GHT | Wild Nar Phu, Sky Caves & the Last Nomads of Mustang – Exploratory!

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You’ll be met at the Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from the Kathmandu Guest House. Once you exit the airport, look for the Kathmandu Guest House sign and a sign with your name on it. Rajendra (+977 9841623270) +/or the KGH driver will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House, where your rooms have been booked for you. Relax in their beautiful, newly expanded garden, hydrate, enjoy a snack and recover from your jet lag.

Kim will meet you at the guest house and introduce you to Thamel, the bustling tourist area of Kathmandu. Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Over dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Denchenling, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants we’ll get to know each other over a few drinks …

Day 2 – Kathmandu | Optional World Heritage Sightseeing Tour
Morning meeting at 9 AM in the back garden of the Kathmandu Guest House to collect passports, insurance information and photos, and go over some of our trek details and logistics. Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (see Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples.

We’ll have time for a bit of gear shopping in Thamel for anyone who needs to adjust their gear, and in the evening we’ll get together for dinner in another of Thamel’s great restaurants. Option to visit Boudhanath Stupa, Cafe Caravan and have dinner at Roadhouse Boudhanath overlooking the stupa. (B)

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji

Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepalis circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts and often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Day 3 – Drive Dharapani 1860m
After breakfast you’ll have an early start for the long, scenic drive from Kathmandu to Dharpani. The first section of the road to Besi Sahar follows the Trishuli River on the Kathmandu Pokhara highway, soon turning northeast to follow Marsyangdi River to Besi Sahar, (760m), a long, dusty town which used to be the start of the Annapurna Circuit trek. From here we’ll have a more adventurous drive up the Marsyangdi on a 4WD road to Jagat, past Chamje and on to Dharapani where you’ll spend your first night in one of Nepal’s famous lodges, or ‘tea-houses’. Showers are solar in the Annapurna region, and it’s first-come-first-serve, so wash off the dust from the drive and settle into Nepali village life with a beer … (8+ hrs driving)

Day 4 – Drive Koto Qupar 2565m
Back in our 4WD jeeps for another long day of driving, today along newly blasted mountain roads all the way to Koto. It will take us a bit less than 3 hours of bumpy driving along the Marsyangdi River, past the new Chinese-funded hydro-electric project and other now-obsolete trekking villages to reach the once-lovely, cobbled village of Jagat (1335m). Just past Jagat we pass a series of large waterfalls plummeting from the steep canyon walls, and half-domed bee hives clinging precariously to the sheer rocks. Soon we reach Chamje, an atmospheric, ‘wild west’ village of traditional-style teahouses, often packed with brightly saddled horses. Staying high above the Marsyangdi on the same side (the left bank), we look down on scenic Tal, once a glacial lake and the first village in Lower Manang, on the opposite bank far below. Continuing through the now predominately ethnically-Tibetan Manang, we arrive at the Tibetan village of Dharapani (1945m), with prayer flags fluttering in the winds. Across the river, at the start of the trail leading to the Manaslu region, sits Thongje with its old, colorful gompa, part of the original Annapurna trail.

Driving north, we pass the hamlets of Karte & Khorte on alternate sides of the river and drive on the new road through dense  forests of pine and oak to Bagarchap and Danagyu. Finally, we drop back down to Koto Qupar, the starting point for our trek to Nar Phu. From the lodge (where we’ve set up camp) we can gaze straight up to the west to nearby Annapurna II, a breathtaking site. Koto Qupar is the gateway to Nar Phu, a small, atmospheric hamlet at the bottom of the deep gorge that we head up tomorrow. Our staff will have set up camp in the green backyard of a small teahouse, and we will get you set up in your Mountain Hardwear & Big Agnes tents, set up our famous ‘Kamzang-style Dining Tent’ and introduce you to the camp routine. Chai is brewing and a rest from the dust and bumps of driving is welcome!

Day 5 – Extra Day
As the road building allowed us to get further than we previously thought, and if we weren’t held back by land-slides, muddy roads or other Himalayan obstacles we’ll save this extra day for further along in the trek …

Day 6 – Trek Meta 3560m
This morning we head out early, a long and somewhat difficult day before us as we head north towards Nar Phu and the border of Tibet. Just past the Koto check post, we cross the river on a long suspension bridge leading to the Nar Phu valley and ascend on a lovely trail through beautiful woods above the Phu Khola (river). Continuing to climb through the forest, we emerge out of the narrow canyon, the trail passing right under a wide waterfall from which point the woods become thinner and the vistas wider. Soon afterwards we trek past several small cave shelters and a dharamsala, or pilgrims’ rest house. We might camp at Dharamsala but will most likely continue on and make the steep climb up the valley along a small, scenic trail to high, grazing pastures. This is the kharka of Meta, 3560m, the non-permanent winter settlement of Nar, and we will definitely share the campsite with a few yaks and possibly some villagers. It will be a chilly night, so we’ll try to get a fire going to warm up.

Day 7 – Trek Kyang 3880m
Our hike today is one of the loveliest walks in the Himalayas. The landscape is similar to the Sierra Nevada; white rocks, low shrub and juniper, scattered evergreens, delicate brick-red and orange leafed bushes, crumbling shelves of flat slate, white, sandy trails and gnarled trees. The mountains around us are utterly spectacular, and the Phu Kosi shadows the trail far below. An hour past Meta, Junam is the second semi-permanent settlement, one where ‘khampas’ from Tibet sometimes sheltered. Above the kharka to the right looms a massive glacier, which falls jaggedly down to the high pastures above us. It’s all truly amazing scenery. Across the river, the cliffs contort in swirls and waves, similar to Ladakhi landscapes. The next semi-permanent settlement is Chako, formerly a Khampa settlement, where grass lies tied in bunches to dry on all the rooftops and prayer flags flutter in the breeze. A previous year we saw a massive yak caravan from Phu pass by at Chako on their way down to Manang to re-supply, a scene from old Tibet, Many more ups and downs take us to tonight’s campsite at Kyang, the extensive winter settlement of Phu, on a plateau high above the river. Kyang is a flat plateau with an extensive mani wall, about as scenic a campsite as they come with soaring cliff walls surrounding us.

Day 8 – Trek Phu 4050m
Dropping steeply down to the river, we trek for a while along the river bank and past the ‘submarine’ rock, passing some small possible campsites along the way. Today we begin to see the unique, ochre and white chortens made of sticks, stone and mud-brick for which Nar and Phu are known. We have to rock-hop carefully across a small glacial stream before reaching a larger one with a bridge only half covered with large slabs of slate. Some large steps do the trick …

Another hour and a half of trekking through scenic canyon lands and gorges, and the ‘leaning tower of Pisa’ monolith guards the steep trail up to the Phu gate, called Pupigyal Kwe. This ancient gate provides us with our first view of the three villages of Phu, as well as an old ‘dzong’ and the remains of two forts, all now in ruins, but impressively situated atop the flatlands before Phu. Just before the bridge to Phu, a line of wonderful chortens color the landscape and lead the way to the main village of Phu, perched high up on a hill, amphitheater style. We will set up camp on the lower reaches of Phu, formerly called Gomdzong, and head up to the famous Tashi Lhakhang Gompa on a neighboring hillside to pay our respects to Lama Karma Sonam Rimpoche, a trulku who came to Nepal with His Holiness the Dalai Lama back in ’59. He is also a renowned amchi, or Tibetan doctor, as well as a thanka painter and father of several children (some trulkus as well as certain lamas are permitted to marry). Later, we might head up to the village to hunt down some chang.

Day 9 – Phu
Having spent quite a few days getting to Phu, we will spend an extra day in the area to enjoy it, meet the local Phu residents and perhaps do some exploring up the wide valley systems above us. Tibet is two long days away, so a bit far for a visit, but we might walk up the valley to the summer grazing settlement, or ‘kharka’ at Ngoru, a three hour’s walk past the gompa. For those with lots of energy, a hike towards the east through a glacial valley leads to Himlung Himal base camp, a 7125m peak recently opened for climbing. There are often expeditions climbing this peak, as well as nearby Gyanji Kang. The mountain views are tremendous.

For others, a walk west up past Phu towards the chortens on the hillside provides some incredible vistas and views down over Phu and the surrounding fields, forts, valleys and peaks. Phu itself is an incredibly interesting village, and a day is well spent sitting with the villagers as they spin their yak and sheep wool and chat, pound mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or involve themselves in the countless activities that take up a day in Tibetan villages. For photographers, the light is spectacular, and the skies a deep blue, and we may even see some blue sheep on the surrounding hillsides. A wander through the village will probably involve an invitation into someone’s home for some authentic Tibetan salt butter tea, or perhaps a small glass of local ‘raksi’, or rice/barley liquor.

Day 10 – Trek Junam 3550m
Back through Phu gate, we descend to the river, and retrace our steps back to Junam kharka, a lovely spot as any for our campsite for the evening. In 2003 we camped with some Phu residents (all but one women) on their way back up to Phu with huge loads of planks from the nearby forests, and the evening was filled with Tibetan, or Manangi songs, smoky shelters and that unique Tibetan laughter.

Day 11 – Trek Nar 4225m
Another classic Himalayan trekking day, as we trek down to the old bridge spanning a deep, contoured and narrow gorge (cameras out for this crossing), and then all the way back up again. It’s a good thing the scenery is so stunning … Below us sit Gyalbu Kumbum, built in 1650, and Satte gompa, both empty. We finally reach the Nar gates at the top of the hill, and pass by yet another line of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped chortens and a large tiered chorten before turning the corner and being rewarded with sublime views of Nar, the undulating patterns of the surrounding barley, potato and mustard fields, four old, colorful and traditional gompas and the snow-peaks looming overhead. We arrive early, so will have some lunch in the sun before doing some exploring.

Physically, Nar is not far from the main Annapurna trail, but it feels centuries away and is about as picturesque as they come. Nar is bit more social and lively than Phu, and the village ‘square’ is full of chatting women with their back-strap looms weaving wool fabric for rugs and blankets, pounding mustard seeds for oil, or spinning the ubiquitous wool while catching up on the news. The children in Nar seem to be always out in the streets, presumably preferring this life to the classroom! Each family in Nar seems to have at least one son or daughter in a gompa, and many live at home or visit frequently, so there is the resonating sound of cymbals, chanting and drums echoing throughout the village. Other Nar villagers may be printing prayer flags, doing some carpentry, collecting wood from the forest and carrying large loads with a head-strap back up to the house, harvesting the crops, tending the yaks, sheep and goats or spinning the prayer wheels in the center of town. Climb the prayer-flag festooned hill above Nar for wonderful views, or sit at our lovely guest house overlooking the whole scene in the sun, sheltered from the chilling and ever-present afternoon winds. It is a good day to try some local buckwheat pancakes or ‘dhiro’.

The people of sell their yaks to the Manangis, who in turn sell them to butchers for meat. The yak tails are sold to Hindus, and the skins are kept and used. Locally, they sell butter, dry cheese (churpi) and hand-woven blankets. The traders who go to Kathmandu often trade the butter and cheese for wheat and buckwheat, some of which they again sell in Manang. The blankets are sold for cash. In the winter, the Nar-pa often travel to Kathmandu and the Lamjung villages to sell traditional medicinal herbs and juniper, and lamas sell their services. Once they have cash in hand, they stock up on essentials such as chili for the winter …

Days 12 to 17 – Trek Tangge (3215m) over the Teri La (5595m) * Exploratory Route to Upper Mustang

Day 12 – Trek to Yak Kharka 4400m
Day 13 – Trek to Lapse Khola Camp 4500m
Day 14 – Trek to Teri La High Camp 4900m
Day 15 – Trek to Pasphu Khola Camp 4750m (cross the Teri La 5,595m)
Day 16 – Trek to Yakpa 4300m
Day 17 – Trek to Tangge 3360m

We’ve got six adventurous exploratory days in front of us as we trek the remote valleys, once old trade routes with Tibet and now used by locals for grazing their animals, over a very high pass and finally to Tangge, one of Mustang’s most scenic villages and just off the main Mustang trekking route. Locals from Tangge won’t use this route in July or August as they say it upsets the local gods and causes big storms.

We’ll follow the Dho Labse Khola past the local grazing doksas of Chhungseng and Chhubche followed by the intersecting Jomsom Khola coming from the north, and set up a high base camp at a chilly sumdo. Heading further west, we’ll cross the formidable 5595 meter Teri La (pass) which is just northeast of the Thorung La in the Annapurna region, across the Purkung Himal with the Chulu peaks just to the southeast of the pass.

Crossing the Rijung Chwa and Rijung Prama Kholas to our north as we get closer to Mustang, we follow the steep, green riverbanks of the Yak Khola, contouring around numerous ridges as we trek to the northwest. Later, far above the Yak Khola, we descend steeply into Mustang’s patchwork of villages below us, finally spoting the magical, whitewashed village of Tangge built into on the terraced hillside. We’ll have to cross the Tangge Khola on a good bridge, climbing slightly to the main trail. We’ll pass the impressive and beautiful group of red, yellow, white and blue-grey chortens and the long mani wall with four carved figures on each one before reaching our camp.

Day 17 – Arrive Tangge 3360m
Tangge is a village of twenty houses, many sheep, goats and large mastiffs and the largest chorten in Mustang, over 50 feet high. There was a massive mudslide some years ago which wiped out many of the houses and barley fields on both banks; an elder of the village told us there were over a hundred houses in Tangge before this disaster. The culture now that we’ve reaached Upper Mustang becomes even more Tibetan; sheep horns adorn the houses, and there are protective amulets in the shape of a cross on the walls of the houses, similar to what we find in the old Tibetan villages in Ladakh and Zanskar. These ‘zor’ do what the look like they might do, capture evil spirits in their web and protect the inhabitants of the household, and date from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. You will also see woman wearing the Tibetan decorative turquoise, coral and amber as well as ‘dzis’, ancient protective amulets of agate, which Mustangis believe came from lightening when it falls onto the mountains.

At the far end of the village is the high route to Yara. Look to the south for views of the snow-peak called Ka Karru by locals. The staff has set up camp at Tip Top campsite, just above the mani walls, a site sheltered from the unrelenting Mustang winds.

Day 18 – Trek Dhe 3930m
Leaving Tangge heading northeast, we climb briefly out of the village and continue on an undulating trail through a fantastic moonscape, colored by ochre, weatherworn rocks sculpted by centuries of wind and water erosion. We stay high, climbing gradually until we reaach a small pass which we called the Dhe La (4245m), decorated by a cairn of saligrams, a tribute to Vishnu and the local gods. A short descent through another bit of contorted landscape, past tri-colored chortens, leads to the remote village of Dhe, one of the most isolated in the Himalaya. The inhabitants are planning to leave their village in a few years to relocate just northwest of here as there are serious water issues in Dhe. Still, it’s a lively village with an old gompa to explore, and the villagers are friendly and welcoming as trekkers here are scarce. Enjoy the afternoon and get out to explore this beautiful village.

Day 19 – Trek Yara 3610m
We’re trekking along a little-used route on the far eastern fringes of Mustang, leaving remote Dhe and heading west along a somewhat rough trail. Climbing out of the village, we pass over more eroded gullies and stay on a high trail for a while, soon passing through an old mudslide which resembles a muddly glacier. To our right a distant trail heads east to Damodar Kunda and ancient clusters of cave dwellings appear dramatically in the cliff faces far above us. The trail crosses a small river and has a few ups and downs before it descends rather steeply to the riverbed below at just over 3400 meters. We wander down the small Dechyang Khola, collecting saligrams as we go and jumping or wading across (sandals would be a good idea) for an hour. To our right, near the end of the river at a settlement called Phangyakawa (where the Dhe-pa want to resettle), is a steep, switchbacking trail which we ascend.

Upon reaching the plateau, we’re treated to a feast of eroded canyons and hoodoos, so take some time to admire the scenery and take a few photos. We cross the plateau on a little-used trail, following it through more fantastic landscapes, and eventually spot the lovely, green village of Yara below, across the Puyung Khola. We descend to the rocky river bottom, cross the river and head for the village. We camp for the night in the courtyard of a local guest-house in the lower section of Yara, a bustling campsite full of Mustangi life. Have a walk above the village in the afternoon, lovely with the sun shining through the willow leaves which brighten the village. We sponsor a young girl from Yara, Tenzing Kondo, for a hearing problem, so we’ll hope to get a visit from her and her family … And perhaps a cultural dance in the evening, so be ready for a Mustangi party!

Day 20 – Trek Ghara 3930m (Visit Luri Gompa)
After breakfast, heading northeast out of Yara, we pass fantastic, sculpted canyons with the remains of a network of ancient caves, now eroded enough to be inaccessible. We have a walk of less than an hour along the rocky, saligramed riverbed to the Tashi Kumbum cave complex, accessible via a narrow ledge of a trail. Tashi Kumbum is a newly discovered group of six cave dwellings dating from the 15th century, with fantastic Buddhist murals and a large exquisitely painted chorten. Gary McCue, who went there over fifteen years ago, wrote that the approach is very difficult/dangerous although though only an hour from Yara. We discovered last year that our lodge owner was actually the one who discovered the ancient Tashi Kumbum, and then went there with Gary McCue. Exiting stuff and really one of the most amazing works of Buddhist art I have ever seen.

Another hour along the Puyung Khola brings us to the fabled Druk-pa Luri Gompa and its complex of Tibetan Buddhist caves, some of which are accessible others now ‘closed’ forever. One of the older Kings of Lo married a Bhutanese princess, thus the Druk-pa influence. The main Luri Gompa is situated down near the riverbed; the teacher, kids in tow, will lead on a crumbling trail us up to the upper prayer-room and the fifteenth century ‘Kabum Stupa’, made of highly polished stucco and painted with intricately detailed Newari-styled Buddhist frescos of the Kagyupa saints Tilopa, Naropa and Marpa. Historians estimate them to be from the 13th or 14th century, and linked to the Tashi Kumbum caves, one of a group of connected cave dwellings throughout this particular region. Unfortunately, or fortunately, most have been rendered inaccessible due to the intense erosion in Mustang, so will remain hidden throughout history.

It’s an easy half-hour hike from Luri to the green oasis of Ghara, with its ruined gompa and old, winding walls, where the staff have set up our camp just above the village, in a walled enclosure with the village tap just below. We’ll have many villagers as visitors, both adults and kids, all of whom will bring some of their ubiquitous saligrams and Mustangi artifacts to display. We’ll be treated to fantastic mountain panoramas down-valley towards the Kali Gandaki at sunset and sunrise.

Day 21 – Trek Canyon Camp 3690m
We have a hard, six or seven hour day in front of us so have plenty of fresh coffee and a good breakfast before we head off. It’s a steep climb behind the village along a dusty trail, past several cave dwellings, for well over an hour to reach to the top of the Ghara La at 4380 meters. En route we’ll look down onto the red and white striped Luri Gompa and the patchwork of terraced fields of barley surrounding Ghara & Yara villages.

Contouring around several hillsides, staying high, we soon drop down to the green doksa of Kepuchhimi at the valley bottom, a stream running through it. Crossing the stone doksas, littered with dung, we have a steep climb on a trail of hardened mud back up to the plateau where we regain our expansive views of the sculpted rocks and canyons surrounding us. More scenic contouring and two small cairns later we reach the steep descent down to camp. We’ll have lunch overlooking the border of Tibet ahead of us and then start on the switchbacking down the 500-meter descent to the pebbly riverbed below. Another half hour of jumping the small Chaka Khola as we trek downstream brings us to our lovely Canyon Camp, where the sun goes down early but is a lovely spot for a wash in the network of streams, downstream from camp …

Day 22 – Trek Lo Monthang 3820m
A river day, bring your sandals; new adventures await us on our rarely visited route west. Our adventures continue as we trek through a magical world of salt drips, narrow canyons, pebbly flood plains and soaring cliffs. It’s ten minutes downstream to the first sumdo or river junction, where we take a sharp left into the narrow canyon of the Chuchu Gompa Khola, which soon widens into a large, pebbly flood plain. The right fork heads to the 14th-15th century Cho Dzong, ‘castle of the faith’, restricted for camping but which Peter Matheissen wrote about in his book, ‘East of Lo Monthang’ and which houses some of the most important Buddhist artwork in Mustang. Unfortunately the main cave entrance has now crumbled away and is inaccessible. The nomads to the north hold the key to the main gompa.

We have to cross the tangle of streams several times during this section, so best to hike in your sandals for the next hour. The valley is sublime, a feast of mustard yellow, reds and oranges gurgling out of natural springs as it narrows and widens, the horns of blue sheep marking our path. The canyon narrows around us as we hike. We’ve entered a lost world of contorted canyons, muted earth-tones and narrowing passages, the wonderful world of ‘lost’ Mustang. More mustard and blood-orange stained rocks signify mineral content in the organically-shaped rock, and we start to see salt drips suspended from the rock faces, intriguing hints to past salt trade in the region which made Mustang wealthy.

Soon we reach another river intersection where we hike up the hill and take the small bridge high over the river, possibly having to unload the horses in the narrow, high section just before the small bridge. At this sumdo the rivers become the Kali Gandaki River as it heads almost directly south. Further along the clear river, trekking along the riverside past the mustard-stained Tumu Khola intersecting our river from the right, we pass an incredible complex of caves gompas called Mar Dzong (or Mar Jhong), only explored a few years previously by an international research and climbing expedition. Inside these now nearly inaccessible caves the team found a treasure chest of 11th & 12th century scripts called Lemsa. There are several other caves built into the cliffs along today’s trail, testament to an ancient cave-dwelling civilization and the monks that later used them as meditation retreats.

Heading up the Nhichung Khola we pass Namaru Dikha kharka as we trek on sun-baked plateaus and up stone steps, crossing the river a few times. There are hot springs just below our trail, not very hot but worth sticking feet into. Finally we spot the ancient walls of the fabled city of Lo Monthang high on the plateau ahead of us. We head directly west following the gurgling, willow-shaded Dokpolo Khola for about an hour until we reach the gates of Lo Monthang. This is an wonderfully green section, with grassy river banks underfoot, stone walls bordering the river, and behind, backed by the snow-peaks bordering Tibet, the ruins of the once-imposing Lo Dzong.

We enter the outer walls of the city and head to Pema Bista’s campsite right at the walls to the city, under a small grove of ancient, sacred willows. The horses and crew will arrive behind us, so we will start exploring the maze-like alleyways of this fascinating village. Be prepared for the onslaught of tourism in Lo as vendors immediately find us and set up ‘shop’ next to the campsite. It’s not as pristine as it used to be, but just as mystical in the golden, yellow light as the local men bring their sheep and horses inside the city gates for the night. Perhaps, we we’ll have a cup of the infamous suija (salt butter tea) at Pema’s house in the afternoon, after visiting his shop. And we’ll have plenty of time to marvel at the surrounding panoramic views of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan peaks bordering Tibet.

Lo Monthang
In the 1380’s, King Ame Pal established his reign in Lo, aptly named the ‘Plain of Aspiration’, with the walled city of Lo Monthang as the capital and its inhabitants called Lobas. Within the walls of Lo Monthang are about 180 houses built among narrow streets, and some of the largest and finest Tibetan Buddhist gompas in Nepal. The city is quite prosperous due primarily to its past salt and wool trade along the Kali Gandaki with Tibet, and the Lobas themselves are still very Tibetan, living in Tibetan-style dwellings which we’ll have a chance to visit. There are even yeti (known here as mehti) prints rumored to be found.

Lo traditionally had a single entrance, through which only the King, Queen and Kempo (Abbot) were allowed to ride. All others must walk, to pay their respects to Chenrizig, the Buddha of Compassion. King Jigme Palbar Bista, called ‘Lo Gyelbu’ by the Mustangis, still resides at his four-storied palace inside the city walls; that is, when he’s not in Kathmandu. He is an avid horseman, and keeps his own stable of horses, some of the best in Mustang. These days, the king plays a somewhat ceremonial role although he is well loved and respected throughout Mustang. The present king is the 25th descendent of Ame Pal.

There are four major temples within the medieval walls of Lo, the 14th century, brick-red Jampa Lhakhang (the oldest gompa, built in 1387, with the striking 50 foot ‘Jampa’ (Future) Buddha, the largest clay statue in Nepal until a few years ago), 15th century Thubchen Gompa (Great Assembly hall, pillars 30 feet high, the second oldest gompa with fantastic murals in the Dukhang), Chhoede Gompa (where the Kempo lives, with a monastic school) and Choprang Gompa. There is also the Raja’s Palace, home to the present King Raja Jigme and Queen ‘Rani Sahib’ (who is from an aristocratic Lhasa family) and an interesting maze of a village to explore. There are approximately 1100 Lobas within the walls of the city although many lower caste Lobas live outside the walls. Many of the Lobas still practice polyandry.

Day 23 – Lo Monthang – Visit the Chosar & Tingkar Valleys on horseback
NOTE: We recommend horses for anyone wanting to come along on this day-trip; others are free to stay and wander the intriguing streets of Lo. There is an amchi that runs a Tibetan herbal medicine clinic in town, two schools and even a coffee shop along with the increasing number of shops to visit.

Leaving Lo along a wide, canyon trail, past dry gullies and an ancient, ruined fortress, across a bridge and through a cultivated area, we finally view the cave village of Chosar, with the deep-red Nyphu Gompa built into the rock face. We’ll need to cross two bridges to arrive at the gompa, at 3760 meters. Plenty of time for photographs before rounding the chorten-toped bend, where we get views of Gharphu Gompa on the east banks of the Mustang Khola. Past the gompa is an incredible cave-dwelling site called Jhong Cave, which you negotiate by ladders and through small tunnels, very interesting and reputed to be 2500 years old. In front of us, a range of spectacular snow-peaks marks the border with Tibet, and around us gurgling streams and green meadows line our trail. If we take the long loop, we can stop at Nyamdo Gompa, ride over a small pass and then head back down the western valley to Lo.

The western valley leads to Namgyal Gompa (the Monastery of Victory), set spectacularly on top of a desolate ridge and the newest and most active gompa in Lo. The village of Namgyal spreads out past the Gompa. Just past the gompa is the large, sprawling village of Thinggar, where the King has his summer palace. There is a new gompa here, where we saw a puja (prayer ceremony) last year, and met most of the villagers! There are also many ancient ruins surrounding the village, some gompas and others old fortresses perhaps. Further on, we reach Kimaling village, which is an interesting, white-washed village surrounded by fields where we did some carpet shopping last year. Kimaling Gompa is below the village, on the way out as we head towards Phuwa and its gompa on the way down towards Lo. There are tremendous views of Namgyal Gompa backed by snow-peaks behind us as we wander up the valley, and white peaks in front of us bordering Tibet.

The Chosar valley was the main trading route with Tibet and Lhasa, and is peppered with the ruins of old fortresses guarding this strategic valley. Just north of this valley, over the border in Tibet, Lhakpa and I met a Tibetan man who still dealt in the trade of rare animal skins with Mustangi traders, a risky and of forbidden endeavor. It will be interesting to see if we can find out anything of this trade on the Nepal side of the border.

Back at camp, dinner is on the fire, tea is brewing, and cold beers are available from the tea-shops, so relax and enjoy our last evening in this magical capital.

Day 24 – Trek Nomad Camp 4280m
Leaving mystical Lo, we turn right out of the gate of Lo, cross a small bridge and head towards the high grazing plateaus of the nomads.Horses roam freely amongst the the crumbling walls and fields that surround Lo. We trek along the southern walls surrounding the city and hike for a few hours, following the valley bed, past the ruins of ancient fortresses and gompas. We climb the hill ahead of us, look back to the city-complex of Lo behind us, and drop down into the green valley below where to the ‘last nomads of Lo’ have now settled for most of the year. We have a bird-eye view over this scenic valley, dotted with nomadic tents of yak-hair, yaks, herds of sheep and goats, piles of yak dung and nomads. Several families live in this valley in their tents, and a few more in the valley over the next ridge.

We’ll possibly take a northern route to the nomad settlement depending on our plans ….

Our campsite is idyllic, set right next to a clear stream on a grassy, flat plateau looking down-valley over Himalayan peaks. We’ll visit the lively doksa later in the afternoon, perhaps being invited for a steaming cup of salt-butter tea and dried cheese. This is one of the last nomadic settlements in all of Nepal, a rare chance to see how real Tibetan nomads exist. We are quite high so it gets COLD in the evening. Sunsets and sunrises are perfect.

AFTERNOON TRIP: Hike over the hill to the north to visit the other nomadic settlements in the afternoon; all of the nomads were living in the Tibetan borderlands northeast of Lo Monthang, but many families moved to this spot about fifteen years ago to have better access to supplies, schools and medical facilities in Lo Monthang. From the hill between the camps, at the prayer flag, you can look right down to the walled city of Lo Monthang, a great view. Locals from Lo Monthang might come to the doksas to collect the sheep and goat dung that the nomads don’t use. We might get some yogurt from the nomads, delicious and fresh, and we can buy exquisite textiles from the nomads if we like.

Day 25 – Trek Tsarang 3575m (via Lo Gekar)
It’s an off the beaten path trekking day today as we head to Lo Gekar, or Ghar Gompa. Over a high ridge, we’ll see the imposing chortens of the Lo Gekar after a few hours. Lo Ghekar, ‘Pure Virtue of Joy’, sits majestically in the valley above us. Ghar Gompa, built in the 8th century, is one of the oldest gompas in Nepal. It belongs to the Nyimgma sect and is connected by legend to Samye Gompa in Tibet as well as to the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche. The name means ‘house gompa’ after the style of architecture, and harbors many exemplary frescoes as well as wonderfully carved and painted mani stones. Surrounding the gompa are massive, block-like chortens of a unique style and strings of colorful prayer flags fluttering in the winds of Mustang.

The story of Lo Gekar: Samye Gompa, the oldest gompa in Tibet, was repeatedly destroyed by demons when it was being built. The head lama dreamed that Guru Rimpoche could help with the construction and invited him to the site. The great Guru Rimpoche found demons to be the problem, and suggested that they first build Lo Gekar. Guru Rimpoche killed the demons at the spot that Lo Gekar was soon to be constructed. The long mani wall just south of Dhakmar is said to have arisen from the intestines of the demon, and the red cliffs above Dhakmar the blood of the demon. After Lo Gekar was completed, Samye in eastern Tibet was also successfully built.

Heading directly downvalley, we soon intersect the mail trail from Tsarang to Lo, and head south past the masive and newly re-constructed chorten along the trail. A few hours of easy trekking brings us to the fortified village of Tsarang, meaning ‘cock’s crest’, perched on the edge of a dramatic canyon. We walk between high walls to the south of the village, green with poplar and willow trees, and stop for a look at the Tsarang Gompa and its ruins, impressively built on a crag of rock. We we camp for the night at a lovely, grassy campsite called ‘Green Camping’ next to The Royal Mustang Holiday Inn run by a relative of the King, Maya Bista, the Palace and Gompa visible in the near distance.

Tsarang is a large village of 83 houses (population 400) built on top of the Tsarang Khola canyon, one of the later capitals of the Kingdom of Lo in the 14th century. Stone walls separate the houses and form tunnel-like paths, a new irrigation ditch lines the main street, and willow groves turn the village green. Tsarang bustles with its many shops, its own hydro-electric plant and quite a few guest houses and visitors. It is dominated by the massive, crumbling five-story Tsarang Dzong, a Tibetan-styled fortified palace built in 1378, and the large, ochre-hued Tsarang Gompa, built in 1385, of the Sakya sect and with the greatest library in Lo (the palace also has a great library). The dzong and palace were both built by Ame Pal and the other of the ‘Three Sangpos’. The palace has a wonderful, old prayer room with a gold-printed prayer book and a fascinating array of statues, thankas and large Buddha paintings that the resident lama will show you, and the withered 500 year old hand of the master architect of the palace. Tsarang Gompa is adorned with fantastic 15th century frescos on the assembly hall walls; don’t miss the older prayer room in back, once an ‘ani gompa’, or nunnery. Elaborate sand mandalas are created at the gompa at festival time, and then ceremonially deposited into the river at the festival’s end. Ekai Kawaguchi stayed nine months here in 1899, and Michel Peissel spent time with the Abbot of Tsarang, the king’s brother (the present king’s father) during his time in Mustang.

Take a walk through the maze of paths to the dzong and friendly gompa before dinner, and stop in at one of the many shops for a look. Many of the wealthier homes here have family shrines which you might be lucky enough to be invited to see. The local women will be herding their sheep through the narrow, walled paths as dusk as the snow pigeons circle, shimmering, under the setting sun …

Day 26 – Trek Zaite 3840m
A morning walk through the maze of Tsarang’s alleyways leads to the masive, brightly pained chorten which guards the entrace to Tsarang, and then hike along the dirt road for about an hour, soon reaching the Tsarang La (3870m). From the large cairn topped with Tibetan prayer flags, or lung-ta, we swithback steeply down to the bottom of the valley. Just ahead is a cluster of ancient chortens, some of the most massive in the Tibetan world, backed by dramatic, sculpted cliff-faces and said to be 1500 years old (the same as Lo Gekar); an awesome sight. The trail looks across the valley to ochre, blue and steel-grey cliffs, and leads us past tri-colored chortens and perhaps the longest and most spectacular mani wall in Mustang, behind which is the hospital.

After a short, steep descent we directly cross the new bridge and climb briefly up to Ghemi (3570m), built along the steep edges of the cliff as are many fortified villages in Mustang. There are actually the ruins of an old fortress somewhere in Ghemi, which was largely abandoned until the Khampa fighters set up a magar (war camp) here and brought new life and wealth to the village. We’ll wander a bit through this interesting village, passing the mani walls and prayer wheels, perhaps finding the key-keeper to open the Ghemi Gompa for us.

After lunch (or perhaps we’ll eat at the pass) we’ll continue on to Zaite, another 2 hours away up and over the Ghemi La. From Ghemi it’s a straight-forward climb to the Ghemi La (3520m) from where there are beautiful views down to Ghemi. Contouring to the south, we continue to climb gradually for another hour or so to the Nyi La (4010m), where we’re treated to Himalayan panoramas including Annapurna 1 & Niligiri, as well as the clusters of white-washed villages, ochre gompas and cave complexes in the Gelling valley. A short hike down the pass brings us to the Gelling intersection, from where we continue straight for about 10 minutes to our idyllic, green and sheltered campsite at Zaite

(Dhakmar route, which we won’t do …)
After a look at the ‘lha-khangs’ or prayer rooms of the gompa, we start up an easy series of passes, the Mui La (4130m) and its second ridge (4175m). We’ll stop for a break, gazing out at the Himalayan peaks in the distance. Blue sheep graze in these arid hillsides, their tracks stripping the otherworldly ridges, and griffins and choughs soar in the clear, blue Mustangi skies overhead. Climb the small hill to the left of the cairn; the views down the Dhakmar Valley are breath-taking, as is the sight of our horses descending into the tunnel-like pass. Rested, we descend steeply through the canyon and spires, droping way down to dwellings and green pastureland below. 20 minutes later, past the prayer flags at the start of the village, we reach the lively, sprawling village of Dhakmar (3820m), dominated by a dramatic, red canyon wall with many ancient cave dwellings. Across the stream on the western side is an old gompa. Sunsets against the red cliffs, which house Himalayan griffins and lammergeyers, are fantastic …

Following the small stream through the lower part of the village, green with old willows and more recently planted poplars, we continue hiking through a scenic, green valley, stopping occasionally for passing herds of sheep and goats. After crossing the small bridge, we reach the large chortens on the outskirts of Ghemi

Day 27 – Trek Samar 3605m
From Zaite, we continue on to Samar over the Syangboche La, with an option to visit the Chungsi caves en route …

From camp, we climb gradually, mostly along the small, dusty road, to reach the Syangboche La at 3825m meters. After a fewp photos of the dramatic Himalayan vista, with Annapurna 1, Niligiri and the peaks north bordering Tibet. We’ll drop down to small Syangboche village just below the pass and perhaps split into two groups.

CHUNGSI CAVES OPTION:
Once below Syangboche, we veer off to the left and descend into the valley, past seasonal doksas and shepherds herding their flocks of sheep and goats, on the eastern route to Samar via the important Chungsi Caves, at 3425 meters. En route, we see many nests of Himalayan Griffins high up in the cliff-faces, noticeable from their white below them (vulture droppings), and will see these majestic birds with their three meter wing-spans circling high above us. It should take us about an hour to reach the Chungsi Caves, one of the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche’s meditation caves. Up a series of rock steps to the entrance, and inside are fantastic ‘rangjung’ or self-created Tibetan Buddhist sculptures, chortens, ‘Tara’s terraced fields’ and others Buddhist relics. The old caretaker is from Gheling. *** See page 144, Tucci.

We’ve now got a steep but spectacular walk in front of us as we head towards Samar, which means ‘red earth’ in Mustangi. We climb high up into an incredible, vast canyon, with wonderful, expansive views the entire time, and reach the Chungsi La (3810m) , approximately 500 meters above the cave. Then down, again steeply, to the Jhuwa and Samarkhung Kholas, and back up the switch-backing trail to the entrance chorten of Samar. A good day’s trekking!

HIGH ROUTE:
The other, shorter and easier route, entails hiking over the Yamdo La (3860m) and then the Bhena La (3860m), but on a ‘Himalayan flat’ trail, so the ups and downs aren’t so steep and you’ll stay relatively at the same altitude between passes. After the Bhena La there is a steep drop down to the intersecting stream, which is crossed on a small bridge, and then another two small climbs until reaching the entrance chorten at Samar.

Lovely Samar is visible just below us, with its lovely poplar grove and flat-roofed houses, formerly a staging post for Khampa raids into Tibet. The Annapurna range, still dominated by Nilgiri, is visible to the south, a fantastic backdrop. We’ll set up camp on the green, shaded grounds of the New Annapurna Guest House, one of our favorite campsites and the owned by good friends Namygal Gurung. His brother Karma used to be our horseman, and is now one of our guides. Relax, have a wash in the cold stream next to the grassy, campsite and enjoy the afternoon and sunset over the Himalayan peaks in this charming village. Showers are available inside the lodge and feel free to go into the kitchen for a cup of salt-butter tea …

Day 28 – Trek Chhusang 2950m. Drive Jomsom 2720m
Trekking almost finished, but we’ll start the day with a couple of hours of hiking to reach our jeeps at Chhusang. It’s an easy hike up the Dajori La, and a long, wonderful descent, past the Gurung village of Gyakar aross the new suspension bridge, along our cliff-side canyon trail back to Tsaile, down and back across the tunnel bridge, and then along the riverbed for about 20 minutes to Chhusang.

Note the extensive number of caves in the massive rock face across the Kali Gandaki. Of these caves, the historian Gucci believes that they were the homes of the earliest Lo-pas, later used by hermit-monks as retreats. (As Tibetans in the western part of Tibet lived in similar caves until recently). Many anthropologists believe that the caves were the Neolithic sites of early man from a time when there was much more water, large forests and plentiful game to hunt.

There is a salt mine two hours from Chhusang, and fortified Tetang village just up the same valley; the salt trade was of utmost importance to Mustang in years past, and much of the wealth of the villages came from this trade. Across the Kali Gandaki , high up in the dramatic, fluted rock face, are clusters of ancient caves, their origins lost in antiquity

We’ll drive south on the east bank of the Kali Gandaki along the new road, high up on the plateaus above the river-bed, all the time with magnificent views from all sides. We head north past the red, white and black chortens to the fortress-like Gurung village of Tangbe (3030m) three hours past Kagbeni. Tangbe is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways separating white-washed houses, fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards, unique in Mustang with its moat-like drainage system. Tangbe is split into two sections, the ruins of its ancient dzong (fortress) in the upper section. Nilgiri, which dominates the southern skyline at Kagbeni, continues to loom massively at the foot of the valley. The village of Tiri Gaon sits on the west bank of the river.

Soon we reach Jomsom and are are greeted by the sound of jingling horse bells as the Mustangi people pass by with their pony caravans, and beautiful textiles are woven by hand looms in the traditional style, readily available for sale. Yak tails to adorn your horses or dust your house are also sold. We arrive in Jomsom along a long, cobbled trail in time for lunch, with the afternoon free to wander, wash and shop. We’ll celebrate our trek through ‘Forbidden’ Mustang at the Trekker’s Lodge in the evening, handing out tips, extra gear and a few beers to our fantastic staff …

Day 29 – Fly Pokhara + Kathmandu
Up early for our 20-minute spectacular mountain flight from Jomsom to Pokhara, flying between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South before landing in balmy Pokhara. We re-board for our short, scenic flight to Kathmandu, 198 east of Pokhara, flying high above the north-south rivers flowing down towards the Terai from the Himalaya and Tibet. We pass over terraced villages and green hills with the Ganesh, Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna ranges in the distance.

In Kathmandu, rooms are booked, showers are hot and laundry can be dropped off. We’ll meet for a farewell dinner tonight although we advise keeping an extra few days in Kathmandu post-trek …

NOTE: In the case of flight cancellation out of Jomsom everyone will be responsible for their rooms and meals after Day 30 of the trek.

Day 30 – Depart
We send you off to the airport for your flight home, and hope to see you again soon!

NOTE: We STRONGLY suggest you add at least one, and perhaps two days in Kathmandu at the end of the trek that allow for flight delays or cancellations leaving Jomsom.

Extra Days in Kathmandu | Customize your Journey!
We have plenty of great suggestions for extra days, or weeks, in Nepal! See our Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip! to put together the perfect journey.

Mountain biking, rafting, vespa tours or yoga retreats around the Kathmandu valley or Pokhara, trips to Bhaktapur or Patan (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic capital cities), a visit to the Newari temple of Changu Narayan and a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sublime Himalayan panoramas, an Everest sightseeing flight, a luxurious stay at Temple Tree Resort & Spa, paragliding, hiking or zip-lining in Pokhara, a spa & wellness getaway at Dwarikas Resort in Dhulikhel, a relaxing excursion to Chitwan National Park Wildlife Safari & Tharu Villages (staying at Maruni Sanctuary Lodge) or Bardia National Park, a weekend of adventure, sauna and pampering at The Last Resort or five-star treatment in historic Dwarika’s in Kathmandu.

Kamzang Journeys can customize any of these excursions for you, just inquire!

Drive Dharapani 1860m
After breakfast you’ll have an early start for the long, scenic drive from Kathmandu to Dharpani. The first section of the road to Besi Sahar follows the Trishuli River on the Kathmandu Pokhara highway, soon turning northeast to follow Marsyangdi River to Besi Sahar, (760m), a long, dusty town which used to be the start of the Annapurna Circuit trek. From here we’ll have a more adventurous drive up the Marsyangdi on a 4WD road to Jagat, past Chamje and on to Dharapani where you’ll spend your first night in one of Nepal’s famous lodges, or ‘tea-houses’. Showers are solar in the Annapurna region, and it’s first-come-first-serve, so wash off the dust from the drive and settle into Nepali village life with a beer … (8+ hrs driving)

Drive Koto Qupar 2565m
Back in our 4WD jeeps for another long day of driving, today along newly blasted mountain roads all the way to Koto.

It will take us a bit less than 3 hours of bumpy driving along the Marsyangdi River, past the new Chinese-funded hydro-electric project and other now-obsolete trekking villages to reach the once-lovely, cobbled village of Jagat (1335m). Just past Jagat we pass a series of large waterfalls plummeting from the steep canyon walls, and half-domed bee hives clinging precariously to the sheer rocks. Soon we reach Chamje, an atmospheric, ‘wild west’ village of traditional-style teahouses, often packed with brightly saddled horses. Staying high above the Marsyangdi on the same side (the left bank), we look down on scenic Tal, once a glacial lake and the first village in Lower Manang, on the opposite bank far below. Continuing through the now predominately ethnically-Tibetan Manang, we arrive at the Tibetan village of Dharapani (1945m), with prayer flags fluttering in the winds. Across the river, at the start of the trail leading to the Manaslu region, sits Thongje with its old, colorful gompa, part of the original Annapurna trail.

Driving north, we pass the hamlets of Karte & Khorte on alternate sides of the river and drive on the new road through dense  forests of pine and oak to Bagarchap and Danagyu. Finally, we drop back down to Koto Qupar, the starting point for our trek to Nar Phu. From the lodge (where we’ve set up camp) we can gaze straight up to the west to nearby Annapurna II, a breathtaking site. Koto Qupar is the gateway to Nar Phu, a small, atmospheric hamlet at the bottom of the deep gorge that we head up tomorrow. Our staff will have set up camp in the green backyard of a small teahouse, and we will get you set up in your Mountain Hardwear & Big Agnes tents, set up our famous ‘Kamzang-style Dining Tent’ and introduce you to the camp routine. Chai is brewing and a rest from the dust and bumps of driving is welcome!

Day 5 – Extra Day
As the road building allowed us to get further than we previously thought, and if we weren’t held back by land-slides, muddy roads or other Himalayan obstacles we’ll save this extra day for further along in the trek …

Day 8 – Trek Phu 4050m
Dropping steeply down to the river, we trek for a while along the river bank and past the ‘submarine’ rock, passing some small possible campsites along the way. Today we begin to see the unique, ochre and white chortens made of sticks, stone and mud-brick for which Nar and Phu are known. We have to rock-hop carefully across a small glacial stream before reaching a larger one with a bridge only half covered with large slabs of slate. Some large steps do the trick …

Another hour and a half of trekking through scenic canyon lands and gorges, and the ‘leaning tower of Pisa’ monolith guards the steep trail up to the Phu gate, called Pupigyal Kwe. This ancient gate provides us with our first view of the three villages of Phu, as well as an old ‘dzong’ and the remains of two forts, all now in ruins, but impressively situated atop the flatlands before Phu. Just before the bridge to Phu, a line of wonderful chortens color the landscape and lead the way to the main village of Phu, perched high up on a hill, amphitheater style. We will set up camp on the lower reaches of Phu, formerly called Gomdzong, and head up to the famous Tashi Lhakhang Gompa on a neighboring hillside to pay our respects to Lama Karma Sonam Rimpoche, a trulku who came to Nepal with His Holiness the Dalai Lama back in ’59. He is also a renowned amchi, or Tibetan doctor, as well as a thanka painter and father of several children (some trulkus as well as certain lamas are permitted to marry). Later, we might head up to the village to hunt down some chang.

Day 9 – Phu
Having spent quite a few days getting to Phu, we will spend an extra day in the area to enjoy it, meet the local Phu residents and perhaps do some exploring up the wide valley systems above us. Tibet is two long days away, so a bit far for a visit, but we might walk up the valley to the summer grazing settlement, or ‘kharka’ at Ngoru, a three hour’s walk past the gompa. For those with lots of energy, a hike towards the east through a glacial valley leads to Himlung Himal base camp, a 7125m peak recently opened for climbing. There are often expeditions climbing this peak, as well as nearby Gyanji Kang. The mountain views are tremendous.

For others, a walk west up past Phu towards the chortens on the hillside provides some incredible vistas and views down over Phu and the surrounding fields, forts, valleys and peaks. Phu itself is an incredibly interesting village, and a day is well spent sitting with the villagers as they spin their yak and sheep wool and chat, pound mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or involve themselves in the countless activities that take up a day in Tibetan villages. For photographers, the light is spectacular, and the skies a deep blue, and we may even see some blue sheep on the surrounding hillsides. A wander through the village will probably involve an invitation into someone’s home for some authentic Tibetan salt butter tea, or perhaps a small glass of local ‘raksi’, or rice/barley liquor.

Day 10 – Trek Junam 3550m
Back through Phu gate, we descend to the river, and retrace our steps back to Junam kharka, a lovely spot as any for our campsite for the evening. In 2003 we camped with some Phu residents (all but one women) on their way back up to Phu with huge loads of planks from the nearby forests, and the evening was filled with Tibetan, or Manangi songs, smoky shelters and that unique Tibetan laughter.

Days 12 to 17 – Trek Tangge (3215m) over the Teri La (5595m) * Exploratory Route to Upper Mustang
PROBABLE STOPS
Day 12 – Trek to Yak Kharka 4400m
Day 13 – Trek to Lapse Khola Camp 4500m
Day 14 – Trek to Teri La High Camp 4900m
Day 15 – Trek to Pasphu Khola Camp 4750m (cross the Teri La 5,595m)
Day 16 – Trek to Yakpa 4300m
Day 17 – Trek to Tangge 3360m

We’ve got six adventurous exploratory days in front of us as we trek the remote valleys, once old trade routes with Tibet and now used by locals for grazing their animals, over a very high pass and finally to Tangge, one of Mustang’s most scenic villages and just off the main Mustang trekking route. Locals from Tangge won’t use this route in July or August as they say it upsets the local gods and causes big storms.

We’ll follow the Dho Labse Khola past the local grazing doksas of Chhungseng and Chhubche followed by the intersecting Jomsom Khola coming from the north, and set up a high base camp at a chilly sumdo. Heading further west, we’ll cross the formidable 5595 meter Teri La (pass) which is just northeast of the Thorung La in the Annapurna region, across the Purkung Himal with the Chulu peaks just to the southeast of the pass.

Crossing the Rijung Chwa and Rijung Prama Kholas to our north as we get closer to Mustang, we follow the steep, green riverbanks of the Yak Khola, contouring around numerous ridges as we trek to the northwest. Later, far above the Yak Khola, we descend steeply into Mustang’s patchwork of villages below us, finally spoting the magical, whitewashed village of Tangge built into on the terraced hillside. We’ll have to cross the Tangge Khola on a good bridge, climbing slightly to the main trail. We’ll pass the impressive and beautiful group of red, yellow, white and blue-grey chortens and the long mani wall with four carved figures on each one before reaching our camp.

Day 17 – Arrive Tangge 3360m
Tangge is a village of twenty houses, many sheep, goats and large mastiffs and the largest chorten in Mustang, over 50 feet high. There was a massive mudslide some years ago which wiped out many of the houses and barley fields on both banks; an elder of the village told us there were over a hundred houses in Tangge before this disaster. The culture now that we’ve reaached Upper Mustang becomes even more Tibetan; sheep horns adorn the houses, and there are protective amulets in the shape of a cross on the walls of the houses, similar to what we find in the old Tibetan villages in Ladakh and Zanskar. These ‘zor’ do what the look like they might do, capture evil spirits in their web and protect the inhabitants of the household, and date from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. You will also see woman wearing the Tibetan decorative turquoise, coral and amber as well as ‘dzis’, ancient protective amulets of agate, which Mustangis believe came from lightening when it falls onto the mountains.

At the far end of the village is the high route to Yara. Look to the south for views of the snow-peak called Ka Karru by locals. The staff has set up camp at Tip Top campsite, just above the mani walls, a site sheltered from the unrelenting Mustang winds.

Day 18 – Trek Dhe 3930m
Leaving Tangge heading northeast, we climb briefly out of the village and continue on an undulating trail through a fantastic moonscape, colored by ochre, weatherworn rocks sculpted by centuries of wind and water erosion. We stay high, climbing gradually until we reaach a small pass which we called the Dhe La (4245m), decorated by a cairn of saligrams, a tribute to Vishnu and the local gods. A short descent through another bit of contorted landscape, past tri-colored chortens, leads to the remote village of Dhe, one of the most isolated in the Himalaya. The inhabitants are planning to leave their village in a few years to relocate just northwest of here as there are serious water issues in Dhe. Still, it’s a lively village with an old gompa to explore, and the villagers are friendly and welcoming as trekkers here are scarce. Enjoy the afternoon and get out to explore this beautiful village.

Day 19 – Trek Yara 3610m
We’re trekking along a little-used route on the far eastern fringes of Mustang, leaving remote Dhe and heading west along a somewhat rough trail. Climbing out of the village, we pass over more eroded gullies and stay on a high trail for a while, soon passing through an old mudslide which resembles a muddly glacier. To our right a distant trail heads east to Damodar Kunda and ancient clusters of cave dwellings appear dramatically in the cliff faces far above us. The trail crosses a small river and has a few ups and downs before it descends rather steeply to the riverbed below at just over 3400 meters. We wander down the small Dechyang Khola, collecting saligrams as we go and jumping or wading across (sandals would be a good idea) for an hour. To our right, near the end of the river at a settlement called Phangyakawa (where the Dhe-pa want to resettle), is a steep, switchbacking trail which we ascend.

Upon reaching the plateau, we’re treated to a feast of eroded canyons and hoodoos, so take some time to admire the scenery and take a few photos. We cross the plateau on a little-used trail, following it through more fantastic landscapes, and eventually spot the lovely, green village of Yara below, across the Puyung Khola. We descend to the rocky river bottom, cross the river and head for the village. We camp for the night in the courtyard of a local guest-house in the lower section of Yara, a bustling campsite full of Mustangi life. Have a walk above the village in the afternoon, lovely with the sun shining through the willow leaves which brighten the village. We sponsor a young girl from Yara, Tenzing Kondo, for a hearing problem, so we’ll hope to get a visit from her and her family … And perhaps a cultural dance in the evening, so be ready for a Mustangi party!

Day 20 – Trek Ghara 3930m | Visit Luri Gompa
After breakfast, heading northeast out of Yara, we pass fantastic, sculpted canyons with the remains of a network of ancient caves, now eroded enough to be inaccessible. We have a walk of less than an hour along the rocky, saligramed riverbed to the Tashi Kumbum cave complex, accessible via a narrow ledge of a trail. Tashi Kumbum is a newly discovered group of six cave dwellings dating from the 15th century, with fantastic Buddhist murals and a large exquisitely painted chorten. Gary McCue, who went there over fifteen years ago, wrote that the approach is very difficult/dangerous although though only an hour from Yara. We discovered last year that our lodge owner was actually the one who discovered the ancient Tashi Kumbum, and then went there with Gary McCue. Exiting stuff and really one of the most amazing works of Buddhist art I have ever seen.

Another hour along the Puyung Khola brings us to the fabled Druk-pa Luri Gompa and its complex of Tibetan Buddhist caves, some of which are accessible others now ‘closed’ forever. One of the older Kings of Lo married a Bhutanese princess, thus the Druk-pa influence. The main Luri Gompa is situated down near the riverbed; the teacher, kids in tow, will lead on a crumbling trail us up to the upper prayer-room and the fifteenth century ‘Kabum Stupa’, made of highly polished stucco and painted with intricately detailed Newari-styled Buddhist frescos of the Kagyupa saints Tilopa, Naropa and Marpa. Historians estimate them to be from the 13th or 14th century, and linked to the Tashi Kumbum caves, one of a group of connected cave dwellings throughout this particular region. Unfortunately, or fortunately, most have been rendered inaccessible due to the intense erosion in Mustang, so will remain hidden throughout history.

It’s an easy half-hour hike from Luri to the green oasis of Ghara, with its ruined gompa and old, winding walls, where the staff have set up our camp just above the village, in a walled enclosure with the village tap just below. We’ll have many villagers as visitors, both adults and kids, all of whom will bring some of their ubiquitous saligrams and Mustangi artifacts to display. We’ll be treated to fantastic mountain panoramas down-valley towards the Kali Gandaki at sunset and sunrise.

Day 21 – Trek Canyon Camp 3690m
We have a hard, six or seven hour day in front of us so have plenty of fresh coffee and a good breakfast before we head off. It’s a steep climb behind the village along a dusty trail, past several cave dwellings, for well over an hour to reach to the top of the Ghara La at 4380 meters. En route we’ll look down onto the red and white striped Luri Gompa and the patchwork of terraced fields of barley surrounding Ghara & Yara villages.

Contouring around several hillsides, staying high, we soon drop down to the green doksa of Kepuchhimi at the valley bottom, a stream running through it. Crossing the stone doksas, littered with dung, we have a steep climb on a trail of hardened mud back up to the plateau where we regain our expansive views of the sculpted rocks and canyons surrounding us. More scenic contouring and two small cairns later we reach the steep descent down to camp. We’ll have lunch overlooking the border of Tibet ahead of us and then start on the switchbacking down the 500-meter descent to the pebbly riverbed below. Another half hour of jumping the small Chaka Khola as we trek downstream brings us to our lovely Canyon Camp, where the sun goes down early but is a lovely spot for a wash in the network of streams, downstream from camp …

Day 22 – Trek Lo Monthang 3820m
A river day, bring your sandals; new adventures await us on our rarely visited route west. Our adventures continue as we trek through a magical world of salt drips, narrow canyons, pebbly flood plains and soaring cliffs. It’s ten minutes downstream to the first sumdo or river junction, where we take a sharp left into the narrow canyon of the Chuchu Gompa Khola, which soon widens into a large, pebbly flood plain. The right fork heads to the 14th-15th century Cho Dzong, ‘castle of the faith’, restricted for camping but which Peter Matheissen wrote about in his book, ‘East of Lo Monthang’ and which houses some of the most important Buddhist artwork in Mustang. Unfortunately the main cave entrance has now crumbled away and is inaccessible. The nomads to the north hold the key to the main gompa.

We have to cross the tangle of streams several times during this section, so best to hike in your sandals for the next hour. The valley is sublime, a feast of mustard yellow, reds and oranges gurgling out of natural springs as it narrows and widens, the horns of blue sheep marking our path. The canyon narrows around us as we hike. We’ve entered a lost world of contorted canyons, muted earth-tones and narrowing passages, the wonderful world of ‘lost’ Mustang. More mustard and blood-orange stained rocks signify mineral content in the organically-shaped rock, and we start to see salt drips suspended from the rock faces, intriguing hints to past salt trade in the region which made Mustang wealthy.

Soon we reach another river intersection where we hike up the hill and take the small bridge high over the river, possibly having to unload the horses in the narrow, high section just before the small bridge. At this sumdo the rivers become the Kali Gandaki River as it heads almost directly south. Further along the clear river, trekking along the riverside past the mustard-stained Tumu Khola intersecting our river from the right, we pass an incredible complex of caves gompas called Mar Dzong (or Mar Jhong), only explored a few years previously by an international research and climbing expedition. Inside these now nearly inaccessible caves the team found a treasure chest of 11th & 12th century scripts called Lemsa. There are several other caves built into the cliffs along today’s trail, testament to an ancient cave-dwelling civilization and the monks that later used them as meditation retreats.

Heading up the Nhichung Khola we pass Namaru Dikha kharka as we trek on sun-baked plateaus and up stone steps, crossing the river a few times. There are hot springs just below our trail, not very hot but worth sticking feet into. Finally we spot the ancient walls of the fabled city of Lo Monthang high on the plateau ahead of us. We head directly west following the gurgling, willow-shaded Dokpolo Khola for about an hour until we reach the gates of Lo Monthang. This is an wonderfully green section, with grassy river banks underfoot, stone walls bordering the river, and behind, backed by the snow-peaks bordering Tibet, the ruins of the once-imposing Lo Dzong.

We enter the outer walls of the city and head to Pema Bista’s campsite right at the walls to the city, under a small grove of ancient, sacred willows. The horses and crew will arrive behind us, so we will start exploring the maze-like alleyways of this fascinating village. Be prepared for the onslaught of tourism in Lo as vendors immediately find us and set up ‘shop’ next to the campsite. It’s not as pristine as it used to be, but just as mystical in the golden, yellow light as the local men bring their sheep and horses inside the city gates for the night. Perhaps, we we’ll have a cup of the infamous suija (salt butter tea) at Pema’s house in the afternoon, after visiting his shop. And we’ll have plenty of time to marvel at the surrounding panoramic views of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan peaks bordering Tibet.

Lo Monthang
In the 1380’s, King Ame Pal established his reign in Lo, aptly named the ‘Plain of Aspiration’, with the walled city of Lo Monthang as the capital and its inhabitants called Lobas. Within the walls of Lo Monthang are about 180 houses built among narrow streets, and some of the largest and finest Tibetan Buddhist gompas in Nepal. The city is quite prosperous due primarily to its past salt and wool trade along the Kali Gandaki with Tibet, and the Lobas themselves are still very Tibetan, living in Tibetan-style dwellings which we’ll have a chance to visit. There are even yeti (known here as mehti) prints rumored to be found.

Lo traditionally had a single entrance, through which only the King, Queen and Kempo (Abbot) were allowed to ride. All others must walk, to pay their respects to Chenrizig, the Buddha of Compassion. King Jigme Palbar Bista, called ‘Lo Gyelbu’ by the Mustangis, still resides at his four-storied palace inside the city walls; that is, when he’s not in Kathmandu. He is an avid horseman, and keeps his own stable of horses, some of the best in Mustang. These days, the king plays a somewhat ceremonial role although he is well loved and respected throughout Mustang. The present king is the 25th descendent of Ame Pal.

There are four major temples within the medieval walls of Lo, the 14th century, brick-red Jampa Lhakhang (the oldest gompa, built in 1387, with the striking 50 foot ‘Jampa’ (Future) Buddha, the largest clay statue in Nepal until a few years ago), 15th century Thubchen Gompa (Great Assembly hall, pillars 30 feet high, the second oldest gompa with fantastic murals in the Dukhang), Chhoede Gompa (where the Kempo lives, with a monastic school) and Choprang Gompa. There is also the Raja’s Palace, home to the present King Raja Jigme and Queen ‘Rani Sahib’ (who is from an aristocratic Lhasa family) and an interesting maze of a village to explore. There are approximately 1100 Lobas within the walls of the city although many lower caste Lobas live outside the walls. Many of the Lobas still practice polyandry.

Day 23 – Lo Monthang | Visit the Chosar & Thinggar Valleys 
NOTE: We recommend horses for anyone wanting to come along on this day-trip; others are free to stay and wander the intriguing streets of Lo. There is an amchi that runs a Tibetan herbal medicine clinic in town, two schools and even a coffee shop along with the increasing number of shops to visit.

Leaving Lo along a wide, canyon trail, past dry gullies and an ancient, ruined fortress, across a bridge and through a cultivated area, we finally view the cave village of Chosar, with the deep-red Nyphu Gompa built into the rock face. We’ll need to cross two bridges to arrive at the gompa, at 3760 meters. Plenty of time for photographs before rounding the chorten-toped bend, where we get views of Gharphu Gompa on the east banks of the Mustang Khola. Past the gompa is an incredible cave-dwelling site called Jhong Cave, which you negotiate by ladders and through small tunnels, very interesting and reputed to be 2500 years old. In front of us, a range of spectacular snow-peaks marks the border with Tibet, and around us gurgling streams and green meadows line our trail. If we take the long loop, we can stop at Nyamdo Gompa, ride over a small pass and then head back down the western valley to Lo.

The western valley leads to Namgyal Gompa (the Monastery of Victory), set spectacularly on top of a desolate ridge and the newest and most active gompa in Lo. The village of Namgyal spreads out past the Gompa. Just past the gompa is the large, sprawling village of Thinggar, where the King has his summer palace. There is a new gompa here, where we saw a puja (prayer ceremony) last year, and met most of the villagers! There are also many ancient ruins surrounding the village, some gompas and others old fortresses perhaps. Further on, we reach Kimaling village, which is an interesting, white-washed village surrounded by fields where we did some carpet shopping last year. Kimaling Gompa is below the village, on the way out as we head towards Phuwa and its gompa on the way down towards Lo. There are tremendous views of Namgyal Gompa backed by snow-peaks behind us as we wander up the valley, and white peaks in front of us bordering Tibet.

The Chosar valley was the main trading route with Tibet and Lhasa, and is peppered with the ruins of old fortresses guarding this strategic valley. Just north of this valley, over the border in Tibet, Lhakpa and I met a Tibetan man who still dealt in the trade of rare animal skins with Mustangi traders, a risky and of forbidden endeavor. It will be interesting to see if we can find out anything of this trade on the Nepal side of the border.

Back at camp, dinner is on the fire, tea is brewing, and cold beers are available from the tea-shops, so relax and enjoy our last evening in this magical capital.

Day 24 – Trek Nomad Camp 4280m
Leaving mystical Lo, we turn right out of the gate of Lo, cross a small bridge and head towards the high grazing plateaus of the nomads.Horses roam freely amongst the the crumbling walls and fields that surround Lo. We trek along the southern walls surrounding the city and hike for a few hours, following the valley bed, past the ruins of ancient fortresses and gompas. We climb the hill ahead of us, look back to the city-complex of Lo behind us, and drop down into the green valley below where to the ‘last nomads of Lo’ have now settled for most of the year. We have a bird-eye view over this scenic valley, dotted with nomadic tents of yak-hair, yaks, herds of sheep and goats, piles of yak dung and nomads. Several families live in this valley in their tents, and a few more in the valley over the next ridge.

We’ll possibly take a northern route to the nomad settlement depending on our plans ….

Our campsite is idyllic, set right next to a clear stream on a grassy, flat plateau looking down-valley over Himalayan peaks. We’ll visit the lively doksa later in the afternoon, perhaps being invited for a steaming cup of salt-butter tea and dried cheese. This is one of the last nomadic settlements in all of Nepal, a rare chance to see how real Tibetan nomads exist. We are quite high so it gets COLD in the evening. Sunsets and sunrises are perfect.

AFTERNOON TRIP: Hike over the hill to the north to visit the other nomadic settlements in the afternoon; all of the nomads were living in the Tibetan borderlands northeast of Lo Monthang, but many families moved to this spot about fifteen years ago to have better access to supplies, schools and medical facilities in Lo Monthang. From the hill between the camps, at the prayer flag, you can look right down to the walled city of Lo Monthang, a great view. Locals from Lo Monthang might come to the doksas to collect the sheep and goat dung that the nomads don’t use. We might get some yogurt from the nomads, delicious and fresh, and we can buy exquisite textiles from the nomads if we like.

Day 25 – Trek Tsarang 3575m (via Lo Gekar)
It’s an off the beaten path trekking day today as we head to Lo Gekar, or Ghar Gompa. Over a high ridge, we’ll see the imposing chortens of the Lo Gekar after a few hours. Lo Ghekar, ‘Pure Virtue of Joy’, sits majestically in the valley above us. Ghar Gompa, built in the 8th century, is one of the oldest gompas in Nepal. It belongs to the Nyimgma sect and is connected by legend to Samye Gompa in Tibet as well as to the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche. The name means ‘house gompa’ after the style of architecture, and harbors many exemplary frescoes as well as wonderfully carved and painted mani stones. Surrounding the gompa are massive, block-like chortens of a unique style and strings of colorful prayer flags fluttering in the winds of Mustang.

The story of Lo Gekar: Samye Gompa, the oldest gompa in Tibet, was repeatedly destroyed by demons when it was being built. The head lama dreamed that Guru Rimpoche could help with the construction and invited him to the site. The great Guru Rimpoche found demons to be the problem, and suggested that they first build Lo Gekar. Guru Rimpoche killed the demons at the spot that Lo Gekar was soon to be constructed. The long mani wall just south of Dhakmar is said to have arisen from the intestines of the demon, and the red cliffs above Dhakmar the blood of the demon. After Lo Gekar was completed, Samye in eastern Tibet was also successfully built.

Heading directly downvalley, we soon intersect the mail trail from Tsarang to Lo, and head south past the masive and newly re-constructed chorten along the trail. A few hours of easy trekking brings us to the fortified village of Tsarang, meaning ‘cock’s crest’, perched on the edge of a dramatic canyon. We walk between high walls to the south of the village, green with poplar and willow trees, and stop for a look at the Tsarang Gompa and its ruins, impressively built on a crag of rock. We we camp for the night at a lovely, grassy campsite called ‘Green Camping’ next to The Royal Mustang Holiday Inn run by a relative of the King, Maya Bista, the Palace and Gompa visible in the near distance.

Tsarang is a large village of 83 houses (population 400) built on top of the Tsarang Khola canyon, one of the later capitals of the Kingdom of Lo in the 14th century. Stone walls separate the houses and form tunnel-like paths, a new irrigation ditch lines the main street, and willow groves turn the village green. Tsarang bustles with its many shops, its own hydro-electric plant and quite a few guest houses and visitors. It is dominated by the massive, crumbling five-story Tsarang Dzong, a Tibetan-styled fortified palace built in 1378, and the large, ochre-hued Tsarang Gompa, built in 1385, of the Sakya sect and with the greatest library in Lo (the palace also has a great library). The dzong and palace were both built by Ame Pal and the other of the ‘Three Sangpos’. The palace has a wonderful, old prayer room with a gold-printed prayer book and a fascinating array of statues, thankas and large Buddha paintings that the resident lama will show you, and the withered 500 year old hand of the master architect of the palace. Tsarang Gompa is adorned with fantastic 15th century frescos on the assembly hall walls; don’t miss the older prayer room in back, once an ‘ani gompa’, or nunnery. Elaborate sand mandalas are created at the gompa at festival time, and then ceremonially deposited into the river at the festival’s end. Ekai Kawaguchi stayed nine months here in 1899, and Michel Peissel spent time with the Abbot of Tsarang, the king’s brother (the present king’s father) during his time in Mustang.

Take a walk through the maze of paths to the dzong and friendly gompa before dinner, and stop in at one of the many shops for a look. Many of the wealthier homes here have family shrines which you might be lucky enough to be invited to see. The local women will be herding their sheep through the narrow, walled paths as dusk as the snow pigeons circle, shimmering, under the setting sun …

Day 26 – Trek Zaite 3840m
A morning walk through the maze of Tsarang’s alleyways leads to the masive, brightly pained chorten which guards the entrace to Tsarang, and then hike along the dirt road for about an hour, soon reaching the Tsarang La (3870m). From the large cairn topped with Tibetan prayer flags, or lung-ta, we swithback steeply down to the bottom of the valley. Just ahead is a cluster of ancient chortens, some of the most massive in the Tibetan world, backed by dramatic, sculpted cliff-faces and said to be 1500 years old (the same as Lo Gekar); an awesome sight. The trail looks across the valley to ochre, blue and steel-grey cliffs, and leads us past tri-colored chortens and perhaps the longest and most spectacular mani wall in Mustang, behind which is the hospital.

After a short, steep descent we directly cross the new bridge and climb briefly up to Ghemi (3570m), built along the steep edges of the cliff as are many fortified villages in Mustang. There are actually the ruins of an old fortress somewhere in Ghemi, which was largely abandoned until the Khampa fighters set up a magar (war camp) here and brought new life and wealth to the village. We’ll wander a bit through this interesting village, passing the mani walls and prayer wheels, perhaps finding the key-keeper to open the Ghemi Gompa for us.

After lunch (or perhaps we’ll eat at the pass) we’ll continue on to Zaite, another 2 hours away up and over the Ghemi La. From Ghemi it’s a straight-forward climb to the Ghemi La (3520m) from where there are beautiful views down to Ghemi. Contouring to the south, we continue to climb gradually for another hour or so to the Nyi La (4010m), where we’re treated to Himalayan panoramas including Annapurna 1 & Niligiri, as well as the clusters of white-washed villages, ochre gompas and cave complexes in the Gelling valley. A short hike down the pass brings us to the Gelling intersection, from where we continue straight for about 10 minutes to our idyllic, green and sheltered campsite at Zaite

(Dhakmar route, which we won’t do …)
After a look at the ‘lha-khangs’ or prayer rooms of the gompa, we start up an easy series of passes, the Mui La (4130m) and its second ridge (4175m). We’ll stop for a break, gazing out at the Himalayan peaks in the distance. Blue sheep graze in these arid hillsides, their tracks stripping the otherworldly ridges, and griffins and choughs soar in the clear, blue Mustangi skies overhead. Climb the small hill to the left of the cairn; the views down the Dhakmar Valley are breath-taking, as is the sight of our horses descending into the tunnel-like pass. Rested, we descend steeply through the canyon and spires, droping way down to dwellings and green pastureland below. 20 minutes later, past the prayer flags at the start of the village, we reach the lively, sprawling village of Dhakmar (3820m), dominated by a dramatic, red canyon wall with many ancient cave dwellings. Across the stream on the western side is an old gompa. Sunsets against the red cliffs, which house Himalayan griffins and lammergeyers, are fantastic …

Following the small stream through the lower part of the village, green with old willows and more recently planted poplars, we continue hiking through a scenic, green valley, stopping occasionally for passing herds of sheep and goats. After crossing the small bridge, we reach the large chortens on the outskirts of Ghemi

Day 27 – Trek Samar 3605m
From Zaite, we continue on to Samar over the Syangboche La, with an option to visit the Chungsi caves en route …

From camp, we climb gradually, mostly along the small, dusty road, to reach the Syangboche La at 3825m meters. After a fewp photos of the dramatic Himalayan vista, with Annapurna 1, Niligiri and the peaks north bordering Tibet. We’ll drop down to small Syangboche village just below the pass and perhaps split into two groups.

CHUNGSI CAVES OPTION:
Once below Syangboche, we veer off to the left and descend into the valley, past seasonal doksas and shepherds herding their flocks of sheep and goats, on the eastern route to Samar via the important Chungsi Caves, at 3425 meters. En route, we see many nests of Himalayan Griffins high up in the cliff-faces, noticeable from their white below them (vulture droppings), and will see these majestic birds with their three meter wing-spans circling high above us. It should take us about an hour to reach the Chungsi Caves, one of the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche’s meditation caves. Up a series of rock steps to the entrance, and inside are fantastic ‘rangjung’ or self-created Tibetan Buddhist sculptures, chortens, ‘Tara’s terraced fields’ and others Buddhist relics. The old caretaker is from Gheling. *** See page 144, Tucci.

We’ve now got a steep but spectacular walk in front of us as we head towards Samar, which means ‘red earth’ in Mustangi. We climb high up into an incredible, vast canyon, with wonderful, expansive views the entire time, and reach the Chungsi La (3810m) , approximately 500 meters above the cave. Then down, again steeply, to the Jhuwa and Samarkhung Kholas, and back up the switch-backing trail to the entrance chorten of Samar. A good day’s trekking!

HIGH ROUTE:
The other, shorter and easier route, entails hiking over the Yamdo La (3860m) and then the Bhena La (3860m), but on a ‘Himalayan flat’ trail, so the ups and downs aren’t so steep and you’ll stay relatively at the same altitude between passes. After the Bhena La there is a steep drop down to the intersecting stream, which is crossed on a small bridge, and then another two small climbs until reaching the entrance chorten at Samar.

Lovely Samar is visible just below us, with its lovely poplar grove and flat-roofed houses, formerly a staging post for Khampa raids into Tibet. The Annapurna range, still dominated by Nilgiri, is visible to the south, a fantastic backdrop. We’ll set up camp on the green, shaded grounds of the New Annapurna Guest House, one of our favorite campsites and the owned by good friends Namygal Gurung. His brother Karma used to be our horseman, and is now one of our guides. Relax, have a wash in the cold stream next to the grassy, campsite and enjoy the afternoon and sunset over the Himalayan peaks in this charming village. Showers are available inside the lodge and feel free to go into the kitchen for a cup of salt-butter tea …

Day 28 – Trek Chhusang 2950m. Drive Jomsom 2720m
Trekking almost finished, but we’ll start the day with a couple of hours of hiking to reach our jeeps at Chhusang. It’s an easy hike up the Dajori La, and a long, wonderful descent, past the Gurung village of Gyakar aross the new suspension bridge, along our cliff-side canyon trail back to Tsaile, down and back across the tunnel bridge, and then along the riverbed for about 20 minutes to Chhusang.

Note the extensive number of caves in the massive rock face across the Kali Gandaki. Of these caves, the historian Gucci believes that they were the homes of the earliest Lo-pas, later used by hermit-monks as retreats. (As Tibetans in the western part of Tibet lived in similar caves until recently). Many anthropologists believe that the caves were the Neolithic sites of early man from a time when there was much more water, large forests and plentiful game to hunt.

There is a salt mine two hours from Chhusang, and fortified Tetang village just up the same valley; the salt trade was of utmost importance to Mustang in years past, and much of the wealth of the villages came from this trade. Across the Kali Gandaki , high up in the dramatic, fluted rock face, are clusters of ancient caves, their origins lost in antiquity

We’ll drive south on the east bank of the Kali Gandaki along the new road, high up on the plateaus above the river-bed, all the time with magnificent views from all sides. We head north past the red, white and black chortens to the fortress-like Gurung village of Tangbe (3030m) three hours past Kagbeni. Tangbe is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways separating white-washed houses, fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards, unique in Mustang with its moat-like drainage system. Tangbe is split into two sections, the ruins of its ancient dzong (fortress) in the upper section. Nilgiri, which dominates the southern skyline at Kagbeni, continues to loom massively at the foot of the valley. The village of Tiri Gaon sits on the west bank of the river.

Soon we reach Jomsom and are are greeted by the sound of jingling horse bells as the Mustangi people pass by with their pony caravans, and beautiful textiles are woven by hand looms in the traditional style, readily available for sale. Yak tails to adorn your horses or dust your house are also sold. We arrive in Jomsom along a long, cobbled trail in time for lunch, with the afternoon free to wander, wash and shop. We’ll celebrate our trek through ‘Forbidden’ Mustang at the Trekker’s Lodge in the evening, handing out tips, extra gear and a few beers to our fantastic staff …

Day 29 – Fly Pokhara
Up early for our 20-minute spectacular mountain flight from Jomsom to Pokhara, flying between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South before landing in balmy Pokhara. We re-board for our short, scenic flight to Kathmandu, 198 east of Pokhara, flying high above the north-south rivers flowing down towards the Terai from the Himalaya and Tibet. We pass over terraced villages and green hills with the Ganesh, Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna ranges in the distance.

In Kathmandu, rooms are booked, showers are hot and laundry can be dropped off. We’ll meet for a farewell dinner tonight although we advise keeping an extra few days in Kathmandu post-trek …

NOTE: In the case of flight cancellation out of Jomsom everyone will be responsible for their rooms and meals after Day 30 of the trek.

Day 31 – Fly Kathmandu
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Day 31 – Trip Ends
We send you off to the airport for your flight home, and hope to see you again soon!

NOTE: We STRONGLY suggest you add at least one, and perhaps two days in Kathmandu at the end of the trek that allow for flight delays or cancellations leaving Jomsom.

2017 Dates
Spring (30 days)

Trek Price

+ FREE Single Supplement (Single Tents & Kathmandu Guest House)!
+ Domestic Flights Included (4)
+ 18-Day Upper Mustang + ACAP Permits Included
+ Hotel Barahi Upgrade – $65 (Per Room)
+ Om’s Home Upgrade – $45 (Per Room)
+ Trekkers Inn Jomsom – $10 (Single Room)
+ Price for 5+ Trekkers

Hotel & Lodge Upgrades (Camping Trek)
+ Lakeview Resort Single Upgrade A/C Cottage – $50 (Single Room)
+ Hotel Barahi Upgrade – $65 (Per Room)
+ Trekkers Inn Jomsom Single Upgrade – $10

Lodge Room Upgrades (Lodge Trek)
+ Temple Tree Upgrade – $90 Single & $45 Double (Per Person)
+ Maya’s Heritage Inn – $135 Single & $65 Double (Per Person, Deluxe Room)
+ Royal Mustang Resort Deluxe or Suite Room Upgrade – $165 & $250 Deluxe & Suite (Per Room)
+ Tiji Festival Rates Royal Mustang Resort – $65 Per Room
+ Om’s Home Upgrade – $45 (Per Room)
+ The Moksha Upgrade – $375 Single & $200 Double (Per Person), Lunch $30 Dinner $35 (+ 24% Taxes)

Kathmandu Guest House Single & Double Upgrades 
+ Deluxe Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $135
+ Suite Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $225

Kathmandu Guest House | Extra Nights Room Price
Includes Breakfast & Taxes

Standard Single – $55
Standard Double – $65
Deluxe Single – $100
Deluxe Double – $110
Suite Single – $130
Suite Double – $140

Chitwan Extensions | Maruni Sanctuary Lodge, Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge or Barahi Jungle Lodge
$ Inquire

Includes

• Western + Sherpa Guide | Kim + Lhakpa Sherpa
• Upper Mustang Permit
• Annapurna Conservation Area Permit
• Kathmandu Guest House
• Hotels En Route to Trek
• Group Transportation by Private Vehicle
• Airport Transfers
• Domestic Flights + Departure Taxes
• NO Single Supplement on Trek
• Kamzang Journeys Trekking
  Marmot, North Face (or similar) expedition tents, gourmet food with seasonal, fresh produce, French Press organic coffee, chai, Kashmiri + herbal teas, Katadyn filtered drinking water, warm washing water, library with regional books, ‘lounge’ with colorful Indian dhurrie rugs, Crazy Creek camp chairs, blankets, occasional tent music in evenings, oxygen & PAC bag (when needed), full medical kit, horses, yaks or porters, Western, Sherpa & local guides (when needed), our 5-star Kamzang team + (of course) our signature yellow Kamzang dining tent (The Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness). NO single supplement for single tents on our treks!

Safety & Health Precautions

• Thuraya Satellite Phone
• InReach Satellite Messaging System (Free Texts on Trek)
• Updated Route Published on InReach Site
• Helicopter Evacuation Services (excluding cost of evacuation)
• Oxygen Saturation Monitoring System
• PAC Bag (Portable Oxygen Chamber)
• Full Medical Kit + Stretcher
• Kayadyn Filtered Drinking Water
• Safe, sanitary, delicious & plentiful food + drinks

Excludes

• International Flights
• Travel Medical + Travel Insurance (both required)
• Nepal Visa
• Helicopter Evacuation
• Meals (while not on trek)
• Monastery Donations
• Equipment Rental
• Alcohol, Sodas & Packaged Drinks
• Laundry
• Tips

Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $250 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and tips. We recommend $300 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

TripAdvisor Reviews

• Remote Nar Phu’s fortress villages
• Wild & remote Teri La route to Tangge & Upper Mustang
• A unique insight into ‘Old Tibet’
• The most removed of Mustang’s medieval, colorful villages
• Camping with Tibetan nomads & their yaks and sheep in their high plateau camps
• ‘Sky-cave’ monasteries with exquisite murals
• Luri Gompa & Tashi Kabum
• Fortresses, palaces & cave hermitages
• Tibetan Buddhist monasteries
• Incredible sculpted valleys and wild rock formations
• Classic scenery of the high Tibetan plateau
• The Kali Gandaki gorge & fossil collecting
• Our secret Mustang…

Client Highlights + Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

Client Comments
Kamzang Journeys trips are, without a doubt, the best way to take a ‘regular’ destination and turn it into a great adventure that goes above and beyond. If a normal tour trip does something, Kamzang Kim will do it better. If the normal itinerary goes to the normal spots, Kamzang Journeys will take you to the less-known, rarely-visited, special and fantastic places. And on top of that? Kim and Lhakpa are a true pleasure to deal with, and make the process fun. The details are taken care of. The camps have a personal touch. Everywhere you go, they know the locals. Everywhere you camp, you feel at home. What more could a trekker ask for?
– Alex P, (Canada) Sky Caves + Last Nomads of Upper Mustang Trek 2017

Kim and her Kamzang Journeys team are fantastic! The food was excellent, love the cinnamon scrolls  Kim and all of her crew do a great job of looking after everyone. After a long days trekking it was great to see the Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness ready and waiting with hot tea and snacks 
– Colin B (Australia), Sky Cave + the Last Nomads of Mustang Trek Spring 2017

I have done numerous treks in the Himalayan region over the last 25 years, and I would rate Kamzang Journeys at the top of my list for trekking companies. Excellent service, attention to detail, great food, good equipment, friendly and competent staff. We had far more snow than normal on our March-April trek, and alternate plans were made while sticking as much as possible to the original itinerary. The crew went above and beyond to help us get where we wanted to go. Pay attention to the trip description. They travel to out of the way places and take the more difficult route – on purpose!
– Kate C (USA), Sky Caves & Last Nomads of Mustang Trek 2015

I must say that on reflection there was a lot more that I got out this trek than I initially realized. We faced many challenges due to unseasonal weather but Kim and Lhakpa always found a way to get us where we needed to be. Kamzang Journeys provides a unique experience that is backed by professionals who go out of their way to make the trek as exciting and enjoyable as possible. Would really recommend Kamzang Journeys to anyone who is looking for a great Himalayan experience!
– Greg W (Australia), Sky Caves & Last Nomads of Mustang Trek 2015

Thanks again for the absolutely spectacular trip, and hopefully we won’t delay nearly as long next time in making our way back to Nepal!
– Anne P (Canada), GHT | Nar Phu to Upper Mustang Trek 2014

Mustang is a must with Kim! In 2013 I was lucky enough to trek with Kim through the upper mustang region of Nepal. This was my second trip to Nepal but my first with Kamzang Journeys. Kim and her talented crew created a welcoming and safe environment to explore the upper mustang region including the highlight of visiting the last nomads in Nepal. Kim’s organisational skills and connections in the region insured any unforeseen circumstances were dealt with humour and a minimum of fuss. I will never forget this experience and look forward to many years of trekking with Kim and Kamzang Journeys. Kim, Thanks to you & Lhakpa for the fantastic adventure you gave us! You kept us safe and gave us memories that will stay with us forever. I had so much fun and so many laughs, a Kamzang adventure!
– Sue W (Australia), GHT | Nar Phu to Upper Mustang Trek 2013

I did the Upper Mustang Trek in 2011 and the Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek in 2012 with Kim and her outstanding crew, and am going back again this coming April. 
Kim is truly professional, reliable, safe and very organized. Kim and Lhakpa’s knowledge of these remote countries make you feel so relaxed that you just enjoy the scenery everyday. They also know the people in the different villages we go through. At camp the food is excellent, clean and gear is top. 
It is an incredible experience!
– Nan (France), Sky Caves & the Last Nomads of Mustang Trek 2011, Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2012

Thank you for making this trip one of the most memorable ones in my lifetime. You have been a friend when I needed one, a leader when the group needed one, an impeccable organizer and a great conversationalist. I marvel at your unlimited energy.
– Shivan M (USA, India), Sky Caves & Last Nomads of Mustang Trek 2011

Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip + Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Travel Reading | Enhance Your Trip!
Travel Books

Clear Sky, Red Earth: A Himalayan Story – Sienna Craig + Tenzin Norbu

Articles + Documentaries on Mustang

Upper Mustang – Kamzang Journeys Trek | Colin + Pauline’s Blog

Myths & Mountains in Nepal | New York Times

Cave People of the Himalayas | National Geographic

Secrets of Shangri La: Quest for Sacred Caves | National Geographic

Lost Treaures of Tibet | PBS Documentary

The Ancient Mysteries of Mustang’s Caves | BBC

Sky Caves of Nepal | National Geographic

Cave People of the Himalaya | PBS

New Death Ritual Found in Himalaya | National Geographic

Mustang, a Kingdom on the Edge | Al Jazeera

Mustang, a Kingdom on the Edge (YouTube) | Al Jazeera

Foreign Correspondent: The Road | ABC

Mustang: Lives & Landscape of the Lost Tibetan Kingdom | Photo Essay – Global Oneness Project

Before They Pass Away (Photos) | Jimmy Nelson

Himalayan Art | Mustang Cave Art

Nepal Diary: A Gift of Sight Expedition

Buddhists, Reconstructing Sacred Tibetan Murals, Wield Their Brushes in Nepal | New York Times

Earth Door Sky Door – Paintings of Mustang by Robert Powell | Asian Art

How Tibetans Survive on the Roof of the World |

Modernizing Mustang

A Fortress in the Sky: The Last Forbidden Kingdom of Tibetan Culture (Photo Essay) | Washington Post

Himalayan Healers | Nepali Times

Mustang, the Kingdom of Lo (parts from Kamzang Journeys)

Last King of Mustang Dies at 86 – My Republica

Last King of Remote Buddhist Kingdom Dies in Nepal – Indian Express

Documentary Movies on Mustang
Secrets of Shangri La: Quest for Sacred Caves | National Geographic | Leisl Clark (Director)YouTube Download
YouTube Preview

Mustang: Hidden World Beyond the Himalaya | Ghang-Tuk Tsokpa Film (Available in Kathmandu)
YouTube Preview

Online Articles on Nar Phu
Nar Phu | ECS Magazine
Into Thin Air | How to Spend It

Mustang
Formerly the Kingdom of Lo and a part of the Western Tibetan Kingdom of Ngari, ‘forbidden’ Mustang has lured intrepid travelers to its remote realm for centuries, but only the most adventurous made it to this mountainous and inaccessible bastion of Tibetan Buddhism and its mythical walled city of Lo Manthang.

People have inhabited this harsh region for thousands of years, some of the early dwellers living or meditating in ancient caves, rich in Buddhist art, which pepper the bizarre rock formations. Mustang became part of the Yarlung Dynasty of central Tibet, later falling under the jurisdiction of the Malla Kingdom of Nepal (Jumla) and in the fifteenth century, the independent Kingdom of Lo was founded, ruling such other remote regions as Dolpo. It was only incorporated into the Kingdom of Nepal in 1951. Soon afterwards, renegade Khampa freedom fighters battling the Chinese used Mustang as a base of operations, and it was closed to all Westerners until 1992.

There are 9 sacred kabums, or cave monasteries, in Mustang, and an estimated 10,000 caves. Ka = ‘teaching of Buddha’ & bum = ‘rimpoche’.

This mythical land north of the 8000 meter peaks Annapurna and Dhaulagiri still requires a special restricted area permit to enter, and numbers are limited, thus helping to preserve its unique heritage.

A Short History of Mustang

• 7th century: Mustang was part of the Tibetan empire, and the mystic Milarepa spent a summer here in 651.
• 11th century: Upper Mustang had followed the Bon religion, based on a cult of royal tombs and sacrifices. Upper Mustang was visited by masters from southwest Tibet. Lo was ruled by kings of western Tibet, and Buddhism was reestablished.
• 13th -14th century: In the 13th century a Kashmiri scholar from Tibet, Sherap Rinchin, visited Mustang and translated 5 texts of the Tengyur. During the 13th & 14th centuries, Mustang was ruled by kings of Guntang in Tibet and protected by the fort in Muktinath. They had close ties with the Sakya sect of Buddhism in Tibet, which had the patronage of the Yuan dynasty in China. The fortresses may have been built to protect Mustang against the rulers of Jumla.
• 14th century: There had been a practice of creamating 1/2 dozen men alive whenever a man died until the 14th century, which was put to an end along with the slaughter of animals. The Tibetan governor of Guntang’s son, Chokyongbum, reconquered the western Tibet region of Purang (1380s) and gained governorship of Purang Fort (Barang?), presiding over Lo & Dolpo.
• 14th – 15th century: Chokyongbum’s son Ampel extended Lo’s rule to include Purang & western Tibet. Lo gained independence from Guntang and gained an important fortress at Khacho.
• 15th – early 17th century: Mustang went to war with Tibet in the 15th century. Mustang was called the Kingdom of Lo, and then dominated the salt trade along the Kali Gandaki River and throughout the Tibetan region . It was a wealthy and powerful region.
• 17th century: Mustang was forced to pay levies (taxes) to the Kingdom of Jumla and came under their extended Kingdom.
• 1795: Jumla was defeated by the Gorkhas and the Kingdom of Lo (Mustang) transferred its allegiances to Gorkha, which by then was the capital of a unified Nepal.
• 1855: Lo supported Nepal against the Tibetans. The King of Nepal thus allowed the King of Mustang to keep his title of ‘Raja of Mustang’ although he had little politely power.

Birdlife
Hill and rock pigeons, crag martins, rose finches, pied wagtails, rock buntings, black redstarts, impeyan pheasants, grandala, snowcock and white-capped river chats, Himalayan griffin, lammergeiers, golden eagles (and many more).

Wildlife
Snow leopards, black bear, marmot, lynx, black wolf (chango), Himalayan wooly hare, blue sheep, red fox, pikas (and more).

Caves + Murals
“Mustang, the former Kingdom of Lo in northern Nepal, is home to one of the world’s great archaeological mysteries. In this dusty, wind-savaged place, hidden within the Himalayas and cleaved by the Kali Gandaki River, are approximately 10,000 human-built caves. In the mid-1990s, archaeologists from Nepal and the University of Cologne began exploring the stacked caves and found several dozen bodies, all at least 2,000 years old. Since then, groups have continued to investigate the remote Upper Mustang site, but no-one has discovered who built the caves.”

“From Tombs to Homes. Scientists divide cave use in Upper Mustang into three periods. As early as 1000 BC, the caves were used as burial chambers. During the 10th Century, the region is thought to have been frequently battled over, and consequently, placing safety over convenience, families moved into the caves, turning them into living quarters. By the 1400s, the caves functioned as meditation chambers, military lookouts or storage units as people moved into villages.”

“In 2010, a team of mountaineers and archaeologists uncovered 27 human remains in Samdzong’s two biggest caves. The relatively intact skeletons – dating from the 3rd to the 8th Centuries, before Buddhism came to Mustang – had cut marks on the bones. Scientists believe that this burial ritual may have been related to the Buddhist practice of sky burial: to this day, when a citizen of Mustang dies, the body is sliced into small pieces, bones included, to be swiftly snatched up by vultures.”

– Excerpts from The Ancient Mysteries of Mustang’s Caves, BBC

“In the 1990s, a high Himalayan cave in Upper Mustang, Nepal was discovered to contain 42 ancient people, buried on wooden bunk beds. American archaeologist Dr. Mark Aldenderfer believes there must be more burial caves … (His) theory is the funerary caves were carved out by the earliest people to have settled in the Himalaya. If he can find their remains and extract their DNA, he’ll learn who these people were and what brought them to the toughest parts of the planet to live.

A series of burial caves are discovered above the riverbed, with human remains spilling forth from dangerously eroding caves … (They) recover bones from a total of 27 individuals: adult men, women, adolescents, even infants, along with their goats, cows and a horse. Wood inside the caves provides the clue that bunk beds must have housed the bones at one time.

Upon cleaning and taking painstakingly detailed observations of each bone, Eng discovers that 63 percent of the bones have cut marks on them, clear evidence of defleshing! Aldenderfer’s quest takes an unexpected turn toward the macabre as he begins to trace the mortuary practices of Himalayan peoples, including the distinct sky burial rituals of the people of Upper Mustang today, where they cut up the flesh and bones of their dead and offer them to birds of prey. Could this modern practice, which dates back to the eighth century, be somehow related to the early peoples found with cut marks in Mustang’s caves? Aldenderfer thinks so. Carbon dating reveals the cave people were from the 5th century. Their practice of defleshing bones was likely a precursor funerary ritual that eventually led to the development of what is known as sky burial by ethnically Tibetan peoples today.

Another cave tomb discovery, however, reveals to Aldenderfer that Mustang was home to a mosaic of cultures, all practicing different means of disposing of their dead. This cave has no bunk beds and there’s no evidence of cut marks on the skeletal remains. (He) discloses that the dead were put into pits with multiple layers of sticks and stones. By analyzing the ceramics inside the burial cave, Aldenderfer concludes that the people interred inside date to approximately 1000 BC. This culture, likely different from the defleshed peoples found a little further north, was one among many, Aldenderfer believes, that traveled along Upper Mustang’s Kali Gandaki River Valley trade route. Aldenderfer’s cave people and their differing mortuary practices prove that the Kali Gandaki was a major trade artery connecting migrating people, their goods and their evolving funeral rituals with the well-traveled and highly influential Silk Road, further to the north.”

 – Excerpts from National Geographic Special: Cave People of the Himalaya, produced by National Geographic Television & Liesl Clark, Sky Door Films

+++++

“Till now, the most interesting archaeological finds in Upper Mustang were sky caves containing human remains 1,500 years old, and scriptures and textiles suggesting the region’s links to the ancient Silk Road. But recently, Fidel Devkota, an anthropologist has discovered 90 rock paintings made of red and yellow ochre that he says could rewrite the history of the people of this part of Nepal that juts into the Tibetan Plateau. The paintings of wild yaks, horses and other animals, with depictions of the crescent moon and human figures, were found on rock faces in the Kya and Ludak Valleys in the eastern part of Mustang.

“The paintings and inscriptions are different in style, execution, composition and placement, suggesting that they are from various historical periods,” says Devkota, who had been documenting the impact of climate change in Mustang for the past 10 years when he came across the rock art which are in such a remote location, even local herders didn’t know of them. At the Kya Valley site, the paintings were found on a cliff facing southeast towards Bhrikuti Himal, and although the Ludak rock art site is exposed it was only found three years ago.

Devkota collaborated with John Vincent Bellezza, an archaeologist and cultural historian specialising on Tibet, and the two have jointly published a paper, ‘Obscured for Centuries: The Lost Rock Art of Lo Mustang’, documenting the discovery. As carbon dating has not yet been done, Belleza compared the rock art and inscriptions, based on Devkota’s photographs, with the rock art in western Tibet, Sipti and Ladakh. He dates some of the paintings as far back as pre-7th century CE.

“The first phase of paintings is prehistoric but the later phases are clearly motivated by Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon religious practices,” writes Devkota in the paper. The rock art depicts hunting and other wild animal-human interaction, birth giving, anthropomorphic portraits, tiered shrines and other sacred symbols. Belleza writes that the rock art in Kya and Ludak focuses on the beliefs, values and activities of the painters, although pinpointing their specific traditions is difficult. It is also difficult to discern whether the artists were pastoralists or agriculturists or both.

Given that the Shar-ri region was visited by prominent masters of Tibetan Buddhism and adherents of the Bon Po, Devkota writes that more detailed examination of the rock art and other sites may lead to identification of important centres of the faiths here. He also notes that the pigments have faded and some of the relics have deteriorated, while the sites are vulnerable to rock slides and erosion, revealing an urgent need to protect the sites from rockfalls and the harsh climate of the plateau. Says Devkota: “Even if we cannot preserve it on site, we should at least have proper documentation for the future because if we lose it now, we may never fully understand what these works represent.”

Professor Purushottam Lochan Shrestha was on a field visit to Changu Hill overlooking Kathmandu with his students four years ago when a shopkeeper mentioned paintings in the nearby Kalika Gufa. Curious, Shrestha found the cave and came upon hitherto unknown art works from the Malla era. There were paintings of a helmeted soldier, another of Hanuman carrying a mountain and two others of King Pratap Malla kneeling.

To the south of Bhaktapur in Tathali, Shrestha later discovered rock edicts from the Malla period carved into three huge rockfaces. The 15 inscriptions dating back 700 years mention that the rocks from here were used to build the Vatsala Temple in Bhaktapur, which came down in the 2015 earthquake. There are also paintings of elephants and horses. Since the findings, Shrestha has been on a one-man search, without any government help, for other cave and rock inscriptions that could throw more light into the early history of Kathmandu Valley.

“Rock paintings and inscriptions provide a rare window to our history: we need more research,” says Shrestha, who has documented the findings in a recent book, Guha, Guhalekh, Guhachitra ewam anya Sampada. “There are rock quarries with ancient paintings that are in danger of being lost forever.”

Nar Phu
The Nar Phu valleys combines high peaks and passes, glaciers, remote villages, narrow canyons, lovely forests, amazing rock formations, yaks, gompas and two remote Tibetan villages (Nar & Phu). The inhabitants are Lama, Gurung and Ghale, all ethnically Tibetan. There are 5 gompas (monasteries) in Nar, and 3 in Phu, a large number for such a small valley; many of the lamas are ‘ngakpas’, or practitioners of the mantras, who may live as a householder rather than a monk.

Two long days of walking from the border of Tibet, this region was first explored by Tillman in the 1950s. Closed to trekkers until late 2002, few westerners have explored these virtually untouched villages or climbed the many 7000m peaks surrounding it. Along with spending plenty of time at these colorful and timeless villages, we explore the high alpine valleys above Phu (including Himlung Base Camp for those who want to), and then from Nar cross the Kang La to Ngawal on the upper Pisang route leading back into the Annapurna circuit.