Trek to the Forbidden Kingdom

Greetings Everyone,

After crossing the wild Teri La, we had entered the ancient Kingdom of Mustang. Now, nothing stood between us and our final destination, Lo Manthang, the capital of Mustang. Clouds still lingered in the south and west the following morning but we were in a rain/snow-free band. We set off after breakfast and immediately had to cross a scree slope but the trail was wide. We climbed high above the river before descending down to cross it, then it was up again. We saw our first stone ruins on the other side of the river which Chet said belonged to Tibetans that fled here when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959.

Stone Ruins

A steep, slippery descent on scree brought us to another river crossing and you guessed it, up again. We began to see juniper trees but sadly all the big ones had been cut down. This arid area covered in juniper reminded us of Arizona.

Junipers

We contoured around several saddles before reaching the highest one with a view of the camp set up on a plateau far below. 

View of Camp

After lunch, we went pika hunting behind camp. We climbed to a spring which appeared to be attracting birds. There were some pretty rose-colored finches. We both spotted pikas but they scurried into a bush before Marc could get a photo. Finally after waiting patiently for an hour and a half one popped out in the open long enough for Marc to get a photo. 

Pika

The following morning we set off for Tangge, the first village we’d encounter since leaving Naar. There were still plenty of clouds around obscuring the views as we made our way up and down the high ridges of this ancient land.

1st View of Tangge

We reached the tiny settlement of Tangge, spinning well-worn prayer wheels and admiring the chortens lining our path. Time had stood still here and the spirituality of the Buddhist culture prevailed. 

Spinning Prayer Wheels at Tangge

The crew set up our tent in the courtyard of a guesthouse next to a chorten. We wouldn’t have to worry about evil spirits tonight. The woman who owned the establishment set about weaving on an antique wooden loom while her young son played about.

Spinning Yak Wool

The next morning we continued our trek toward Lo Manthang by climbing steeply out of Tangge and crossing a high windswept plateau. The scenery here reminded us of the desert southwestern US. 

Descent to the Kali Gandaki River Valley

Then it was a descent all the way down to the mighty Kali Gandaki River where we stopped for lunch. At this time of year, the river didn’t look particularly high so we decided to follow the porters and wade across. When we reached the shore, the frigid water was flowing swiftly and we lost our nerve. Fortunately, a new suspension bridge had been built high above the river and we climbed up to cross it. The wind had picked up and the long bridge swayed ominously. I now wished we had waded across the river but instead followed Dorje onto the swinging expanse. It wasn’t too scary but I was happy to reach the other side.

Ready to Cross!

We continued our climb reaching another plateau which we had to traverse before making the descent to the Buddhist village of Yara. Once again colorful chortens greeted us and we had to clamor over a stone wall to enter the settlement. 

Chorten at Yara

Our tent was set up in a campsite above one of the guesthouses with a commanding view over the valley. We would spend two nights here, our first “rest day” since leaving Phu Village.

Our View from Camp

After breakfast the next morning, we headed out with Chet and Dorje to visit Luri Cave Gompa. The skies were clear this morning and we got great views of Dhaulagiri and Tukuche looming over an ancient row of prayer wheels.

Dhaulagiri and Tukuche

We reached the village of Ghara in about an hour and enquired about a key to Luri Gompa. A young woman with the key met us on the road for the remainder of the walk to the gompa. We arrived at the gompa perched high on a cliff nearly two hours after we had set off from camp. 

Climbing Up to Luri Gompa

We climbed the switchbacks to a metal bridge which led to the gompa. The young woman unlocked the door and we climbed wooden stairs to a first chamber with ancient statues, thankas, drums and other artifacts where the woman lit a butter lamp.

Thankas Inside Luri Gompa

We went into another chamber with a 15-foot stupa with paintings on all sides and amazing frescoes on the ceiling of the chamber. Not much is known about this gompa but it’s believed to date back to the 14th century! 

Inside Luri Gompa

We left the Luri Cave Gompa and made our way down to another newer gompa near the Dhe Khola.

2nd Gompa

After a quick visit to the gompa we followed the river back to Yara in search of fossils that were once readily found here. A guide with another group found a few and gave one to me. 

Looking for Fossils

That evening we went to the guesthouse to watch the local Tibetan woman dance and sing. After their performance, we gave them a small token of appreciation. It's a way tourism can help local women earn a living when other opportunities are few.

Dancing and Singing Performance

We awoke twice during the night to the eerie cries of jackals. They sounded like a large pack. They didn’t call for long but the village dogs barked forever after. Today we would finally reach Lo Manthang. We hiked down to the Kali Gandaki River and followed it for a bit before crossing and climbing to the villages of Dhee.

Climbing Out of Dhee

We climbed a series of plateaus above the village before reaching the final summit. Here we encountered our first trek groups from Lo Manthang. After a stop to eat our pack lunches we finally got our first glimpses of the “Walled City”. 

1st View of Lo Manthang

We had to climb down to cross the Kali Gandaki which at this location was a mere stream and ascended to a new gate at the entrance to the city. After 18 days on the trek, we had reached our final destination!

Entering Lo Manthang

That evening we said a teary goodbye to our porters as they would be taking a bus to Jomsom in the morning. Xiring, Sanukumar, Khamnsung, Sundar, and Karun carried our heavy loads day after day over high mountain passes and through raging rivers. If that wasn’t enough, they’d arrive in camp and help set up our tents. They never complained but were quick to help always with a warm smile. We can’t thank them enough for making this trek possible and wish them the best of luck for the future!

Our Porters

The last place we were to visit on our epic trek was the village of Choser about a two-hour hike away. Here the sandy cliffs are riddled with caves carved out by the early inhabitants of this former kingdom. To get a sense of what it would be like to live in one of these dwellings we made the climb on rickety ladders through narrow chambers to at least the third floor. This was enough to satisfy my curiosity and we did not proceed further to the top floors. 

Inside Choser Caves

We hitched a ride back to Lo Manthang and decided to visit the Royal Mustang Resort Hotel. Chet said it was owned by the son of the last King of Mustang. When we arrived, it appeared to be closed but as we were leaving a young man opened the door and invited us in. The man said that there were no guests as the season was ending for the winter. I was intrigued by a portrait of the last king and his Tibetan bride that hung in the lobby. We were about ready to leave when the young man told us that the King and his wife were his grandparents! I was delighted and insisted that he pose with me in front of their portrait.

Peggy with the King's Grandson

We still had time to visit the Choedye Monastery where we were lucky to witness another puja ceremony. We sat mesmerized as the monks chanted, clashed cymbals and beat a drum.

Inside Choedye Monastery

On October 25, we left Lo Manthang and drove along the new jeep road to Jomsom. We stopped for one last look to where we had crossed the Teri La into this fabled land.

Last Look at the Teri La

After stops to repair our broken suspension and for lunch we arrived in Jomsom in the afternoon. We stayed in the same hotel that we stayed in 2009 after our trek around Dhaulagiri. That evening we said our final goodbyes to the remaining staff: Chet, our unflappable trip leader who delivered a second flawless trek for us, Kumar, our soft-spoken cook who prepared our delicious meals that fueled us along the way,  Dorje, our strong Sherpa who held my hand and guided us through the tough spots and finally to Mangley and Prem who helped Kumar in the kitchen and served us our meals. 

Our Trek Crew

In the early morning, a flight out of Jomsom took us past the imposing east face of Dhaulagiri to the mountain town of Pokhara and then it’s was back to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.

View of Dhaulagiri From Our Flight

Out 8th trip to Nepal had come to an end. I’ll never tire of visiting this tiny country straddling the high Himalaya and the lowland forests of the Terai.  Nepal’s vibrant Hindu culture of the cities and peaceful Buddhist culture of the high Himalayas will remain in my heart forever!

We hope all is well with everyone.

Peggy and Marc

Our route map: