The Upper Mustang trek is a soulful trek which takes you close to the vicinity of the ancient renowned kingdom of Buddhist, Lo. Lo in the ancient times was an arm of the Tibetan empire, and so upper Mustang is full of treasure and wonders from the Buddhist and the Tibetan cultures. The upper Mustang trek, similar to the Kanchenjunga trek is very much isolated from the mainstream tourism world and so invites a different breed of trekkers and adventure lovers towards itself. The Dhaulagiri massif and its rain shadow contains the whole bowl of the Upper Mustang, making it a rugged beast embroidered with different patches and colors of serenity, optimism, and joy. The whole landscape is infertile, but this seems to be a blessing for the area which has now begun to invite more and more adventure seekers towards itself. There are whitewashed abodes of the locals, vast spread fields of barley and fluttering prayer flags which add a perfect dollop of colorful delight to this white ascetic beauty. The main destination of the upper Mustang trek is Lo Manthang. And the oldest monastery in the world. The upper Mustang trek is extremely pious and sacred to the followers of Buddha or anyone looking for a spiritual retreat. There are a number of events in the history and advancement of Buddhism that have taken place in the route we would be trekking in our upcoming days. Seek the blessings of the God and watch the nature bloom happily in the lands which enlightened and prospered many. You can also catch the glimpses of the hidden and forgotten royalty of Nepal.

The upper Mustang trek is a beautiful turban of white veil, and the amazing hairpin crosses
or the hidden treks that it leads to is a unique aspect of the route. The Kanchenjunga is also a trek which is less taken and attempted but the upper Mustang trek is very comfortable and a lot easier than Kanchenjunga. The trekkers who are looking for an adventure which takes them into the true wilderness of the mountains, but without presenting the extremities of ruggedness and dangers of Kanchenjunga. If you’re looking for a gregarious trek, choose among Everest and Annapurnas. The maximum height in the Upper Mustang trek is 3,800 m at Lo Manthang. The treks that range below the height of 5,000 meters can be attempted by anyone in decent physical health and awareness about climbing. You don’t need to be a trained mountaineer for it.

The upper Mustang trek begins at Kathmandu. Kathmandu is a scenic amalgam of the perfect blend of culture and nature with history and past heritage. You can seek blessings from the almighty at Kathmandu which hosts a number of important Buddhist and Hindus religious places. You’d be amazed to know the striking stories about them and would love to see the perfect harmony in which they exist. The next stop is Pokhara, also popular as the gateways to Annapurna. Pokhara is situated at an amazing site full of a number of beautiful lakes and has a wide variety of cuisine and adventure options for you. On day third, we take a flight to Jomsom (2,725 m). Jomsom is the site where the actual trek route unfolds and the trail commences. The flight gives exquisite views of the world’s deepest and loveliest gorge, Kali Gandaki and all around you would be the spellbinding sights of Dhaulagiri and Annapurnas. From Jomsom, we trek for a few hours and reach Kagbeni (2,810 m). The village of Kagbeni is full of past heritage and antiquities. You’d love exploring the authentic Nepali culture from the past which has been treasured since ages.
Unlike other treks, you won’t find lush vegetation and forests and wildlife centers, you will not find much of a vegetative diversity at the place as most of the areas are barren and infertile, clad in all white. But the special thing about the Upper Mustang trek is the beautiful avalanche of the past that exists here, the purity of the area is also worth mentioning and also that it finds a special position in the Buddhist books. The popularity of the area is as widespread as the most peaceful religion of the world. Thousands have found peace in Buddhism and Buddhism itself found a significant prominence here.
The upward trek lies in a restricted area and we need to obtain the permit before we trek above. The areas now start getting infertile and barren, and the whiteness takes over. The lush greens are left aloof in the center which will slowly vanish with height. The Nilgiri mountains peep from behind as you move above. There is the vast stretch of the Kali Gandaki which is ages old and the fossils remain of marine life are still intact here. We also village the preserved ancient village of Tangbe. Time seems to have stopped moving ahead in these villages. They’re beautifully set up in the backdrop of technology and modernity, keeping their own customs alive with care and respect. The trek for the day ends at Chele (2,920 m).
After Chele, the next stop is Syangboche (3,800 m). The trek today is quite tough and steep and a number of colors keep emerging out from the lively canyons on the way. There are some dazzling fields of buckwheat along the way. It is an excellent source of vegan protein. The Tilicho peak, Yakawakang, the Nilgiri and the Annapurnas show more of their majestic beauty with every step. There are also a number of caves which are thousands of years old and were used as abodes by early humans. Sometimes some burials were carried out at the place too. Now it is a site for lama hermits.
The next stop is Ghami (3,520 m). The walk is very easy and childlike and showcases numerous gullies and the peaks of Tilicho, Nilgiri and Annapurna. We also visit the village of Ghami, with a very respected monastery. Tsarnag (3,560 m) is the next stop between the well-saved land of Chortens. The whole legend of the monk Padmasambhava revolves around this place. He is the revered founder of the religion of Tibet. We get to watch the longest and ancient Mustang Mani wall. Our next and the highest stop of this trek is the Lo Manthang (3,800 m). There’s a palace at the place where the king resides amidst his loved mountains. The valley of Chhosar and Thinkar is also visible from the Lo La pass we pass. We explore the whole ancient walled city, in parts ruined and in parts glorious. We understand the place and know the tales and legends that surround it.
There are numerous gompas and monasteries at Lo Manthang open for your expedition. The Nyphu cave monastery and the Jhong sky caves are the most important sites in the place. We move forward to Dhakmar (3,800 m). The world’s most primitive monastery, Ghar Gompa is also located in the route. The next stop is again the Syangboche. From Syangboche, we walk towards Chusang (3,040 m). The Chungsi cave monastery is the most important site for today. And there is a lot of steep climbs. At Chhusang we enjoy the local Nepali and Tibetan songs and get to relish the locally produced apples. The next stop in our downward climb is Kagbeni and then Jomsom. We take a flight to Pokhara and all those who didn’t enjoy enough of Pokhara or want to experience it again can set out on a day tour before we again move to Kathmandu.
The upper Mustang trek is a splendid concourse of the past and preserved culture of Buddhism and Himalayan beauty. This trek is a great treat for the soul and spiritual health. You will certainly acquire a great deal of spiritual affluence in this place of Buddhist significance. The whole world knows about the spiritual retreat of the Himalayas and the blessings they offer. The upper Mustang trek welcomes all who like to explore the unexplored, but this time want to trek a moderately challenging route. If you’re high on adrenaline, choose Kanchenjunga, but if you want to see the past with naked eyes and open heart, no place is better than the upper Mustang.