Upper Mustang in Nepal

Upper Mustang in Nepal Overview

A trek to the remote semi-independent Kingdom of Upper Mustang located north of Annpurna on the Tibet border. Our Upper Mustang itinerary has been carefully designed to explore the quieter areas and in most places stays away from the new road. We approach Lo Manthang on the west side of the Kali Gandaki and descend on the less visited east side

Upper Mustang is located north of Annapurna and at an average altitude of 4,000m is geologically and culturally part of the Tibetan plateau. The valleys are arid and dry with colourful rock formations containing many cave dwellings high up in the cliffs. The first trekking parties were allowed into Upper Mustang in 1992 and there are still very few people (about 700 trekkers each year) visiting Upper Mustang as a result it is one of the few places left where one can see undisturbed Tibetan culture. Mustang is a remote semi-independent Tibetan Kingdom with a walled capital called Lo Manthang. Upper Mustang was once part of Tibet and was used by the salt caravans crossing the Himalaya into Nepal. It became an independent kingdom in 1380 and the current royal family can trace their lineage back to this time. In 1960’s Mustang was a strong hold for Tibetan Khampa guerrillas fighting the occupying Chinese forces. CIA supported these fighters and secretly trained some of them in the US.