Mustang Tiji Festival Trekking

Mustang Tiji festival Trekking itinerary details

Day 01: Arrival in Airport and transfer to hotel, rest day, itinerary briefing

Day 2:Sight-seeing of Kathmandu: Leave for full day sightseeing in Kathmandu valley includes the Hindu temple complex at Pashupatinath (An UNESCO world heritage site) & the biggest Buddhist Stupa at Boudhanath. Also visit Monkey Temple the Swyambhunath (2000 years old temple) and visit Patan city of fine arts. Back to hotel and stay.

Day 3:Kathmandu to Pokhara: about 6 hour drive by tourist bus or 30 minuates fly to Pokhara.

Day 4:Pokhara-Jomsom ( District headquarters of Mustang and start trek to Kagbeni, the starting point of the Upper Mustang, where you can make your eyes busy for The spectacular views of Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche peak and Dhampus. Kagbeni is the most interesting typical Tibetan village and the entry point of the upper Mustang for overnight stop. Overnight camping at Kagbeni

Day 5:Kagbeni –Chele - The trail leads up toward the east bank of the Kaligandaki that climbs over many ridges as it heads north and reaches Tangbe Village . The town is labyrinth of narrow alleys amongst white washed house, fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards. The Nilgiri peaks,which dominates the southern skyline of Kagbeni. Continues to loom massively at the foot of the valley.Beyond Tangbe we reach Chhusang Village and crosses the river, continue climbing north up the trail to a huge red chunk of conglomerate that ahs fallen from the cliff above.forming a tunnel through which the Kaligandaki follows. The trek now leaves the Kaligandaki valley and climb steeply up a rocky gully to chele at 3030m.

Day 6:Chele- Geling - The climb continues along step, treeless, waterless terrain, along the side of the spectacular steep canyon to pass and cairn of rock at 3540m. Then the trail makes a long gradual descent to some chortens on a ridge, and then the trail descends further on a pleasant trail to Samar . The Annapurna , still dominated by Nilgiri, is visible far to the south. Climb above Samar to a ridge, then descend into a large gorge and the trail goes into another valley field, crosses a stream and climbs up to a ridge at 3800m. The route climbs sharply up and down over a series of high passes, before the final descend to Geiling.

Day 7:Geling - Charang - From Geling, the trail climbs gently to the interesting pass on our trek NYILA and descends below the blue, gray and red cliffs. After crossing a steel bridge of the Tangmar chu (river) we will arrive to a MANI (Prayer WALL) perhaps the longest and most spectacular stretch and main wall in Nepal . Climbing over another pass at 3600m the route makes a long gentle descent to Charang. The huge five – story white Dzong and red Gompa is an interesting visit to observe collections of statues and Thankas as well as many large paintings of seated Buddha’s.

Day 8:Charang –Lo Manthang - The trail descends about 100 meters down from Charang, crosses the Charang- Chu and climbs steeply up a rocky trail to a cairn on a ridge and continues to climb. Finally, from a ridge at 3850m. There is a view of the walled city of LO. After a short descent, cross a stream then climb up into the plateau of Lo- Manthang.

Day 9:The Tiji Festival begins 1 day of Tiji: Early in the afternoon, horns resounded, announcing the two twelve-foot copper dunchens, with their elephantine blurting, followed by two double-reeled horns, all accompanied by drum and cymbals.

Next, an ancient and enormous tanka three stories high was unrolled down the entire south wall of the square. The thanka portrayed Padma Sambhava or (Guru Rimpoche) who brought this ceremony to Tibet in the 8th century."

At mid-afternoon, in high wind and blowing dust, eleven lamas in maroon and gold, wearing high red hats, came from the palace and took their places along the wall beneath the thanka, with Tashi Tenzing on the elevated seat just in the center.
As the monks and lamas commence chanting, twelve more monks come from the palace in maroon and royal blue and glittering gold brocade, with cymbal-shaped hats decked with upright peacock plumes. Soon they withdraw, to be replaced by the masked dancers who" start the portrayal of the Tiji myth.

Dorje Jono repels the demon through the power of his magical dancing — he dances fifty-two separate dances, one of them in ten different bodies, each with a different head. As the dances end, Dorje Jono kills the demon, after which his people are relieved of their plague of misfortunes, water becomes plentiful once more, and the balance and harmony of existence are restored.

Day 10:Second day of TIji Festival: On the second day of Tiji, numbers of Loba have arrived from the outlying hamlets, and the small square is thronged with wild beautiful people, with all of the women and children, at least, in traditional dress.
The King of Mustang "wears a whole crown of tiny river pearls set off by dozens of large red coralline tones interspersed with matched ornaments of turquoise.
The costumes and masks, the twelve-foot horns, the gold cups of wheat, the butter cakes, the snow peaks and wind and dust and sun, the mehti, snow leopard, snow pigeons, saligrams, the dying glacier and the desert ruins, the drunks and rajas and foreigners, the dogs and yaks. Tantra!

Day 11:Third day of Tiji and end of Festival: On the third day, Tiji ends with the ceremonial destruction of the evil remains, represented by some long black yak hair and red torma cakes minced to a dark red gurry. The demons red remnants are set out on an old tiger skin, where-upon they are attacked by bow and arrow, slings, and the old guns. The poor devils remains are over- turned upon the ground, each time to a wild cannonade from the old muzzle-loaders and a wave of cheers and smoke.

Day 12:Lo-Manthang via Geker – Ghami: Visit Lo-Geker Gompa on the way, which is one of the oldest Gompas in Nepal.It is older than the famed Samye Gompa in Tibet

Day 13:Ghami – Samar

Day 14:Samar to Kagbeni

Day 15:Kagbeni to Jomsom

Day 16:Jomsom to Pokhara- Kathmandu joins evening cultural show Dinner

Day 17:free day in Kathamndu, joins evening cultural show Dinner

Day 18:Final departure, transfer to airport