Gualala Arts Lecture Series presents:
Trekking in Nepal

with David Kyle & RC Vasavada
Thursday, April 25, 2013, 7:00 p.m.
Admission is $5

Joined by David Kyle, inveterate hiker RC Vasavada returns to Gualala Arts on April 25 to recount the twenty-five day trek the pair took to the North-Central part of Nepal, first to a remote and isolated region called Mustang that until recently was known as the ancient kingdom of Lo, and then to the Tilicho Lake region.

The adventure covered about 150 miles at altitudes ranging from 9,000 to 17,750 feet. It included crossing several high altitude passes, facing strong winds and dust storms and even required wading the swiftly flowing Kali Gandaki River. Their party included two guides, a cook, two porters and a mule driver with five mules.

The name "Mustang" derives from the Tibetan words for "fertile plain." It originally was an independent Buddhist kingdom founded in 1380 that had close cultural ties with Tibet. For several centuries it controlled trade between the Himalayas and India. It was annexed to Nepal in the eighteenth century and lost its independent status in 2008.

Kyle and Vasavada's journey followed the same trails used by salt traders, Buddhist pilgrims, and recently, Tibetan freedom fighters against the Chinese occupiers of Tibet. The first eight days of the trip were spent in the Upper Mustang region ending about ten miles from the Chinese border at Lo Manthang, a medieval walled city remarkably unchanged from the time when it was the ancient capital of Lo.

Next the pair visited Muktinath, one of the most ancient Hindu temples of Vishnu and a place equally sacred to Buddhists, before tackling Thorung La Pass, the highest point of the trip at 17,750 feet. At this altitude breathing becomes a chore when standing still. Then they descended to Tilicho Lake and finally returned to their starting point of Jomsom on the Kali Gandaki River.

Kyle and Vasavada will share photographs and stories of this remarkable and secluded corner of the world with its stark and beautiful scenes of towering mountains, gompas (ecclesiastical fortresses of learning), monasteries and even cave dwellings. The talk begins at 7:00 p.m. A $5 admission will be collected at the door.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

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