THE FANTASTICAL KINGDOM OF LO | Guest Post by Persis Anklesaria

 

 

Persis Anklesaria, is a veteran South Col trekker, keen photographer and gifted writer. In this post she recounts her journey to the once forbidden kingdom of Mustang  - a fascinating part of the Himalayan rain shadow.

Wedged between the Himalayas and shuttered Tibet, lies an ancient Buddhist kingdom within the borders of Hindu Nepal. 

 

The kingdom of Lo.

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 In the year 1380, the warrior chieftain Ame Pal, gained control of the trade routes between India and Tibet, established a kingdom and built Lo Manthang --- a grand walled capital of palaces, monasteries and gompas.

 

Nothing much has changed since then.  Sheltered behind 26,000 ft. high peaks, the Lobas continue to live a centuries old existence, farming, raising livestock and preserving their ancient faith. Today, this domain of approximately 13 settlements is the last bastion of pure Tibetan culture, its monasteries the finest example of Buddhist art, and Ame Pal’s capital the best-preserved medieval fortification in the world.

 

Till the 1950’s the only route into Mustang was on horseback via treacherous passes. Now, a Chinese road extends from Lhasa to Kathmandu, daily flights bring in a gaggle of tourists.  Before a way of life disappears forever, eight Southcol Expedition trekkers including me, embark on a 7-day, 64km climb from Jomsom airstrip (9000 ft.), northwards to Lo Manthang (12,400ft.).  

 

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As the Tara Air, 16-seater lifts off, Pokhara’s lake and green fields slip away, melting into puffy clouds.   Within minutes the skies darken as we tunnel between the world’s two greatest mountain ranges at wingtip distance. The Annapurna Peak metamorphoses into her fabled fish tail, while across the aisle, the east face of Dhaulagiri, 26,000ft of dazzling beauty floats past the windows. Below us the light-speckled Kali Gandaki River, its plunging gorges, valleys and tributaries, bisect the terrain.  Half-an-hour later we are in Jomsom, a brown, barren, rocky desert.

 

The Nar Phu Valleys of Nepal - II

In October 2015, South Col Expeditions trekked to the valleys of Nar and Phu bordering Tibet in remote Nepal. The first part of the route and day wise schedule is here
http://www.sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/12/the-nar-phu-valleys-of-nepal-i.html
This is the second and concluding part.

October 5 2015
Phu to Nar Phedi
The morning was cloudy once again and we left at 7 10 am. The lodge was very expensive charging around Rs 750 for a dal Bhat possibly one of the highest in Nepal. We retraced our steps down the valley and this time took the lower route back across the river. We made good time and got into Kyang by 9 50 am.

After a brief stop we set off for Chyakhu and got there by 11 05 am. Chyakhu was busy as some European groups had stopped there for lunch. We saw some yaks fighting in the meadows near the tea house. For non camping groups Chyakhu is a good option after Meta as there is a small house with two rooms which can be used for the night next to the tea shop. From Chyakhu we continued down the valley in beautiful autumn light and got to the trail junction of Nar at around 1 35 pm. From the junction there is a steep downhill over a very stony path - it was also extremely dusty and windy and blew my cap and pack cover off. The bridge was reached in about 25 minutes and then there is another uphill climb to the monastery which takes around 20 minutes. The monastery is brand new and the rooms are also excellent the best we have had on this trek so far!

Phu Village

Phu to Kyang 2 hrs 30 min to 3 hrs; Kyang to Chyakhu 1 hr to 1 hr 15 min; Chyakhu to Nar trail junction 1 hr 30 min to 1 hr 45 min; Nar trail junction to bridge 20 min to 25 min; bridge to monastery 20 min to 30 min.

October 6 2015
Nar Phedi to Nar village.

Doorway Nar Phedi Monastery

We left from Nar Phedi monastery around 8 10 am. Ajmal had decided to go down to Koto Qupar as he was not feeling very well and we gave Sushil one of the porters with him. I was sorry to see him go but I realised that it was the best decision for him and he was not really enjoying the uphill climbs due to his poor health. Our climb was relentless for the first one hour and we reached a small pass. From here the climb continued uphill and in about forty minutes reached another high point which showed up as 3995 metres on my altimeter . From here there was a very fine view of Kangaru and Pisang peak was in front of us for most of the way.  The trail then levelled off for some time and passed right below Pisang before climbing up to another small pass. The trail then eased off and was passed through a gate which had probably been erected to keep the yak and sheep within their pens. Within 15 minutes of passing through this gate, the path reached a level plateau with ten magnificent chortens against a backdrop of the snow peaks and the barren cliffs. 

Chortens before Nar Village with Kangaru Himal

It was truly a magnificent sight and the artists who had built them so many years ago on this windswept exposed plateau must have been truly great men! From here  a short ten minute walk brings you to the entrance of Nar village.

Nar Phedi to 1st pass 1 hr; 1st pass to 2nd pass 30 min; 2nd pass to plateau with chortens 1 hr 15 min; chortens to Nar village 15 to 30 min. Total time would be between 3 to 3.5 hours.

Travels in Nar village
We stayed at the Shanti lodge which is one of the older lodges in the village. The owner Shanti Galay was extremely helpful and friendly.  I knew that sometime in the 1980s King Birendra had given permission to a photographer Nick Wheeler to document the villagers of Nar and Phu. The book they brought out was called Cloud Dwellers of the Himalaya now sadly out of print. In 2006 Wanda Viequex had visited Nar and Phu with a copy of the book and had managed to show the photographs to many of the villagers who were able to identify themselves so many years ago. In particular she visited the home of "cover" girl Pema Bhutti who was possibly in her seventies at that time.  I was  interested to find out if she was still alive nine years later  in 2015 and also visit her house. Shanti directed us to her house in the village. It was the harvesting season. All the fields had been harvested of barley and on every roof top of every home threshing and winnowing of the grain was taking place. Whole families were busy with this all day and it presented a spectacular sight.  We found the house and found Pema Bhutti's daughter and husband with their grandchildren.  We learnt that Pema had passed away in 2008 after suffering from cancer. They knew about the book but did not have any copy with them . They also confirmed that none of the villagers in Nar would have a copy. 

 Pema 's daughter Pemba Chenzom and husband Mingmar Copel Gurung gave my guide Shyam and me tea in their kitchen. They wondered if it was possible to get some sponsorship for their grandchildren to go to school in Kathmandu.  
From here we continued to walk through the village photographing the houses, harvesting, the village folk which was extremely interesting. Below in the fields of Nar we saw most of the cattle were grazing including yaks, horses and sheep. It was a beautiful sunny day with the peaks above the valley, the pleasant autumn sunshine, the harvesting in full force and the roof tops of the three monasteries glinting in the mellow evening sunshine. At around 4 pm I decided to walk back around 20 minutes the plateau with the ten chortens. The evening sunlight had illuminated them beautifully backed by the peaks of Chombu and Kangaru. We were also able to see Pisang peak above us and Chulu East a popular trekking peak on the Annapurna circuit. Shyam and I sat  on the grass for some time and savoured this idyllic surrounding. Nar is a village where I could happily stay a few days interacting with the village folk and photographing their life and fast vanishing culture.

Harvesting Nar Village

October 7 2015
Nar to Kangla Phedi
The morning dawned clear but I was greeted with the news that one of our group Ashutosh was not feeling well- he had been suffering from a throat infection right through the trek and was now quite breathless. He took the decision sadly to descend to Koto Qupar by making a night stop at Meta. We were sad to see him go but realised in his present condition crossing the pass would be both difficult and risky. After breakfast I went down with Shyam to see the old Samten  Pelgye Ling monastery which had some remarkable old statues. 

Interior Samten Ling monastery

A nun from Kathmandu showed us around - interestingly she had been to India! We had an early lunch and left Nar at around 12 noon. We left through the exit gate of the village and started a climb out of the valley. After about half an hour the gradient eased a bit and we found ourselves in a broad valley with Pisang Peak and it razor sharp ridges on the left. The trail continued to climb gently through yak pastures and high above we spotted two herds of blue sheep , one of them quite large around thirty animals high above the  valley floor. The path then went around the hill and from the viewpoint before going down we saw Kangguru, the summit of Manaslu, Ngadi Chuli and much closer the top of Pisang Peak. We soon reached a small campsite with a broken down stone shelter which is the Kangla Phedi Base camp. The beginning of the trail to the pass could be seen clearly over moraine and scree slopes.  Just behind our camp to the east was a small snowy peak which could not be identified. We planned to start at 5 am tomorrow so as to cross the pass between 8 and 9 am and hopefully get the wonderful view of the northern sweep of the Annapurnas.

Night sky and the Milky way at Nar Phedi

Nar to Kangla Phedi 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 min

October 8 2015
Kangla Phedi to Kangla pass to Ngawal
The night was very cold in the tent, especially my toes which I could not warm up despite the best of efforts. I got up around 3 45 am and started the laborious job of packing up the sleeping bag and then my rucksack. After this I stepped out at around 4 15 am and began to dismantle my tent . Using gloves and a headlamp it was tough going and the minus 8 Celsius temperature did not help matters very much. The fly sheet was frozen and I had to pack it up with the ice hoping to dry it out in the sun in Ngawal this afternoon. The kerosene stove was purring in the kitchen shed and we all had hot coffee and muesli with milk. We finally got away around 5 35 am.  The trail initially left the campsite and started a slow climb upwards to a small bridge in around 20 minutes. From the bridge the path climbed relentlessly through a series of switch backs  until it reached a small chorten in about an hour and a half. From this high point looking east we could see over the valley the peaks of Chombu, Kanguru, Manaslu, Ngadi Chuli , Himal Chuli and the sheer cliffs of Pisang peak. To help in the snow trail markers in orange and blue had been positioned at regular intervals , a welcome feature. This morning was perfect as there was not a cloud in sight and no wind or snow. The trail continued past a few false summits until it reached an emerald green glaciated lake at 5200 metres in about 2 hrs 45 min from Kangla Phedi. The pass was visible from the lake another 30 min away. We eventually got to the top around 8 50 am to be rewarded with a spectacular view of the entire northern sweep of the Annapurnas including Lamjung Himal and in the far right corner Dhaulagiri. Below us we could see quite clearly the new road which was now being used by jeeps and buses connecting Mañang to Besisahar . The airstrip of  Hongde was also visible and to the west of that was the village of Ngawal our destination  for the day.

View from Kang La

We left the pass around 9 30 am and headed down one of the steepest scree slopes which I have encountered. For an hour we had to gingerly make our way down testing each steep and using our trekking poles for support. I wondered how difficult this descent would be in snowy conditions. After an hour and a half we reached the grassy slopes and began to descend on a well trodden path towards the valley. From the pass to Ngawal was a drop of around 1700 metres in around 3 to 4 hours which is a knee crunching descent and we were all feeling it towards the end. In around 2 hrs and 30 min we could see the village of Ngawal below us but it was still an hour away. Finally around 1 15 pm we entered Ngawal having walked for around 8 hours without any meals or major stops. The pleasures of the Annapurna circuit like a hot shower, good meals and comfortable beds awaited us!

Lake on the trail to Pisang

Kangla Phedi to 1st chorten 1hr 30 min; 1st chorten to emerald lake 1 hr 15 min; emerald lake to Kangla pass 30 min. Total time from Kangla Phedi to the pass would be between 3 to 4 hours depending on walking speeds and stops.

Kangla pass to Ngawal 3 hrs 30 minutes to 4 hours.

The Nar Phu Valleys of Nepal - I

Our team on top of Kangla pass (5320m)

South Col Expeditions trekked the Nar and Phu valleys of Nepal in Sept-Oct 2015. In this two part post the route and terrain is described for future trekkers to this region.

Click on map to see larger image

September 30th 2015
We left Kathmandu at around 8 am for Besisahar. Lok was lucky to arrange a micro bus for us as he had managed to get some diesel given the present difficult situation in Nepal. Due to the fuel shortage the roads were reasonably empty and we made good time getting into Besisahar by 1 . 15 pm. There was a huge traffic jam at the entrance of the town and by the time we reached the jeep stand it was 2.30 pm. There was a premium for the jeep to Koto Qupar- what would normally cost Rs 20,000 was quoted at Rs 33,000 citing the fuel shortage as an excuse. We left Besisahar at  3 pm and headed up the Marsyandi. I was quite shocked to see the devastation near Bhulbhule. With Chinese aid a new Hydel project and dam was being constructed.  Large chunks of the hillside had been decimated to make room for concrete buildings. Debris from the ash mud and stone chips had pullout end the Marsyandi changing its colour from jade green to ash grey. The narrow trail masquerading for a road was full of boulders and fast flowing streams rushing across. The circuit had changed beyond recognition. No wonder very few trekkers walk the route right now. We reached Syange at around 5 30 pm and decided to call it a day. The Waterfall lodge was very scenically situated right on top of the roaring Marsyandi. Tomorrow we would get to Koto Qupar.

The Waterfall Guest House 

October 1 2015

We left Syange at 8 am. The rough trail continued and we reached Jagat in around 30 min. The jeep was only able to do between 6 and 8 km per hour due the terrible condition of the road. We reached Dharapani at around 10 45 am and stopped to show our ACAP permits at the check post. We saw the trail coming down from bimthang and the Manaslu circuit towards the east. We left Dharapani after a cup of tea and headed up the Marsyandi and eventually got down from the jeep at 12 20 pm about half an hour from Koto Qupar and walked the remaining distance. The valley had now opened up and we saw Annapurna  2 in front of us and Manaslu to the east. We stayed at Hotel Himlung in Koto and we had the lodge to ourselves. Krishnan and I walked upto the next village Chame  in about 30 min on an acclimatisation walk and came back in around an hour.  I cleared the permits at the check post so that next morning we could leave without delay. No further news on the fuel crisis hope it would get settled very soon. We passes around 25 Trekkers most of whom were doing the Annapurna circuit a far cry from the number of trekkers who used to do this route earlier.

Annapurna II near Koto Qupar

October 2, 2015

Koto Qupar to Meta

We left Koto at 6 45am - a record for South Col as far as early starts are concerned. We immediately descended to a suspension bridge which we crossed and starting walking on a well maintained trail which hugged the river. After about an hour and 45 minutes we reached another suspension bridge which we crossed and started walking up the right bank of the river. In about an hour from the bridge we reached a small house with an ACAP sign board for Naar Phu. Ten minutes away was another small house where our group had stopped for an early lunch as there were no more tea shops on the way. We had a one hour lunch break and then started for Dharamsala. Five minutes away was a third house where a German team were having their lunch. The trail continued to wind its way up the gorge and fifty minutes away we reached another suspension bridge which took us back to the left bank of the river. Soon after we came to a small cave marked Odar which can double up as a camping spot in an emergency. The trail then went down and within a few minutes another suspension bridge appeared with a sign to the right pointing to a hot spring. We took the left trail and finally got to Dharamsala at 1 20 pm. We found a new shelter had been constructed at Dharamsala but there was no tea shop for meals.

Waterfall across the trail near Dharamsala

We stopped for ten minutes and then started the climb to Meta at 1 30pm. The first thirty minutes followed the river climbing up and down but then started a steep 50 minute push up the hill on a steep gradient which took us to a pass on top of the hill. From the pass Meta was 10 minutes and we reached at 3 15 pm ending a long day. I was surprised to find at least four to five lodges in Meta 3600 metres with at least forty beds. If you can make the push from Dharamsala  I recommend staying at Meta so you save a night of camping. I found that the Nepal telecom Namaste network working in Meta but the signal was weak.

Koto Qupar to 2nd suspension bridge 1 hr 45 min; 2nd suspension bridge to 1st House with ACAP sign Nar Phu 1 hr; 1st house to 3rd suspension bridge 50 min; 3rd suspension bridge to Dharamsala 1 hr 30 min; Dharamsala to Meta 1 hr 45 min to 2 hrs. 

October 3 2015

Meta to Kyang
We left Meta at 8 10 am. In the morning I used my peak finder app and found that the big peak from Meta to the south was Lamjung Himal and not Annapurna I I as claimed by the locals. The path out of Meta was well defined and it was not necessary to cross any moraines as mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide! In 30 minutes we reached a junction with the trail ahead going to Phu and the sharp left trail heading to Nar. The junction is marked. Below us all along this section of the walk we saw the new monastery of Nar Phedi perched on a ledge below the long climb to Nar. The trail continued following the river valley making gentle ups and downs until it reached a clearing with some abandoned stone shelters which was called Jhunum about one hour 50 min from Meta. From Jhunum we crossed a suspension bridge over the river and made a climb to reach Chyakhu in 50 min. 

View from the trail before Junam

There is a small tea shop in Chyakhu where food is available and it is also possible to stay. It is very expensive dal Bhat was Rs 650! The place is surrounded with abandoned Khampa ruins and the icefall of Kangaru peak and the peak can be seen from this section of the trail. From here the trail climbs up to a pass and then drops down across another suspension bridge to start climbing again. From here the plains of Kyang are visible about 10 min below. There is a small hut in Kyang but no food is available. We camped at Kyang as we had tents making the next day to Phu much shorter. Water is available close to the hut and there are also a large number of abandoned Khampa settlements here.

Meta to 1st trail junction 30 min; 1st trail junction to Jhunum 1 hr 20 min; Jhunum to Chyakhu 50 min to 1 hr; Chyakhu to Kyang 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min.
October 4
Kyang to Phu
The night was cloudy in Kyang and I came out of my tent at around 8 pm- managed some shots of the stars until the clouds closed in again. The morning was also cloudy with low lying clouds on the adjacent ridges. We saw that Pisang Peak had a fresh dusting of snowfall. We left Kyang at around 7 30 am and in 30 minutes reached a bridge over the river. Do not cross the bridge but carry on along the right bank. The narrow trail continued to hug the river as the gorge became narrower. In an hour and ten minutes you reach a new house which is lying vacant- it could be intended as a future tea shop. The trail soon comes to a second bridge - there is a path of the other side which also leads to Phu. We continued along the right bank without crossing the bridge and the trail soon climbed high above the river. The rock faces had now begun to resemble Mustang and at a point around three hours from Kyang the canyon narrows and the river flows through some spectacular looking rock spires. The trail then climbs steeply for around 15 min to reach the Phupi Gyalgu gate - the entrance of Phu. The trail then crosses a ruined Dzong and then some chorten said painted in Mustang like colours and blue painted mani stones. Finally it crosses a suspension bridge and reaches Phu village ( 4060m).

Phu village

 It was the harvesting season in Phu and every house was threshing paddy in the open courtyards outside. We visited the spectacular Tashi Lhakhang Gompa at 4150 m above the village but sadly it was locked and we could not get in. The peak of Kanggaru could be seen opposite the village which is but a mere extension of Mustang.

Kyang to 1st bridge 30 min; 1st bridge to new house 40 min; new house to bottom of climb to the Phu gate 1 hr 10 min; Phu gate to Phu village 30 to 40 min

To be continued next week at 
http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-nar-phu-valleys-of-nepal-ii.html
 

Mustang and Lo Manthang Trek | Photographs in Black and White

South Col Expeditions trekked to Mustang and Lo Manthang in April 2015. The account of our journey and return after the great Nepal earthquake is given in these two blog posts:

1. http://www.sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part-i.html

2.  http://www.sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html

These are some photographs from that trek:

The village of Chusang

On the trail between Samar and Shyanbochen

The village of Ghilling

Entering Drakmar

Mani stones near Ghar Gompa

Rock inscription near Ghar Gompa

On the outskirts of Tsarang

Near the village of Drakmar

The Kali Gandaki near Kagbeni

Mustang and Lo Manthang | The Itinerary Part II

South Col Expeditions had a team of eight trekkers to Mustang and Lo Manthang in April 2015. The first part of the journey is covered in this blog post:

http://www.sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part-i.html

This is the second and concluding part.

April 23 2015

Drakmar

It was a windy and cold morning at Drakmar and we waited for the sun to hit the trail before setting out at 8 am. The trail initially travelled through the village and then entered a canyon with steep walls and amazing rock formations. The trail then started a steep climb to the pass of Mui La 4070m. There were some steep switchbacks and the path finally went through a narrow canyon which opened out onto the pass in about an hour and ten minutes. The trail then traversed a ridge for about 15 min and reached another pass on the other end of the ridge.

Ghar Gompa from the trail above

 From the  second pass the trail dropped steeply to Ghar Gompa which is about an hour from the pass. From the pass the high route to Lo Manthang across the Marangla pass can be seen. Below are the twin villages of Lo Gekar and Marang.  The spectacular Ghar Gompa is situated at the end of the valley pressed against the hill side. We left Ghar Gompa around 1 pm and travelled due east down a broad trail to the village of Lo Gekar and then onto Marang in about 45 min. From Marang cross a long suspension bridge and then reach Tsarang in about two hours from Ghar Gompa.

April 24 2015

We left Tsarang at 8am and walked down to the river. Cross the river on a bridge and then start the climb up on the other side to a small pass which is reached within one hour. From this pass the trail follows the jeep road climbing slowly until it reaches a large attractive chorten in yellow orange and white at the bottom of a climb in about an hour and a half.

From the chorten the trail climbs up again to another small pass and then again climbs across a large level windswept plain for about another hour until it reaches the last pass. Below lies the walled city of Lo Manthang about forty minutes away. The walk on this day was the hardest of the trek due to the  relentless wind, long distances and a long stretch on the jeep able road. Further there is no  tea shop anywhere between Tsarang and Lo Manthang.

April 25 2015

We had decided the previous evening to go to the Chosser caves in the morning but when we woke up the weather was dark and grim - low clouds hung over the mountains to the north and fresh snows covered the peaks. So instead we stayed at Lo and visited the walled city with its splendid monasteries and frescoes many in need of restoration. The mandala frescoes were particularly outstanding.

Lo Manthang

Nearing noon we visited the studio of a tankha painter and while we were there the earthquake struck. Michele, one of our trekkers from Australia  who was ill was sleeping in her upstairs room and was helped out by Shyam and our porter Bikram and shell shocked she was put on the road on a mattress.  The owner of our lodge Mystic Himalayan Ram Gurung suggested that she be put on oxygen and he hooked her onto to an oxygen cylinder.  We did I not know then about the intensity of the earthquake. I tried calling Kathmandu but all lines were busy.  Finally on the CDMA sky phone I was able to call Paula who told me that the epicentre was north of Pokhara.

With the quake and Michele's illness we decided to cut short the last day and start our return journey by jeep as planned. We left Lo at around 2pm.  There were thirteen of us in a long wheel base Mahindra jeep and it was a very  tight squeeze.

The jeep ride down to Chuksang

Within half an hour of leaving  a rock fall which had occurred due to the landslide blocked the road and Shyam and the porters had to get down and clear the rocks. The  weather had also become ominous and a few drops of rain had started to fall. The jeep careered down the darkening hillside the grey brown cliffs of Mustang assuming a monstrous hue. We had planned to reach Chuksang but were told that this jeep would go up to Shyanmochen only.

Just before Shyanmochen the road had become caked in mud and the jeep slipped across  a number of times and tethered very close to the edge. We finally all got off and walked up the hill for a short distance to the waiting jeep. We reached a river flowing across the road and had to tranship to another jeep. Finally around 7 pm we reached the Himali guest house in Samar and decided to call it a day. It had been a very long day and we were all exhausted.

We tried to use our phones but all lines were busy and we were unable to reach anyone's phone.  We still had no idea about the severity of the earthquake. At around 11 pm there was a knocking on my door. It was Bikram. A  phone call from Santaman had conveyed really bad news- Shyam's father had died, their house had collapsed and most of the two hundred houses in the village had been raised to the ground. I went down in the freezing night to find Shyam sitting outside the lodge sobbing loudly. I somehow got him to bed but there was no further sleep for any of us that night. The enormity of this tragedy really hit me then.

April 26th 2015

The next morning also dawned ominous and angry. It had again snowed at night and a weak and watery sun was trying to push its way through the clouds. We left for Chuksang around 7 30 am. Fortunately there were no landslides and we entered Chuksang in about 75 minutes.

We had planned to take another jeep to Jomsom but learnt that there was a big landslide ten minutes ahead which had blocked the road. The landslide could not be cleared in the next two hours and finally we crossed the slide on foot. There were jeeps waiting on the other side and we got to Kagbeni in about 45 minutes.

Crossing a landslide at Chusang

The final drive to Jomsom took about another hour and dusty, weather beaten and exhausted we entered the Windy Valley Hotel. We then learnt of the severity of the quake and that Kathmandu, many districts in the vicinity had been very badly affected.

April 27th 2015

At Jomsom below Nilgiri

We had managed to pre pone our tickets on the Jomsom Pokhara flight and we had been assigned the third flight of the morning at 8.20am. The morning was clear at  Jomsom and Niligiri could be seen clearly behind the tarmac. But no flights came that morning. We tried to get a jeep but none of the jeeps were available. Finally around 9.30 am we managed to get a local bus which was going all the way to Pokhara.

Archana in the bus down to Pokhara

The dirt track to Pokhara was more suited for a pony than a vehicle. The 74km section to Beni took us seven hours and the final 81 km to Pokhara was covered in around three hours. Dog tired, shaken and exhausted we had completed this bone rattling journey all the way from Lo Manthang at around 3850m through the deep gorge of the Kali Gandaki to Pokhara around 850m in three days. We were lucky to have escaped unscathed.

Mustang and Lo Manthang | The Itinerary Part I

The sky caves of Mustang

April 19  2015

 South Col had a group of eight trekkers to Mustang and Lo Manthang last April 2015. The morning dawned clear in Pokhara and all the peaks were visible after the rain the previous evening.  Our 7 am flight to Jomsom was bang on time and I was sitting on the left side so I had splendid views of the peaks including Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Tukuche. I could also clearly see below me the route we had taken on so many treks - Austrian camp, Poon hill and the valley of the Kali Gandaki . On the right side of the aircraft was visible the Annapurnas and Machapuchare.

Dhaulagiri from the flight between Pokhara and Jomsom

The Kali Gandaki valley near Jomsom

We had breakfast at Windy Valley Jomsom and left around 8- 50am for Kagbeni. The current road followed the right bank of the Kali Gandaki though for most of the way there were a large number of jeeps ferrying Indian pilgrims to the holy temple of Muktinath. We reached Eklai Bhatti in about an hour and a half as it was the first day and we were not yet acclimatised. We entered Kagbeni around noon and stayed at the Yakdonalds hotel which had good food but poor dark rooms which also had a peculiar smell!  We also visited the interesting Kag Chode monastery with a monastery school for young lamas.

Jomsom airport and Nilgiri

April 20 2015

Shyam our sirdar and I were at the permit office by 6 am and we finally got the permits stamped and completed by 6.45am. Next to the permit office is Cafe Applebee's with a dress circle view over the Kali Gandaki and the entrance of Upper Mustang. Standing there in the early morning light and watching the Kali Gandaki flowing gently through the gorge with the first rays of the sun lighting up the red and ochre cliffs was a breathtaking experience.

The Kali Gandaki before Kagbeni

We left for Chuksang in a jeep as we wanted to gain some time on the first day and make better progress into Mustang. The jeep ran on a dirt track road and in forty minutes reached Chuksang - what would have taken us four hours on the trail! Chuksang is a very impressive village with green fields of freshly planted vegetables backed by sheer cliffs in a myriad of shapes and patterns. The sculpted rock canyons of upper Mustang start here and many have the famous sky caves of Mustang built into the rocks!

The village of Chuksang

We had breakfast at the Brakpa guest house where the omelette and toast was excellent!  We left Chuksang at around 9 05am and the trail crossed a small stream and then followed the right bank of the Kali Gandaki.  In about fifty minutes the trail crosses two bridges up ahead and above we saw the village of Chele.  We then climbed a slope for about 20 minutes and stopped at Hotel Mustang Gate for a welcome cup of tea. Nilgiri dominates the view back across the Kali Gandaki .

Some members of the South Col group to Mustang

From Chele the trail continues to climb gently up the hillside and passes a school in about 15 min. It then continues for another 35 minutes and across the valley the village of Gyekar can be seen.  The trail then starts a steep climb clinging to the side of a canyon and in a series of hairpin bends gains altitude heading up to the pass of Chele la 3630 m.  In around 75 to 80 min from the start of the climb the pass is reached and from there is a gentle 20 min stroll down to the village of Samar.

Samar which is around 3600 m boasts an excellent view of the Trans Himalaya. Nilgiri dominates the view but there is a long line of peaks to the east most of them possibly unnamed and to the west is Tukuche and possibly the summit of Dhaulagiri as well. We stayed at Hotel Himali in Samar which is a basic facility like most of the tea houses in Upper Mustang.

April 21 2015

We left Samar at 7 15am. The morning was clear and there was a splendid view of the mountains. As we left the red and ochre chortens were getting the first light - ponies were grazing below the chortens while an old woman with grizzled features turned prayer wheels below the chortens. The trail left the main gate of Samar and then descended into a gorge. It crossed a small stream and then started climbing steeply up the hill side for about 30 min and reached a clearing with another great view of the snows. The trail then followed the side of the hill climbing steadily in the hot sun.  In about one and a half hours we reached the pass of Bhena La and a 15 min stroll down the hill brought us to the one house of Bhena where we stopped for a cup of tea.

Typical Mustang chortens at Samar

From Bhena the trail to the Yamdo La is clearly visible across the hill.  The trail initially follows the jeep able road and  begins a climb up the hill side for about 40 min. It then rejoins the jeep able road and makes a gentle climb to the pass of Yamdo La 4010m. Yamdo La is reached about 75 min from Bhena and has an almost 360 degree view starting from the peaks on the Tibetan frontier  to  the peaks above Thorung La and then towards the North face of Nilgiri. From the pass Shyangbochen is seen below and is around  40 min down the hill on the jeep road.

Heading down from Yamdo La to Shyanbochen

We had lunch at the Hotel Nilgiri and left after lunch around 1.15pm. A ten minute walk uphill reaches a small pass from where the village of Ghelling could be seen about 75 minutes away.

April 22 2015

We left Ghilling at around 7 40 am.  We stayed the night at a small guest house which had minimal facilities and as we got only three rooms I used my tent for the night.  I found that the tent had iced up at night and the inner wall was damp with condensation. The trail initially travelled north climbing gently and reaches the bottom of the Nyi La pass in about 90 minutes. A half hour climb to the top brings up another spectacular view of the peaks including Annapurna 3 and Nilgiri. The trail then drops from the pass and joins the jeepable road . It then follows the road for about 45 minutes and then joins a walking trail marked “way to Ghemi”. The trail reaches another small pass in about 15 minutes and then drops steeply down the valley from where the village of Ghemi can be seen.

We stopped for lunch at the Royal Mustang hotel which had an excellent apple pie which was finished by our group. We left Ghemi at 1.10 pm and the trail  goes through the village and down to the river. Cross the river and start climbing up the other side gradually to reach another pass in about an hour. From the pass looking down the longest Mani wall in Nepal can be seen below as well as the bends of the jeep road. From the pass the trail levels off and reaches Drakmar in an hour. This part of the walk is spectacular as it  snakes its way  below the red cliffs of Drakmar.

The red cliffs of Drakmar

..... to be continued next week on  12th  September 2015 at 
http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html