A well-known saying says, "Nothing grows in the comfort zone." Even to bear sweet fruit, a seed has to go through a lot of pressure and temperature; so should the trekkers have to endure the difficulties to capture some rare glimpses of nature.
However, this caption doesn't imply for Upper Mustang Trek, which is more famous by its title of 'The Forbidden Kingdom of the Himalayas.' This trek can be undertaken by anyone regardless of their age or gender. Also, you will be blessed by some of the brilliant sceneries of the isolated land of Mustang. However, to complete this trek, you must always be self-motivated.
While we consider this trek moderately difficult, it demands you to go through frequent switchbacks at a constant high-altitude pressure. Also, the climate challenges you continuously. So, please don't take this trek as easily doable, but rather with great effort and self-motivation.
In this blog, I will be grading the difficulty of Upper Mustang Trek based on five important factors.
The trail demands you to walk for 7 hours, at most, each day. Also, the overall trekking ends in around 15 days or less from the day of trekking, which infers that this trek is easy to undertake, based on the trekking duration.
However, you must be aware that walking 7 hours is not a joke. It is very much challenging and painful as well, but at the end of the trek, you will be rewarded with the immense glory of the hidden Himalayas, and this is worth every step you would have taken to reach there.
Altitude is not a big issue while on the trek to Upper Mustang. Throughout the trekking period, you are always below 4000m, which means that even if you feel the symptoms of Altitude Sickness (AS), such as headache, nausea, or vomiting, there is less probability of having severe complications by altitude.
But you must be wary of following acclimatization techniques at a high altitude. Unless you feel like continuing, don't go for it. Altitude Sickness might grow to become fatal.
Reference: Here is the altitude chart for Upper Mustang Trek
As in most treks around the Himalayas, Upper Mustang Trek is no exception to ups and downs. Sometimes, there is a long and continuous ascend or descend, while at other times, there can be numerous ups and downs alternating with each other. In addition, there is barely a flat section. So, in terms of terrain, this trek can be challenging.
However, if you have already attempted other treks, you will not have to worry about the terrain. The trail fluctuates the same as in the Annapurna circuit. But still, early preparation is highly recommended.
Although the region's remoteness has some impact on the trek's difficulty, it is not the primary factor. Around the Upper Mustang are many tea-houses and similar places for accommodation, whose services are satisfactory if the altitude is considered. In most parts of the Upper Mustang, your mobile network would run fine. Also, all part of the trails is not jagged.
With all this information, you can imply that the Upper Mustang is considerably remote.
But still, you mustn't forget that you are walking in the late forbidden kingdom. So don't expect any sorts of modern luxuries.
Climate is another critical factor that determines the difficulty of this trek.
Like in the rest of the country, Upper Mustang enjoys four seasons a year.
Summer is not a suitable time for trekking in Upper Mustang because the monsoon overlaps with the Summer, making the trail slippery and challenging to cross.
Similarly, Winter is highly frosty. The temperature plummets to around -10oC in the daytime, which is pretty low, while during the night, it goes beyond -20 oC. So, it seems pretty impossible to travel in Winter.
Autumn, however, is suitable for trekking. Still, trekking in Spring is highly recommended because you might get a chance to enjoy one of the biggest festivals of the Mustangis-Tiji festival.
Conclusion:
Anyone can attempt the Upper Mustang trek if they feel like doing so. The best time to go trekking in Upper Mustang is during Spring. As a bonus, you might get a chance to witness one of the biggest and most colorful festivals of Mustang, which is the Tiji Festival.
If you want to know more about Upper Mustang, please email us. Or, you may drop a comment below.
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