Mustang
In common usage, the name Mustang refers to the arid, Tibet-like region, known to its inhabitants as Lo, at the northern end of the Kali Gandaki, Mustang is probably a Nepali mispronunciation of the name of the capital of Lo, the city of Manthang, the name is pronounced ‘moo-stang’ and has nothing to do with either the automabile or the horse with a similar name . Officially, Mustang is the name of the district along the kali Gandaki from the Tibetan border south to Ghasa. The capital of the Mustang district is Jomsom; thd restricted area of Tibetan influence is north of Kagbeni, and is generally referred to as upper Mustang.
Upper Mustang consists of two distinct regions: the south region with five villages inhabited by people related to the Managis; and the northern region (the ancient kingdom of Lo), where the langusge, culture and traditions are almost purely Tibetan, the capital of Lo is named manthang, which translates from the Tibetan as ‘plain of aspiration’ many texts refer to the capital as Lo Manthang, but this is not strictly correct, Other texts spell the name of the kingdom as Lho, but this is a transliteration of the Tibetan word for ‘south’ and is also incorrect. Thus the portion of the upper Mustang district north of Samar is Lo and its capital is Mustang the king of Lo is the Lo Gyelbu.
The trek to Upper Mustang requires a trekking permit from Department of Immigration of Kathmandu or Pokhara. The trekking fee is around US$ 700 per person for the first ten days and US$ 70 per person per day thereafter. Yot should remember to get trekking permit only through the registered trekking agencies. The trip to the capital of Mustang and back takes around two weeks and can be done by partly retracing the way in or by taking a circuitous trail through the outposts of this ancient pilgrimage.
Mustang trek
Mustang trekking is one of Nepal's most mysterious and least known kingdoms. The landscape of Mustang is a barren moonscape of eroded sandstone pillars and discontinuous moraine terraces, which together present a colorful mosaic made up principally of earthen reds, yellows and brown. It is relatively easy trekking along the permitted route to Lo Manthang, which lies in the very heart of Mustang. The trek to Mustang is through an almost treeless barren landscape. Strong winds generally howl across the area in the afternoon, generally subsiding at night. Being in the rain shadow of the Himalaya, Mustang has much less rain then the rest of Nepal.
Mustang trek lying in the rain shadow of the Himalayas is perhaps the last enclave of pristine Tibetan culture. Forbidden & isolated from the rest of the World it was able to evolve its own distinctive culture and traditional which is so rich & unique. Lo-Mustang, the capital is walled city ruled by religious king. Untouched by modern civilization, life in Mustang goes on as it has for centuries in unhurried pace. As everywhere in the Himalayas, this area provides spectacular mountain scenery highlighted by Dhaulagiri at 8167 meters (26,795ft) and Annapurna I at 8091 meters (26,545ft). You will be surrounded by more than 35 mountains over 6000 meters (19,680ft) high. The elevation of the the trails rise from 2815 meters (9,233ft) to 3780 meters (12,398ft) above sea level.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE TREK
Mustang trekking is suitable for any walker looking for something a little more challenging and energetic. It does not require that you have any previous trekking or mountaineering experience. Although the terrain is not difficult, some vigorous hiking experience is useful. And it does not require any technical experience; only that you be in good physical conditioning and be able to hike for 4-6 hours over hilly terrain with a light day pack.
The Trek
The Mustang trek is a camping or a normal teahouse trek of 12 days. The journey starts with a flight to Jomsom the district headquarter from Pokhara. A ten day trek that starts from jomsom goes through Kagbeni, Chele, Gheling, Charang, Lo manthang, and back to Jomsom from where you can take flights back to Pokhara.
The best season for this trek is half of February to First week of June and September to early December.Half of February to First week of June: From the half of February until the first part of June temperatures are relatively warm, 10° to 15° warmer than in the fall. Mornings are bright and clear with the air slowly becoming hazier as the day progresses. The rhododendron forests in springtime are spectacular, with color displays that are "Himalayan" in beauty. June is warm and green with many fewer people - the sense of solitude is much greater than other seasons.
September to half of December: September to early December is an ideal time for the best mountain views. The days are typically sunny and clear with moderate temperatures and the evenings are usually quite cold.
Note: July to August is the Monsoon period in Nepal. However, it is possible to do trekking in rain shadow area like Mustang, Rara, Dolpo, Annapurna circuit, Lantang valley, Everest base camp and Gokyo valley respectively.
Most of the travel agencies quote prices of about US$2000 for the whole trip including stay in Kathmandu. This trek should be done under the supervision of professional guides and tour organizers. Thus the cost mentioned above is the general cost of the trek into the mystical Mustang region.
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