About the Humla section of the Great Himalaya Trail
© Richard Bull
© Richard Bull
© Richard Bull
© Richard Bull
© Richard Bull
© Richard Bull
This is the wild, wild west. This is about as far as you can get from the ‘madding crowd’ of Kathmandu and still be in Nepal. This region is remote and few foreigners other than development workers visit, so outside the small hill station capital of Simikot it has next to no tourism infrastructure and you will need to be self reliant while travelling in this incredible western land.
The west of Humla, the gateway to Mount Kailsash, is currently the best finishing post to the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal. One day, after a great deal more adventurous route finding, the trail will continue slightly south and west into India. At the current time however, this is not really feasible.
The area is generally accessed by flying into Simikot, or flying to Jumla (or Gamgadi) and walking in. Few westerners have walked in from equally remote Mugu in the eastern side but this trekking region, while calling for excellent organisation because of the remoteness and chronic food shortages, is immensely rewarding for the unique cultures you encounter and the frontier feeling of the immense western landscape. You are truly aware of how this wild region connects via ancient trade routes and cultural linkages to the Kailash/ Manasarovar area of Tibet, Uttar Pradesh of India and the vast, fertile plains of the south.
The Humla landscape is defined by the magnificent Karnali River gorge, the vast, high plateaus and the fascinating medieval villages where hardy mountain families survive (and some certainly prosper) on trade and what they can manage to grow in this harsh climate. Karnali means ‘pulse of the earth’ and trekking alongside this magnificent river, with its stunning turquoise water highlighted by the white froth of the rapids and busy carving its way for centuries through the deep Karnali Gorge on its way to the plains, brings you deep appreciation of how this powerful river gives life and connects people.
The river valleys have for centuries provided the easiest access for trade routes and you will also follow these ancient paths on your way to the far western end of the Great Himalayan Trail. Your trail ranges from the deep gorge of the Karnali, resounding with the sound of the pulse of the earth, to high and wide open river valleys such as the Limi Valley with its fascinating culture and trade history, to the high and desolate but incredibly beautiful plateaus and passes where you can peer into Tibet to Mt Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
The highest mountains of the region are Mt Api (7132m) and Mount Saipal (7031m) which lie on the southern side of the main Humla region. In the north you travel through part of a sacred Buddhist mandala, which has its centre at Mt Kailash and points in the surrounding landscape, stretching for hundreds of kilometres, corresponding to spiritual concepts. One of these points is Mt Shelmogang, or Mt Crystal Peak and the Raling Gompa located near this mountain is the site of religious festivals, truly unique to this area and attended by Buddhists, Hindus and Shamans alike.
