Mustang Trek - Trek Above the Cloud

Day1: Arrival in Kathmandu

Day 2: Sightseeing around Kathmandu Valley

Day 3: Kathmandu – Pokhara
You take the short but scenic 30 minutes flight to Pokhara, enjoying the views of Ganesh, Manaslu and the Annapurnas mountains  along the way. You will stay in a nice hotel in Pokhara. 

Day 4: Pokhara - Jomsom (2710m) – Kagbeni (2780m)
You take the early morning flight to Jomsom.You can have breakfast and rest sometimes in Jomsom. After some initial preparation of loads, we begin our trek to the pretty village of Kagbeni. Just out of Jomsom we cross a small suspension bridge and then walk along the riverbank of the Kali Gandaki. The trail is flat and quite barren, with craggy rocks and sand littering the trail which  makes your trek quite easy. You will get views of huge peaks such as Dhaulagiri, Tukuche and Nilgiri, whilst to the south the entire Annapurna massif. Kagbeni with its narrow alleyways and tunnels, irrigation canals, fields of wheat and barley and a large red Gompa, give you a preview of scenes that you would come across in Upper Mustang. At the north end of the village there is the police check-post. Here you will complete your paperwork before entering this long forbidden region of Nepal.

Day 5: Kagbeni – Chhuksang (2920m)
It is possible to trek right up the river valley, but you use a combination of the high trail and the riverbank pathways. The trail then widens significantly revealing an endless stretch of sand but the path is kept interesting by the passing of mule trains carrying goods from Mustang and Tibet. On the west bank of the river there are some caves and Gompa Kang. Unlike most monasteries in Upper Mustang which are of the Sakyapa sect, Gompa Kang is of the Nyingmapa sect. You stop for lunch at the village of Tangbe, where you will come across the first black, white and red Chortens that signifyUpper Mustang. The little town is a labyrinth of narrow alleys among white washed houses, fields of buck wheat and barley and apple orchards. Nilgiri Peak continues to dominate the southern skyline. Chhuksang village is only about 2hrs walk beyond Tangbe at the confluence of the Narshing Khola and the Kali Gandaki. There are three separate parts to this village and some ruined castle walls on the surrounding cliffs. Across the river from Chhuksang.There are some spectacular red eroded cliffs above the mouths of some inaccessible caves.

Day 6: Chhuksang – Samar (3290m)
Today you will find different in the culture, lifestyle and people on your route rather than before.And the settlement become more scattered, smaller and more basic. The people of Lower Mustang practice agriculture. But due to lack of rain and fertile soil, cultivation is limited to sheltered plots of land. This spots the brown landscape with patches of green. Continuing north, you reach the river. A steel bridge spans the river just in front of a tunnel and north from here the Kali Gandaki becomes impassable by foot. The trek now leaves the valley and climbs steeply up a rocky gully to the village of Chele. Watch out for the ferocious Tibetan mastiffs here, which are chain to many of the houses. From Chele you climb a steep spur and then continue ascending along the side of a spectacular steep canyon to a pass. Beyond the pass we descend on a pleasant trail to Samar, situated in a grove of poplar trees. This is a major place to stop for horse and mule caravans.

Day 7: Samar – Geling (3440m)
You climb above Samar to a ridge and then descend into a large gorge past a Chorten before entering another valley filled with juniper trees. Then you cross a stream and after climbing to a pass, descend along a ridge to Shyangmochen, a tiny settlement with a few tea shops. Nearby is Rangbyung, a cave containing stalagmites which have formed in the shape of Chorten and one of the holiest places in Mustang. The trail climbs gently from Shyangmochen and you enter another huge valley before descending to Geling with its extensive fields of barley. Like in all settlements of Mustang, the white and ochre-painted houses in Geling are constructed using mud and stones. The roofs are made of twigs, straw and a mixture of mud and pebbles.

Day 8: Geling – Ghami (3460m)
From Geling, the trail climbs gently through fields, up the center of the valley, passing above the settlement of Tama Gun and an imposing Chorten. Then you  begin a taxing climb across the head of the valley to the Nyi La [3840m]. The descent from the pass is quite gentle and about half an hour further on we come to a trail junction; the right trail is the direct route to Charang, the left trail leads to Ghami. Ghami is a large white-washed village sheltered by overhanging cliffs.

Today’s walk is through perhaps the most dry part of Mustang, and much of your energy will be spent negotiating the loose, dry soil. However, the magnificent views of the countryside, from the gentle contours of the north to the rugged mountains in the east and west, more than compensates for the hard climb. Finally, we come to Charang, a large spread-out village at the top of the Charang Chu canyon. At the eastern end of the village are a huge dzong [fortress] and a red gompa which houses are an excellent collection of statues and thangkas.

Day 9: Ghami - Lo Manthang (3730m)
You spend part of the morning exploring the interesting village of Charang and its large monastery, before setting out for Lo Manthang. You then climb gently above the valley to a large isolated Chorten that marks the boundary between Charang and Lo Manthang. The trail then broadens and eventually you get first view of the walled city of Lo Manthang. The city has only one entrance so you circumambulate the wall to the gate on the north-east corner.

Day 10: In and around Lo Manthang
Today, you are free to explore the fascinating city of Lo Manthang. The city contains about 150 houses, as well as residences for its many lamas. There are four major temples within the city and one of these, Champa Lhakang, contains a huge clay statue of Buddha as well as elaborates mandalas painted on the walls. The king's palace is an imposing building in the center of the city and is occupied by the current King and Queen. Although his duties are largely ceremonial, the King is respected by the people. Throughout the kingdom, the villagers continue to seek his advice regarding many issues. It is possible to hire horses to visit these valleys, but this short tour will incur extra costs.

Day 11: Lo Manthang – Lo Gekar
You begin your return journey from Lo Manthang taking the upper highland route. This highland route offers dramatic views of Lo Manthang and the Charang Valley, with snow clad peaks in the background. Just past the settlement of Lo Gekar, you reach the oldest monastery in Mustang, the Ghare Gompa.  

Day 12: Lo Gekar – Ghami
You continue the journey on the highland route, crossing alpine meadows before dropping down a steep eroded gully to Dhakmar for lunch. After lunch, you walk through the pretty valley, climb to a ridge and descend from there  and back to Ghami.

Day 13: Ghami - Chhuksang
Now you must retrace the route back over the Nyi La to Chhuksang.

Day 14: Chhuksang –Jomsom
It's a long and final day, passing back through Kagbeni to Jomsom where your trek ends.It's now time for you to take a nice hot shower. In the evening, you celebrate with the Sherpas and porters, whom you have come to know so well over the last 2 weeks.

Day 15: Jomsom – Pokhara - Katmandu
You will take a spectacular early morning flight along the Kali Gandaki gorge to Pokhara and drive back to Kathmandu

Day 16: Rest Day in Kathmandu

Day 17: Return to your home