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Mustang Photo Gallery - Kagbeni To Lo Manthang

In May 2008 I trekked from Jomsom to Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang for the Tiji Festival

Mustang 00 01 Mustang Trek Route From Google Earth After flying into Jomsom and walking to Kagbeni, my trek to Upper Mustang went up the west side of the Kali Gandaki Valley with stops at Chele, Geiling and Ghar Gompa before arriving in Lo Manthang. After passing Tsarang on the return, the route followed the east side of the Kali Gandaki Valley to Tange, Tetang and ending in Muktinath.

Mustang 00 01 Mustang Trek Route From Google Earth

Mustang 01 01 Mustang View From Just Beyond Kagbeni Gyan showed our permits at Kagbeni (2840m) and we descended to the broad Kali Gandaki Valley, entering the restricted area of Upper Mustang.

Mustang 01 01 Mustang View From Just Beyond Kagbeni

Mustang 01 02 Kagbeni And Nilgiri As we walked along the Kali Gandaki riverbed just after leaving Kagbeni, I looked back to see Nilgiri towering above the village.

Mustang 01 02 Kagbeni And Nilgiri

Mustang 01 03-1 Tangbe The Kali Gandaki water level was a little high beyond Kagbeni, so we climbed to the high route. The trekking was fairly easy to the first village in Upper Mustang, Tangbe (3060m), not to be confused with Tange which I would visit on the way back.

Mustang 01 03-1 Tangbe

Mustang 01 03-2 Tangbe Entrance Chortens Just before entering Tangbe (3060m), the first village in Upper Mustang, I saw the first of many black, white and red Upper Mustang chortens.

Mustang 01 03-2 Tangbe Entrance Chortens

Mustang 01 04-1 Chuksang We took the trail above the Kali Gandaki River from Tangbe and passed flowing green fields of barley as we entered Chuksang (2980m), where we had lunch. We tried to visit the cliff gompa in Chuksang, but couldn’t find the caretaker with the keys.

Mustang 01 04-1 Chuksang

Mustang 01 04-2 Chuksang From Chuksang there was a broad expansive view of the Kali Gandaki Valley and the Kali Gandaki narrow gorge in the distance, with red organ-shaped eroded cliffs on the left.

Mustang 01 04-2 Chuksang

Mustang 01 05 Bridge Below Chele And Caves The short afternoon walk from Chuksang was along the Kali Gandaki riverbed. Just before the trail to Chele, a steel iron bridge spans the Kali Gandaki River just as it emerges from a narrow canyon. Many caves can be seen above the bridge on the cliff walls.

Mustang 01 05 Bridge Below Chele And Caves

Mustang 01 06 Kali Gandaki Gorge With Chele Above The wide Kali Gandaki valley ends abruptly at a vertical cliff. A short steep climb out of the Kali Gandaki Valley leads to the village of Chele (3100m).

Mustang 01 06 Kali Gandaki Gorge With Chele Above

Mustang 01 07-1 Chele I enjoyed the afternoon in Chele, a very pleasant and interesting village.

Mustang 01 07-1 Chele

Mustang 01 07-2 Chele We stayed in a comfortable lodge in Chele in Upper Mustang. I had a coke in the Tibetan kitchen and watched three generations of grandmother, mother and daughter prepare food. Here are the mother and daughter. Life goes on as normal in Chele, even though many tourists come and go. The man stretches the wool, which the woman weaves on her loom. Horses are a popular way to travel in Upper Mustang, even for trekkers. Here are two horses drinking from a small watering hole in Chele. Chele is situated above the Kali Gandaki River among extensive wheat and barley fields.

Mustang 01 07-2 Chele

Mustang 02 01 Chele Lodge My room was on the roof of our lodge in Chele, with a sparkling view westward of the nearby hills at sunrise.

Mustang 02 01 Chele Lodge

Mustang 02 02 Trail From Chele Passes Ghyakar The trail from Chele climbs towards the west, eventually with a view across the canyon to Ghyakar, a small village with numerous terraced fields that spread down the canyon.

Mustang 02 02 Trail From Chele Passes Ghyakar

Mustang 02 03 Annapurna Range From Chele La The trail from Chele switchbacks up the canyon wall, which in places is literally carved into the cliff-side, until reaching the Chele La (3630m) across from Ghyakar. The Annapurna massif and Nilgiri shine in the early morning sun from the Chele La (3630m) in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 02 03 Annapurna Range From Chele La

Mustang 02 04 Samar Entrance Chortens From the Chele La (3630m) it is an easy walk to Samar (3620m), a small village set in a grove of poplar trees with a commanding view down the valley.

Mustang 02 04 Samar Entrance Chortens

Mustang 02 05-1 Annapurna Range From Pass After Samar From Samar, Gyan and I took a side route to visit the Rangbyung cave gompa, while the crew took the normal route via Bhena La (3830m) and Yamdo La (4010m). The trail was fairly dangerous to the top of a pass (about 4000m), steep, narrow and slanting with long drop-offs. If you visit Rangbyung, I would recommend going from Shyangmochen and then returning the same route, rather than this difficult and dangerous route. I had another excellent view of the Annapurna Massif and Nilgiri from the top of the pass (about 4000m) on the way to Rangbyung Cave in Upper Mustang. From left to right are Yakawa Kang (6482m), Thorung Peak (6144m), Annapurna (8091m), Tilicho Peak (7134m), and Nilgiri North (7061m).

Mustang 02 05-1 Annapurna Range From Pass After Samar

Mustang 02 05-2 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, Annapurna Main, and Tilicho Peak From Pass After Samar Here is a close up view of Annapurna’s East, Central, and Main summits from the top of the pass (about 4000m) on the way to Rangbyung Cave in Upper Mustang. The snowy mountain on the right is Tilicho Peak (7134m), the highest point of the Grande Barrierre. Tilicho Peak was first climbed via the northwest shoulder on October 10, 1978 by Emmanuel Schmutz of France.

Mustang 02 05-2 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, Annapurna Main, and Tilicho Peak From Pass After Samar

Mustang 02 06 Trail To Rangbyung Cave A switchback trail descends from the top of the pass (about 4000m) to a stream in a deep gorge, and up the other side towards Shyangmochen (3800m).

Mustang 02 06 Trail To Rangbyung Cave

Mustang 02 07-1 Rangbyung Cave Entrance The Rangbyung cave gompa (3450m, also spelled Rangchyung) is built into the side of a cliff with prayer flags strung across the entrance.

Mustang 02 07-1 Rangbyung Cave Entrance

Mustang 02 07-2 Rangbyung Cave Self Emanating Statue Rangbyung cave contains stalagmites that have formed in the shape of chortens. I scrambled up and around the back of the cave, before visiting the main gompa area. Rangbyung means self-produced, and a part of the far side of the cave has been painted black to reveal the self-emanating statue.

Mustang 02 07-2 Rangbyung Cave Self Emanating Statue

Mustang 02 07-3 Rangbyung Cave Painted Chortens The main images in the Rangbyung cave gompa are the painted chortens of Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), Amitabha, and Avolokiteshvara.

Mustang 02 07-3 Rangbyung Cave Painted Chortens

Mustang 02 07-4 Rangbyung Cave Many Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Carvings Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) is supposed to have meditated at the Rangbyung cave in Upper Mustang in the eight century, and there are almost 200 small carved images of Guru Rinpoche.

Mustang 02 07-4 Rangbyung Cave Many Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Carvings

Mustang 02 07-5 Rangbyung Cave Many Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Carving Close Up Here is a close up of one of the almost 200 small carved images of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) in Rangbyung cave in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 02 07-5 Rangbyung Cave Many Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Carving Close Up

Mustang 02 08 Shyangmochen The trail from Rangbyung cave is a constant but fairly easy climb to Shyangmochen (3800m), where we met the staff, and then continued climbing.

Mustang 02 08 Shyangmochen

Mustang 02 09 Chorten On Shyangmochen La The trail from Shyangmochen climbs quickly to the Shyangmochen La (3850m) on the way to Geiling in Upper Mustang. With a cold wind blowing, we sat in the shadow of the beautiful colourful chorten at the top of the Shyangmochen La (3850m), with a stunning view of the surrounding peaks in sunshine.

Mustang 02 09 Chorten On Shyangmochen La

Mustang 02 10-1 Geiling With Entrance Chortens The trail is all downhill from Shyangmochen La (3850m) to the entrance chortens at Geiling (3570m), a picturesque village with poplar trees and extensive fields of barley. On the far hill are the two Geiling gompas.

Mustang 02 10-1 Geiling With Entrance Chortens

Mustang 02 10-2 Geiling Chorten The village of Geiling has a colourful chorten in the middle.

Mustang 02 10-2 Geiling Chorten

Mustang 02 10-3 Geiling Lodge Room I stayed in a fairly basic, but comfortable, lodge in Geiling in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 02 10-3 Geiling Lodge Room

Mustang 02 10-4 Geiling New Gompa Geiling has two gompas on the north hill. I tried to visit the newer Geiling gompa twice, but the caretaker with the keys was nowhere to be found.

Mustang 02 10-4 Geiling New Gompa

Mustang 02 10-5 Geiling Old Gompa I did trek farther up the hill and visited the older gompa above Geiling blackened by centuries of smoke from butter lamps. To the right of the altar is Mahakala. There are also a few old peeling paintings on the walls.

Mustang 02 10-5 Geiling Old Gompa

Mustang 02 11-1 Thorung Peak From Geiling At Sunset Thorung Peak (6144m) looks very much a snow mountain viewed from the north in Geiling in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 02 11-1 Thorung Peak From Geiling At Sunset

Mustang 02 11-2 Annapurna From Geiling At Sunset The sunset light glows on the Annapurna massif from Geiling in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 02 11-2 Annapurna From Geiling At Sunset

Mustang 02 11-3 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, and Annapurna Main From Geiling At Sunset My favourite view of Annapurna in Upper Mustang is from Geiling. Here is a close up of Annapurna’s East (8026m), Annapurna Central (8051m) and Annapurna (8091m) Main summits at sunset. In front is the Grande Barriere.

Mustang 02 11-3 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, and Annapurna Main From Geiling At Sunset

Mustang 03 01 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, and Annapurna Main From Geiling Early Morning My favourite view of Annapurna in Upper Mustang is from Geiling. Here is a close up of Annapurna’s East (8026m), Annapurna Central (8051m) and Annapurna (8091m) Main summits in the early morning. In front is the Grande Barriere.

Mustang 03 01 Annapurna East, Annapurna Central, and Annapurna Main From Geiling Early Morning

Mustang 03 02 Geiling and Annapurna Range The Annapurna massif shines in the early morning sun from Geiling in Upper Mustang.

Mustang 03 02 Geiling and Annapurna Range

Mustang 03 03-1 Ghemi The trail from Geiling (3570m) climbs gently through fields up the centre of the valley to the Nyi La (4020m), the southern boundary of Lo. The trail descends gently from the Nyi La to Ghemi (3510m) with terraced fields spread out around the town. Ghemi is the first town under the rule of the King of Mustang.

Mustang 03 03-1 Ghemi

Mustang 03 03-2 Ghemi Chorten I strolled around Ghemi, once again enjoying the colourful chortens.

Mustang 03 03-2 Ghemi Chorten

Mustang 03 03-3 Ghemi Lodge Small Gompa We ate our lunch in the royal house in Ghemi. The Mustang King’s relative who runs the lodge showed me a small gompa in a side room off the lodge.

Mustang 03 03-3 Ghemi Lodge Small Gompa

Mustang 03 04-1 Drakmar Red Cliffs and Entrance From Ghemi the trail heads up towards a ridgeline (3910m) and then traverses for about an hour when the red hills above Drakmar (3820m, Red Crag) come into view. The trail descends and crosses some terraced fields before nearing Drakmar with the entrance chortens visible on the right.

Mustang 03 04-1 Drakmar Red Cliffs and Entrance

Mustang 03 04-2 Drakmar Village and Red Cliffs Lower Drakmar is set in a beautiful area with large tracts of terraced fields set against red cliffs.

Mustang 03 04-2 Drakmar Village and Red Cliffs

Mustang 03 04-3 Drakmar Red Cliffs Caves Above the houses of Lower Drakmar are many ancient cave dwellings.

Mustang 03 04-3 Drakmar Red Cliffs Caves

Mustang 03 04-4 Drakmar Red Cliffs The trail goes along the base of the cliffs from Lower Drakmar to Upper Drakmar in about 20 minutes, with more colourful red cliffs.

Mustang 03 04-4 Drakmar Red Cliffs

Mustang 03 05-1 Ghar Gompa The trail heads north from Drakmar and climbs for about an hour to a windy pass (4170m). The trail goes across broad grassland before descending to the Ghar Gompa (3940m). Ghar Gompa is supposedly the oldest in Nepal built around 775AD to appease the demons who were stopping Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) from building Samye Monastery in Tibet.

Mustang 03 05-1 Ghar Gompa

Mustang 03 05-2 Ghar Gompa The entrance door of Ghar Gompa in Upper Mustang is flanked by the Four Guardian Kings. Inside Ghar Gompa there are some excellent painted carved stones, and statues of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), Palden Lhamo on horseback, and Vajrapani. To the left of the entrance is a painting of, is it Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull? There are many small Tsa Tsa carvings surrounding the prayer wheels on the sides of Ghar Gompa. We stayed at Ghar Gompa (3940m) rather than trekking down the valley to Lo Ghekar. I stayed in a large storage room next to the gompa.

Mustang 03 05-2 Ghar Gompa


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