18 Days of Trekking
Maximum Elevation 3840 Metres (12,600 feet)

In common usage, the name Mustang refers to the arid Tibet-like region at the northern end of the Kali Gandaki (known to its inhabitants as Lo). Officially, Mustang is the name of the district along the Kali Gandaki from the Tibetan border south to Ghasa. The capital of the Mustang district is Jomsom; the region of Tibetan influence north of Kagbeni is generally referred to as upper Mustang.

The trek to Lo is through an almost treeless barren landscape. Strong winds usually howl across the area in the afternoon, generally subsiding at night. Being in the rain shadow of the Himalaya, Lo has much less rain than the rest of Nepal. During the monsoon the skies are cloudy and there is some rain. In the winter there is usually snow; sometimes as much as 30 or 40 cm accumulates on the ground.

In Lo itself the countryside is similar to the Tibetan plateau with its endless expanses of yellow and grey rolling hills eroded by wind. There is more rain in the lower part of upper Mustang and the hills tend to be great red fluted cliffs of tiny round stones cemented together by mud. Villages are several hours apart and appear in the distance almost as mirages; during the summer season, after the crops are planted, they are green oases in the desert-like landscape.

Because of the cold and snow, most of the population departs from Lo on trading expeditions during the winter. The trekking season, therefore, is from late March until early November. The trek does not go to extremely high elevations, but the cold, dust and unrelenting afternoon winds can make the trek less pleasant than other treks in Nepal.