Trekking in Trans-Himalayan Nepal

Pockets of Nepal lying north of the Himalaya best visited in the summer

For the most part, the Himalaya form the boundary between Nepal and Tibet. There are some parts of the border, however, where the Himalaya dip down south, creating pockets of Nepal that lie north of the Himalaya. These "trans-Himalayan" regions actually being the southernmost extensions of the Tibetan plateau, are more akin to Tibet, both topographically and culturally, than to mainstream Nepal.

The trans-Himalayan enclaves of Dolpo, Mustang, and the Manang / Muktinath valley are ideal trekking destinations in the summer – the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himal ranges effectively block most of the Monsoon clouds from reaching this Tibet-like arid, semi-desert biotope. With the onset of summer, the rugged settlements in these areas spring into life, metamorphosing into verdant oases in the barren wilderness; it is undoubtedly the best time of year to visit. Nature is at her most resplendent, rural activity is at its peak; moreover, this season also has the greatest concentration of festivals.

We offer two demanding grade camping treks to Dolpo and a challenging lodge-based trek to Mustang as fixed-date departures. We also offer a short moderate lodge trek in the upper Kali Gandaki valley, and a demanding 12-day trek to Lake Tilicho that includes the traverse of the 5,100m / 16,730' Meso Kanto pass down to the Kali Gandaki valley. Most of these treks employ flights to the trail-head to eliminate trekking in the Monsoon-affected foot- & middle-hills.