The Kingdom Of Mustang Trek

A Trek into the nether world of mystery & history as old as the sun…as You hike into some of the roughest territory on earth, amidst beauty so Raw, but yet so divine, like being in Elysium

This venture is an extension of the Tibetan plateau, typical Tibetan tradition, Bon (pre-Buddhist) and Buddhist culture. This has been a forbidden area for over a decade, with dramatic landscapes, warm-friendly locals, and the walled city of Loman-thang as it was over a hundred years ago, complemented with grand views of glistening snowcapped peaks standing tall as if in protection to this ancient kingdom.

Study the layout of the land before you tread on it:

Mustang is the old kingdom of Lo. Jomsom is the capital of this old kingdom that has now been reduced to a district, but the original Tibetan style district lies north of Kagbeni and is usually referred to as Upper Mustang.

Mustang has an average elevation of 13,000ft and is located to the north of the mountain giants of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and is therefore north of the main Himalayan range and geographically is part of the highlands of Tibet. It is a vast high valley, arid and dry, characterized by battered canyons, colorful stratified rock formations and has a barren, desert like appearance. One of the most fascinating features of Mustang is literally thousands of cliff dwellings, some of which look completely inaccessible. The most recent theory is that they may date back to 8-10,000 BC when Mustang was a much greener land & a thriving kingdom.

Naturally, most of the history is now a matter of legend rather than recorded fact, but it seems clear that Lo was once part of Ngari, part of Tibet and a rather loose collection of feudal domains. It was incorporated into the Tibetan Empire under the most famous of the Tibetan kings Songtsengampo. It was an important means of crossing the Himalaya from Tibet to Nepal, and many of the old salt caravans passed through Mustang. By the turn of the 14 Century, much of Ngari became part of the Malla Empire, whose capital was Sinja in western Nepal. In reality, it became an independent kingdom in its own right, under the rule of Ame Pal, the founder king of Lo in 1380. The present royal family can trace its history 25 generations back to Ame Pal, and the city of Lomanthang, which we will visit, was the centre of their power.

In more recent times till the 1960’s, Mustang became the centre for Tibetan Guerrilla fighters who carried out small operations against the occupying Chinese. They were assisted by the CIA and the Tibetan Khampas were secretly trained in America. With Nixon’s visit to China in the 1970’s, the CIA’s support was withdrawn and the Nepalese managed to disband these resistance fighters.

We have given considerable thought to our Mustang itinerary and it does not skimp in terms of time spent within the kingdom. It does give you the opportunity to visit the main town, Lo Manthang, and one or two of the villages beyond. Our research indicates that late August /early September would be an excellent time to visit the kingdom, which is not much affected by the monsoon.

Well known, valiant explorers such as Professor David Snellgrove and the Italian scholar Giuseppe Tucci visited Mustang in the 1950’s and it has largely been their tales of a Tibetan like arid region that has fuelled interest in the area.

Recognizing the special nature of this old, tiny kingdom, the Nepalese have imposed a surcharge for anyone wishing to trek past Kagbeni, the border of Upper Mustang. With legal trekking groups only being allowed in for the first time in March 1992, you would be part of a small fortunate minority to visit this remote outpost of Nepal.
 

POKHARA VALLEY: The City of Lakes

Pokhara is one of the most unique sub-tropical valley in the Himalaya and probably in the world, where one can marvel the beauty of the Himalayan landscape and its reflection of the Annapurna massif including the towering majestic peak of Mt. Machhapuchare on its beautiful lakes. Pokhara is situated in the mid western part of Nepal. It is linked by the main highway of 200 km by road from Kathmandu, and approximately 20 to 30 minutes by air with sweeping views from space of a whole host of glistening peaks arrayed in spectacular display throughout the mid western Himalaya. This would be an unforgettable flight for a long time.

Mother Nature has certainly blessed this fertile valley with outstanding scenery of stunning mountain landscapes, moderate tropical climate, and the beautiful pristine lakes of Begnas, Rupa and Phewa.

The most awe-inspiring of Pokhara's delightful vistas to view is the outstanding panorama of the Annapurna range which forms its backdrop. The Annapurna massif includes Annapurna I to IV and Annapurna South. Among these high peaks it is the towering wonderfully shaped peak of Mt. Machhapuchre (Fish Tail) which dominates all others in this range. Pokhara with its natural beauty is also a starting point of Nepal's most popular adventure destinations. Most of the trekking & mountaineering expeditions hike off from this remarkable place and it's also an ideal spot for all types of holiday makers. Visiting Nepal without dashing into Pokhara is considered an incomplete holiday for any visitor heading to Nepal.