Trekking in Nepal

Trekking Nepal

THE DOOR CHORTEN OF TSARANG

MUSTANG 1991
KANCHENJUNGA 1993
ISLAND PEAK & MERA PEAK 1994
NARPHU 1996
MAKALU & EVEREST 1998
MANASLU & NARPHU 1999
MILKE DANDA & NORTH 2000
NORTH EAST NEPAL TREK 2002

ARUNACHAL PRADESH TREKS 2003

ADVICE and TREKKING AGENTS

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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MUSTANG TREK 1991

This was my first trek to Nepal and was an expeditionary trek into the then unknown Mustang region previously explored by Michel Peissel in 1964 and before that by the Swiss geologist Toni Hagen in 1952. Mustang is the region north of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna protruding into Tibet. The trek was in February and March 1991. The trek was arranged through Himalayan travel with Elaine Brooks who has written a number of books, ( "The Wind Horse" being one) and Lahkpa Sherpa. It was organized as a mountaineering expedition in order to get the permits to go into Mustang. A more unlikely group of mountaineers has never been seen.

MAP OF ACTUAL TREKKING ROUTE

01	The trek started in Pokhara following the route of the well trekked Annapurna Circuit following the raging Kali Gandaki river north. This is the bridge at Ghasa with Dhaulagiri in the background, we are some days up the trail.
02	On the way to Largjung looking back to Dhaulgiri on the Kali Gandaki flood plain. Ponies were the main form of transport for the large amount of baggage being carried to service some twelve trekkers.
03	We were now in un-trekked country beyond Kagbeni approaching the village of Tangbe already some ten days into the trek.
04	The scenery was fantastic with Tibetan style village of Tetang tucked into the rocks using the river to irrigate the fields.
05	Tetang just two weeks later on our return from Mustang. This trek was in early spring.
06	This was a major expedition with over a dozen members all of them seasoned trekkers other than myself, with a large contingency of Sherpas looking after us.
07	The climb up from the bed of the Kali Gandaki river to Samargaon was a long hard day but the views opening up before us were breathtaking, you can just see the trail heading up on the rocks to the right.
08	It's early morning and a clear blue sky with Mt Nilgiri, 7061 meters high in the distance. Fantastic trekking. The village is out of view very quickly behind the hill to the right of the picture.
09	We were at about 4300 m /13000 ft here, but the walking is spectacular with a long contour along the side of the mountains.
10	As we were passing through the villages the whole population would come out and stare at us in amazement. They had not seen westerners before and thought we were funny pink people with big noses.
11	A climb to about 4500 m /14850 ft over the pass with snow on the north side.
12	The views in the direction we were heading, due north to Kehami.
13	Time to relax and take in the scenery.
14	Kehami is a wonderful Tibetan village with old Stupas and magnificent panoramic views. Notice the incredible long Marni wall bottom right.
15	These villages can only survive because the river is used for irrigation.
16	Stupa early morning.
17	Girls carrying Yak milk.
18	The incredible Marni Wall; the longest I have ever seen, each one of the stones used to construct the wall carries an inscription "Omarni-Parni-Hum".
19	Temple in a fantastic setting amongst the rocks, brilliant colours. This is one of those locations which just stay with you; I will try and return one day.
20	On the way to Tsarang, the seat of the King of Mustang.
21	Chorten at the entry to Tsarang as in Michel Peissel's Book "Mustang A Lost Tibetan Kingdom" 1967.
22	Early morning at Charang. From here we followed the trail to Dih.
23	We never tired of the vast views we had all around us with constantly changing colours of the landscape as the sun moved round.
24	Children at Dih.
25	Dih was a typical small village seeming just to eek out a living by irrigating small areas of land and herding goats.
26	The Son of the King of Mustang, left and the princess, far right, with Elaine Brooks and Lhakpa Sherpa in the national dress of the royal family. A friendship meeting was held by the village.
27	The trekking group, from the back left, if I remember correctly Sue, Laureen, Colin and myself, we shared a tent, next row John and Margaret, Audrey, Sean, bottom row, Pat, the Princess and Prince of Mustang, Reiko, Lhakpa, and Elaine. Colin joined the trek having broken a bone in his foot some weeks before and rode a horse much of the way. Two other members of the party; Geoff and his wife, Sue were helicoptered out of Dih after Geoff had a bad fall fearing he had cracked a rib, puncturing a lung. I think Zoe, our eldest trekker, must have taken the picture.
28	The men in the villages were forever spinning Yak wool. We had a climbing permit for Birkuti, an unclimbed mountain on the Tibetan border. This was used as an excuse to obtain entry into Mustang. We walked from Dih through the village of Teh and on up to high camp.
29	We were short of water going up. I found the climb up easy but shared my one litre water bottle with the Nepalese guide who I was climbing with. High camp was at about 5000 metres, and I had not had enough to drink, within minutes of arriving at camp I was suffering with altitude sickness and dehydration. I was put in my tent and on waking at first light I downed over eleven cups of tea, salt tea and boiled water. After that I was fine and was the only one to continue with the Sherpas to about 5500 metres looking for the lost mount Bhrikuti. Lhakpa joined us later claiming he had seen a Snow Leopard.
30	Coming back down the day after I was very tired and the village of Teh, coming up was a welcome respite.
31	Wonderful views from the village of Teh. We were contouring along the base of the snow line on the mountains in the distance on our trek in.
32	I made some purchases from Teh; an oil lamp and genuine Yak boots from the man on the right; the local witch doctor. Our tents are in the background.
33	Back down the Kalii Gandaki river bed to Tange.
34	Tange in the distance.
35	"The village of Tange 3400m above sea level. Along the trade routes in the expanse of the Tibetan plateau lie villages with rich Buddhist monuments. The solitude of remote settlements, a nomadic way of life, and pilgrimages that may last for months to the great sanctuaries in Tibet and Nepal. For centuries life has remained unchanged here, no other people that embodies such a happy spirit of human kindness towards their fellow-man and every living creature, combined with a deep inward peace, as the Tibetans. The landscape has a heroic character with boundless uplands, gleaming in yellow and reddish hues, and everywhere the serenity and majesty of the high mountain ranges. The old monuments, however, breath life into the cold immensity - the soul of the Tibetan people." TONY HAGON
36	The long climb up to the pass over to Tetang was one of the highlights of the trek. Fantastic views north to Tibet.
37	The top at last. The views from here on were just outstanding. The mountains are the Mustang Himal and on the far distant horizon, Tibet. I would love to return and explore these high places.
38	Elaine taking the easy way up, the guide got a tow up also by grabbing the horses tail. We had a fantastic walk along the ridge high above the Kali Gandaki with stunning views in all directions. I just wandered along getting as much video footage as possible and soaking up the views knowing that I might never return to see them again.
39	The last few miles back to Jomsom was on the white horse, I was ill with Gardia and lost about one and a half stone on the trek. A visit to the Canadian Medical Centre in Kathmandu for some medication and my own doctor on my return left me with no lasting symptoms.
CONCLUSION	This trek proved to be fairly arduous as I was ill for much of the time and not eating very well. On our return to Pokerha I was very tired and couldn't keep food down. I found on going to the Canadian Medical Centre in Kathmandu that I had Gardia and a few pills sorted that out. I lost a serious amount of weight, about one and a half stone and on the flight from Heathrow to Manchester kept on asking the air hostess for sandwich after sandwich. I just couldn't stop eating. Altitude always makes me lose my appetite and I did not realize on this trek how little I had been eating. As my first trek there is no doubt I was spaced out by the whole experience as I had not traveled to a third world country before. The remarkable thing about trekking is how different the experience is for each individual on the trek. The author and traveler, Audrey Salkeld who was one of the trekking party wrote of the trek in her book "People In High Places" covering Mallory's and Irvine's exploits on Everest and the Mustang Trek. I would highly recommend anyone with an interest in Mustang to read this and Peissel's book for a personal view of the area. It would be fascinating to get each person to hand over their diaries after a trek. I have no doubt that the way each would read, you wouldn't believe they were all trekking together.

For more information please contact me

David Ketley

Dunge Valley Hidden Gardens
& Hardy Plant Nursery,
Windgather Rocks, Kettleshulme,
Nr. Whaley Bridge, (Stockport)
High Peak, SK23 7RF,
ENGLAND
Tel / Fax: 01663 733787

E-mail me at david@dungevalley.co.uk

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This Page was updated 01/01/2002