Trekkers Nepal

Lo Manthang is the ancient, walled city of former kingdom of Lo in Upper Mustang, Nepal, founded in 1380 by Ame Pal. Situated at ~3,840m near the Tibetan border, this remote "living museum" features traditional mud-brick architecture, centuries-old monasteries (Thubchen, Jampa), and a royal palace. It requires a special permit to visit.

Key Information & Highlights:

Location: Northern two-thirds of Mustang District, Gandaki Province, Nepal.

Culture: Primarily inhabited by Lhobas, with strong cultural and linguistic ties to Tibet.

Key Sights: The walled city, 13th-century murals, Chhoser sky caves, and the annual Tiji Festival.

Access: Usually reached via Jomsom (90 km away) by jeep or hiking. The region was closed to foreigners until 1992.

Best Time: Spring, monsoon (rain-shadow area), and autumn.

No one. Rob Hall died alone at 8,750 metres on May 11, 1996 — stranded at the South Summit after staying behind for a client who could no longer walk.

The 2 PM rule on Mount Everest is a safety guideline followed by most climbers during their summit push. It means that if a climber hasn’t reached the summit by 2:00 PM, they must turn around — no matter how close they are to the top.

Why? Because most summit attempts start around midnight, and climbers are already exhausted by afternoon. After 2 PM, weather conditions often become more unstable, winds can increase, and temperatures drop quickly. Descending in the dark or during bad weather is extremely dangerous — and the descent is actually more risky than the climb up.

Above 8,000 meters (the “Death Zone”), oxygen levels are very low, and spending extra time there increases the risk of altitude sickness, frostbite, and fatal exhaustion.