The Jonsom-Muktinah Trek
This trek is the most popular and most developed trek in
Nepal. At first the trail leads through some small villages until reaches the view point "Poon Hill" at Gorepani, where you can see the Himalayan range of the
Annapurna and the Daulaghiri. From Tatopani the trek follows an ancient trading route between Nepal and Tibet and also pilgrim path for both Hindus and Buddhists to Muktinah (3.800m) along the "Kali Gandaki" river. You
cross some beautiful Tibetan villages and pass through vegetation zones from subtropical to desert.
The trek is suitable for beginners and takes one week to ten days with a return flight from Jonsom to Pokhara.
If you have no more spare time than a week, you should consider taking a plane from Pokhara to Jonsom. But it is more natural and more beautiful to ascend the several vegetation zones and you might get problems with the altitude sickness.
Accommodation, Food, Temperature
There are many guesthouses on the way, which were hardly booked in late November. Sometimes I was the only
guest. Accommodation
was only 1-2 Dollar; food you take habitually in your guesthouse for one day was only
app. 5 Dollar (without
beer = 2 Dollar a bottle).
You are asked to order your meal in the afternoon, because of the time for preparation. It was a
pleasant 20 C at day in late November but very cold (below zero) in the night. You get thick covers in your guesthouse, but they can't wash them each time after use and therefore it is recommendable to take a thin
sleeping bag with you. Electricity is present, but not all the time, a torch is helpful.
Organized, Guide and Porter?
To go at your own saves money and you have no trouble.
If you book an organized trip from
Europe, you could be sure that all goes well. You may have more fun in a group, than travelling alone,
but you have to pay more than twice. You learn more of the way things happen in Nepal, if you have to organize your trip for yourself, but
in a package tour you have a guide who could explain a lot of things you wouldn't hear, if you go alone.
If you book an organized tour in
Kathmandu, you cant be sure that you have a serious company. It's possible that the guide has to ask
the local people for the way. I booked a sight seeing tour in Kathmandu and was disappointed. The tour started at eleven, they skipped
important sights (Boudha) and there was only half an hour to visit Pagan
Square or Swayambuh.
Guide are not Porters, you have to hire porters separately, if you need some.
The guides in Nepal are often very educated and trained for the job, when they are working for renowned companies. You often see women trekkers with guide, there are also female guides for women available. I heard that some guides organize Marihuana or Prostitutes on the trek, but I don't know exactly.
Guides charge 10-20 Dollars a day, porters 8-10 Dollars. You have to add food,
accommodation and return ticket, but guides and porters
pay less than half the price.
You don't need guides and porters for this trek, if you have not much money.
Go without them. If you have enough money you can preserve the jobs of this people and hire them for reasonable wages. But hire them at the recommendation from friends or sources you can trust, a miscasting could be very enervating. But the most trekkers with guide I met were very happy with their guides.
Start in Kathmandu
I went already to Pokhara at the next day, because it is better to stay at the end of the trip near the
airport than anywhere in the
mountains.
The innumerable tourist busses to Pokhara leave at Kantipath Road on the opposite side of the Royal Palace at seven to eight o'clock in the morning. You can walk; it's very close to Thamel.
Fare is about 3 Dollar.
Around two o'clock the
bus will arrive in Pokhara and taxi drivers are waiting for you to bring you to Lakeside, which is the tourist quarter and where is also the Tourist office; you buy your trekking permit. The trekking permit costs 2000 RS (15 Dollar). The Tourist office is open from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. (4.30 p.m. in high season) except Saturdays. You can buy a trekking permit also in a travel agency nearby, but they may charge a commission. At the control
posts they charge double, which possibly is negotiable.
The last errands
There are many local inns on the trek, where you can purchase a Coke or tea. If you prefer to drink water you have to purify it with iodine. The germs which cause diarrhoea, typhoid fever and hepatitis are acquired from faeces other people, sewing disposal is not solved in Nepal. Chlorine preparations are not reliable. You get iodine in a pharmacy for less than one dollar. Vitamin C should help to eliminate the iodine taste like the rinsing at your dentist. Today there are some water filling stations, where you can buy a litre purified water for half a dollar. The technique of purification is from New Zealand.
You need plaster for blisters, a torch and loo paper, which is not included in your hotel fee. Food in a restaurant is very cheap, but meat is barely available or it is very sinewy. Eat meal in Pokhara.
Bagbacks in Pokhara are comparatively cheap to Europe. Even if they look like Lowe, it is not the same quality, but they are worth for the price. I bought a big one for 20 Dollars and left half of my baggage in a storage room in my hotel in Pokhara. Send your last emails, on the trek there are no opportunities (nor in Jonsom). Buy also a map of your trek for two dollars, but you cant miss the way.
Dangers
The risk of violent crime and theft is not enhanced like in South America, but be careful as everywhere. Nepal people are mostly friendly, helpful and honest.
Be sure not to stand at a slope but on the hillside, if mules come on your way. Mules don't calculate their panniers and there is the danger they push you down the slope without intention.
The most serious danger is the altitude sickness, which occurs in an altitude of more than 2.800 meters. Every year some trekkers die, because they underestimate the risks. Drinking, eating, marihuana, slowly moving helps only a little.
The reason of the altitude sickness is fluid, which collects between the cells in the lungs and in the brain, if you ascend to quick. You prevent this kind of sickness, if you ascend slowly and take a day for acclimatization when you
reach your individual altitude to acclimatize. The first symptoms are
headache, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue. Don't ascend if you notice these symptoms, but descend and take an extra day of rest. Don't sleep in a new altitude with any symptoms of altitude sickness. Don't stick on the schedule of your group; they have to take regard, the most lethal accidents occur on organized treks.
You may get problems with your knees because the descent from Gorepani is long and strenuous. A cane is very, very helpful.
The Trek
First Day: Naya Pool- Gorepani
There are busses from the new bus station to Beni ( 1 Dollar). After two hours you have to drop pout in Naya Pool. Take some picture of the holy mountain Machapuchre (Fishtail); you won't see the full mountain later. If you are busy or keen on trekking you can reach Gorepani at the first day, but only if you start early ( 9 to 10 a.m.) in Naya Pool. Take a Taxi from Pokhara (10 Dollar) or get up very early. (I started at 11 a.m. and was tired in Bathanandi at 4 p.m.) If you want to trek more unhurried take a stop at Tikedunya or Ullieri.
It is important to stay in Gorepani, because you can see the full Himalayan Range only in the morning. Later clouds will appear and cloak the mountain peaks.
The trek descends at first and ascends slowly till Tikedunya. You cross some villages between rice terraces, you can watch the rural life
and many inns are inviting to take a rest. The signboards of the restaurants display also the name of the situated village.
In Tikedunya an endless stone staircase climbs steep up to Ulieri, the most strenuous part of the trek. Buy a walking cane made of bambus in Tikedunya or at the way to Ulieri, it is very helpful to ascend or descend. The ascend from Ulieri to Gorepani was getting more and more gently. Two girls, who like to dance with Nepal
Music, manage the „Green View
Lodge“ in Bathandi. There is no nightlife on the trek;
people sleep early. The way to Gorepani is a gentle up and down through
oak and rhododendron forests. With luck you can see some
monkeys. You stay at best in Gorepani with the Mountain View to the Dhaulagiri (8.167m)
The second day
Most of the people get up before sunrise to climb the view point "Poon Hill" for the unobstructed panorama of the "Dhaulaghiri", "Nilgiri" and "Annapurna". Follow the torches in the early morning. The ascend takes about 40 minutes. The panorama from below is
nearly the same, so you can sleep late without missing anything, but make your own opinion.
After breakfast the way to Tatopanie descend in staircases. You need six hours to go to Tatopanie, even if it is always going down, don’t
underestimate the time you need. The constant going down stress your knees and you will be happy that you have bought a walking cane.
The way displays many views to the Dhaulagiri on the left, to rice terraces on the right and you cross some small villages full of peasant life. From Ghara the trek makes a steep descend to the suspension bridges of the Ghara Kola. Stay in Tatopanie, the village is bigger and more relaxing than Dana. I recommend to relax your tired legs in the hot water springs in Tatopanie. There are two cement pools down on the banks of the rivers.
Third Day: Tatopanie - Kalopani
Your path continues along the river to Dana, which consists of three villages. You may loose the way in Dana, you must cross the stream to the old part of Dana. In Rupse Chara pass the waterfall, ask the people for the way until you reach the suspension bridge. After the bridge the pass ascend steep for one kilometre. Then the pass is smooth till the second suspension bridge not far from Ghara (2080m),
the first settlement with Tibetan culture. After Ghara the trail continues through pine
forest in a gentle up and down for a longer time, until you reach the suspension bridge to Lete, which is only a few serpentines up. Lete and Kalopanie is one long stretched settlement, which ends near the Technical School. I don't fancy this village much, but there are nice views of the Annapurna, the three Nilgiris and Dhaulagiri in the morning.
Fourth Day: Kalopani-Marpha
After crossing the suspension bridge the trail is predominant flat along the Ghatta Kola with its large riverbed. Wild Cannabis plants grow at the wayside. After the suspension bridge keep right along the riverbed and your soon reach Larjung and Khobang, two nice Tibetan settlements. Tukuche is an old trading post, where traders from Tibet and Nepal met, to barter with salt and wool from Tibet and rice and grain from Nepal. Today the peasants cultivate apricot, pear and apples, try apple, pear or apricot brandy.
Very interesting are the typical "Thakali" houses with patios, woodcarving windows, doorways and balconies. The two Buddha temple are worth a visit, taking photos are allowed, a small donation (20-50 Rs) is asked. Stay in Tukuche or better in Marpha, a nice Tibetan town but not in the boring Jonsom. There is a lot of accommodation in Marpha, the Tibetan Temple towers the town, and it resembles a miniature version of the temple in Lhasa.
Fifth day Marpha-Kagbeni (or Muktinah)
It takes a two hours walk to Jonsom. It's a good idea to organize in Jonsom a flight ticket back to Pokhara, leaving the organization to a hotel has proven as unreliable. If you arrive before 10 a.m. in Jonsom you can reach Muktinah at the same day. Kagbeni is a medieval town with mud houses and narrow alleyways. From here begins the Mustang trek northward to the walled city of Mustang. You have to pay a minimum of 700 Dollar entrance fee. You have to turn right and the last ascend from Kagbeni could be more difficult, when your body slows down because of the altitude. Be aware of altitude sickness.
It’s a good idea to organize in Jonsom an air ticket back to Pokhara, leaving the organization to a hotel has proven as unreliable.
Sixth day: Muktinah
Muktinah (3.800 m) is an important pilgrim place for Hindus and Buddhists. The temple is about half a kilometre walk above the village. The waterspouts symbol the 108 Hindu temple of Shiva. In a short distance below is the
pagoda with the perpetual holy flame, produced from natural gas alongside a spring. The combination of earth, fire and water is responsible for the religious importance of the place. The return way to Jonsom takes 4 to 5 hours. The ticket office of Royal Nepal
Airlines was open till 3.30 p.m.
Seventh day: Flight Jonsom-Pokhara:
In Nepal clouds contain rocks. Therefore pilots fly only at good weather conditions in the early morning. A Ticket from Royal Nepal Airline was 52 Dollars, from Cosmic Air 65 Dollars. Cosmic Air should be more reliable. In the high season it is reported that it could be difficult to get on the passenger list, passengers have to wait for some days. If you don't reconfirm you could be off the list, flights often are cancelled because of the weather and other reasons. Who can fly follows sometimes not obvious rules. An open ticket should be worse as a ticket on an exact day, be aware that the date of the flight is performed on the ticket. I had no problems to get a ticket for a flight the next day in late November.
The baggage was controlled thoroughly because of the danger of terror attacks. I don't know if they take offence at cannabis; better remove it before.
I reached the Chitwan NP at 4.30 p.m the same day.
Note:
Because English is not my native language, there are mistakes in writing and grammar. It would be kind to mail me 1-5 mistakes you found, if you think this side is helpful for your trip. Thanks!
If things has changed, are not correct or if you have questions inform me!!
Mail me: kambodschajoe@hotmail.com
There are also some pictures on my webside
http://home.freiepresse.de/uwdel
The Jonsom - Muktinah Trek 
