From April 26 through June 8 Nick, Mark, and I adventured in Nepal. Our goal was simple: trek 36 days from Jomsom in Nepal's Upper Mustang along the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) to Rara Lake some 275 miles to the East and over 13 high passes.
Phewa Lake on the shores of Pokhara, Nepal.
Due to road expansion and repair, construction is constant in between monsoon season and winter. Here, workers install a new bridge.
Kagbeni is one of the oldest villages in the Himalayas, and is considered savred. It sits down the mountain from Muktinath and rests aong the banks of the Kali Gandagi river. We stayed at the Dragon hotel and enjoyed absolutely stunning views.
Kagbeni, the Kali Gandaki river and Nilgiri mountain in the background. Here worshippers and pilgrims attend to rituals along the banks.
DAY 05 The first day of our trek was generally along the road from Kagbeni to Chhusang. Here we're joined by our porters, without whom the trek would have been nearly impossible. I am eternally grateful for their courage, strength, and good cheer.
DAY 05 Views up the gorge created by the Kali Gandaki. The river is older than the Himalayas and has continued to carve downward as the mountains rise.
DAY 05 There are many thousands of cliff dwellings throughout Upper Mustang. While their origin and purpose are the subject of debate, they are known to be 2-3 thousands of years old.
DAY 06 We did an acclimatization hike up Gyu La, about 13372 feet in elevation. We were fortunate to reach Tetang village around sunrise.
DAY 06 The area is known for its many fossils and concretions (known locally as saligrams). Concretions often form around a "seed" such as a leaf, stick, or something similar that starts the process. Locals like to crack them open to see this shape inside, which is considered a message from God.
DAY 06 Tetang Village was an interesting mix of ancient and new. I enjoyed just standing there and taking it all in.
DAY 07 The distant fluting on the mountainsides looks much more severe up close. The erosional features made for some gorgeous views and - in some cases - interesing hiking trails.
DAY 07 Here's the crew enjoying a much-needed rest from the hiking.
DAY 07 These horses were eating salt off the ground. Brine flows natually from many areas here and will leave salt deposits as the water evaporates. Interestingly, we saw similar deposits in Peru where the salt is also collected and mined commercially.
DAY 07 We finally reached Paa La (pass) which at 13,841 feet was first moderately high pass of the trek.
DAY 07 Tange village was a welcome sight after 16 miles and thousands of vertical feel, which was one of our longest days on the trail. Several of us were sick with stomach issues and the going was measured.
