Upper mustang trekking itinerary,cost, Permit,collection of Events and News
Rainy season May,Jun,July is the best time in upper mustang trekking. Tiji festival also included in this months. Due to the rain shadow region, you can do summer trekking in Upper mustang region.In the Autumn September, October, November also Best time and season for the upper mustang trekking.
Weather of the Upper mustang Trekking
Windy is the nature of the upper mustang trekking. It is a tibet in Nepal and land is like a tibetan plateau.
Cost of the food in Upper mustang:
In the tea house trekking have a menu. Dhal Bhat is the common food for all the region of the upper mustang. Beside that, continental food menu also availability in the upper mustang trekking. Dhal Bhat cost max $5 usd or Rs. 500 NPR>
Upper mustang trekking , itinerary and permit manged by the upper mustang trekking agency in Nepal. Welcome to upper mustang trekking, we managed you trekking itinerary and permit very easy and flexible way. Specially a upper mustang trekking is the restriction areas trekking in Nepal. It has expensive restriction charge in comparison other restriction areas in Nepal. Why upper mustang trekking permit is very expensive, it has many question many travelers of the upper mustang. Simply it has major two issue cultural protection and diplomatic policy of the government of Nepal. At least two people in a group require to get a permit of the upper mustang treks in Nepal. 10 days is enough to do the upper mustang trekking. It cost $500 per person for the upper mustang trekking for 10 days and Annapurna conservation area permit. It is not needed the Timms card every restriction areas in Nepal. There are special permit issue by the recommendation of the government of Nepal for the upper mustang. Due to the rain shadow areas mainly june and july is the main season to do the mustang trekking.
Upper mustang trekking itinerary:
- Arrive in
- Sightseeing in kathmandu valley and preparation for trekking
- Pokhara to Jomsom by flight and trek to Kagbeni and permit checking.
- Kagbeni to Chele(3050m)-5-6 hours
- Chele to Syanbochten(3475m)-6-7 hours
- Syanbochen to Ghaymi(3502m)-5-6 hours
- Ghaymi to Charang(3500m)-4-5 hours
- Charang to Lo-Mangthang(3700m)
- Explore the Lo-Mangthan
- Lo-Manthang to Drakmar(3810m)-6-7 hours
- Dhakmar to Ghiling(3806m)-5-6 hours
- Ghiling to Chhuksang(3050m)5-6 hours
- Chhuksang to Jomsom-6-7 hours
- Jomsom to pokhara in the morning fly, then rest and sightseeing in pokhara
- Pokhara to
- Shopping and rest day in Kathmandu
- Departure at home.
Upper mustang trekking is expensive permit restriction areas in Nepal. Permit you can get for the upper mustang from the immigration of Nepal government. Permit you got by the recommendation of the trekking agency in Nepal. permit cost of the upper mustang trekking cost $500 usd for the 10 days. similarly another types of the permit of the upper mustang is Annapurna conservation area entry fee. which cost $2000NPR per person.
Upper mustang trekking
Upper mustang trekking cost:
Trekking cost of the upper mustang depend upon the itinerary or days. How many days you trekking so many you need a restriction fee more however it cost only $500 usd for the 10 days. Including the hotel in pokhara and kathmandu also depend upon how many days. Generally it include the 2 nights hotel in kathmandu and 2 nights in pokhara with BB planning. It cost $ 1500 usd for the 10 days trekking in upper mustang with permit, Guide, accommodation, foods.
Upper mustang trekking
Everest base camp trek
Name
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nina ni
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Phone
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614-121-1234
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Email
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Country
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Programmae
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Trekking
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Message
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I am arriving KTM on July 13th and leaving onJuly
29th. I am interested in the Upper Mustang Trek
and wondering about price and availability. Thanks!
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Dear Nina,
You are hearty welcome to upper mustang trekking. of course it
is available on your days here. How many people are you? if you are only one ,
we have to looking for the group for you. As you know it need minimum 2 people
for the upper mustang trekking. if you arrival on 13 july , you can departure
on 15 July because it need one day for the upper mustang trekking
permit with original passport.
Upper mustang trekking counting from pokhara end after finished
the upper mustang trekking check out point( 10 days)
Restriction permit charge 500 usd
10 days food and accommodation Guide charge $600 usd
Pokhara to Jomsom fly $220 usd(round way)
Guide flight ticket cost$100
Porter can be hired on Jomsom(if you need)
Porter cost $200 for 10 days( if you need)
2 night Hotel in kathmandu with breakfast $40 usd
2 night hotel in pokhara $40 usd with breakfast
Note: it is possible by bus to Jomsom instead of fly but it take
2 days from pokhara because bus have to change 3 places no direct. from Jomsom
just 1 day because you can catch a 7 o clock bus to beni which is direct( only
morning 1-2 bus is direct to beni
Trekking seclude:
16 July, 1. Pokhara to Jomsom by Flight then Trek to Kagbeni
2. Kangbeni to Chele
3. Chele to syanbochen
4. Syanbochen to Ghaymi
5. Ghaymi to Charang
6. Charang to Lomanthang
7. Lomanthang to Drakmar
8. Drakmar to Ghilling
9. Ghilling to Chhuksang
10. Chhuksang to Jomsom
26 July , 11. Jomsom to by fly pokhara.
27 July, Pokhara to kathmandu
so , you
have enough time for upper mustang trekking. Before departure or making
permit, you can sightseeing in kathmandu valley and pokhaara valley. It
is your optional programmage doing safari, rafting after back from the upper
mustang trekking.
we have a two system of
opearating the upper mustang trekking( 1) Full board package which is include
:2 night hotel in kathmandu and pokhara, flight to jomsom from pokhara and fly
out, permit, Guide, 3 meals with accommodation in trekking period.
Cost no include: food in
kathmandu, pokhara
Service package of the
upper mustang trekking:
It include the Guide,
permit, transporation for the upper mustang
Exclude: Food, hotel in
kathmandu and pokhara, service charge for the permit.
HOw is this
planning, package and ideas please le tus know, we immediately response you.
Best regards,
Naba Thapa
Mountain Air Guided
Adventures(p.)Ltd.
Thamel, kathmandu Nepal
http://www.trekdiscovery.com
http://www.nepalholidaystrek.com
cell: +977-9851005685
Skype:nepalguide3
Upper mustang trekking the best trekking in NepalSources of Refresher and collection of the news about upper mustang
Travel Diary of upper mustang
Oct 10, 2015- On September 20, when people in Kathmandu were out on the streets welcoming the new constitution, I was hundreds of kilometres away from the Capital, hiking towards Yara Village in Upper Mustang with my friends. It had been almost a week since I left Pokhara on the 19-day trip, and I was so lost in the landscapes surrounding me, that I was completely unaware about developments back home. Earlier in Kathmandu, I had had my qualms about leaving, mainly because I had never been on such a long trek. Also, the devastating images of the Langtang Valley and Everest Base Camp after the earthquake had left an indelible impression on my mind, and I was worried about whether it was the right time to be trekking. But I still decided to go, as the desperate urge of just escaping the monotony of city life tugged at my heart. On the trail, I saw no major impacts of the earthquakes. I did notice some cracks inside caves during our visit to the monasteries in Upper Mustang, but except for certain portions of the trail along Tilicho Lake, the trekking routes in the rest of Mustang and Manang seemed largely unaffected and were safe. The houses in the region too seemed intact. At every stop, we were welcomed with freshly picked apples and warm hospitality. The lodges we stayed in were basic but comfortable, and the food we were served, filling and delicious. Overall, I felt that we were in the right place to spend our money just when it was needed the most by the locals. Our daily trek involved nearly eight to 10 hours of continuous hiking and a few stops for meals and photographs. The September weather, with azure skies, the occasional winds and marrow-warming sunshine was perfect for hiking. We began by trudging along the mostly dry riverbed that snaked between massive sandy mountains in Jomsom and Kagbeni. We also got occasionally got buffeted by strong winds all along the route. And we knew we were in for some real challenge when we started the ascent for Lo Manthang. As we got closer to our destination, settlements slowly thinned and the terrain became increasingly rugged. Before we knew it, we were scaling several passes above 5,000 metres, riding horses along one-foot trails and making our way through narrow caves carved into massive rock cliffs. Things slowly got even tougher as we headed towards Damodar Kunda, where we had to set up camps along the way and fend off the cold. But the sheer thrill and challenge of making it to the higher-altitude destinations like Damodar Kunda, Thorong La Pass and Lake Tilicho and the spellbinding vistas along the way made our trip exceedingly memorable. Most of the locals and tourists I talked to were optimistic that tourism would pick up again, and it was reassuring to learn that life was progressing normally even in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Many tourists told me that they had faced no problems during their trip and that they would return in the future. And why would they not? I would, too.
Oct 10, 2015- On September 20, when people in Kathmandu were out on the streets welcoming the new constitution, I was hundreds of kilometres away from the Capital, hiking towards Yara Village in Upper Mustang with my friends. It had been almost a week since I left Pokhara on the 19-day trip, and I was so lost in the landscapes surrounding me, that I was completely unaware about developments back home. Earlier in Kathmandu, I had had my qualms about leaving, mainly because I had never been on such a long trek. Also, the devastating images of the Langtang Valley and Everest Base Camp after the earthquake had left an indelible impression on my mind, and I was worried about whether it was the right time to be trekking. But I still decided to go, as the desperate urge of just escaping the monotony of city life tugged at my heart. On the trail, I saw no major impacts of the earthquakes. I did notice some cracks inside caves during our visit to the monasteries in Upper Mustang, but except for certain portions of the trail along Tilicho Lake, the trekking routes in the rest of Mustang and Manang seemed largely unaffected and were safe. The houses in the region too seemed intact. At every stop, we were welcomed with freshly picked apples and warm hospitality. The lodges we stayed in were basic but comfortable, and the food we were served, filling and delicious. Overall, I felt that we were in the right place to spend our money just when it was needed the most by the locals. Our daily trek involved nearly eight to 10 hours of continuous hiking and a few stops for meals and photographs. The September weather, with azure skies, the occasional winds and marrow-warming sunshine was perfect for hiking. We began by trudging along the mostly dry riverbed that snaked between massive sandy mountains in Jomsom and Kagbeni. We also got occasionally got buffeted by strong winds all along the route. And we knew we were in for some real challenge when we started the ascent for Lo Manthang. As we got closer to our destination, settlements slowly thinned and the terrain became increasingly rugged. Before we knew it, we were scaling several passes above 5,000 metres, riding horses along one-foot trails and making our way through narrow caves carved into massive rock cliffs. Things slowly got even tougher as we headed towards Damodar Kunda, where we had to set up camps along the way and fend off the cold. But the sheer thrill and challenge of making it to the higher-altitude destinations like Damodar Kunda, Thorong La Pass and Lake Tilicho and the spellbinding vistas along the way made our trip exceedingly memorable. Most of the locals and tourists I talked to were optimistic that tourism would pick up again, and it was reassuring to learn that life was progressing normally even in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Many tourists told me that they had faced no problems during their trip and that they would return in the future. And why would they not? I would, too.
Drama on Theater about upper mustang Culture
ThangLa was put up two weeks ago (27 July) as a one-off staging at the Royal Nepal Academy by Pokhara's Pratibimba theatre group, directed by Anup Baral. It was a powerful presentation of the script by well-known playright Sarubhakta, and the story is on the subject of polyandry in Bhotiya society.
The central character if ThangLa (The Himalayan
Deity) is Lobsang Dolma, the woman of the house and spouse- theoretically-of
Gyalpo and his two brothers, Tashi and Pemba. Gyalpo departs for his annual
trade trip to Lhasa, leaving instructions for Pemba to finally 'take' Lobsang
for his wife. But Pemba has been reared by Lobsang and regards her as his
mother, the maternal bond reciprocated by the older woman. Besides, Pemba has
found his own love in Kelsang, the daughter of Gyalpo's meet [a non blood
relation taken as a brother].
The play begins with the kinsfolk nervously awaiting
Gyalpo's return. Tinkling bells announce the arrival of the yak train off-stage
and for a while, the family members are excited and happy. But the drama takes
a serious turn as Gyalpo discovers that Pemba has not 'taken' Lobsang. A monk
from the gumba, is invited to get rid of the demons that have evidently been
diverting Pemba's mind.
Sangey Lama completes his rituals, but his mantras have
not done the trick, and Pemba's and Kelsang's love continues to burn strong.
They try to make a dash for freedom, and the story ends rather abruptly with a
Romeo and Juliet denouement.
Sarubhakta, whose most recetn work is the dark novel
Samaya Trasedi, has said that he was always intrigued by the Loba traders he
met as a child in Pokhara. He did some research in the upper Kali Gandaki for
ThangLa, which makes for a fair degree of authenticity in setting, characters,
and the run of the story. Some might have principled differences with aspects
of the script, such as the vehemence with which the polyandry tradition is
critiqued, which may be seen as a patronising midhill position against a high
Himal tradition. But the poduction is nuanced, and the characters have enough
depth, that such an accusation will not stand, as far as this reviewer is
concerned. In any case, Sarubhakta has taken a stand that is his to take.
Anup Baral is a capable stage director and
instructor who must be frustrated at the lack of spaces for theatre in Nepal.
The performances are natural and non-histrionic. Veteran actor Prakash Ghimire
accurately evokes Gyalpo, the hardworking family elder who can brook no
waywardness in his siblings. Lobsang Dolma is carried off with flair by Pramila
Tulachan, who acts out well the life of the young village matriarch, having to
manage the entire household, but also being required to respond to the
emotional demands of kin.
The Mustang landscape is rendered convincingly by
was of props-two overlapping dry mountain ridges leading towards the horizon, a
chorten on one side and a Loba house-front on the other. The course of the
production is regularly punctuated by the stiff breezes of the upper Kali
Gandaki, when the protagonists have to turn their bodies against the wind and
shield their eyes. This is used as a tool to emphasise effects both comic and
tragic. The director's command of the medium is evident in the long silences he
is able to inject into play, the confident mix of comedy with tragedy, the
under-the-breath utterances of the actors, the subtle use of a cap falling from
the head as a motif throughout, and so on. And for once, the fog machine is
applied to good effect.
Director Baral writes in the playbill that he had to
decide whether the cast would use chaste Nepali or speak Nepali with the heavy
Bhotiya cadence of upper Mustang. It would have been safer to go with straight
Nepali, but the cast pulls it off, and the result is an authentic flavour of
life in Nepal's Tibetan rimland.
Kathmandu's starved drama-goers needs productions
like ThangLa, to be entertained and brought closer in touch with the country's
cultural specificities. Someone must invite the Pratibimba group back from
Pokhara, for a longer run of ThangLa. How can there be empathy when there is
only Z Cinema?
The road to Lo
The rice in the market in Lo Manthang is bought by
Chinese traders at Kodari, transported across the Tibetan Plateau and sold back
to Nepali consumers in Mustang.
A new road to Tibet has brought down prices of
consumer goods in Mustang, which is still a week's walk away from the nearest
road on the Nepali side.
They're holding out for a trade boom in this remote
finger of Nepal jutting out into Tibet. At the wind-swept trading post at the
Kora La pass at 4,000m, once a vital link in the Nepal-Tibet salt trade, there
are now Chinese trucks laden with beer, cement, rice, detergents. Trade has
boomed, but it is mostly one-way, leading to some misgivings here about whether
the road benefits Nepal at all.
Until three years ago, only yak and mule caravans
plied this trail, carrying salt and other essentials. But with a grant from the
Aaafno Gaun Aafai Banaun initiative of the UML government, a motorable road was
built that links Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang to the Chinese border. Chinese
trucks are the new caravans, plying this dirt road in less than an hour-a
journey that used to take five hours on foot. In the old days, trade was
determined only by the weather, but in the past two years the Chinese
authorities opens the borders for a week biannually, once in March-April and
again in October-November. Lo-Manthang suffered another setback in the spring
trading session because of the SARS outbreak, and had to wait till mid-July to
make up for it.
This year, as always, Jigme Parwar Bista, the king
of Mustang, travelled to Tibet for trade negotiations, and the marketplace of
his capital is awash with Chinese goods. They are found all over the district
of Mustang, even as far down as Jomsom, a three-day walk to the south. There is
a buzz in the thin mountain air as people examine new products, bargain, haggle
and walk away with household appliances like cooking gas, stoves and solar
panels, and construction material, besides food and clothing.
Staples such as uwa (wild wheat) and rice, salt,
cooking oil are sold alongside instant noodles, sausages, biscuits and candy.
Thirst quenchers include a variety of fruit juices, tea, beer and alcohol
purportedly fortified with tiger bone extract. The clothes on display are
similar to Khasa apparel: cheap polyester tracksuits, splashy dresses, canvas
shoes. The most popular items, not surprisingly, are the ubiquitous Chinese
blanket and thermos flasks-both available in garish red and pink. Truckloads of
timber are feeding the construction boom in Mustang, and much of it is actually
derived from Nepali trees logged and smuggled out of the Larkya area north of
Manaslu.
Indian or Nepali goods are exorbitantly priced
because they have to be flown into Jomsom and taken on mule trains to Lo
Manthang. They don't stand a chance against cheaper Chinese imports. Chinese
rice costs at least Rs 4 per kg less, and the irony is that much of it is
actually Nepali rice that Chinese traders have bought at Tatopani and hauled
all the way here to resell in Nepal for a profit.
Trade deficit
If the Lo Manthang market is any indication, Nepal
has a huge balance of trade deficit with China. Over the years, Nepal's
position has deteriorated. "In the old times, trade took place by
barter," remembers Jigme SP Bista, Mustang's crown prince. "Nepal
traded food for salt and other materials. Now, we are only consumers. We do not
sell anything back to the Chinese."
And even as consumers we don't seem to have the upper
hand. Gyanendra Bista, the VDC secretary, says goods well past their expiry
dates are often found because there is no one to monitor quality. There is an
HMG customs house, but it lies deserted. The officers prefer to stay in Jomsom,
and so Lo Manthang runs without government supervision, and the burgeoning
trade generates no revenue for Kathmandu.
Amgyal Bista, a former DDC member, tells us:
"The Chinese businessmen basically dictate terms to us." On the
Chinese side of the border, security is unfailingly watchful and merciless
towards trespassers. We are told about separate incidents of an allegedly
innocent VDC secretary and a couple of policemen who were caught and imprisoned
blindfolded because they had unwittingly crossed the border. They were released
after four days when the king of Mustang intervened on their behalf.
With the border demarcated only by the occasional
pillar, it is difficult to see where Nepal ends and the Tibet Autonomous Region
of China begins. On the Nepali side, it is completely the opposite: there is no
army or police presence. The nearest army base is three days away in Jomsom.
It is one of the quirks of Nepali history that the
Kingdom of Lo and the Gorkha kings had a cordial relationship. Unlike the
titular kings of Jajarkot and Bajhang, the monarchy here still retains some
power. The current relationship between Kathmandu and Lo is loosely defined,
but with an eye to the future, it seems the people here desire a more tangible
government presence-especially at the border. Given the new road and increasing
trade, it is a legitimate concern. Locals gauge yearly imports through this
border at roughly Rs 20 million, but in the absence of a functioning customs
office, the real figure is anyone's guess.
Back in Kathmandu, customs officials are surprised
to learn of the volume of imports and variety of goods now available in
Mustang. It seems they continue to view Mustang as a minor, informal trading
post. Although compared to the Rs 5.3 billion import through the Tatopani border
(and Rs 371 million worth of Nepali exports), Mustang's volume may seem meagre,
it's probably time for the centre's indifference to change.
The new road was meant to run from this border
through all three towns of Lo. Only a third of this road, from the border to Lo
Manthang has been completed. The Lobas, despite their enthusiasm to complete a
motorable road all the way to Ghemi, have been stopped in their tracks because
there is no money from the government. Meanwhile, another road is being built
by the Royal Nepali Army connecting Jomsom to Beni and Pokhara.
A new Nepal-China highway link through Mustang down
to Pokhara can have an impact in districts beyond Mustang and perhaps also
boost Nepali exports to the Tibetan plateau as it has at Kodari. Now what we
need is something concrete to come out of talks of opening new land routes,
easing visa regulations, and increasing air linkages.
Lo and behold
Lo is located between the Himalayas and the Tibetan
plateau. It is a Tibetan-Buddhist kingdom ruled by a monarch granted with a
degree of independence within Nepal. Lo was the base of the Tibetan Khampa
guerrillas during their covert war against China in the 1960s, and was
classified a 'politically fragile' area and closed to foreigners till 1992.
Today it is labelled a 'restricted area', and only about a 1,000 foreign
visitors are allowed in annually. They have to pay $700 each for a 10-day
permit, plus Rs 2,000 to the Annapurna Area Conservation Project who use the
money to boost eco-tourism in the region.
The Kingdom of Lo (Mustang): A Historical Study
Ramesh K Dhungel
Tashi Gephel Foundation, 2003
Rs 2,000
The writing of 'high Himalayan' cultures in English
has been mostly dominated by Western scholars, and it is in this terrain that
Tribhuban University cultural historian Ramesh K Dhungel has come out with a
historical study titled The Kingdom of Lo. The work, drawing on ancient Nepali
and Tibetan sources and based largely on documents unearthed by the author in
Upper Mustang, is published by the Tashi Gephel Foundation. It was launched
Thursday at the Dwarika Hotel by Cho-gye Thi-chen Rinpoche, abbot of the Sakya
Tshar-pa tradition. Dhungel visited Mustang in 1982-84 and 1995 to complete
this work. Launching the book, the rinpoche said, "In these fearful times,
when the inestimably precious cultural tradition established by the ancestral
rulers of the Dharma kingdom of Mustang is in danger of being lost altogether,
this book will help in the continuity and restoration of the traditions of
Mustang." In the dust jacket, scholar Prayag Raj Sharma lauds the author's
attempt to link the history of Lo not only with greater Tibet but also with the
history of the Khasa kingdoms in the south and west, including Semja (Sinja),
and subsequently Parbat and Jumla.
Only Mustangs in Mustang(About Transportation)
The prime minister has chosen to drive around in a
Mustang, but in Mustang passengers have no choice but to ride on syndicate-operated
Mustangs. Ever since the Beni-Jomsom track was opened four years ago, tourists
and locals are at the mercy of a transportation cartel.
In October, green-plated tourist jeeps were forced
to stop on the road and terrified tourists and pilgrims were forced to walk.
Other vehicles had their tyres deflated by locals affiliated with the Muktinath
Bus and Jeep Transportation Committee which has a monopoly on the route. Like
other bus syndicates in various parts of the country, this one has also earned
notoriety for its intimidation tactics and has forced other operators from
carrying passengers to Muktinath, Kagbeni and Upper Mustang.
The cartel operates 20 mainly Mustang jeeps daily
from Pokhara to Mustang and has arbitrary pricing with drivers often charging
as much as they wish. The syndicate has been defiant despite opposition from
local passengers and tour agencies.
The syndicate's secretary Raju Lalchan admits he has
to intimidate other operators and stop them. "How else am I going to run
my business? My workers will be out of jobs." Lalchan's argument is that
since the army built the road, there has been no maintenance by the Road
Department, and the syndicate has to spend money to keep the highway
operational. "We maintain the road, so why should others benefit from
it?" he asks.
But the violent tactics and threats have affected
the inflow of Indian pilgrims to Muktinath as well as tourists on their way to
Upper Mustang. Says local tourism entrepreneur Chandra Bastakoti: "There
used to be hundreds of tourists, now it has gone down to a trickle, and local
passengers are put off by the high ticket price."
Despite a Supreme Court ban, syndicates are
prevalent throughout the country. Mustang's CDO Yogendra Pandey admits that the
bus cartel is not conducive to business, but says he also needs to keep the
peace in his district, which probably means the syndicate owners have powerful
political connections and are untouchable. Whatever the case, the national
government and local administration are not fulfilling their regulatory role in
the transportation sector.
Trekking in Rainshadow areas of upper mustang
Even though t]he Pokhara Jomsom trek is the best
appointed among the many hill walking routes in Nepal,during the monsoon this
too deserves mention.Firstly, here is the place and time for trekkers who turn
their nose up when it comes to being with "other trekkers ".Rest
assured,the monsoon trek leading from Birethanti to Jomsom is bereft of all but
the most intrepid travellers.The pace in the villages is slower,the bhatti
pasalnis have more time to chitchat,and there is general renovation and growth all
over.Even the black half- mastiff who must be called "Kaley " at
Tikhe Dhunga has the time to gamely accompany you on the killer climb all the
way to Ulleri (2240m).
The other thing that accompanies you throughout the
trek is the sound of water: dripping,pattering,gurgling,
roaring,thundering.Nepal at this time of year is rainland. And as long as you
know to scurry across a landslide section when the rain is coming down hard,you
are okay.Watch the Kali Gandaki at it becomes of slighter girth as you travel upstream.You
are now entering Nepal 's most celebrated rainshadow area starting at Thak
Khola and to Upper Mustang.The tropical foliage of the southern slopes gives
way to alpine,and still further up the stunted growth of dwarf juniper and
thorn bushes.
There are other small advantages of walking these
monsoon paths:any other time of the year the trail is littered with mule
droppings and the ammoniac stench is overpow- ering.In the monsoon the dung is
washed clean by the rains.Also,being a mule highway,the Kali Gandaki trail is
rocky and wide so the leeches can 't get at you if you walk along the centre of
the path.
By the time you arrive at Jomsom and meet up with
the throng which has been waiting for flights out for a week,and hence have
stopped appreciating the scenery,you are truly in desert terrain.The splendidly
fluted curtain of Nilgiri is (disconcertingly)to the south -yes,you are still
within Nepal but the
Himalaya forms the southern horizon.
At Muktinath is the sacred flame in close proximity
to a gurgling underground brook that flows by.In this holy land,fire and water
mingle. The trip so far is on the whole a low altitude trek,but if you have the
energy and the interest you have the option of "taking a hike "
upwards from Muktinath to Thorung La, the great watershed separating the Kali
Gandaki and Manang Valleys.At the top,you take a glass of water and pour half
of it to one side and the other on the
other side.The eastern half will flow down to Manang
and the Marsyangdi to meet the Trisuli (later Narayani)below the great
suspension bridge at Mugling. The western half of the glass will join the Kali
Gandaki,and the water will be part of the process cutting the deepest gorge on
earth.Water from two halves of the glass will meet again where the Kali Gandaki
meets the Narayani at the holy sangam of Dev Ghat.It 's good to know your
Nepali geogra- phy,particularly on a trek.
Climate refugees in Mustang
Myagdi: People of Mustang have been forced to
migrate from their native land because of the impacts of climate change.
More than half of the 16 families in Samjung and 22
families in Gheya village of Upper Mustang have migrated elsewhere because of
climate change, said Bishnu Sharma, a journalist who has been conducting
research in the region.
The village springs have dried out and grass has
stopped growing in the grazing lands. Consequently, agriculture and livestock
rearing have suffered. The villagers complain that with their main sources of
livelihood in jeopardy, they had no option but to leave.
Kami Gurung of Gheya village had to descend to
Jomsom after he was unable to grow buckwheat and potatoes in his fields.
"After all this, staying back in the village is like waiting for
death," he said.
With the rise in temperature, previously unheard of
diseases are being reported in Upper Mustang. According to Narendra Lama, head
of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Lo Manthang, migration has been
reported mainly from settlements above 3000 metres above sea level.
Niwa Gurung, an inhabitant of Upper Mustang, said
that the government did not respond to their plea to move the village. Claiming
that their village was no longer habitable, the locals had demanded that Prime
Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal relocate them when he visited Upper Mustang a year
ago. The government promised a relief package, but nothing has been done so
far.
Upper Mustang has a cold climate and arid
topography. It receives less than 180 millilitres of rain annually. Since last
year, meteorologists say, this has decreased to 150 millilitres.
The locals are concerned that even with the
displacement of an entire village's inhabitants, the government remains
unperturbed.
Jomsom-Korala road boon for Mustang folks
May 13, 2014-The recently-opened 88 kilometre
Jomsom-Lomanthang-Korala road track has brought about a visible change in the
lifestyle of people in Mustang.
According to locals, after vehicles started plying
along the road, the number of domestic tourists visiting the area has
substantially increased and prices of daily essentials have remarkably
decreased.
“A couple of years ago, rice cost Rs 40 per kilogram
but since the operation of vehicles, it is available at Rs 14 per kilogram,”
said Londup Bista, a hotel entrepreneur. “Rice used to be a luxury as it had to
be brought on horseback in the past. But it has managed to emerge as regular
food of people in Lomanthang,” he said. The change in the lifestyle of people
in the upper region of Mustang is brought about by the road.
The road connectivity, however, has affected certain
traditional business enterprises. For instance, horses, an integral part of the
society and the only means of transport in the past, are no longer significant.
And the business of professional horse breeding has been bleeding to death.
“There were trade relations between people living in
Upper Mustang with Chinese nationals even before Mustang was connected to the
Capital via roads. Later, the Beni-Jomsom road added to the bilateral trade
between the countries,” said local civil society leader Indra Dhara Bista.
With the opening of the Jomsom-Lomanthang section of
the road, one can reach Tibet in just two days from Pokhara.
According to locals, they started digging the track
in Choser, Chonhup, Lomanthang, Charang and Ghamigari at their own initiative
under the government scheme named ‘Aafno Gaun, Aafai Banau’ (Develop your
village on our own) in 2004.
China increases its assistance in Mustang by
six-fold
Nov 20, 2015- The Chinese government has increased
its regular support to the folks of Mustang district from this year.
Programme Officer of District Development Office
(DDC), Mustang, Kedar Singh Thapa said that China has increased the grants to
the district by six-fold considering the effects of the devastating earthquake
and India's blockade on Nepal. Earlier, China was providing foodstuffs and
construction materials to the district based on demands from the Nepali side.
Thapa said that China has provided a total of 7,800
bags of cement; 15,000 pieces of corrugated roofing sheet; 8,000 pieces of
plywood; 1,200 tonnes of iron rod; 25,000 kilogram of pea and 29,000 kilogram
of soybean to the people of upper Mustang including Lho Manthang, Chhoser,
Chhonhup, Surkhang, Ghami and Chhusang VDCs in the border areas of China.
Earlier, the government of China has already
installed a solar system of 70 kilowatt in Lho Manthang directly benefiting 221
households.
Likewise, the DDC said that China has sent 500 more
solar panel in grant. All the materials provided from China in grant have
arrived in Lho Mangthang via Chhhoser-based Korala entry point.
Programme Officer Thapa said that the secretary of
Lho Manthang Jhumi Bista received the goods provided by the Chinese officials
of Dhowasen district in Tibet.
The government of China is also providing assistance
to the people in Humla, Gorkha, Mugu, Rasuwa, Dolakha and Sindhupalchok. RSS
Two new animal species spotted in Upper Mustang
Aug 23, 2014-Nepali researchers have spotted two new
animal species in Upper Mustang of Annapurna Conservation Area. The two
species—Steppe polecat (Mustela evermanii) and Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus
chanco)—were seen at the same location between May 23 and July 4.
A sophisticated camera was set at Dharkeko Pass in
Upper Mustang at an altitude of 5047 metres. The species were spotted by Madhu
Chhetri, senior conservation officer at the National Trust for Nature
Conservation (NTNC) as part of the NTNC’s long term ecological research to
assess the status of snow leopard and wolf in Annapurna-Manaslu landscape.
The Steppe polecat has uniform colour on upper and
undersides, light flanks, pale muzzle, dark feet, white fringe to ears. It
weighs 1,350 to 2,050 grams and feeds on rodents, hares, hamsters, voles, pikas
and marmots. Its gestation period lasts from 38 to 41 days.
Similarly, the Tibetan wolf has elongated muzzle,
well developed frontal sinuses and white colour in throat, chest, belly and
inside of the legs. It weighs around 35 to 45 kilograms. Its diets include
marmots, pikas, gazelle, pheasants and hares. Its gestation period lasts from
60 to 63 days and the litters usually consist of five to six pups.
However, the government has not yet recognised the
species. Scientists and conservation experts said they would promptly start the
process to provide recognition and validity to the species through genetic
tests and producing peer review articles on the spices. Govinda Gajurel, NTNC
member secretary, appreciated the efforts and the hard work of the team.
The experts also acknowledged the fact that Nepal
has been a home to many endangered species such as one-horned rhino, royal
Bengal tiger and python.
About water irrigation
Sep 27, 2013-The ever increasing scarcity of water
for irrigation and for people to drink has forced a historically and culturally
rich community of Upper Mustang to migrate to a new place, residents of the
region have claimed.
While there has not been any official study into
what is being seen as a ‘climate refugee’ issue, people leaving the area and
individual foreign researchers point out to the rising temperatures in the
mountains, causing snow to disappear, as the main reason for the area to dry
up.
A total of 18 households representing the entire
Samzong village in Tsosher VDC, located at an altitude of around 4000 meters
above sea level, were finding it hard to live in their ancestral home as the
Samzong stream, fed by the snow during winters started drying up three years
ago. As the water eventually stopped flowing in the stream, the community is
being relocated in Namshung, a small village on the banks of the Kali Gandaki
river and a glacier catchment area in Mustang district.
Recent findings of ancient caves in the area suggest
that the place had been hosting human civilisation dating back to 3,000 years.
Samzong, a very remote village is the only place in Mustang, the district also
known as ‘Himal pariko Jilla,’ where local inhabitants speak the Tibetan
language only.
“For decades now, locals in Samzong and nearby
villages in Upper Mustang have been facing a water crisis due to less rainfall
and inadequate snowline,” said Lama Ngawang Kung Bista, a local from Mustang
and the founder director of Lo Mustang Foundation, an organisation facilitating
the relocation plan for the affected villagers.
“However, it was only in recent years that the high
retreat of the glaciers left the villagers staring at a severe water crisis,
threatening the existence of the entire village,” Bista added. According to him, the proposed land for
resettlement belongs to the royal family of Mustang, the district that has also
earned the sobriquet of ‘the forbidden kingdom.’
The royal family has agreed to part with the land
for the villagers’ relocation.
Two other villages, Yara and Dheye, in the same
region are also facing various environmental and economic challenges, leading
them to abandon their settlements for a better life elsewhere. “The main
challenge for the villagers who depend on subsistence farming and livestocks
for livelihoods is water for irrigation, which is inadequate or almost nil,”
Bista said.
Generally, Mustang is considered a desert with
little rainfall activity (few millimeters annually) observed over the decades
due to its terrain. It is located in the rain shadow of mountains along the
Tibetan plateau. The glaciers in the mountain ranges are the main source of water
for people in the entire region.
In recent years, glaciers melted at an alarming rate
and the region experienced extreme weather events such as heavy rain and
snowfall during winters, which are linked to the changing weather and rainfall
patterns.
Two years ago in July, Lo-manthang in Upper Mustang
located at an altitude of 3,705 metres above sea level witnessed incessant
rainfall for almost 48 hours, triggering flashfloods and landslides and killing
one person. Weather experts had then termed the activity an ‘extreme event’ as
the average annual rainfall has decreased from around 250 mm in the late 70s to
115 mm in recent years in Mustang.
According to Giovanni Kappenberger, a glaciologist,
meteorologist and climatologist from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
in Zurich (ETHZ) and a mountaineer, precipitation is likely to increase with
more occurrences of extreme events in the region.
“There is a marked rise in the temperatures during
all seasons in the mountain regions, with Tibet and Mustang areas expecting to
heat more than India,” he said in his research work published in 2011.
He said a general shrinking has been observed in glaciers
in the Mustang region. He added that smaller glaciers in the region will
disappear ‘within decades’ and big glaciers in centuries and very high altitude
glaciers (above 6,500 meters) will survive.
Ghana Shyam Gurung, conservation director at WWF Nepal,
one of the I/NGOs working in the Mustang area said communities which are
already living under hardships in lack of basic necessities, need to be
provided with better adaptation measures to deal with the various environmental
challenges.
Supply of Himalayan sheep, goats shrinks
Oct 17, 2015- Traders have brought fewer sheep and
mountain goats from the Himalayan region to Pokhara for this festive season
compared to past years. The animals are usually shipped from places like Rukum,
Dolpa and Mustang in the mountains.
However, demand for sheep and mountain goats has
risen, raising concerns about a possible shortage. Sheep and mountain goats
from the Himalayan region are very popular among meat lovers.
According to District Livestock Services, shipments
of animals from the Himalayan region have dropped around 50 percent this year.
“Supplies from Dolpa and Rukum, in particular, have fallen sharply,” said
Khagendra Prasad Thakali, officiating head of the office. “Due to the
unavailability of animals for sacrifice during the festival, prices are likely
to surge.”
Thakali said traders had shipped 15,188 sheep and
mountain goats to Pokhara from Tibet, China and Upper Mustang. Last year, more
than 25,000 sheep and mountain goats
were brought to market in Pokhara.
The decline in supply has pushed up prices
significantly. Mountain goats and sheep used to cost Rs18,000 to Rs20,000 per
head last
year. Prices have swelled to around Rs30,000 this
year. Traders claim that the animals have been brought from Mustang, but around
25 percent of them have been imported from Tibet.
According to traders Bharat Dagami Magar and Om Pun
who arrived in Pokhara a week ago with a herd of mountain goats and sheep, said
they had to pay taxes in several places thus pushing up prices. “We had to pay
Rs8,000 in taxes at the border between Mustang and Myagdi and Rs4,000 in Myagdi
for 164 sheep and mountain goats,” the traders said.
Pokhara livestock market down
POKHARA: Political turmoil in the southern Tarai
plains and lack of gasoline has affected the supply of goats in Pokhara. The
livestock market has started witnessing a few transactions daily since
Wednesday. “Business has suffered massively this year. The Tarai banda and
unavailability of diesel has hit the transportation of goats,” said Gyan
Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Livestock Management Committee. According to
him, around 12,000 goats were sold in the market during the same time last
year. Sales may barely reach 8,000 goats this year, considering current trends.
The import of goats from India has shrunk drastically, and the animals arriving
in the market are mostly from Nepalgunj, Surkhet, Palpa and Tanahun. Goat costs
Rs435 per kg. Around 150 entrepreneurs conduct business at the lone goat market
in Pokhara.
New cat species spotted in Upper Mustang
Jan 2, 2014-Conservationists on Thursday claimed to
have captured a rare Pallas’ cat species on camera for the first time in Nepal
in Upper Mustang area in the Himalayan region.
The nearly threatened small wild cat species,
Otocolobus manul, a native to the grassland and steep regions of Central Asia
was spotted by a camera placed inside the Annapurna Conservation Area Project
(ACAP) about a week ago. The camera trap was installed by a local Tashi R Ghale
with the initiation from ACAP.
According to Sudip Adhikari, chief of area
conservation office at ACAP, the camera placed at an altitude of 4,600 meters
above sea level recorded the photograph resembling the wild cat. “The picture
was taken during the night time so it is not so clear. We will confirm the
presence of Pallas’ cat only after a thorough investigation,” he said.
Though Nepal has been considered as a potential
habitat for this exotic cat, which is about the size of a domestic cat, there
was no previous record of its presence in any geographical area in the country.
In 2012, Bhutan recorded the first photographic evidence of this cat species
which is found in 15 countries of the Central Asia, including Iran, Pakistan,
Kyrgyzstan, China and Mongolia. The IUCN has listed these cats under threatened
category for their dwindling populations due to hunting, habitat loss and
decline in prey base.
“The photographed cat bears resemblance with Pallas’
cat with a long tail and body structure with fur. This is a new cat species for
the country,” said Karan Bahadur Shah, a wildlife expert.
The cat was named after Peter Simon Pallas, a German
zoologist and botanist, who discovered it in 1776. According to a study
conducted in Mongolia, these species are between 46 and 65 meters long and
weigh between 2.5 to 4.5 kilos with body covered with fur. Similarly, there
tails are 21-31 centimetre long and these species are found in the mountain
range of 5,050 meters above sea level.
Art exhibition on Mustang
Aug 19, 2014-An exhibition of paintings and
photographs titled Fragments of Mustang is currently underway at Nepal Art
Council, Babarmahal. This exhibition is a part of Manang Youth Society’s
ongoing project to promote tourism and disseminate information about this region
through the medium of art.
In order to carry out the exhibition, the society
organised a ten-day field tour of Mustang for the participating artists and a
photographer. The participating artists were Erina Tamrakar, Sunita Rana,
Bidhata KC, Bipana Maharjan, Puja Maharjan Rajbhandari, while Sajana Shrestha
was the participating photographer. The exhibition includes paintings and
photographs that capture various aspects of the Mustangi lifestyle and
environment.
During their stay in Mustang, the artists worked
individually on themes they found exciting. Tamrakar, for example, was
fascinated by the fact that every house, monastery and road was built on the
foundation of stones, and hence decided to convey the importance of stones and
rocks in Mustangi life.
Similarly, KC was impressed by the texture of
whitewashed walls seen in every house and monastery in the region, which is
done using the pigments unique to Upper Mustang. “It seems these walled houses
capture the spiritual essence of the surrounding,” she said.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister for
Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhim Prasad Acharya. The minister was
visibly impressed by the exhibition and hailed the effort to promote Mustang
via the medium of arts.
Chairman of Manang Youth Society, Tripple P Gurung,
said that the society was buoyed by the response and plans to launch more such
endeavours.
The exhibition is on till tomorrow.
Snow freezes life in upper mustang regions
Mar 1, 2015-Snowfall and rain coupled with
thunderstorms lashed the country on Sunday, throwing normal life out of gear.
It has been snowing in mountain districts while
lower altitude areas witnessed rainfall since Saturday. People were confined to
homes while transportation was disrupted in the upper districts of Humla,
Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa, Kalikot, Manang and Mustang.
Farmers are elated to receive rain in their dry
fields of winter crops, seasonal vegetables and fruits.
People in higher altitude areas said snowfall in
February-end and early March is unusual. "I had not experienced snowfall
in Falgun (mid-February to mid-March). Snow will help several winter crops but
it destroys vegetables," said Jhapkali Karki of Karkibada in Mugu
district.
Our correspondent in Humla said it has been snowing
in Simkot, the district headquarters, and other high-altitude areas since
Sunday morning. There is a blanket of about one foot snow in Simkot. All the
flights to and from Humla were disrupted as the runway has been covered in
snow. Schools remained closed and government offices wore a deserted look due
to biting cold.
In Jumla, road transport and air services have been
disrupted since Saturday evening. Patients at the Karnali Institute of Health
Sciences are hit by a chill.
Snowfall affected life in upper parts of Rasuwa and
Nuwakot districts. Gyalpo Tamang, a hotel owner at Kyanging in Rasuwa, told the
Post over telephone that the snow since Saturday afternoon had accumulated more
than a metre thick in the area.
Latvian couple’s passion for trekking: ‘We will come back again’
Nov 18, 2015- Nepal’s high altitude trekking routes
are one of the most adventurous attractions for backpackers promising an
encounter with the pristine natural beauty.
The tourists from all over the world who visit Nepal
have always made it a point of taking a tour through the trekking and hiking
routes that wind through high altitude mountains and hills.
Latvian couple Ints Murnieks and Natalia Krastina
headed straight to the trans-Himalayan Upper Mustang trek route opened for
tourists since 1992 after their arrival in Kathmandu. The couple who are in
Nepal for the ninth time trekked for a week from Jomsom and traversing Kagbeni,
Chete, Ekle Bhati, Dhami, Upper Mustang, Lomanthang and Muktinath lying 3,800
meters above sea level before returning to Kathmandu.
Their thirst for more trekking could not be quenched
after starting their trek from Kaligandaki river bank surrounded by more than
35 mountains above 6,000 meters and the majestic Dhaulagiri peak (8,000
meters). The altitude of the trails they journeyed through ranged from 2000
meters to more than 3,700 meters.
RSS Photo
“We visited some famous, historic and culturally
important places in Kathmandu and Patan for some days and we headed towards
Dolpa after participating in the relief programme for quake victims in Timang
of Kavre,” Ints said.
Tired but not satisfied, the Latvian couple then
took the upper Dolpa trek route. In course of their journey during which the
couple passed through two mountain passes at an altitude of 5,200 meters, they
came across the untouched Himalayan lifestyle, culture and religion accompanied
by splendid beauty of the alpine landscape.
“We were sipping coffee with a good chat at Dunai
area of Dolpa and we felt that even after travelling through upper Dolpa for
three weeks and our visit to Mustang our journey has not ended, so we decided
to head to Kanchenjunga trek route immediately,” Natalia said. They completed a
three week trekking of Kanchenjunga which took three weeks.
When this scribe met them at Hotel Himalaya in
Thamel, the couple was readying to head to Bhutan – another mountainous
country. “After we return from Bhutan we will go on a visit to the Buddhist
places and exercise meditation, and we will once again go on a trek route of
Mardi mountain in the Annapurna area before returning to Latvia in December,”
Natalia shared.
The massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter
scale which struck on April 25 has killed more than 9,000 people while injuring
around 23,000. More than 800,000 houses suffered partial or complete damages
including the heritage sites. The tourism sector suffered a great setback in
the earthquake despite which tourists continue to visit Nepal in an expression
of solidarity with Nepal’s eagerness to bounce back.
“We have found that the earthquake has not inflicted
so much damage as reported in the media,” the couple said adding, “hotels and
restaurants, trek routes and other places are still safe.” The couple has
already toured Mustang, Dolpa and Kanchenjunga.
The Latvian couple has lent support worth around
10,000 Euros by providing food and constructing temporary shelters for the
victims of the earthquake through the Himalaya Peace Education Foundation,
Rajendra Bahadur Lama, who works with the Foundation, told the National News
Agency (RSS).
The Latvian couple had spent a few days in Kathmandu
during a transit to Tibet in 2005. Since then their journey to Nepal has
continued incessantly.
Three rescued from Upper Mustang
Oct 18, 2014-Three people stranded in a heavy
snowfall at Sangden of Upper Mustang have been rescued by security personnel on
Saturday morning.
Two Swiss nationals and one Nepali have been
airlifted to Jomsom Airport via helicopter. They had been out of contact since
three days.
Meanwhile, search operation is being conducted for
the nine porters who had gone missing along with them at Mustang-Dolpa border
area, said Mustang Chief District Officer (CDO) Baburam Bhandari. He informed
that the search activities around Annapurna circuit trail have almost come to
an end.
A total of 11 bodies have been sent to Kathmandu so
far, CDO Bhandari added. According to the local administration, 150 people have
been rescued alive so far in Mustang district.
Similarly, out of dead bodies recovered from the
region, two bodies have been identified as Takano Junko of Japan and Anup Roy
Chaudhary of India, said DSP Kedar Rajaure of Kaski.
The bodies have been brought to Western Regional Hospital
in Pokhara on Saturday.
Likewise, Devendra Lamichhane, Chief District Office
of Manang, said, “No further cases of people being stranded in the snow
blizzard have been reported to us.” Now we will focus our search mission
towards rescue of those lost in the snowstorm,” he added. He informed that 202
people have been rescued from Manang until Friday.
The death toll in the snow blizzards and avalanche
at Annapurna region has reached 29.
Parliamentary team in Mustang to study possibility
of new entry point
Nov 30, 2015- A parliamentary committee has arrived
here in the district to carry out feasibility study for opening a new entry
point to Nepal from China through Korala at Chhoser VDC in Mustang district.
The team is led by the chairman of Development
Committee under the Legislature-Parliament, Rabindra Adhikari.
Similarly, the team comprises lawmakers Prakash
Poudel and Shree Maya Thakali, Chief District Officer of Mustang, Ganesh
Adhikari, and other security officials.
The team today left for Upper Mustang and would
inspect the Korala border point and its possibility of importing goods from
neighboring China.
The border point might be developed as an
alternative way for importing goods as the country was facing border problems
due to blockade imposed from India for past three months.
The border point that was brought into operation
some 12 years ago was closed by the Chinese authority citing security
challenges.
Likewise, Chinese authority has deployed the armed
security officials by establishing a camp and has set up the closed circuit
camera for monitoring the activities in the border.
Mustang CDO Adhikari said that the team would submit
its study report to the government after studying all possibilities by holding
discussions with the locals in the border area. RSS
Peak season attracts tourists to Mustang
Oct 15, 2015- Tourist arrivals in Mustang district
in north-western Nepal, which is famed for the Muktinath Temple, have swelled.
An increasing number of domestic and foreign visitors have been travelling to
Muktinath to visit various religious sites as this is the pilgrimage season.
The favourable weather has also led to more people visiting Kagbeni and
Muktinath by both road and air.
“Autumn is the most appropriate time for people to
visit Mustang,” said Bel Pun, a tourist assistant under the Annapurna
Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Jomsom. According to him, the number of
people going to Muktinath to offer worship on the occasion of Sorha Sraddha has
increased lately.
This is the time when the days are sunny and the
Himalaya can be observed clearly. Indian
tourists have also been arriving in large numbers. After the April 25
earthquake, tourist arrivals had shrunk. But the recent upturn in tourism has
reinvigorated the local tourism industry, entrepreneurs said.
Laxmi Tulachan, proprietor of Urica Inn, said the
increased flow of tourists in recent days had given relief to them after the
earthquake disaster.
The Jomsom office of ACAP, which keeps records of
Indian and foreign tourist arrivals, said the number of domestic and Indian
tourists had been impressive. It added that a total of 15,478 tourists had
arrived in Mustang as of September this year, Last year, Mustang received
31,232 tourists.
Trekkers coming over Thorang Pass from Manang return
through Muktinath, and this has helped the tourism business here. This route
forms part of the Annapurna Circuit trekking trail.
The Civil Aviation Authority Office here said that
the number of people visiting Mustang by air had also gone up in the recent
days. “As tourists are receiving the message that the Annapurna area has not
been touched by the earthquake, a large number of religious tourists have been
visiting Muktinath by air from Pokhara,” said Surya Bahadur Khatri, deputy
manager of the authority. “The current arrival trend should be considered as
fine.”
According to Tulachan, 50 percent of the tourists
visiting Mustang are Indians, followed by Nepalis and other foreign nationals.
Currently, seven to 10 flights arrive in Mustang from Pokhara daily, compared
to two-three flights during the off season.
Tara and Simrik Air conduct flights between Pokhara
and Jomsom. Tara added one flight after seeing a rise in tourist numbers.
Kagbeni, Muktinath and Damodar Kunda in Upper Mustang are important
destinations for pilgrims.
