From Pokhara to Chhusang

It is the monsoon season, but we wake up to a beautiful morning. From the roof of our small hotel are the Himalayan giants at our fingertips. We are welcomed by Fish tail – Machhapuchhre and Annapurnas. We want to get to the starting point for wandering around Mustang – Jomsom quickly by the plane.

Although it is the monsoon season, we are lucky – the first morning flight from Pokhara to Jomsomu is dispatched. We admire magnificent views of Dhaulagiri during the 20 minute flight. 

After checking in luggage and a short rest (Jomsom is 2 750 m above sea level) we set off towards Mustang. We are accompanied with the top of Nilgiri bathed in the morning sun.

From time to time, there are airline accidents in Nepal. Morning flights to Jomsom usually land in the arrival direction, i.e. from south to north. During the morning often rises south gusty wind. Aircrafts must then rotate in a relatively narrow space before landing. And this was also the case of the wreckage, which we have seen.

We leave Jomsom behind our back and slowly ascend above the river Kali Gandaki. It's a comfortable wide path along which run also jeeps. It is sometimes worth to look back – the reward is the view on brightly white peak of Dhaulagiri.

This river flows within its broad river bed, where it wants. Sometimes it is possible to go along its shore, but we are here in August and it is safer to use the comfortable roadway. Locals mine building stone from the riverbed.

The today’s destination is village of Kagbeni. Those making the trek around Annapurnas descend here from Muktinath and also the path to Dolpa trek turns here.

Buddhist monasteries have a magical atmosphere.

The atmosphere in the monastery and outside is relaxed…

Local narrow streets are a strange mix of old and new. I feel that the new will still increase. Is it good or bad? We come to the enterprise which has on the door: Yac Donald's.

I can recommend exploring the surrounding as a form of acclimatization relax. Low sun makes in the evening the landscape surrounding Kagbeni even more beautiful.

Afternoon clouds dissolve and Nilgiri peak appears again in the sunset, but from a slightly different perspective than in Jomsom.

The next morning we go to the edge of Kagbeni to go through the checkpoint. You must pay permit to Mustang of 500 USD for 10 days (extra day / 50 USD extra – as of 2012). Fortunately, we have a permit already arranged and paid from Kathmandu, so the procedure for 4 foreigners only takes about 15 minutes. And we have a great guide (in Mustang it is a duty). Then we ascent over Kagbeni towards today's experi­ences.

We proceed above the left bank. The path waves constantly up and down and offer new views on land situated in the rain shadow. It is ideal destination outside the Nepalese tourist season.

Although it may not seem so, the path is still very comfortable and wide.

Destination for the next trek day. Again, we curiously explore the village and its surroundings. We are surrounded by interesting rock formations.

Now the ceremony takes place. Tomorrow we will ascent to Upper Mustang.