Trekkers in Nepal’s Mustang area have been advised not to use five popular high-altitude trekking routes that connect the district with neighbouring areas, citing heavy snowfall, officials said.
Following the snowfall, trekking has been suspended on the Saribung Pass, which connects popular tourist spot Mustang with Manang, the Meso Kundo Pass, the Thorong La Pass, the Yakkhark route linking Mustang with Dolpa, and the Dhaulagiri trekking route’s Dhamphus Peak section connecting Myagdi and Mustang.
Every year, thousands of people enter the Mustang district lying near the snow mountain mainly to visit the Muktinath Temple.
These routes lie at extreme elevations and are known as highly risky during snowfall.
Yakkhark stands at around 5,800 metres above sea level, Thorong La Pass at 5,400 metres, Saribung Pass at 6,000 metres, and Dhamphus Peak at 5,100 metres, according to the District Administration Office in Mustang.
Heavy snowfall has been reported in Mustang’s upper Himalayan regions, including the Dhamphus Peak area along the Dhaulagiri trekking route.
Trekking routes entering Mustang from three neighbouring districts had become extremely dangerous due to the piling up of snow, informed Chief District Officer Ajita Sharma.
“We have received information that snow has accumulated up to four feet in some trekking routes. Rescue operations would be extremely difficult if tourists got stranded,” she added.
Although trekkers often attempt the Thorong La Pass even in January-February under the Annapurna Circuit, the Saribung Pass linking the Damodarkunda area of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality-4 in Upper Mustang with the Nar-Phu Valley of Manang is considered the most hazardous.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has urged travellers to check weather forecasts before planning the journey, as rainfall accompanied by snow has affected daily life in the region.
