Myagdi, 29 Ashoj( 15 October): The sky started opening after the beginning of autumn and the monsoon becoming inactive. In the background of tall and bare mountains, the snow range can be seen wherever you look. Herds of chauri, yak, sheep and horses coming down from the pastures of the Himalayan Buki.
Thorangla Jhanjyang is considered to be a combination of diverse geography, culture, nature and adventure. Thorangla Jhanjyang is 5,416 meters above sea level. Thorangla is considered as an adventure destination as it is located at the highest point of the Annapurna cycle path which includes Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Kaski districts of Gandaki province. Gyacho Gurung, a member of District Coordination Committee Manang, who is also a hotelier in Upper Manang, said that with the beginning of autumn, the movement of domestic and foreign tourists going from Manang to Mustang through Thorangla Jhanjyang has increased.
“The main time to visit Thorangla and Tilicho Lake is autumn and spring”, he said, “In the past, except for guides and porters, most of the foreign tourists came to Thorangla trekking, recently it has become the choice of Nepalese people as well.” Thorangla La means pass in Tibetan language. It is literally the high point of the journey. Gurung said that during the Dashain Tihar holidays, teams of employees, traders and students from different parts of the country come to visit Thorangla and Tilicho. Road transport, accommodation and hotel arrangements, upgradation of footpaths, expansion of communication facilities, digital marketing and tourism have been listed as a must-visit destination by the international media.
Juli Shrestha from Kathmandu, who returned from Manang via Thorangla to visit Mustang, shared her experience of seeing the fascinating snow range, diverse geography, culture, lifestyle, religious and artefacts. Annapurna I, II and IV Dhaulagiri as well as Machhapuchre, Manaslu Gangapurna Tilicho Peak and other mountains can be seen on the trip. “Thorangla passing through Tilicho Yatra and descending to Muktinath is an adventurous journey”, said Shrestha, “Thorangla is the highest point in the Annapurna circuit, so it is also risky.” Muktinath of Mustang can be reached by a five-day journey from Chame via Thorangla. Those who want to do a long-term trek can start their journey from Beshishahar in Lamjung.
Most of the hikers reach Chame by car and walk from there. They live in Upper Pisang and Manang from Chame. By staying here, hikers can adapt their body to the environment. After about four hours of walking from Upper Manang, you will reach Yak kharka at a height of 4,036 meters. There are clouds and sun in Yak kharka, and there is the sound of chaurigai. There are also hotels and lodges with internet facilities.
After traveling 7.3 kilometers from Yak kharka, one reaches Thorangla base, which is 4,450 meters above sea level. After traveling for four to five hours from Thorangla base, one reaches the Thorangla High camp at a height of 4,806 meters. Tourists who are staying in high camp with the facilities of hotels leave for Thorangla before dawn. Sandesh Adhikari, the guide, said that in order to reach Thorangla in the morning, one has to travel at night because there will be wind and bad weather in the afternoon. After traveling for about 13 hours from High camp through Thorangla, one reaches Muktinath, a common pilgrimage site of Hindus and Buddhists in Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality-1 of Mustang, located at an altitude of 3,762 meters.
Pramodaraj Regmi, head of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) office in Jomsom, said that Thorangla, which was opened for trekking in 1970, has recently attracted Nepali tourists as well as foreigners. According to him, in the fiscal year 2080-81, 13,910 foreign tourists passed through Thorangla and came to Mustang via Manang. From August to October of that fiscal year, 2,242 people crossed Thorangla. Regmi, head of ECAP Jomsom, said that the number of tourists coming to Mustang through the third week of October of the current fiscal year is 1,781.
Although the footpaths have been displaced due to roads in other places, there is no possibility of roads reaching Thorangla, so it has long-term tourism potential, according to Rinjin Namgyal Gurung, chairman of Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality. He said that the rural municipality and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project are upgrading the footpath from Thorangla to Muktinath Falls towards Mustang.
