WINTER /SPRING2016
MOUNTAINLIFE
53
We descend toLoManthang, the capital city, on a rough
dirt track that leads us through thewalledperimeter and
into the city-centre. Ridingover broken cobblestones,
we’re greetedby a crowd. A festival celebrating the
endof harvest is just starting andBuddhistMonks of
all ages congregate in the streets amongst locals and
tourists.Horns blare loudly as theMonks chant and
masked figures dance throughout the streets.This is our
turnaroundpoint.
Our exit from theMustang region is a ribbonof
single trackup andout of the valley.Crestingmultiple
4,000-metre passes, we descend to a remote village, home
toone of the oldest Buddhistmonasteries in theworld:
GharGompa. Thoughwe’ve seenmany
gompas
during
our travels, this one feels different.
PREVIOUS SPREAD
Entering the forbidden kingdom. Murphy&Whiteside descend into the aridMustang region.Tetang,Nepal.
WESELAKE.
ABOVE
Puja ceremony.Tsarang,Nepal. WESELAKE.
BELOW
The trails range from road to singletrack to…stairs.
Steve Shannondescending from Sarangkot toPokhara at the tail endof the trip. Sarangkot,Nepal. WESELAKE.
