Main Info
Introduction:
I Love Trekking Nepal presents a stunning trekking to the forbidden kingdom of Upper Mustang which is the old kingdom of Lo. Actually the capital of the Mustang district is Jomsom, but the real Tibetan style district lies north of Kagbeni and is usually referred to as Upper Mustang.
Mustang has an average elevation of 13,000ft and is located to the north of the mountain giants of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and is therefore north of the main Himalayan range and geographically is part of the highlands of Tibet. It is a vast high valley, arid and dry, characterized by eroded canyons, colorful stratified rock formations and has a barren, desert like appearance.
One of the most fascinating features of Mustang are literally thousands of cliff dwellings, some of which look completely inaccessible. The most recent theory is that they may date 8-10,000 BC when Mustang was a much greener land.
Naturally, most of the history is now a matter of legend rather than recorded fact, but it seems clear that Lo was once part of Ngari, part of Tibet and a rather loose collection of feudal domains. It was incorporated into the Tibetan Empire under the most famous of the Tibetan kings Songtsengampo. It was an important means of crossing the Himalaya from Tibet to Nepal, and many of the old salt caravans passed through Mustang. By 14C much of Ngari became part of the Malla empire, whose capital was Sinja in western Nepal. Really, it became an independent kingdom in its own right, under the rule of Ame Pal, the founder king of Lo in 1380. The present royal family can trace its history 25 generations back to Ame Pal, and the city of Lomanthang, which we will visit, was the centre of their power.
Well known, intrepid explorers such as Professor David Snellgrove and the Italian scholar Guiseppi Tucci visited Mustang in the 1950’s and it has largely been their tales of a Tibetan like arrid region that has fuelled interest in the area.
Recognizing the special nature of this old, tiny kingdom, the Nepalese have imposed a surcharge for anyone wishing to trek past Kagbeni, the border of Upper Mustang. Legal trekking groups only being allowed in for the first time in March 1992, you would be part of a small privileged minority to visit this remote outpost of Nepal.
Trip Profile:
| Mode of Trekking | : | On camping basis |
| Trekking Grade | : | Moderate / Vigorous |
| Best Season | : | April-May-September-October. |
| Trek Duration | : | 14 Days |
| Overall Duration | : | 18 Days |
Outline Itinerary:
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu over night.
Day 02: City tour.
Day 03: Fly / Drive to Pokhara.
Day 04: Fly to Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni
Day 05: Trek to Chussang.
Day 06: Trek to Samar O/N.
Day 07: Trek to Ghiling.
Day 08: Trek to Tsarang.
Day 09: Trek to Lo-Manthang.
Day 10: Rest day for local excursion at Lo- Manthang
Day 11: Trek to Ghami over night.
Day 12: Trek to Samar.
Day 13: Trek to Yak Kharka.
Day 14: Trek to Muktinath.
Day 15: Trek to Jomsom.
Day 16: Fly from Jomsom to Kathmandu via Pokhara.
Day 17: Free Time.
Day 18: Transfer to TIA.
