Upper Humla Valley

The Humla Valley runs, seemingly forever, from its source in Tibet, through the impacted Himalayas of Western Nepal down to join the Ganges on the hot plains of India. An ancient pilgrimage and trade route between Tibet and Nepal follows its milky-blue, glacier fed upper reaches, making for an unforgettable trek.

As well as magnificent and varied scenery snowy peaks, cliffs, crags, gorges and waterfalls you will meet caravans of yak, mules, and pack goats, and pass through remote hill villages amid their terraced fields, where life's essence has changed little over the centuries. You will travel from the Hindu world of the foothills to the monasteries, chortens, mani walls and prayer flags of the Tibetan world.

The vegetation changes from productive little fields and forests to the thin grasses and scrub of Tibet, as the trail climbs steadily towards the high pass across the Himalayas.

The area was closed until the mid 2000s and much of it was effectively controlled by Maoist insurgents. While this means you may not meet any Westerners at all, it also means that you need to plan carefully before you travel.