return to Lomanthang. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 10- Trek to Dhi
(3410 meters). From Lo-Manthang the trail walks straight till Dhi pass
4100meters and descends down to Dhi village. The trek from Lo Manthang to
Muktinath is harder, but more rewarding and interesting than the west side of
the valley. Dhi village is one of the best villages of whole Lo-mathang and it
seems more prosperous and it is settled in a very suitable place. Overnight at
tented camp.
Day 11- Trek to Tange
(3370 meters). From Dhi the trail goes through the river for around 2 hours
and crosses a river from Damodar Kunda, one of the sacred lakes, there is no
bridge on the river so we need to walk across in bare feet to cross this river.
After crossing the river the trail climbs up till high above a pass of
3850meters. The trail goes through a grassless, treeless bare hill. After the
pass the trail again drops directly to Tangbe village at an elevation of
3370m.Tangbe is a small village of around 30 houses but most of the houses are
attached to each other. On the rooftops one can see piles of dry woods, which
also reflects the prosperity in their society. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 12- Trek to
Tetang/ Chusang (3022 meters). The trail walks through a steep ridge of
hills providing some fine views of the wind carved hills. Tetang village is
formed between 2 hills; they should have found it a safe place to avoid the
strong wind that hits the entire Kaligandaki valley. Tetang is the upper
village of the Chuksang, which we visit on the first day entering to Mustang
from Kagbeni. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 13- Trek to
Jomsom (2713meters). This is the last day of the trek. The trail goes
through the village of Jharkot where one can visit the many attractions such as
the Jharkot monastery, Tibetan herbal medical center and the old fortress of
Jharkot which once served as palace. Continuing the trek towards Jomsom one
will enjoy the views of the Kaligandaki valley and Kagbeni village. This is the
entry point to Mustang. We get a round trip of our trek in Ekle Bhatti visiting
all the surprises of the human effort in this corner of the World of such an
isolation and solitude. Arrive to Jomsom to celebrate the last day of the trek,
with all the trekking staff. Overnight at tented camp.
Day 14- Morning
flight to Pokhara. Today 30 minute morning flight takes us from Jomson back
to Pokhara. Once we arrive at Pokhara airport, we then drive to hotel. In the
afternoon we will have sightseeing tour around Pokhara valley, which covers
Fewa Lake, Devi’s water fall, Museum, Tibetan refugee settlement and
Gupteshower cave. Overnight at hotel.
Day 15- Leisure day
and Sight in around Pokhara. It's also spare day in case of bad weather in
Jomsom. Overnight at hotel.
Day 16- Drive back to
Kathmandu (1345meters). Overnight back at the hotel in Kathmandu. If you
are interested in continuing onto Chitwan Jungle Safari, River
Rafting Adventure, Kathmandu Shopping Tour or Scenic
Everest Flight.
Day 17- Transfer to
international airport for your final departure. The trip ends, our Airport
Representative will drop you to the Kathmandu International Airport for your
final flight departure from Nepal.
Note:
If above itinerary couldn’t meet your needs, we can design a tailor-made itinerary to
suit your needs. It is also possible to combine with some other activities such
as white water rafting and wildlife safari.
Why choose us?
Alpine Eco Trek aware that there are many companies seeking
your business as you plan your adventure holidays in the Nepal Himalayas. We
believe we offer the very best value for money and take your safety, comfort
and ultimate holiday experience very seriously.
Travel Insurances
Travelling is an investment and we believe that an insurance
makes your investment secure. It is a condition of joining any of our adventure trips that be
protected against comprehensive expenses potential to incur due to medial
issues or accidents (to include helicopter rescue, air ambulance, and treatment
costs). Please be noted that we do not arrange or sell insurance.
A relaxed trip is not possible without good travel insurance. In the event of any sickness or injury, the cost of emergency treatment and evacuation is shocking. Therefore, travel insurance is strongly recommended for everyone who signs up with us. We strongly recommend that you be careful while choosing a policy as some makes special exceptions for adventure travel. Before buying your insurance make sure your insurer is aware of the AET adventure itinerary that you are going to undertake and is agreeable to cover all activities being undertaken in the trip. Such as if you are planning trekking or climbing/expedition inHimalayas your
insurance must cover emergency air ambulance/helicopter rescue including medial
expenses. For a group tours in urban areas, your insurance coverage of
ambulance or helicopter rescue is not mandatory, however better to have with
them too. Again, in Tibet
trips there is no possibility of helicopter rescue, so no need to buy the air
ambulance coverage in Tibet
A relaxed trip is not possible without good travel insurance. In the event of any sickness or injury, the cost of emergency treatment and evacuation is shocking. Therefore, travel insurance is strongly recommended for everyone who signs up with us. We strongly recommend that you be careful while choosing a policy as some makes special exceptions for adventure travel. Before buying your insurance make sure your insurer is aware of the AET adventure itinerary that you are going to undertake and is agreeable to cover all activities being undertaken in the trip. Such as if you are planning trekking or climbing/expedition in
Please kindly provide us your copy of insurance
policy (e.g. your insurance certificate) or carry it with you while you come on
the trip.
Food during the trip
Freshly cooked food will be provided on Mustang
trek. Our very expert cook will cook the food during the trekking. Normally we
will provide dinner and breakfast on the same camp where we will camp for
overnight and lunch will be provided while walking on trail which will be
packed lunch cooked by our cook. Reception, farewell dinner and breakfast will
be provided during your stay in Kathmandu.
Acclimatization
Alpine Eco Trek is professionals at operating
at high-altitude. Each trip we run has a realistic acclimatization programme.
Our entire adventure trips are designed to allow gradual height gain, spread
over a number of days. High altitude is not predictable sickness, so there is
no way of predicting who will suffer from altitude but, for the vast majority
of people, a slow ascent to height will produce minimal effects. We can provide
'Gamow Bag' as a precautionary measure as per your request on renting basis.
Acclimatizing takes time and there are no safe shortcuts. All trips to
altitudes in excess of 3,000 meters carry medicines essential to the treatment
of altitude sickness, and our leaders, guides and staffs are well trained to
administer them and to know the symptoms.
For more information
Alpine Eco Trek & Expedition (P) Ltd.
P.O.Box: 19844 Thamel Marga 29, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (+977-1) 4420187,
Mobile: +977 98510 36844 (Ram Kumar Adhikari)
E-mail: info@alpineecotrek.com, tibettour@hotmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alpine.ecotrek
Websites:
www.tibettourtrek.com, Offers Tibet tours, EBC tours and treks.
www.alpineecotrek.com, Trekking, Jungle Safari, Rafting, Bhutan tours, etc...
