Journey to Uppper Mustang: Charrang to Lo Manthang

Lo manthang was just four hours from Charang and it was our last destination. So we started little late then earlier days. We left 8am our hotel and then start walking. First it was down and then up to the hill. I saw dog following from charang, at first I think he wanted to go somewhere but he was walking with us. After finishing climbing hill everyone stopped for break and the dog also. I was surprised and wanted to make him friend and then I gave biscuit. I find the dog was really friendly. Everyone was busy with their camera and I was busy with dog, playing with him. Finally I make really some nice picture of dog on that beautiful scene.

Dog

 

We started our journey again and the dog also walked with us. The dog was really like caring of us, looking back time to time, stopping everywhere where we stopped as it was our part of family. After walking few hours we stooped near a monastery between the hills and there were Chinese people with their horses on the way to Lo Manthang.The dog also stopped. As I was thirsty I think the dog need some water and went near to him with water but the dog ran away as I was going to throw water on him. He was scared of water. After half hour we started our journey but I don't saw that dog on the whole way. I was sad. On the way I saw horses grazing on flat land and that was interesting as I have never seen such scenes in my real life. That makes me happy and I was excited. Then finally we reached top of the hill where we can Lo Manthang from there. It was amazing view and everybody was so happy, hugging each other because finally after four days continuous walking we all were near to our destination.

Horses grazing

 

View of Lo Manthang

 

 

Then from there it was down all the way to Lo Manthang. After walking half we finally reached our destination. I was tired and hungry also. After having lunch I went for rest. At evening I went to see village and it was beautiful and interesting.

View from Lomanthnag

Children playing

Lo Manthang

 

 

 

journey to upper mustang:ghiling to charang

That day I decided to move earlier because yesterday I was so slow. So after having breakfast at 7am I moved earlier. It was good walk as I was walking on flat land, so I was enjoying and walking fast. I saw French group after me, they were also going up to charang. I reached small village and continued walking following the road. I saw another village from far and think will rest there. So I continued walking but the road was so long, like never ending road. I was surprised what is going on, just like I am walking no where. It was really long road. Finally after two hour reached village and the dog started barked when he saw me. I stopped because the dog was scary, he was barking on me as if he would ate me. Then I saw some people coming from other side and he again start barking on them. It was funny the way he was barking, they saw my scary face and smile and stand near dog for photo and then I ran from there and there in front of me was steep hill for climb. I can saw Krishna from far, they were near to me. After five minutes I started climbing hill and took almost two hours to finish it. There were some other group on the top of hill busy with their camera as view was amazing. Far away I saw sand colour hill and it mesmerised me. Thinking I can reach there I start walking because from there all the way was down so I feel excited to walk and little bit scare because I was walking alone. But on those mountain nothing to be scared, no thief or anything else except snow leopard and it was not winter.

view of sand like hills

On the way to Ghemi

 

 

I kept continue walking until reached this place because I was confused which way to take as there was two roads. I decided to stop there and wait for other people. The view was amazing , far away I could see white snowy mountain and near to me it was desert land. After one hour I saw two Nepali porters and I followed them. I have to climb up and from there and from top we could see Ghemi village. From the top I t was again deep down till the village. The village seems beautiful, peace.I felt how peaceful the place is, only you can hear is the wind nothing else. It can be the best destination for holiday, you will feel you are back to 20th century because the people wearing their cultural dress and the village houses are like old houses made of soil. For me it was interesting and perfect place I choose for trekking. After one hour I reached Ghemi, our lunch spot. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ghemi Village

 

woman knitting

I saw an old women outside of our hotel,{up in the picture}r work. I was so hungry as always and went directly to kitchen ordered food. The old women entered kitchen and greeted me with smile and asked me if I am alone. I informed her that other people also coming. Then she went back to her work. After  one hour Krishna with his group arrived. I went outside and started talking with old lady. She smiled at me and asked me where I am from and I answered Kathmandu. I asked her age and she answered  in Tibetan Language. I don't understand her language and then one guy came and explained in Nepali. It was seventy two. Later on   I got that she cant tell numbers in Nepali. I asked her permission for clicking her photo but she denied and the reason was she is not beautiful and old.I smiled and told her she looks like my grandmother and I am missing her so  much, so I feel like family environment with her. Finally she agreed and I clicked and showed her. She told "I am getting older and older day  by day. I want to die soon. Life is very difficult here.  Our hard work even doesn't pay us with food for the whole year. We have to bring  from city.      Living in mountains is not easy, everywhere you have to walk. Whole life I spent like that and now I cant walk like before. Its better to die then to be like this."It was really emotional moment for me and it was truth also somehow. I was speechless. Other tourist also were there but they don't get what was she saying and they were also taking picture of her. I decided to move. From ghemi it was down and have to cross steel bridge, little bit up and then I reached long wall near the red hill. It  was amazing view from far away. I was confused which way I have to follow again. I waited for Krishna, then after few minutes they arrived and I followed them.

                                                                   
Then we again have to climb hill, again tough for me. It was windy and dusty road, and I was back again. Finally after  two hour we finished climbing and finally reached top. Everyday was happy hard time for day was end. From there it was down al the way to charang. We all started walking on flat land. I  was enjoying as I could see people looking after their cattle and they uses horses as their vehicles and I could saw horses carrying food  and other stuffs. The view was going more beautiful and interesting

Horses on the way

Way to charrang

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After walking almost three hours we reached Charang, one of the beautiful village. There are only two hotel in this village. I was so dirty and smelling because it was three- four days I haven't showered because it was so cold and it was impossible to take cold shower. After having Tibetan tea I went for hot shower but I have to wait few minutes as there were already people on the line.Finally I took shower and have good food, then t bed with sweet dreams.

Charrang village

                                                               Entrance of Charrang village

Journey to upper mustang:chele to ghling

Today was tough day. Everyone was supposed to be ready by 7 am. After having breakfast we all were ready to move. The trail goes up for quite while and then trail flattened for while and we reached a deep canyon. To the other side of canon there was a village called Ghayakar and the trails turns right following the gorge. The path is cut out of the rock and I find it interesting because it looked like yak trail like in the movie caravan but the movie was captured in upper Dolpo and here I don’t see any yak during my whole trip but yes lot of horses, mule carrying food and other things. It was so much fun walking on those hills. The way was so narrow but beautiful view of other village. After few hours walk we reached Taklam la pass at height of 3624. Everyone rest up there. Then we climbed up another pass and from there we we went slightly down to Samar. Everyone rests there for few minutes as everyone was tired.

Trail

Ghayakar village

 

 

After having tea we were ready to move and from Samar  and we went down first then again up. It was so hard for me and I was so back. Everyone was walking  together with group except me, I was unable to catch them. Then finally walking up all the way we reached Bhena,which had only one restaurant so it was crowd. As the restaurant was under construction so there was tent for restaurant. I was so hungry and inside it was crowd so have to wait few minutes for the food. Finally having patience I got food  and feed my belly.

View of Bhena from far

 

 

After having have to move and was sad when I saw  have to climb up again. That was really sad but I have to anyway , if not I will never be on my destination. Krishna told me I am slow, have to move fast otherwise I will miss them. That makes me scared so I tried to walk fast but cant. I  was back again. Other people were also walking slowly but I was more slow then them. Finally after struggling few hours I reached Syangboche hill and everyone was there as if they were waiting for me. I feel really happy when I knew after this no up only down. Then I shouted and danced and then have some fun and clicked some pictures because the view was amazing form there.

View from syangboche Hill

 

 

From there way was easy, all the way down till Syangboche Village. After few hours we reached village finally. Our destination was Ghiling, so everyone have to walk , although I was so tired. Then from there little bit up and then down again till Ghiling .Ghiling is widespread on a patch of green grass and barren brown hills behind village was amazing. It seems big village and I saw monastery and school also.

Way to ghling

Ghiling village

Journey to upper Mustang:kagbeni to chele

Got up at 6 am and packed my stuffs. Nilgiri glows orange while the first warm sun rays reached the fields. The day starts beautiful, not a single cloud. Had my breakfast with the team and we all were ready to move. Everyone was excited because the real journey to Upper Mustang was going to start. We started our journey and after few minutes walk there was TIMS office and everyone stopped there as they are entering to restricted zone. Krishna told us to move ahead as he had to show all the permission documents and it would take time, so we all move ahead. Everyone was busy with their camera and I was watching all their expression. Right after Kagbeni the trail climbs up, from where one can see beautiful view of Kagbeni and the Nilgiri. Everyone took out their camera and start capturing those beautiful views and I also clicked for me.

View of kagbeni from top

 

Then the trail follows the river closely and then it leads to a flat piece of dry and desert-like land. The scenery was amazing, like the valley of sand and rocks. Thousands of years of erosion have formed the landscapes. We followed Kaligandai river and the way we could see different formation of rocks and next to river we saw sheep’s grazing all over those cliffs and that was interesting as I was wondering what they would eat as there is nothing except those thorn bush and those sheep’s were busy having their food and we watching them. Life is really hard.

View after kagbeni

After few hours walk I saw flat landscapes from far and I think that may be village because I could see house but when we when we reached there it was a huge apple farm and the project name was Green Project. That was interesting because the walls around the farms looks like a flat land but the landscapes was amazing as we could see red hills n the mountains behind it. It was Just wow. From there we reached Tangbe, first real mustang village. I think this must be our lunch spot but I was wrong. It was next village called Chhusang for lunch. Then following Kaligandaki we headed ahead. On the other side of river are caves high up in vertical walls. After hour and half walks bring us to finally to chhusang(2980m). The cliff were quite unique with reddish colour and I was just looking those caves and cliffs. Finally we arrive lunch place and everyone was so hungry and tired because it was already mid-day and windy on the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of apple farm

Tangbe village

 

On the way to chussang

 

After lunch we headed towards chele, our destination for the day. The trails slowly followed the river bed and it was easy walk. This area is mostly famous for fossils and the funny thing is that I didn’t knew about fossils and for me every stone was beautiful and I think it must be fossils. It was interesting and funny. A bridge crosses the Kaligandaki which flow through a natural tunnel in that cliff. A steep trail takes us up to chele and I was last among my group to reached chele. Finally we arrived our guest house. I was so tired even was not able to stand on my feet and I went for sleep.

 

pic on the way to chele

 

Journey to upper mustang:Kathmandu to jomsom -kagbeni

We don’t need to decorate nature as it is beautiful in itself. That’s why I love nature and I am lucky that I was born in Nepal and motherer earth loves us very much. We had beautiful mountains, rivers, lake and so on. I always wished to see mountains. So me along with my friends decided to do trekking. We choose Lantang Region as our destination. For the 1st time I saw mountain from so near. For the 1st time I saw snow, for the 1st time I saw glaciers and yak. It was wonderful experiences and I was mesmerised by the beauty of nature. On the way back from Langtang I met a tour guide. He was with his group. Me along with my friends start talking with him about Nepal and its beauty. He start telling me about Upper Mustang. The way he was describing mesmerised me. I started imagining about Mustang.

I thought that once in my life time I will go there and see all those with my own eyes. When I came back to Kathmandu, I started looking for the information about the Upper Mustang. Although there were plenty of beautiful pictures from Upper Mustang but there was not much information that could help me. I decided to trek to Upper Mustang.

My journey starts from Kathmandu. On the bus I met some guys who were also going to Upper Mustang as porter ans some guys as guide. They were so friendly and helpful, I feel I am travelling with my family  and I make them good friends. They really were nice people,down to earth and I asked them can I join their group and without hesitation they answered yes. I was so happy. Next morning I reached Beni. From Beni we took another bus for jomsom. I took seat near window so that I can see beautiful scenario. It was exciting journey for me because I never imagined my dream will be so easily fulfilled. After few hours drive i reached Ghasa for lunch. Ghasa is beautiful village and it has one army camp and a bus park. After lunch my our journey starts again and the scenes become more interesting and beautiful. One can see beautiful mountains with alpine forest from so near. I wanted to stop and go there and breath fresh air form those forest and mountains but I forgot I was on public bus and it has to be on time to its destination. All the way scenes were getting more beautiful and interesting and finally we arrived village called Marpha. We decided to stay at Marpha and everyone gets down from bus and we all headed towards hotel.

Marpha is a beautiful and peaceful village and it is called Kingdom of Apple. Here Apple farming is famous all over Nepal and we can get apple product like dry apple, apple juice, apple wine and so on. It has same style of houses and same colour and very peaceful and most of people are Thakalis. Thakalis people are famous for their food and taste.

View of marpha

Marpha houses

 

Next day we start our journey at early 5 am. Morning was wonderful when we see 1st ray of sun on the mountains and everywhere was peace, no wind at all. After one hour walk we reached Jomsom and it is head quarter so was little crowded then Marpha.To my surprise I meet Krishna, who is social worker and  I did volunteering at his school for two months. Since then I walked together with his group.

After having we started our journey and our destination was up to Kagbeni. I saw people cycling and that makes me crazy. That was so interesting and I was really feeling jealous of those people on cycle. Many pilgrimage we also on the way and the destination was Muktinath so there were many people on the way and so many hired Jeep also for Muktinath and Lomanthang. I was so happy and excited as I was on my dream place. At the morning it is so nice but after 11 its so windy and really dusty road sometimes. So many thing playing on my mind as I never seen such place all over my lifetime. On the way I met some Italians and we start talking. They were so happy and asking me where I am from. When I say I am from this country they got surprise and with a beautiful smile they told' You are really lucky to be Nepali'. This make proud and happy and I shouted 'this is my country'. That was crazy moments. Those Italians got busy with taking pictures and I moved ahead. Following the kaligandaki river finally I arrived Kagbeni after 4 hours walk.

Vie of kagbeni

Kagbeni

 

Kagbeni is one of the beautiful village with its Tibetan culture. It is historical place and called 'Door to the kingdom Of Mustang'.Its ancient village that still retains it medieval charm.

upper mustang