TREK ITINERARY
EASIER MUKTINATH – 20 OCTOBER TO 6 NOVEMBER, 2017
This is a new idea for us. The Mustang region, high in the Anapurna range of the Himalayas has been one of our favourite destinations for years. However, getting up there, over the steep foothills, is hard work. We have created an itinerary here which involves all the delights of trekking in the Anapurna but with a jeep ride through the foothills to where the trail levels off in the wide-open Kali Gandaki valley. Even the jeep ride, which is very slow, has been spread over two days. We will overnight at Tatopani as it is a cute village and a good lodge. Our second night, using transport would be Kalopani which is in a beautiful valley between Daulaghiri and the Anapurna, some of the tallest peaks on the planet. From here on we will trek, as the trails are fairly easy. There is a jeepable road across the valley from us, so that every day transport is a possibility. If you want to join us and NOT TREK, we could arrange that for you. The trekking up here is marvellous though – high, dry and wild. The landscape is dotted with ancient stone villages and historic monasteries. The picture, above, is of Jhong on the far side of the Muktinath Valley; until recently this was inside the previously-forbidden kingdom of Upper Mustang. Can you imagine this scene at sunset? While this is an 18-day holiday, 4 nights are spent in Kathmandu (2 before and 2 after trekking) and 4 nights are spent in Pokhara (again, 2 before and 2 after the trek). 9 nights would be spent out on trek. If, by chance, you want to trek the whole thing from Nyapul, as I did last October/November, we could arrange it for you and we can all meet up in Tatopani.
Upper Mustang is definitely an option we can arrange with the guides who have taken me up there for the past two years. The permit is over $700 AUD and 10 extra days added onto the existing itinerary would run about $1300. (It is not cheap up there!).
With time spent in Kathmandu and Pokhara this is a chance to go trekking AND see a bit more; maybe visit some of our friends and projects “behind the scenes’. Culture and shopping are not forgotten.
Price is $3550 which covers ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. You will have your own porter, carrying just your bag, properly paid, clothed and insured. He will walk with you each day. As well as the team of porters, we will have a Nepali guide and, of course, I will accompany the trek personally. Flights to Nepal are not included. Internal flights, jeeps, hotels, trekking lodges, trek permits, insurance, transfers, ALL MEALS, Nepali staff and me are covered.
Check out www.slowtrekking.com for more information and reports and pictures from previous trips. Email me at vonschwichtenberg@gmail.com or teresadb@hotmail.com.
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Proposed Itinerary:
| DAY 1: October 20: | Arrive in Kathmandu. I will meet your flight and take you to our hotel. Walk over to Boudanath Stupa in the evening for dinner. |
| DAY 2: October 21: | Into Thamel, the tourist district, to shop for trekking gear, finalise our trekking permits, do some banking and, if time permits, sightseeing. |
| DAY 3: October 22: | Our own transport will take us to Pokhara, the famous 'chill-out' zone of the Hippy Trail. Great hotel here. Shops, cafes, more gear shops. Time for a stroll along the lake before dinner. Dinner outside, its warm here. |
| DAY 4: October 23: | Across the lake in a traditional boat and then a one-hour hike up to the Peace Stupa. A chance to check your gear. Lunch somewhere nice and then a pre-trek briefing where you will receive information about altitude, hygiene, safety, trekking and lodge etiquette, route plan, etc. Culminates in a meeting with the porters. Early night to pack for trekking tomorrow? |
| DAY 5: October 24: | Our jeeps should collect us shortly after breakfast. It is a long, slow drive to Tatopani on some fairly rough roads. The scenery is wonderful. We should arrive in time for lunch. Afternoon could be a half-day walk or a visit to the hot springs. Still just 1100 metres so warm conditions. |
| DAY 6: October 25: | Jeep again this morning, but just for a couple of hours. The scenery is mind-blowing. The See-You Lodge at Kalopani (2500metres) is very comfortable you are right up in the Himalayas now. If we arrive early we can do a half-day hike to Titi Lake, just an hour or so away. In the pine forest. |
| DAY 7: October 26: | OK, time to trek. Only gaining a few hundred metres all day. We skirt the river bed of the Kali Gandaki river, then cross its wide expanse on seasonal log bridges to Larjung for lunch. We are in a Buddhist region now with monasteries dotted on the distant hilltops. Tukche, at 2700m, is our destination. A large village of exquisite architecture. Could be windy in the afternoon. Our lodge has a warm, solar dining area, on the rooftop and 'hot table' in the evening. Views. |
| DAY 8: October 27: | Another good, long hike on flattish terrain. Along the road for 40 minutes, over a large, steel suspension bridge, through the juniper woods to the Chairo Tibetan Refugee Village. Cup of tea and check out the 600-year-old monastery then just an hour into Marpha. Amazing architecture protects the main street from the afternoon winds. After lunch and a look at another great monastery, we will trek to Jomsom. We might detour to visit some friends of mine at a village ten minutes off (up) the road. A very original old house. An alternative, harder, route is also a possibility via Dungba Lake. Jomsom tonight. 2800m. Hustle and bustle, bursting with life. A high-altitude trading post. |
| DAY 9: October 28: | An easier day today. Just three hours of flat walking and we arrive in Kagbeni, an ancient crumbling ruin of a village. Very photogenic. Afternoon optional walk out to Thiri, just inside Upper Mustang. Or take it easy. Leave excess gear here. |
| DAY 10: October 29: | This is a steep climb so transport is an option. Ponies if I can get them, jeep if not. Jarkot is a small, rustic village and the lodge is the same. 3400m. Comfy enough and warm in the dining room. Explore the village. |
| DAY 11: October 30: | Big day again today and possibly feeling the altitude a bit. We reach 3650m at Muktinath, then a tad higher to the famous temples. Visited by pilgrims for millennia, this is a must-see. After lunch, we can walk, mostly down, to Johng. These perfect little unspoiled villages along the way are beautiful. Overnight at Johng, a first for me but I checked out the lodge last year. |
| DAY 12: October 31: | It is long but easy trek back down to Kagbeni at 2800 metres. Wild and windswept. We can explore the village, the ruins and the monastery at Jhong, before we set off, if we didn't see it all yesterday. Back at the Asia Lodge. |
| DAY 13: November 1: | Another nice, easy day. A flat walk back to Jomsom on the river bed trail. There is a harder option over Windy Pass via some little-visited villages for the more adventurous. We will fly out of Jomsom but the flights only leave early in the morning – so tomorrow. |
| DAY 14: November 2: | Hopefully, we get good flying weather and we will be back in Pokhara in time for breakfast. No promises here as they only fly if conditions are fine. You now have a day to relax, shop, wash clothes, sleep, read, go para-gliding – whatever? |
| DAY 15: November 3: | A free day in Pokhara. More shopping and eating? I would like to get up very early and travel for half an hour to Sarankot to see the sunrise. Of course, its optional. In the afternoon, we could visit the Tibetan Refugee Camp on the edge of town. We have friends there to visit for a cuppa. Out drinking and dancing tonight?? |
| DAY 16: November 4: | Long drive back to Kathmandu. As usual, we will stop along the way for tea and loo stops and a delightful lunch at the Riverside Springs Resort. No plans for the evening; let's see how we feel. |
| DAY 17: November 5: | A big day out in Kathmandu. Sightseeing, shopping, visiting. Your call. |
| DAY 18: November 6: | TIME TO GO HOME! We will get you to the airport in time for your flight or find something interesting for you to do till departure time. |
Hope you can join us for this one.
I am currently in Melbourne till 12 March on 0426 113 697 if you would like to chat, or meet up. Otherwise, email me. I will be on trek from March 15 to April 12, then in Kathmandu till 25 April. I will then be in Germany till early October. I check my email often when not on trek so drop me a line if you want more information.
Cheers, for now, Teresa.
