The mountains are just cold mountains covered in snow. What makes them come alive is the flora, fauna, life, culture, and feelings about them.

Mustang is an example of how even a desert-like place beyond the Himalayas can be so lively.

Everyone in the world is fascinated by seeing the Himalayas as close as possible. As a part of Melwadevi's song says, "The further I go, the more I love you." It is not just because the Himalayas are so far away that they are beloved by everyone.

After crossing the deep Kaligandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and reaching the Himalayas, no one pays much attention to the snowy mountains visible to the south.

However, when we cross the Himalayas and reach Mustang, there are many things that make us curious about the low, bare but mysterious colorful mountains that appear ahead. How could we not! The desert-like terrain of the Tibetan Plateau beyond the Himalayas is not seen anywhere else in Nepal. Only the far northwestern region of Nepal has this kind of geographical structure.

Jomsom is the main gateway to Mustang. After reaching here, it feels like we have finally reached Mustang. Those who cross the road looking at the Kaligandaki hidden in the gorge below, are reminded of the vastness of this river by the ravines that stretch as far as the eye can see. After reaching Jomsom, the high Tilicho and Nilgiri mountains, which are around 7,000 meters high, are visible to the south. Even though they are not visible, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges, which are over 8,000 meters high, are all located to the south.

You can walk from Jomsom to Kagbeni in 3 to 4 hours. Nowadays, since the motorway is good, most people go by car. However, you cannot experience Mustang without walking on that road. While looking at the mountains that are visible nearby to the south, it is a unique pleasure to walk in the afternoon with your eyes closed to avoid the dust mixed with sand that is occasionally lifted up in the wind like a bird's nest. The lyrics of the song ‘Jomsomai Bazaar at twelve o’clock in the morning..’ by the Nepathya band, which is on the lips of Nepalis, must have been written by Raksha Gurung, the writer, when he reached this place.

Kagbeni is a sacred place for Hindus to worship their ancestors. After reaching Kagbeni, there are two routes. If you go uphill to the east, you will reach Muktinath. Muktinath is known as a religious place for Hindus and Buddhists, while for hikers, it is a route to reach Manang via Thorang La. Many people use this route to return to Mustang via Tilicho and Manang.

Although there is no clear boundary between Lower Mustang and Upper Mustang, it is believed that Upper Mustang begins after crossing Kagbeni. From Kagbeni, if you go north along the banks of the Kaligandaki, you will reach Upper Mustang. The route that used to take five days to walk can now be reached in one day via a motorway. From Kagbeni, the path begins to climb to Chhusang via Tangbe village. On this path, many fossilized rocks are found, also called Shaligrams. If there are lines between the black, smooth, round stones, there is a possibility that there are fossils inside them.

Those fossils have endured the climate there for millions of years. How old they are depends on the species of remains inside them. The large number of remains of marine animals found makes one wonder about the connection between the sea thousands of kilometers away from that area and the Tibetan plateau beyond the mountains at some time.

When you reach Chhusang and look back across the river, there is a golden cliff that looks like a beautiful painting made by an artist. Moreover, the morning sun sets there, it is a mass of gold. If you stay in Chhusang for a night and miss seeing that cliff in the morning, you miss a lot. Moreover, you don't even blink your eyes until the dust blown by the flock of sheep slowly merges with the wind on the banks of the Kaligandaki.

After crossing the Kaligandaki from Chhusang and ascending Lomanthang, one reaches a place called Chaile. Looking south from there, one can see the mountains below, filled with thorny bushes planted in waves between the Ghyakar village, and the rows of white Himalayas at the top. All of them are rarely seen from one place on this journey.

At an altitude of more than 3,000 meters above sea level, it is cold most of the year. There is not much farming. Even in that harsh weather, travelers who reach in the autumn after the rains have stopped can see the flowers blooming in the Phapar fields. Despite being a cold place, there are not many clouds and the sun is warm, making it possible to cultivate yams, Phapar and sometimes potatoes in this area. If one were to think of Mustang in any form after reaching Upper Mustang and looking down, one would think—Mustang is a character with the head of a mountain, the body of an apple orchard, wearing the robe of a Phapar field, and standing on the strong legs of a mule.

On the journey from Chaileko Danda to Lomanthang, there are low hills and Gegar gorges that look like a desert. Swimming through the gorge without a river is also a new experience. Small ponds are formed by the flow of water between the bare mountains. Thorny bushes are also seen happily growing around those ponds. Such places are very fruitful for the water and food of the wildlife there. If you wait for a while, you can also see a herd of narwhals or Himalayan marmots around the pond. The narwhals are a species of wild sheep and the main food of the snow leopard. The Himalayan marmot, called the fox, looks like a large mouse. The sight of these small, beautiful animals living in groups hiding on the ground is supernatural.

In most of the houses in that area, you can see the heads of Bhote rabbits hanging on the doors. The rabbits hanging on those doors are called Bhorung in the local language. Locals say that the rabbit represents nine different animals including tiger, rat, donkey and others and is believed to protect the house. After reaching a little further from Charang, the road to Lomanthang leaves the banks of Kaligandaki and heads north. The river, which also comes from Tibet and flows through Lomanthang, merges with the Kaligandaki coming from the east, and the river becomes Kaligandaki.

Even the trees and shrubs that reach a height of 4,000 meters in other areas have left Mustang very low. Since the rain clouds cannot cross the mountains and reach the other side, trees cannot grow much in this area, which receives very little rainfall. Despite this difficulty, the Bhote Peepal tree has added a little greenery to Upper Mustang. These trees, which can grow with little water, are a boon for the local residents. This tree is used for household purposes. As the leaves turn yellow in spring, tourists who visit at that time see Mustang filled with the colors of Bhote Peepal trees.

If there is anywhere that one can see the history of man thousands of years ago right before their eyes, it is in Upper Mustang. The sight of caves where primitive people lived on the surrounding cliffs is not new to Mustang. Various studies and research have proven that human skeletons over 2,500 years old have been found in this area. Why did people decide to live in that difficult place thousands of years ago? The answer to this question is not clear. The more you look at the palaces carved into the mountains, the more mysterious they seem. Reaching those caves on foot from Lomanthang in a few hours is like not reaching Mustang.

In the last few hundred years, when the Mustang route started being used as a trade route between India-Nepal-China, it is known that many surrounding states have tried to control the Mustang region. Lomanthang is the center of Upper Mustang. History says that this region was a separate kingdom for thousands of years. At that time, there were small kingdoms in most parts of the world. Lomanthang, which stood in that difficult geography, also experienced battles, domination, and independence with the Tibetan kingdom, sometimes from the Himalayas and sometimes from beyond the Himalayas. The dilapidated forts on the surrounding hills, the high walls surrounding the village that was the palace of the then king, silently reflect the efforts of Lomanthang during its insecure history.