Located at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea-level, Lo Manthang is a popular tourist destination surrounded by breath-taking scenery. However, the adverse condition has forced foreigners to turn back midway and wait until the snow clears.
"Although the roads to Kagbeni and Muktinath are clear, it's still unwise to venture into Lo Manthang due to the risks of avalanche along the way," said Bidur Kuikel, chairman of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Jomsom. "Snow is taking longer time to melt as the snowfall last week was very thick," he added.
Chairman of ACAP Lo Manthang, Santosh Sherchan, confirmed that snow has yet to melt in the area. "Although the sun started shining from the past two days, it has not brought any respite as the temperature has not risen," he said. He added that they are planning to clear the route with tractors. "Preparations are underway to clear the blocked route. We'll use any means necessary," he said. He further appealed foreigners not to venture in the upper areas until the snow melts.
Tourism entrepreneurs have stated that they are incurring heavy losses due to unseasonal snowfall. "Unseasonal snowfall has caught us off guard time and again. It has hit tourism sector very hard," said Ram Chandra Sharma, chairman of Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN). "We have instructed trekking companies not to send tourists to trek in the area while there's still risk of avalanche," he added.
Almost 1,500 tourist visit upper Mustang each year. As it is a "prohibited area," they have to pay high fees to visit the area. For a 10-day trip, foreigners are charged USD 500, with extra USD 50 for each additional days.
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