About Upper Mustang Trek
Upper Mustang is a mysterious land where the bell at gompa awakens people every morning, a place where daily life is a religious course and a destination where the day begins after sighting various mountains especially, Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri. Yes, it is a short description of Upper Mustang where life flows following the doctrine of nature.
Regulus recommends Upper Mustang Trek if you wish crowd less trekking or remote trekking in Nepal. Upper Mustang trekking is a pure destination where life of people is still untouched by the modern developments. Upper Mustang Valley trek is a rare & a special opportunity to all who want to be involved & sense the true life of the real mountain people of Nepal.
The snow fall in winter and strong wind blowing everyday has made the landscapes of this place incredible. The colours of chortens especially, red white and brown makes Mustang truly exotic.
Mustang region shares border with Tibet, Autonomous Region of China. Due to this reason the influence of Tibetan culture is well depicted in the lives of Mustangi people. People in Mustang region still follow old Tibetan Buddhism. Geographically Upper Mustang is a part of Tibet that is why trekking into Upper Mustang Area is identical to trekking in Tibet in many ways.
Observing Mustang from high hill or a cliff seems brown. It seems as if entire valley is wind swept. Similarly, the high standing mountains above the head are so pleasant and fascinating for the trekkers. The greenery is rare here in Mustang area.
The meditation caves in Chhusing reflect the then society of Mustang where religion was dominant factor. Legends say that Milarepa practiced meditation here. He was one of the personalities who spread modern Buddhism in Tibet. There are lots of caves in Mustang area.
Mustang is also known as Lo. It is said that Milarepa visited here in between 1040-1123 AD. It (Mustang) once used to be the part of Ngari which (Ngari) now is a province of western Tibet.
As per historians, Ame Pal founded the kingdom of Mustang in 1380. The current king of Mustang is the 25th King of Pal lineage. It was absorbed in Nepal in 1951 and the king of Mustang was given honorary colonel in Nepalese Army. At present, the population of Mustang is more than 30,000 and people of this place have strong trading link with Tibet.
Furthermore, there is also a meditation site for popular Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). It is said that he meditated in Upper Mustang area in 8th century. His meditation sites are used by Lamas these days for residential purpose.
Moreover, Upper Mustang comes under restricted area trekking. The Government of Nepal opened Upper Mustang for trekking in 1992. To preserve the unique identity of this place Nepal Government took this step & trekking in Upper Mustang got an access from this period. To trek in Upper Mustang trekkers require special permit from the Government of Nepal.