Naar to Upper Mustang GHT

Although this is ostensibly a review of the Naar to Upper Mustang trek that the Mountain Company ran in Autumn 2015, I think a preamble is appropriate: I've been trekking in the Himalayan region since 2001 and since 2008 have been on 9 treks run by The Mountain Company (TMC). The company, led by Roland Hunter, is outstanding. The treks are thoroughly researched and recce'd and the pre trek support and service on all TMC trips is exceptional. The trekking leaders are highly qualified, and experienced. The guides and crew are knowledgeable, friendly and supportive. And Roland looks after them - in the aftermath of the terrible 2015 earthquake in Langtang and during COVID the company has continued to support and care for its Nepali crew with a hardship fund (https://uk.gofundme.com/f/help-support-our-trekking-guides-in-nepal). The combination of Roland's dilligence, talent with logistics and deep understanding of the Himalayan region make all the treks his company runs a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This is augmented by the personal touch that Roland brings to all the treks - Mountain Company is a small enterprise, but in the many years that Roland has spent in the Himalayan area he has got to know all the best people. The staff on this trek (ably led by Tom Lawson and Gopal Tamang) were no exception. The Naar to Upper Mustang trek starts and ends on the Annapurna trail but spends most of it's time in the Mustang area. As such, the overall experience has a more Tibetan/Ladakh flavour to it than purely Nepalese. So, while it may lack the snow capped majesty and "big name" mountains of some other Nepalese Himalayan trips, it offers a more authentically cultural experience. This is a part of Nepal unaffected by the tourism that the "big name" mountains inevitably attract. I won't cover the itinery here (you can get that from the brochure). Besides, it changed: On route to the High Camp below the Teri La pass we encountered a lot of loose, powdery snow on scree slopes, making it too risky to continue. However, rather than just abandoning the trek (as some other companies would do if the advertised itinery was no longer feasible) Tom and Gopal put their heads together and came up with a new route: Across the Kang La pass to Manang and thence on to Tilicho Lake, Mesokantha La and finally to Jomsom. The Mesokantha La descent was steep and required fixed ropes which added to the sense of adventure. I should point out that Tom and Gopal weren't endangering us with an "of the cuff" route - all the options were explained and discussed. We were all very grateful to them for putting in the extra effort to save our holiday with this impromptu itinery. As with all the other TMC trips I've done, this one is highly recommended.

The Mountain Company run top end treks - this ethos goes through their ownership, the group equipment, the treatment and quality of local staff, the willingness and ability to sort problems and the attention to detail (an example of which is there is no final walk out to Jomson instead a vehicle is taken as the road is somewhat uninspiring, windswept and busy), and this leads to great trekking experience, and good companionship. The Naar to Upper Mustang trek starts off on the Annapurna trail before branching off into more arid landscapes away from the crowds heading into the atmospheric walled city of Mustang before rejoining the Annapurna at the end of the trek. It doesn't have the snow capped majesty of other Nepalese Himalayan trips but instead offers a more cultural and possibly contemplative experience - however it is not an easy trek, it is remote, the days can be long and whilst the temperatures are not icy lows the winds can be blowing. We loved it because of its contrasts to other treks in the region. I wouldn't suggest it as a first trek to Nepal (after all who doesn't want to see the big mountains) but it definitely offers something different for a second or third trip.