Forbidden Mustang & The Last Nomads of Lo Trek
Exploratory ...

 

A timeless and breathtaking journey through the Kingdom of Lo, until recently a hidden Tibetan Buddhist enclave forbidden to foreigners. This year we include a five-day exploratory section during which we search for the last nomads of Mustang, living their traditional lifestyle on the border of Tibet, and a Buddhist cave monastery of exquisite murals ...

Sculpted canyons with wild rock formations, deep gorges, medieval villages, ancient fortresses, palaces and mysterious, ancient cave hermitages, Tibetan Buddhist gompas and soaring snow-peaks characterize this spectacular region, a 'thumb' sticking up into the Tibetan plateau. Mustang is a Kingdom tucked away along the deepest river gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki, a remote and starkly beautiful region, Tibet's arid high desert bordered by some of the Himalaya's highest mountains.

We continue the exploration of Mustang, started by the early, intrepid explorers of the Himalaya, taking some of the less trekked routes through this sun-drenched region, often following the Kali Gandaki river-bed, other times trekking on spectacular trails high above it, and descending through incredibly sculpted gorges.

Trek Mustang while it is still pristine, intriguing, with a sense of the forbidden. It will soon change ...

*** NOTE: We have a 16-DAY permit, allowing us to trek through the remote eastern valleys along old nomadic trade routes with Tibet, and above Lo Monthang. We also trek along the eastern, winter route from Lo to rarely visited Dhi, Yara and Luri Gompa, as well as stopping in Tetang, the old, fortified salt-mining village ***

ITINERARY

Day 1 - Tuesday, 28 April 2010 - Arrive Kathmandu

2 - Kathmandu

3 - Drive Pokhara

4 - Fly Jomsom. Trek Kagbeni

5 - Trek Tsaile

6 - Trek Shyangboche

7 - Trek Tragmar

8 - Trek to Tsarang

9 - Trek Lo Monthang

10 - Lo Monthang - Chosar & Tingkar Valleys

11 - Trek Mid-Camp

12 - Trek Chuchu Gompa

13 - Trek Nomads Camp

14 - Trek Chuchu Gompa Valley Camp

15 - Trek Yara

16 - Yara

17 - Trek Ghemi

18 - Trek Samar

19 - Trek Tetang

20 - Trek Muktinath

21 - Trek Jomsom

22 - Fly Pokhara & Kathmandu

23 - Kathmandu

Day 24 - Thursday, 20 May - Depart

Trekker's Comments & Kamzang Style

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.

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.

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.

Detailed Itinerary
*Note that although we try to follow the itinerary below, at times local trail or weather conditions may make slight changes necessary. The trekking itinerary may also vary slightly depending on our trekkers' acclimatization rates.

Early Arrival
Providing you have sent us your arrival details, you will be met at the airport by a representative from the Kathmandu Guest House (look for their sign - they will be looking for you) and escorted to the guest house. Kim will book the extra nights for you, so your room will be ready.

Day 1 - Arrive Kathmandu 1340m
You'll be met at the airport by a representative from the Kathmandu Guest House, so look out for a Kathmandu guest house sign when you leave the airport. They 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
Explore the Kathmandu valley a bit with Kim. Options: Climb the many steps to Swayambhunath (the monkey temple), with its commanding views of Kathmandu (at 1420 m), its whitewashed stupas and its unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. 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. In the midst of traditional gompas, and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, 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, and is often the site of festivals, marriages and other ceremonies. 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 serenely meditating - when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees.

We'll have time for a bit of gear shopping in Thamel for anyone who needs to do this, and in the evening will head out for dinner of wood-oven pizza at the Roadhouse Cafe.

Day 3 - Drive Pokhara 800m
We leave the Kathmandu Valley in a private vehicle, early to avoid traffic, and drive six hours along the river through scenic, terraced villages and green hills to balmy Pokhara, where we check into the lovely Sacred Valley Inn for the night. We have the afternoon to wander to the lake, do some shopping, or sit and relax in a cafe with a book. We'll head for Moondance Cafe for dinner and drinks in the evening, a great spot.

Day 4 - Fly Jomsom 2720m. Trek Kagbeni 2900m
Up early for our spectacular mountain flight to the district headquarters of Mustang, Jomsom. Once on the ground, at 2720 meters, we are greeted by the sound of jingling horse bells as the Mustangi people pass by with their pony caravans. After sorting out gear and loading our porters, 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 Nilgiri, and to the south the entire Annapurna Massif. Kagbeni, spectacularly situated atop a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and the Jhong Khola rivers, is the last village in Lower Mustang and guards the entrance into Upper Mustang, visible across the Kali Gandaki riverbed. It is an oasis of green, patchwork fields in the midst of rocky, arid mountains, with Niligiri looming grandly behind it. This ancient, partially ruined citadel town provides us with a taste of scenes to come in upper Mustang, with its narrow alleyways and tunnels, irrigation canals, green fields of barley and its massive, newly-restored brick-red Sayka gompa, 800 years old. We'll also wander past the ancient, crumbing, 100-room King's Palace. At the police check post at the north end of the village where a sign reads 'Restricted area, tourists please do not go beyond this point', we will complete our paperwork to enter Upper Mustang tomorrow. We'll stay at the New Annapurnas Lodge for the night, with time to explore the village. Fantastic views down-valley to Niligiri!

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, high up on the plateaus above the river-bed, all the time with magnificent views from all sides. The village of Tiri Gaon sits on the west bank of the river. We head north past the red, white and black chortens to the fortress-like Gurung village of Tangbe (3030m), a labyrinth of narrow alleys amongst 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. There is a small, local tea-house here where we'll stop in for a break as it's taken us about three hours to reach the village. Nilgiri, which dominates the southern skyline at Kagbeni, continues to loom massively at the foot of the valley.

An hour and a half past Tangbe we reach Chhusang village (2950m) and a naturally-formed tunnel through which the Kali Gandaki flows. 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. Across the Narsing Khola, crossed by rock-hopping, is the small village of Chhomnang, which we wind our way through, passing the archery field at the end of the village. We head down to the rocky river-bed, and cross on log bridges to the trail leading to Chele, which looms high above us on the plateau. There is also a new bridge crossing the Kali Gandaki, and a new trail leading to it to avoid the river bed. It's a very steep climb up a rocky gully to Tsaile, a lively village with several guest houses and extensive wheat and barley fields, where we set up camp for the night at the top of the village in the yard of a converted horse stable. We'll get you set up in your Big Agnes tents, set up Kamzang-style dining tent and introduce you to our camp routine. Chai is brewing, and we'll have our first cups of hot tea as we watch the village life unfold around us.

*** The culture from Tsaile north becomes 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.

Day 6 - Trek to Shyangboche 3765m
After a good breakfast and freshly brewed coffee, we hit the trail, ascending steeply to a ridge above Chele. The scenery is awesome, the classic high altitude desert of the Tibetan high plateau. 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 towards the Dajori La. Across the canyon, there is a suspension bridge being built to access the remote village of Ghyakar. The pass, at 3600 meters, is marked by rock cairns and should take us 2 -3 hours to crest.

Samar is visible just below us; we descend gradually to a group of chortens on the ridge above the village, soon reaching Samar (3610m), with its lovely poplar grove, formerly a staging post for Khampa raids into Tibet. The Annapurnas, although still dominated by Nilgiri, are visible far to the south.

Passing through Samar, we go through the entrance and exit 'mane' chorten and descend steeply on a switch-back trail to the Samarkyung Khola (river) where we soon take the right fork, ascending once again to the chorten-topped Bhena La, at 3840 meters. 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, really just a ridge, and past the two-house seasonal village of Yamda. We eventually reach the Yamda La, at 3985 meters, and are rewarded with a pass topped by a large cairn and a tangle of multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags, called 'lung ta' or wind horses. The views from the top are spectacular, so we stop for a break to enjoy them!

A steep switch-back leads to the small hamlet of Syangboche (3765m), a remote herding outpost with three campsites and lodges, where we set up camp for the night.

Day 7 - Trek to Dhakmar 3820m
A short climb just after breakfast to the Syangboche La, where the trail intersects a wide east-west valley, and it's a quick descent to the picturesque village of Geling. There is an old gompa above the village, ancient meditation caves in the eroded cliffs visible above, a new school and traditional Mustangi houses surrounded by barley fields. From Geling, the trail climbs gently to the chorten at the lower end of Chhunggar, where we intersect the trail from the Syangboche La, and then on to a large, colorful chorten at the opposite end of the village. Once through the hamlet of Zaite, we head up a new, dirt road to the Nyi La (4000m), about 2 1/2 hours past Geling. We descend on the new road, often cutting off on switch-backs, keep contouring around hillsides to the Ghemi La and then descend steeply down to the large village of Ghemi (3570m), where we stay on the way back.

Passing all the way through Ghemi, built along the steep edges of the cliff as many villages in Mustang are, we take a small, rocky trail down to a bridge crossing the Tangmar Chu (river). From here, 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 Nepal, behind which is the hospital. Looming ahead of us is a cluster of gigantic, ancient chortens, backed by dramatic, sculpted cliff-faces, an awesome sight.

We continue along the western route, stopping occasionally for passing herds of sheep and goats, soon arriving at the small village of Dhakmar, which is dominated by a dramatic, red canyon wall with many ancient cave dwellings. Here we set up camp for the night, another good trekking day! Sunsets against the red cliffs are worth a look!

Day 8 - Trek to Tsarang 3575m
Another great day in front of us as we head slowly up valley and cross first ridge of the Mui La (4175m); the views down the Dhakmar Valley are breath-taking, as is the sight of our horse cresting the tunnel-like pass. We drop back down and the climb yet again through high meadows by a meandering, rocky stream to the true Mui La (4130m). Finally, Lo Ghekar, 'Pure Virtue of Joy', sitting majestically in the valley below us. Ghar Gompa is reputed to be one of the oldest gompas in Nepal, 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 it harbors many frescoes as well as wonderful carved and painted stones.

After lunch on the grassy gompa lawn, we head down the valley, through the long, scenic village of lower Marang (the upper village is built on the plateau above), cross a long suspension bridge over the Tsarang Khola and then trek another hour or so past fields, now apparently not irrigated, to the fortified village of Tsarang, perched on the edge of a dramatic canyon, where 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. A great spot!

Tsarang is a large village built on top of the Tsarang Khola canyon, stone walls separating the houses and forming tunnel-like paths, with willow trees and a new irrigation ditch, many shops, its own hydro-electric plant and quite a few guest houses. It is dominated by the gigantic, five-story white Tsarang Dzong, a Tibetan-styled fortified palace built in 1378, and the large, ochre-hued Tsarang Gompa, of the Gelugpa school, with the greatest library in Lo. The dzong and palace have 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! Elaborate sand mandalas are created at the gompa at festival time, and then ceremonially deposited into the river at the festival’s end. 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. The local women will be herding their sheep through the narrow, walled paths as dusk ...

Day 9 - Trek to Lo Monthang 3820m
Leaving Tsarang on a trail leading down and across the Tsarang Khola, we climb steeply up a rocky trail to a cairn on the opposite ridge and then follow the Thuling Khola on the new, dirt road towards Lo. The multi-hued canyons spread themselves impressively around us, and in the distance we see the huge Sungda Khola. Once past that landmark, we reach the tiny, green doksa of Sungdala, where we'll stop for tea and maybe lunch at the one small tea-house. Continuing along the same trail, the landscape becomes very Tibetan in character, the high desert plains of the Himalaya. We start to see snow peaks ahead of us as we near the Lo La pass, at 3960 meters. The pass leads through a partial tunnel of rock, and to the right of this are strung Tibetan prayer flags. Climb to the ridge to the right for wonderful views of Lo Monthang, aptly named the ‘Plain of Aspiration', below us.

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, to pay their respects to Chenrizig - is a mythical city. 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 'Jamba' (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 Khempo 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 and 180 houses within the walls of the city although many lower caste Lobas live outside the walls. Many of the Lobas still practice polyandry ...

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. 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. Perhaps, we we'll have a cup of the infamous solja (salt butter tea), or chang (barley beer) ...

And we'll have plenty of time to marvel at the surrounding panoramic views of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalaya.

We'll get camp set up in a scenic, green, willow-lined campsite called 'Green Camping Site' (again), owned by Pema Besta (who also owns a shop which you'll be encouraged to visit) and start exploring the city and its many gompas. 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.

Day 10 - Lo Monthang – Visit theChosar & 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.

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 11 - Trek to Mid-Camp
Sadly, we must leave magical Lo, but new adventures await us on our route south. Back out the gates of Lo, and up to the Lo La pass where we have one last glimpse back down to this mythic, walled city. 

*** This is last year's itinerary, this year's will be a bit different.

Back down the main trail for a few minutes until we see the sign marking the intersection to Dhi & Yara, and then we veer left (east) off the trail and head to Dhi along the eastern, winter route. We follow the trail along the western side of the Mustang Khola, contouring around tiers of high, arid slopes, a spectacular walk high up in the expansive, colorful canyons and gorges. Once over what we called the Dhi La (4090m), the really interesting trail begins; heading straight down a narrow, sandy trail, we reach the intersection to Tsarang, but continue straight down a steep, dramatic trails towards Dhi, eventually visible as a green swath far below us, with Yara and Ghara in the distance. Finally, we reach the windy campsite at Dhi. Take a quick walk through this little-touristed village for a taste of old Mustangi life.

Day 12 - Trek to Chuchu Gompa
*** This is the exploratory section, where we spend five exciting days exploring the little visited eastern valleys of Mustang, in search of the last nomads living in the region and the cave-gompa that Peter Mattheissen features in his book, 'East of Lo Monthang'.

Day 13 - Trek to Nomad Camp
Another exploratory day where we should finally reach the nomads, living their traditional Tibetan nomadic existence as they have for centuries ...

Day 14 - Trek to Chuchu Valley Camp
We retrace our steps, camping en route ...

Day 15 - Trek to Yara 3610m
*** Last year's itinerary, this year's will be the reverse.

From Dhi, we cross a bridge over the Kali Gandaki and take the trail leading to Surkhang (not straight up the hill-side like we did last year), cross a small, wooden bridge to Surkhang and drop down to the rocky, saligram-filled riverbed. We follow small trails along the riverbed for about an hour, and then climb a bit to reach the lovely, shady village of Yara, with a small gompa and a few campsites. A great day through the dramatic gorges and canyons of the Puyang Khola to Luri Gompa, stopping at Yara to camp for the night.

Day 16 - Yara (Daytrip to Luri Gompa)
*** Last year's itinerary, this year's will be the reverse.

Descending back to the Puyang Khola on a narrow, tunneling trail, we head further east, keeping below the village of Ghara; to the left are fantastic, sculpted canyons with the remains of a network of ancient caves, now eroded enough to be inaccessible. It takes us approximately another 2 hours to reach the fabled Luri Gompa of the Kagyupa sect and its complex of caves, some of which are accessible. There is a small gompa in the lower section, and the teacher, kids in tow, led us up to the upper prayer-room and the famous 'Kabum Stupa' painted with wonderful murals and caves.

The Luri caves are filled with wonderful, 'Newari-style' (Gary McCue) Buddhist frescos and large, intricately painted chortens. 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.

On the way back, we take the high trail through the interesting village of Ghara, surrounded by terraced fields, before reaching Yara again.

*** There is a newly discovered group of six cave dwellings nearby, the 15th century Tashi Kumbum, with incredible ancient murals and a large exquisitely painted chorten which perhaps the key-keeper, who is fortunately the owner of our campsite, can show us. 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!

Day 17 - Trek to Ghemi 3570m
A fantastic day of trekking through the spectacular Kali Gandaki gorge; leaving Dhi through the southern end of the village, we trek along the sandy, rocky riverbed, the sides of the canyons soaring above us, the rocks forming strange sculptures. We follow a small, locally-used riverside trail for a few hours, and start to climb when we reach a chorten and sign pointing us towards Tsarang and Ghemi. It's a steep switchback up to an old, grey chorten perched on a ridge, from where we have expansive views up and down the Kali Gandaki valley, and after a rest we keep climbing until we reach a new trail being built high above us. Heading south, we walk along the large, sandy trail for a while, with Tsarang visible to our north. We crest the Tsarang La (3870m), and then head back down towards Ghemi, passing by the huge chortens and mani walls en route. Again over the small bridge over the Ghemi Khola, and then up the small, steep trail to Ghemi, where we pass through the village to our beautiful, green campsite in the upper reaches of Ghemi, Kelsang Nyima's Lo-Ghami Guest House.

Ghemi is a sprawling village of white-washed houses and terraced fields, with a gompa in the process of restoration and a red nunnery at the far end of the village, fields of billowing buckwheat glowing in the evening sun. Take a walk through the village in the late afternoon when it's most lively!

Day 18 - Trek to Samar 3600m
We head back south, retracing our path over the Ghemi La and Nyi La passes, and then continue on via a different route through Zaite, Chhunggar and Tamagaon to reach the Syangboche La at 4000 meters, and then Syangboche village two hundred meters below.

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. 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 and others 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. A good day's trekking! Camp is in a lovely, shaded spot at the far end of the village called Hotel Annapurna, owned by Namgyal Gurung; it has a welcoming tea-house in the lower section where we'll stop in for a cup of salt-butter tea ...

Relax, have a wash in the cold stream next at the campsite, and enjoy the afternoon and sunset over the Himalayan peaks in this charming village, which translates as 'red earth'.

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 Chele and then along the riverbed to Chhomnang. We'll now head to Tetang, an incredible, fortified village on the way to the salt mine, for a bit of exploration and photography. Tetang is a wonderfully situated village, with massive houses peppered with small holes, for what purpose we still haven't discovered. Perhaps as holds for scaffolding? The ruins of an ancient, crumbling dzong stand majestically on a crest at the northern end of the village. Earlier, we witnessed a 'village women's' council' over the use and shortage of water, a heated discussion!

We'll camp just outside of camp, at a windy campsite next to a local dwelling, and have the afternoon to explore fortified Tetang.

Day 20 - Trek to Muktinath
Taking the remote route back to Muktinath, we climb the 4075 meter Gyu La for views down to Lower Mustang, and then descend to Muktinath where we camp for the night ...

Day 21 - Trek to Jomsom
After breakfast, we just have a gentle walk back down the Kali Gandaki to Jomsom. Along the way, 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. We'll celebrate our trek through 'forbidden' Mustang with a few cold beers at the Trekker's Lodge in the evening!

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. Rooms are booked, showers are hot and laundry can be dropped off! We'll meet for dinner later, perhaps heading to Fire & Ice for real Italian pizzas and a few glasses of warming red wine ...

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.

Day 24 - Depart
We send you off to the airport for your flight home.

If you wish to stay longer, we can offer plenty of suggestions: mountain biking in the Kathmandu valley, an Everest sightseeing flight, a trip out to Bhaktapur or Patan, Kathmandu's other two capitals, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for a bit of luxury and some expansive sunset and sunrise mountain panoramas or many other excursions. Kim can help to arrange any of these excursions for you.

Namaste & Tashi Delek!