Upper Mustang Trek

Difficulty

While the trek to Upper Mustang Trek is not considered to be much of a challenge, this trek will take you through some high-altitude passes with continuous uphill and downhill. The difficult terrain in this trek can make the trek harder for inexperienced trekkers. Another thing to consider is the remoteness of the Upper Mustang Trek.

Though it would not be a problem for many if you are to feel uncomfortable without your daily facilities like a sitting toilet, baths, soft beds, and others, trekking will become far harder than it is, as such things can affect the mentality of the person which is much needed in the trek.

Overall, for any experienced trekkers the trek to the Upper Mustang Area will be a relatively easy trek. As long you make enough preparations you will have a good time on the trek. Concerning the risk of altitude sickness, children and the elderly are not recommended for this trek.

And, the final thing to consider is the cold climate in the Upper Mustang Trek. The temperature in Upper Mustang can drop below freezing point. So, if cold bothers you, we cannot recommend you this trek.

Best Seasons

The best seasons do the Upper Mustang Trek are without a doubt either Spring (March, April, May) or Autumn (September, October, November

During this time of the year, the weather is far more predictable than during the summer seasons. You also do not have to bear with the sheer cold that you will have to face during the winter seasons.

If cold is too much of a bother for you, visiting Upper Mustang in the Summer season is a viable option. To those who want to enjoy a thick layer of snow and challenge the cold, you can visit the Upper Mustang region in the winter. Also, visiting in the winter means that you will be able to witness the winter lives of the locals that only a few other people have witnessed.
Overall, you can visit the Upper Mustang region at any given time of the year. To get the best experience Spring and Autumn are the recommended seasons of visit.

Altitude Sickness

While trekking through the Himalayan Region of Nepal, Altitude Sickness is a problem that we will always have to be aware of. The higher we move up into the atmosphere the density of the atmosphere decreases. This means that we have less oxygen intake per breath.

There are cases when a person shows the symptoms of Altitude Sickness beyond the elevation of 2000 meters above sea level. In this Upper Mustang Trek, we will be trekking well over 4000 meters above sea level.

So, there are risks of altitude sickness. Usually, altitude sickness can be prevented after acclimatization. Even in case of altitude sickness we just need to backtrack ourselves to a lower altitude. But, there are cases where altitude sickness has caused death, so we need to be prepared for any scenario.

If you showcase the symptoms of altitude sickness which include headache, vomiting, insomnia, and reduced performance you need to inform your fellow trekkers and the guide. They can provide you with some treatment. In case of emergency, you might also need to get an emergency evacuation.

Accommodation, Food, and Drink

All the accommodations during the entirety of this 14-day trek are covered by the Upper Mustang Trek package. In the Upper Mustang Trek, you will be staying two nights in Pokhara, a night in Jomsom while the rest of the nights are spent in lodges of the village mentioned in the itinerary. All of these accommodations fall under the package. In case, you need to spend some additional nights in any place, then the cost of the accommodation will fall under you.

The Upper Mustang Trek package is also meant to cover three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The package will cover all the foods during these meals. But, any additional food that you want to add to this trek will be your personal expense. The same goes for any additional soft drinks and alcoholic beverages you purchase along the trek.

Do note that all the foods we will provide you during the Upper Mustang Trek will cater to the vegan side. This is because we cannot guarantee the food safety of any animal products during the trek. Because of the remoteness of the Upper Mustang region, there are no proper technologies to preserve animal products. Consuming those might cause food poisoning that we want to avoid during the Upper Mustang Trek.

Transportation

The Upper Mustang trek package will cover all the land transportation and domestic flights during the trek. We will provide you with a private vehicle to take you from Kathmandu to Pokhara and vice-versa. And, the domestic flights that we will take between Pokhara and Jomsom will be covered by us.

The international flight that you take to Kathmandu is not part of the package. The visa fee you need to pay at the airport is also your own personal expense.

Permit

You will need three separate permits for trekking in Upper Mustang. First of all, you will need a TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) permit. Every foreigner who wants to trek in Nepal requires this permit.

Since we will be going through part of the Annapurna Conservation Area during the Upper Mustang Trek, you will need an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) permit. Finally, you will need a RAP (Restricted Area Permit). The RAP permits allow you to visit the semi-restricted settlements of the Upper Mustang Region.

We will help you to get all the permits that you will need for the Upper Mustang Trek to prevent any hassle just after your arrival. The cost of the permits is included within the package so you do not have to worry about it. You just want to take off your permits so that you do not lose them.

Trip Preparation

The trek to the Upper Mustang region is not difficult, but it is still going to demand your physical and mental well-being. You need to have great preservation and stamina to complete the trek without much trouble. For that, you need to prepare yourself before the trek. Any stamina-increasing exercise and food can help you during the Upper Mustang Trek.

If you are a physically active person who performs physical activity and exercises regularly then you should not have much of problems. You will need to train your legs and mid-body if you want to achieve the most efficient result in the short term. You also want to have a strong lung so that you can adapt at higher altitudes.

A strong mentality is also a part of the success of this trek. While we do not want to overdo yourself and push yourself despite the impeding problems, we also do not want you to give up at slight inconvenience. So, you need to have a positive mentality so that you can successfully complete the Upper Mustang Trek.

Also, if you have any history of heart and lung problems, we cannot recommend you to the trek.

Electricity and Internet

Our trekking package will cover the cost of the accommodations during the trek, but as we move to the remote region during the Upper Mustang Trek you will not have access to electricity and internet. In some of the places we are staying, there will be solar panels to cover the lack of electric lines. Usually, this might cost you some extra fees.

We will cover the fee for any basic facilities like food, bed, and toilet, but these extra fees are not part of the package, so if you want to access electricity to charge your devices then you will need to pay it yourself.

And the internet will be non-existent for most of the Upper Mustang Trek. In this remote region, electricity itself can be considered rare, internet access will require a miracle.

Your Extra Expenses for Upper Mustang Trek

The Upper Mustang Trek package will cover all the necessary requirements for the trek, but most of the extra expenses are not covered by the package. All the things covered by the package are the basic inevitable spending during the Upper Mustang Trek.

These things are predictable and we can calculate it, but those extra expenses that you may or may not make during the trek are a variable in the total cost of the trek that will change based on the person. The extra expenses are more of the quality of life feature of your trek. So, all these possible extra expenses are excluded from the package and you will have to cover them by yourself.

Some of the example extra expenses that are excluded from the package are the cost of the international flights and visa fees. Any extra foods besides the three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and extra expenses required for electricity in the lodges or teahouses.

The cost of the personal equipment you buy during the trek and tips for the guide and porters are also excluded from the package. We will provide the basic first aid kit, but any emergency services requested during the trek are also excluded from the package.

What to Expect?

In this Upper Mustang Trek, you will be traveling through some of the remote regions of Nepal. The restricted nature of the area also means that you will be able to witness a unique society that you won’t get to see in any other part of the world.

The experience that you will get from the trek will be a kind of experience that many others have never experienced in their life. The silver mountains that you will witness throughout the trek will be a part of your core memory.

This 14-day journey may seem like a journey to a whole new world, but interacting with the locals of Upper Mustang and experiencing their hospitality is going to bring you back to the past of the earth. If the timing of our visit is right, then we will be able to witness some of their festivals or rituals.

You will also get to experience different terrains throughout the Upper Mustang Trek. We will also be visiting some of the driest lands on the earth. In these different terrains, you will also be able to see some unique floras and faunas.

Overall, the trek to the Upper Mustang is going to be a challenging experience that you can reminisce about at a later time. This adventure will become a part of your life. There will also be a rewarding feeling that you can experience after the completion of the Upper Mustang Trek.