Tapestry of life in Nepal

During the past 40 years I have travelled to Nepal over 20 times. On several occasions I have been to the Everest and Annapurna regions, and have trekked to the base camps of renowned peaks in other areas of the country - Makalu, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Khanchenjunga being among them.

Of the many glorious days I have spent in Nepal, two regions I have travelled to stand out above the rest - the highly restricted, isolated and visually stunning Tibetan Buddhist areas of Dolpo (1997) and Mustang (2002).

Pictured left: Leo Murray

Because the region is so special for me I decided to return to this unforgettable unique desert/mountain area that remains culturally and economically tied to Tibet. Seven friends joined me on this trek through a remote corner of Nepal that has seen very few foreigners.

On our trek we followed an ancient trekking route that leads to the Tibetan border. We crossed high passes and travelled through steep valleys visiting, along the way, magnificent once-powerful villages and influential monasteries in an area where one of the last remnants of traditional Tibetan culture is preserved.

We journeyed through one of the highest inhabited places on earth that includes Shey Gompa (monastery) and Crystal Mountain, both of which are eloquently described in Peter Matthiessen’s best seller, “The Snow Leopard”.

It was an incredible and arduous trek through breathtakingly beautiful, sparsely populated country (I lost 9lbs/4 kg in 22 days).

To more fully “feel”(and hear) what the trek was like, you might also care to have a look at the 26 video clips I have uploaded to YouTube

Enter “Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2008 in the “search” space and then click onto the “videos” you want to watch. These clips represent a good cross-section of the trip experience we had.

• Photos courtesy of Leo Murray