UPPER MUSTANG TREK
The Upper Mustang trek goes to the legendary kingdom of Mustang at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Historically, Mustang dominated the trade along the ancient route connecting Tibet with Nepal and India. The inhabitants of Mustang, the Lobas, are Buddhist and culturally Tibetan. But as the king allied himself with Jumla rather than Lhasa, the region was eventually absorbed into Nepal. Hence, for political reasons, travel into Upper Mustang was strictly forbidden. And the region remained isolated from the modern world. In 1992 it was decided to allow outsiders in on a very limited basis. This isolation has helped maintain a way of life almost unchanged for centuries.
The Upper Mustang Trek in not a trek through alpine scenery. Instead, we will be in the great Himalayan rain shadow on a wind-swept desert landscape of implausible gorges, high passes and enormous vistas. We will climb a series of canyons and ridges and discover caves used by monks dating back to the 14th century. The altitude on this route is not extreme by Himalayan standards (approximately 14,000 feet). The area is home to snow leopard and blue sheep, lammergeier, yaks, and nomads, ammonites and medieval villages.
THE TREK
We begin the Upper Mustang Trek with a flight into Pokhara and then to Jomsom. Ascend to Lo Manthang on a trail east of the Kali Gandaki river. Return is via Luri Gompa and Tange village west of the river visiting ancient Tibetan villages enroute.
If you don’t have 21 days for a trek, consider our 17-day fast paced Mustang trek or write to us for a customized trek.
ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS
The Upper Mustang trek is a hybrid trek where we use both lodges and tents. So it is both a CAMPING trek and a LODGE Trek. This means you will sleep at local lodges eating meals at the lodges for most of the days. But you will sleep in a tent and eat meals prepared by our kitchen crew for one day at Pa where we break the hike from Dri to Tetang. You may also sleep in a tent at other places if you wish to choose to do so. We use Mountain Hardwear (Trango) and North Face (VE 25) 4-season tents which are quite spacious and effective against the elements. We also provide sleeping pads. Meals prepared by our trek staff are also quite varied with many options including rice with locally available vegetables, spaghetti, dumplings, noodles, local breads etc.
BEST SEASON
Unlike the usual treks in Nepal, the best seasons for the trekking in the Upper Mustang region is Summer/Monsoon (May through September).
TREK RATING
The Upper Mustang trek is rated “STRENUOUS”. It is rated 4 on a rating scale from 1 (easy) to 5 (challenging). The highest overnight altitude is at Pa (4,053 m/13,300ft). Trekking to Upper Mustang involves average daily hiking of around 6 hours with a few longer days of around 7-8 hours. Regardless of the rating, it is important to prepare for any trek in Nepal. Read our advice on training for treks.
WHY TREK WITH US?
All our Upper Mustang Treks are private treks for a minimum of two participants. We do NOT nickel-and-dime on services – all inclusions and exclusions are clearly listed in cost details. Some companies will advertise trips for very low prices. But they have a lot of exclusions that is usually not clear. With over 30 years of experience, most of our trekkers are either repeat clients or referrals. We employ the most professional and friendly staff.
We are also proud to give back to our community through 3 Summits For Nepal managed by Crystal Mountain Treks staff. Contact us to learn more…