Upper Dolpo to Upper Mustang (Lo – Manthang) Trek- A journey obove the thin air
Upper Dolpo to Upper Mustang (Lo- Manthang) trek is one of the most strenuous treks of Nepal, which winds into the extremely challenging and logistically difficult trails of Upper Dolpo and Upper Mustang. Following the popular Upper Dolpo Circuit route up to Chharka, we come across the several high passes and beautiful hamlets of Upper Dolpo. Beyond the Chharka village, the trail enters to the further north an area proximity to Tibet border and encountering two high passes conjoins to the Lo- Manthang of Upper Mustang.
Catch breathtaking views of Upper Dolpo and Upper Mustang
Observe age-old Buddhist and Bon Monasteries and feel the essence
Walk beneath towering granite cliffs
Test your limits on the grueling
Camp in the pristine wilderness
Upper Dolpo to Upper Mustang (Lo- Manthang) Trek is an extraordinary which electrifies the minds and stressing the physical body as we step on higher and higher frontiers. Camping at Kekyap Lake bank 5370m is commonly Snow-Leopard Lake, where we can observe the fresh footprints of snow-leopard.
Photo Credit : Ferdinand Rieder
As a normal trekking trend, we take an early morning flight to Juphal from Nepalgunj and trek to Kageni through Phoksundo National Park Checkpoint.
Our journey heading through the lush green vegetation of Shey-Phoksundo National Park and Phoksundo river bank then we are welcomed by turquoise magical Phoksundo Lake and beautiful Bon village ‘Ringmo’ on the 1st week of the trek.
Kang La 5350m is our first pass, allows us to enter in the hidden Upper Dolpo. We immerse in to the barren landscape, the beautiful hamlets, sculpted gorges, Dolpopa culture and age old Bon and Buddhist Monasteries of Upper Dolpo for the few weeks.
We engage our time, on observing and try to feel the people’s lifestyle, culture, and essence of Bon and Buddhism.
Our Upper Dolpo Trek section venturing through the Shey Gompa, Namagang Gompa, Saldang village, Yangjer Gompa to Mischa gaon – the northern most village of Upper Dolpo, an isolated from the world.
Leaving the Mischa Gaon, crossing Muri La, our next story begins along the Panzang valley’s villages Shimen, Tinje and Phalwa. The flat and wide opening valley ‘Panzang’, where the sign of rising modernization in Upper Dolpo could be witnessed through the evidence of running Motorbikes.
Rolling along the Panzang and Upper Panzang Valley, across the Mola pass we enter to the last fortified village of Dolpo ‘Chharka village’.
The rest few days of trek leads into an ultimate wilderness and taking into the glorious big sky through the stunning lost snow-leopard lakes, close to the Chinese border.
Three notorious nights on above 5000m and two high passes above 5500m conjoins trail to Lo-Manthang, a former Tibetan Buddhist Kingdom of Upper Mustang.
Photo Credit: Ferdinand Rieder
Exploring around the Upper Mustang’s hamlets, Monasteries and Kaligandaki gorges for last few days end our trip by flying out from Jomsom to Pokhara and Kathmandu.
Level of Participant
This trekking trip is a bit longer which will be FIVE weeks-long journeys in the thin air and a good level of fitness is needed for this trip.
This is a journey to the high frontier wilderness and a good dose of patience, tolerance and humor are needed.
Trekking Season
Trekking in Dolpo and Mustang is best done in summer with good conditions from April to October. However, best one is of course autumn i.e September/October.
