Mantras, Mandalas, and Meditations: A hike through the hidden Tibetan Kingdom of Nepal – the Nar Phu Valley and Upper Mustang Regions

[Jeff de Graffenried]

Companion forum thread to: Mantras, Mandalas, and Meditations: A hike through the hidden Tibetan Kingdom of Nepal – the Nar Phu Valley and Upper Mustang Regions

An account of a trek through Nepal’s Central Himalayan Nar Phu Valley and Upper Mustang region near the border of Tibet via an ancient trading route.

[Bruce Johnson]

Thank you! This trek in Nepal is an interesting substitute for a trek in Tibet. The headline is misleading. I would like to do the Kailash circumambulation, but politics keep getting in the way.

[Mudjester]

Lovely, Jeff ~ Contemplative walking is not only a longtime transnational Buddhist practice, but something I suspect is close to the heart of many wilderness-goers who are not otherwise intent on the radical liberation the Buddha realized. Eg. the sensory/spiritual vivacities you mention… Did you two go alone or with a guide? I understand a guide, or guided group, is now required for Nepal treks. I’d like to do something like this, but am wary of being guided by someone(s) insensitive to the contemplative way of going. If you have a recommendation, please.

Bruce – I did the Kailash kora a few years ago and was awestruck on multiple levels: there is nothing like it – anywhere. And yes, Tibet is an occupied country with all the nastiness, threat and grief that goes with that.

[JVD]

Nice story, Jeff. Though I’m pretty certain I’ll not make it to the Himalayas in this incarnation, it echoes a lot of the reasons I like to walk in deserts and mountains.

 

[Ken Larson]

Excellent Trip Report!!

New information for those of you thinking you might like to follow Jeff’s  route.

Five years after banning solo adventurers from climbing Mount Everest, Nepal’s government has extended the restriction to the whole country. From now on, travelers who hope to trek in remote regions must hire a government-licensed guide or join a group.

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