The walk is physical, but it is not out of reach for anyone with decent fitness and a bit of determination. Most days you climb gently over a pass and then drop into a green river valley with barley fields and willow trees.

Upper Mustang sits behind the main Himalayan peaks, so the monsoon rains barely reach it. That makes it very different from most trekking regions in Nepal, and the trail can be walked from about March to November.