I decided a trip to Nepal would not be complete without a trek, which was the reason I first came to Nepal 9 years ago. After meeting with a photographer friend in Kathmandu who had been trekking in Nepal for over 20 years, I decided on a trek that would allow me to see much of what the Annapurna circuit has to offer, but in half the time, thus allowing me to spend more time taking pictures.

Since I took so many pictures that I’m happy with, I decided to break my 2-week trek into 3 parts in this recent work section, hoping that it will make browsing the pictures a little less daunting.

To begin my trek, I took an exhilarating flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (2800m) that involved us weaving through some of the larger Himalayan peaks found in the world which offered breathtaking views of the mountains. After the short flight I emerged from the plane in a landscape that looked as though I were on the moon. Vegetation was sparse and everything seemed to be made of rock; high stone cliffs towered next to me while I walked along the pebble-strewn Kali Gandaki river bed, which at times is a kilometer wide.

From here I walked to Kagbeni, a beautiful old village filled with Tibetan architecture, people, and traditions. Kagbeni borders the Upper Mustang region which requires a very pricey permit to enter, and I was certainly content with exploring much of the rest of the Mustang region–an area with a population of only 9000. Thereafter I trekked up to Jarkhot and Muktinath (3800m), the latter of which is a popular Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site. Muktinath is mentioned in many Hindu scriptures including the Mahabharata and is considered to be one of the most sacred shrines for followers of Vishnu, one of the most popular Hindu deities. Muktinath, a village of temples, is also rich with Tibetan Buddhist influence with many prayer wheels, stupas, and prayer flags flying in the wind. The two best-known sites in Muktinath are the 108 fountains that are said to have spiritual cleansing properties and two (previously three) flames that are emitted from a spring of both water and natural gas. Muktinath is such a popular pilgrimage site that there is actually a heli-pad for wealthy pilgrims to fly to without having to do all that climbing.

Having the chance to visit such an amazing place with such prominence in two of the world’s major religions was an amazing opportunity that was well worth all the climbing. I even bathed in the 108 fountains, so maybe all the soreness and sweating will pay off on a spiritual level as well.

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