Mustang Trekking
The Mustang trek brings you into the hidden world of the old Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo. Mustang lies in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri and you walk in a complete desolate landscape, surrounded by rocks in all kind of colors and bizarre formations. In this barren landscape the villages with their bright colored fields are like oases. Bothe the landscape and culture here resembles to Tibet so some people call it mini Tibet.
The trail to upper Mustang follows the salt caravan route of the old days, during which the people of Mustang traded Tibetan salt with grain from the lowlands.The most convenient way to get to Upper Mustang, is to fly from Pokhara to Jomsom and start the trek from there. The flight is an attraction in itself, flying through the deepest gorge in the world, between the Dhaulagiri and the Nilgiri. You follow the famous Kali Gandaki River upstream, partly walking in the river bed itself, to Kagbeni. From Kagbeni the restricted area of Upper Mustang starts. However, it is worthwhile to pay a visit to the famous pilgrim destination of Muktinath before heading north into Upper Mustang.
From Kagbeni the trek goes norhtwards, and brings you in 4 to 5 days to Lo Mangtang. You cross pass after pass, which are all between 3,500 and 4,000 m. You can return partly by a different way via Dhakmar, crossing 2 passes of around 4,200 m. Close to Dhakmar you can find the oldest Tibetan monastery in the world, the Lo Gekar Monastery. Lo Gekar Monastery was built in the 8th century by the famous Tibetan magician Guru Rinpoche. He had to kill a powerful demon first and the blood of the demon has painted the rocks around Dhakmar bright red.
Upper Mustang is a restricted area and up till 1992 it was forbidden for foreign visitors to enter the kingdom. Nowadays foreigners are allowed, but to enter Upper Mustang they have to buy a permit of US$ 500 (to be arranged through a trekking agency and valid for 10 days, each additional day costs US$ 50).
Until recently you could only come to Upper Mustang with a fully organized camping trek. However, nowadays some villagers have opened up small guesthouses and you can stay in a guesthouse in each overnight place. While staying there, you are welcome to sit with them in the kitchen. In Tibetan culture, the kitchen is the center of the house, and built like a kind of living room. So there is no better way to learn a bit about the daily life than spending time in the kitchen!
Mustang Area Trekking
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- Itinerary
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Trip Highlights
Destination : Lo-Manthang (3730m)
Group Size : Min - 2
Maximum altitude : 3730 Meter
Grade :Easy
Season : Spring & Autumn
Accommodation : Hotel and Lodge
Duration : 19 Days
Entry : Pokhara
Exit : Pokhara
- Beautiful himalayan sights: Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna Himalaya range, Fishtail, Hiunchuli & Lamjung Himal.
- Splendid breathtaking place: Mustang beautiful landscape & panoramic Himalayan scenery of Annapurna Himalaya range, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri & Fishtail mountain.
