The Upper Mustang Trek

Posted in: 4th Apr, 2013 Post Category: Blog of Nepal

Upper Mustang trekking is popularly known as Mustang trekking. Among more trekkers Upper Mustang trekking is also well-known as Lo Manthang Trekking. The Upper Mustang trek brings you into the hidden world of the old Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo. Lo used to be part of the Tibetan empire, and is therefore closely related to Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism is still being practiced in a very pure form and villages are built in Tibetan style, with white washed houses with firewood tucked on the roofs. This is an interesting treking that takes you to unspoiled Tibetan villages situated at the northern border between Nepal and Tibet. Foreigners were restricted to visit Lo Manthang till 1992 AD. Lo Manthang is a small kingdom. Still it has a king. You visit the king’s palace surrounded by gompas and private houses. Upper Mustang Trekking gives you an opportunity to experience unique beauty of Himalayan desert, a strange and unusual landscape.

Geographically, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges separate this area from the cis-Himalayan mountain regions of Nepal. The upper Lo (upper Mustang) region covers an area of approximately 780 square miles that comprises mostly of arid, mountain deserts that are cut at steep angles by fast flowing mountain-rivers. Historically from the 15th to the early 20th century this entire area was a vibrant trading route between the various kingdoms of pre-unified Nepal (later the Kingdom of Nepal), India and Tibet. Although the history of peoples of this region goes back to pre-historic times, upper Mustang has existed as an identifiable entity from at least the 7th century AD. Upper Mustang has also been a very important hub for, firstly, the Bon religion and, later, Tibetan Buddhism. This region is inhabited by the Lo-pa, a people culturally, linguistically, and ethnically similar to those of neighboring Tibet.

The Jhong Cave in particular holds much historical importance. There are another 3 hours walking trail to go Jhong Cave with five storied and 40 rooms. The Nyphu Cave monastery is another attraction. This is the day trips around here. Lo-Monthang Trekking and Damodar Kunda Trekking are popular in this area.