Mugu

More species of birds (236) nest around Rara Lake than people visited in 2010 (170). Yet the largest lake in Nepal, ensconced within its smallest national park, is only three hours walk from an airstrip. It’s a beautiful, calm haven surrounded by forests, and a paradise for bird watchers.

Mugu was once part of the Malla or Khas kingdom of the Karnali River basin, which reigned between the 12th and 14th centuries. Artefacts abound – you may see ancient shrines to the local deity ‘Masta’, wooden effigies of spirits festooned with bells, flowers and cloth, and rock pillarsetched with figures of the sun and the moon. Southern Mugu has rugged ranges forested with ancient blue pine, spruce and cedar, and is inhabited by Hindu Chhetris, Brahmins and Thakuris.

The northern reaches of Mugu are less frequented. As with Dolpa to the east and Humla to the west, it lies in a vast rainshadow zone. It is arid, less intensively farmed and sparsely populated with people of Tibetan origin. One of the more unusual drivers of the local economy is the medicinally valuable yarchagumba fungus, which grows out of the head of a caterpillar and can be worth over US$5000 per kilogram (about 10 times the average annual income of a Nepali).

The Great Himalaya Trail’s lower and upper routes make a crossroads at Rara Lake. From here, trekkers can head along the old salt route to Humla, the royal highway to the plains, or take any of several adventurous paths into neighbouring Dolpa.While facilities are still basic, the area is an adventurer’s dream – authentic culture, a wealth of natural beauty and the trails largely to yourself.