Trekking between Muktinath and Jomsom

As we found Sonam Lodge closed we took a room in the Plaza Hotel. The new jeep road to Muktinath has changed a lot in these villages. Some of the lodges now find it hard to survive because pilgrims and other visitors do not stay any more but just come up for day trips.

We asked the young monk Raja to accompany us on our hikes in Muktinath valley.
Eva is wearing a mask against the wind and the dust.

A volcanic brecchcie, pieces of basalt glued together by hot mineral water.

The steep valley of Lupra

Jharkot from above

 

Apple blossoms in May

In 2003 we documented some medicinal plants. Nr. 1 was "Leibnitzia"

Our favourite spot above the village with huge ammonites.

 

Volcanic activity deep down in the gorge of the river has broken up the ground.

Meadow near Putak

The village of Putak can now be reached by a dusty jeep road.

A steep section of the path that crosses the valley.

 

Raja in front of Yakgawa, the yak-headed mountain

 

We met these sheperds on the way to Lupra.

 

The rippled rock face once used to be a horizontal (!) sandy mudflat in a lagoon.

Lupra valley is flooded every monsoon.

Crossing Lupra river with shoes around the neck and holding on to our sticks.

Eva was wearing jeans too tight to roll up the legs. So she had to take them off.

Eva getting off the lorry that took us into Jomsom

In the yard of Om's Home Hotel. A beer in view of Nilgiri.

Then the strong wind drove us inside.