Itinerario 2011

ITINERARIO

Day 1 - Arrive Kathmandu 1340m

You’ll be met at the airport by a representative from the Kathmandu Guest House, who will bring you back to the Kathmandu Guest House, where your rooms are booked. Kim will meet you at the guest house and introduce you to Thamel, the main tourist area of Kathmandu. Thamel is a myriad of banners, signs, music shops, bakeries, internet cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, shops of all imaginable varieties and eccentrically clad backpackers. Over dinner we check your insurance details (please have a copy of your travel medical insurance policy with you), go over gear and get to know each other over a beer at New Orleans cafe.

Day 2 - Kathmandu

A free day to explore exotic Kathmandu and the mythical Kathmandu valley. Options: Climb the many steps to Swayambhunath (the monkey temple), with its commanding views of Kathmandu (at 1420 meters). 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. Boudhanath attracts Sherpas, Tibetans and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the stupa. Durbar Square, one of the old capitals of the Kathmandu valley, is a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist temples, stupas and statues. Hindu Pashupatinath and its sacred temple complex on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit meditating.

Day 3 - Fly Pokhara 800m

Up early for our short but scenic flight to Pokhara, 198 kilometers west of Kathmandu. You will fly high above the north-south rivers flowing down towards the Terai from the Himalaya and Tibet, over terraced villages and green hills with the Ganesh, Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna ranges in the distance, to balmy, sub-tropical Pokhara. We stay at the fantastic Barahi Hotel, it's clear pool a wonderful oasis in the afternoon heat.

Day 4 - Fly Jomsom 2720m. Trek Kagbeni 2900m

Another early breakfast after which we head to the Pokhara Airport for our spectacular mountain flight to the district headquarters of Mustang, Jomsom. From the airport we have a fantastic panorama of Himalayan peaks: to the far west, Dhaulagiri, followed by Annapurna South, Hiun Chuli with Annapurna I in back, the sacred Macchhapuchhre (Fishtail), Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal and perhaps, on a clear day, Manaslu, Peak 29, Himal Chuli, Boudha Himal and Ganesh Himal to the distance to the far east. Once on the ground in Jomsom at 2720 meters, we trek up the windy Kali Gandaki valley to Kagbeni. The wide trail along a sandy, saligram-filled riverbed provides views of the surrounding peaks of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche and Niligiri, and to the south the entire Annapurna Massif. Kagbeni, spectacularly situated atop a cliff, is the last village in Lower Mustang and guards the entrance into Upper Mustang, visible across the Kali Gandaki riverbed. We'll stay at the New Annapurnas Lodge for the night, with time to explore the village. Enjoy the fantastic views down-valley to Niligiri in the late afternoon, the alpenglow coloring it a lovely pink hue ...

Day 5 - Trek to Tsaile 3060m

After breakfast, we enter the restricted area of Upper Mustang with our staff and horse caravan in tow. We head high up a trail of scree to a ridge crest, which affords us wonderful views of the patchwork of Kagbeni and Niligiri down the valley. We continue trekking 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 to the fortress-like Gurung village of Tangbe (3030m) 3 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. An hour and a half past Tangbe we reach Chhusang village (2950m) There is a salt mine two hours from Chhusang, and fortified Tetang village just up the same valley. Across the Kali Gandaki , high up in the dramatic, fluted rock face, are clusters of ancient caves, their origins lost in antiquity. Across the Narsing Khola, crossed by rock-hopping, is the northern part of Chhusang, which we wind our way through, passing the archery field at the end of the village. We head down to the rocky Kali Gandaki River bed where we might find saligrams from the Jurassic period (160 million years old) which were embedded in sediment of the sea floor. We soon cross the river on log bridges to the trail leading to Tsaile, which looms high above us on the plateau. It's a steep climb up a rocky gully to Tsaile, where we set up camp for the night at the top of the village in the yard of a converted horse stable.

Day 6 - Trek to Shyangboche 3765m

After breakfast, we ascend steeply to a ridge above Tsaile. The scenery is awesome, the classic high altitude desert of the Tibetan high plateau, and in back of us a chain of Himalayan peaks. Our trail continues to ascend as we trek past the river valleys leading into the Kali Gandaki River. Soon we reach a spectacular, steep canyon-side trail leading north into Upper Mustang. Across the canyon, there is a new suspension bridge to access the remote village of Ghyakar. The Dajori La, at 3600 meters, is marked by rock cairns, a 2 1/2 - 3 hour trek from Tsaile. The Annapurna range, a fantastic backdrop. We pass through Samar and descend steeply on a switch-back trail to the Samarkyung Khola where we soon take the left fork, climb steeply on stone steps to a view-point. We continue past the seasonal Bhena village along a lovely, high, wooded trail with wonderful, broad vistas across the canyons, climbing sharply up to the Beg La, just a ridge, and past the two-house seasonal village of Yamda. After an unrelenting gradual ascent, we finally reach the Yamda La (3985m), adorned with a large cairn and a tangle of multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags. The views from the top are spectacular, so we'll stop for a bit to enjoy them. A steep switch-back cutting down through the new, dirt road leads to the small hamlet of Shyangboche (3765m).

Day 7 - Trek to Dhakmar 3820m

We have a short climb after breakfast to the Shyangboche La, just 50 meters above the village. There are fantastic Himalayan panoramas from the crest, and we look down to the east to the picturesque village of Geling. We trek north on the new road, cutting down to a smaller trail which leads over a small stream. We climb to the small hamlet of Tamagaon (3700m) and continue amongst rounded granite boulders to the small hamlets of Chhunggar (3750m), where there is a large, colorfully striped chorten at each end of the village. On to another small hamlet called Zaite (3820m), from where our trail intersects the trail and dirt road leading up from Geling. We head up to the Nyi La (4000m), just a half hour climb from the intersection. More of Upper Mustang opens up in front of us a the cairn-topped pass, including the new road snaking its way to Tibet. We continue to the Ghemi La where there are wonderful views down to the checkered fields and large, beautiful village of Ghemi (3570m). We descend steeply down to Ghemi, built along the steep edges of the cliff as are many fortifed villages in Mustang. Afterwards, we take a small, rocky trail down to a bridge crossing the Tangmar Chu and stop for lunch on the grassy banks of the river. Revived, we cross the bridge and climb a steep, dusty hill. 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. We continue to the lively, sprawling village of Dhakmar, dominated by a dramatic, red canyon wall with many ancient cave dwellings. Sunsets against the red cliffs, which house Himalayan Griffins and Lammergeiers, are fantastic.

Day 8/9 - Trek to East Nomad Camp 4280m

One of our best trekking days is in front of us as we head towards the green nomadic plateau to the east of Lo Monthang. Blue sheep graze in these arid hillsides, their tracks stripping the ridges, and Griffins and Choughs soar in the clear, blue Mustangi skies overhead. It won't take long to pass through the narrow opening in the cliffs and cross first ridge of the Mui La (4175m). We climb again through high meadows by a meandering, rocky stream to the other Mui La (4130m). Finally, Lo Ghekar. Ghar Gompa, built in the 8th century, is one of the oldest gompas in Nepal. Surrounding the gompa are massive chortens of a unique style and strings of colorful prayer flags fluttering in the winds. We head east from the gompa, descend to the Tsarang Khola which we cross on a wooden bridge, and then ascend first steeply and then contouring, and more gradually, for 1 1/2 hours to a pass west of the Marang La that we have named Nomad Pass (4305m). From the pass, a pole with a prayer flag is visible to the west, marking the hill above the nomadic settlement. After a break at the pass, we hike for twenty minutes across green, tundra-like hills to the crest overlooking our campsite, East Nomad Camp. 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.

We have a rest and exploration day in this perfect spot. We'll hike over the hill 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.

Day 10/11 - Trek to Lo Monthang 3820m

We drop down into the other valley below the nomad camps and hike for a few hours following the valley bed, past the ruins of ancient fortresses and gompas, and soon see the walls of Lo Monthang ahead of us. We trek along the southern walls surrounding the city and reach a small bridge: we have reached the fabled walled city of Lo, with a single entrance through which only the King, Queen and Kempo (Abbot) are allowed to ride. All others must walk. 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. 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. 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 town is 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.

In the 1380’s, King Ame Pal established his reign in Lo, with the walled city of Lo Monthang as the capital and its inhabitants called Lobas. Within the walls of Lo Monthang are about 150 houses built among narrow streets, and some of the largest and finest Tibetan Buddhist gompas in Nepal. There are even yeti (known here as mehti) prints rumored to be found. ►

Visit the Chosar & Tingkar Valleys: 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.

Day 12 - Trek to Canyon Camp 3690m

A river day, bring your sandals. Sadly, we must leave magical Lo, but new adventures await us on our rarely visited route southeast. Back out the gates of Lo, we head directly east, or to the left, following the gurgling, willow-shaded Dokpolo Khola for about an hour. At the intersection of the Nhichung Khola, we head south at Namaru Dikha kharka, trekking on sun-baked plateaus and down stone steps, crossing the river a few times. There are hot springs just below our trail, not very hot but worth sticking feet into. To our left, high in the rock face across the river, is an incredible complex of caves gompas, only explored a few years previously by an international research and climbing expedition. 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. At the next intersection, still staying left, we take a bridge high over the river, possibly having to unload the horses in the narrow, high section just after the small bridge. The canyon narrowing 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.

Day 13 - Trek to Ghara

We have a hard, six or seven hour day in front of us. We head along the pebbly riverbed, jumping the small Chaka Khola as we go. Half an hour after leaving camp we start a strenuous, steep climb to the top of the right-hand ridge, a 650 meter ascent. After lunch we'll have another three hours of scenic contouring interspersed with a bit of climbing until we reach the crest of the last ridge that overlooks the Luri Gompa valley. Well before this last ridge, we look down onto a large, lovely doksa of many stone enclosures with a green stream running through them at the valley bottom. We drop down to the doksa extremely steeply to on a trail of hardened mud, a difficult descent. We climb again and continue to contour with expansive views, waiting for the views of Yara and Ghara far below. Finally, weary after a long day, we reach a sharp, cairn-topped crest from which we spot the green oasis of Ghara village with its ruined gompa and old, winding walls below us, and Yara with its terraced, green fields of barley to the west. Heading down, we soon see the red and white stripes of the fabled Luri Gompa below us, to the right of Ghara village. We descend steeply for an hour, and finally reach the lively of Ghara where the staff have set up our camp just above the village, in a walled enclosure with the village tap just below.

Day 14 - Trek to Yara 3610m. Visit Luri Gompa

After breakfast we have a walk of less than an hour to the fabled Druk-pa Luri Gompa and its complex of Tibetan Buddhist caves, some of which are accessible others now 'closed' forever. 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. After exploring the Luri complex, we drop back down to the riverbed and hike down-river towards Yara. An hour or so later we reach the access point to the Tashi Kumbum cave complex, accessible via a narrow ledge of a trail. Yara is an hour down the saligram-filled riverbed from Tashi Kabum. We camp for the night in the courtyard of a local guest-house in the lower section of town.

Day 15 - Trek to Tsarang 3575m

Leaving Yara with the sculpted canyons shimmering in the morning light above the fields of barley, we pass the tri-colored chortens representing the past, present and future Buddhas and drop down to the river. We trek along the river valley, narrowing as we get closer to the Kali Gandaki. The village of Dhi is to the right, just off our trail. We cross the river and trek south along the spectacular Kali Gandaki riverbed, the sides of the canyons soaring above us and the rocks forming strange sculptures. We follow a small, locally-used riverside trail for an hour to 'Ghemi Sumdo' or Dhechyang Khola. From here we climb steeply up along the Tsarang Khola on a stony trail, a hard pull up to the flat, green plateau far above us. We've reached the fortified village of Tsarang, perched on the edge of a dramatic canyon, then stop for a look at the Tsarang Gompa and its ruins, impressively built on a crag of rock. We camp for the night at a lovely, grassy campsite called 'Green Camping' next to The Royal Mustang Holiday Inn. 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. 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 and adorned with fantastic 15th century frescos.

Day 16 - Trek to Tangge 3240m

Leaving Tsarang we pass under the massive entrance chorten and hike on the road for an hour or so, afterwards dropping down the canyon. We will be crossing the Kali Gandaki again, so have your sandals on. Continuing south along the Kali Gandaki riverbed for another 1 1/2 hours and crossing the river several times, we reach the Tangge Khola sumdo, we hope just before the winds kick in. Turning left, we trek along this pebbly floodplain for another hour or more, crossing this river several times before finally spotting the whitewashed village of Tangge built into on the terraced hillside. Climbing slightly to the main trail, we pass the line of red, yellow, white and blue-grey chortens and the long mani wall with four carved figures on each. Tangge is a village of 20 houses, many sheep, goats and large mastiffs and the largest chorten in Mustang, over 50 feet high. 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 17 - Trek to Gheling 3570m

We soon reach the Kali Gandaki river, whose cliff-walls now soar above us. We have to cross this formidable river many times, so we'll stick together. It's a beautiful river morning, with a full three hours of gazing at the canyons surrounding us. The river becomes more curvy now, opening up new vistas at every bend. At the large doksa, we leave the river bed and ascend to the jeep road, which we can follow for an hour or more past a long line of unique, colorful mani stones to the green village of Gheling.

Day 18 - Trek to Samar 3605m

From camp, we climb for an hour and a half to reach the Syangboche La at 3825m meters, and then drop down to Syangboche village just below. The views en route up are wonderful. Once below Syangboche, we veer off to the left and descend into the valley on the eastern route to Samar via the important Chungsi Caves, at 3425 meters. It should take us about an hour to reach the Chungsi Caves, one of the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche's meditation caves. Inside are fantastic 'rangjung' or self-created Tibetan Buddhist sculptures, chortens, and other Buddhist relics. We've now got a steep but spectacular walk in front of us as we head towards Samar. We climb high up into an incredible, vast canyon, with wonderful, expansive views the entire time, and reach the Chungsi La (3810m) in a few hours. Then down, again steeply, to the Jhuwa and Samarkhung Kholas, and back up the switch-backing trail to the entrance chorten of Samar.

Day 19 - Trek to Tetang 3000m

It's an easy hike up the Dajori La, and a long, wonderful descent along our cliff-side canyon trail back to Tsaile, down and back across the tunnel bridge, and then along the riverbed for an hour to Chhusang. We'll wander up through the village and then along the Narsing Khola valley to Chhomnong, where we camp in an enclosed courtyard of a small tea-house with a friendly family, the father a married lama. There are some accessible caves a short scramble up scree above our campsite and to the east of these a high, exposed trail leading west, both worth a quick look before lunch. Tetang is an endlessly fascinating, fortified village with massive houses peppered with old scaffolding holes.

Day 20 - Trek to Kagbeni

Taking the more remote eastern route back to Kagbeni, we trek through the maze of Tetang village and climb high over valley, with expansive views down over the terraced fields and the ancient Tetang Dzong. We pass several grassy doksas where we can stop for a rest; the trail is good, and the climbing enjoyable now that we are acclimatized. Eventually we crest the 4075m Gyu La, a four hour, a 1000-meter climb, for great views down to Lower Mustang, across to the Thorung La and over the Muktinath Valley. Heading down following the sign to Dzong, we descend steeply through grassy grazing lands to Dzong, a little-visited village in Lower Mustang. From here our aim is Kagbeni, a long three plus hour walk along the road, so we'll try to hitch a ride in some local transport if possible. Otherwise, we'll get to Kagbeni on foot. Back in Kagbeni, we exit Upper Mustang and enter the Annapurna Circuit again. We stay for the night in rooms at the New Annapurna Hotel.

Day 21 - Trek to Jomsom

After breakfast, we just have a gentle walk back down the Kali Gandaki to Jomsom. Along the main route back to Jomsom, beautiful textiles are woven by hand looms in the traditional style, and are readily available for sale by eager Mustangi women. Yak tails to adorn your horses or dust your house also for sale. We arrive in Jomsom along a long, cobbled trail in time for lunch, with the afternoon free to wander, wash and shop.

Day 22 - Fly to Pokhara & Kathmandu

Sadly, it's time to leave the magical Kingdom of Mustang and head back to Kathmandu. We board an early morning mountain flight from Jomsom, switching planes in Pokhara for a Kathmandu flight, and hopefully arrive back at the Kathmandu Guest House in time for lunch.

Day 23 - Kathmandu

Back in bustling, colorful Kathmandu! We have scheduled an extra day in Kathmandu in case our flight from Jomsom or Pokhara is delayed. If not, everyone is free to enjoy our favorite Asian city, and we'll meet again for dinner and drinks in the evening. Thai, Asian Fusion, Indian or Tibetan?

Day 24 - Depart

We send you off to the airport for your flight home.

2011

Mustang proibito (Nepal)