Mu Gompa: the high day of the Tsum Valley Trek
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.
The short version
Mu Gompa is the highest monastery in the Tsum Valley, at about 3,700m, close to the Tibet border, and it's the high point of our 13-day trek. You walk up from Nile (3,361m) on Day 8, spend some time at the gompa, then come back down the valley to sleep at Chhokangparo (3,010m). It's the longest day of the trek, 8 to 9 hours, and it's the classic climb high, sleep low day. There's no pass to cross and nothing technical, just a steady climb and a long walk back.
What Mu Gompa is
Mu Gompa is the valley's highest monastery. It sits at about 3,700m at the top end of Tsum, close to the Tibet border, and it's as far up the valley as our trek goes. Getting there is the point of Day 8, and it's the highest you'll stand on the whole trip.
Tsum is a restricted Tibetan-culture side valley north of Manaslu, lined with mani walls, chortens and gompas. Mu Gompa is the last of them. Our Tsum Valley Trek guide explains the valley and the route as a whole.
The days that lead up to it
| Day | Stage | Altitude | Change | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Lokpa to Chumling | 2,386m | ▲ 146m | 4–5 hrs |
| 6 | Chumling to Chhokangparo | 3,010m | ▲ 624m | 5–6 hrs |
| 7 | Chhokangparo to Nile | 3,361m | ▲ 351m | 5–6 hrs |
| 8 | Nile to Mu Gompa, back to Chhokangparo | 3,010m (high point ~3,700m) | ▲ ~340m, ▼ ~690m | 8–9 hrs |
| 9 | Chhokangparo to Chumling | 2,386m | ▼ 624m | 5–6 hrs |
You climb gently into Upper Tsum. Chhokangparo is the largest village up there, and on Day 7 you walk past Rachen Gompa, a nunnery close to Chhokangparo, and through Lamagaon and Chhule to Nile. The valley opens out here, with mani walls along the trail between villages. By the time you reach Nile you've slept at 3,010m and 3,361m, which is what makes a trip up to 3,700m comfortable the next day. The villages on the way are covered in Chumling, Chhokangparo and Nile.
How the day goes
Start early. It's the longest day of the trek at 8 to 9 hours, and you'll want time at the top without rushing the walk back.
The climb from Nile is steady rather than steep. Without a pass in the way, the altitude gain on the walk up is about 340m, so the main thing to manage is time. Your guide sets an easy pace and stops often.
At Mu Gompa, take your time. It's the end of the valley for us. Then the walk back is all downhill: past Nile and down the valley to sleep at Chhokangparo, the same village you stayed in two nights earlier.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.
Why we don't sleep up there
Coming down to Chhokangparo at 3,010m is a choice. It's the climb high, sleep low principle we build into every route: you get the benefit of a trip to 3,700m and then give your body a lower night to recover. It also puts you one day closer to the walk out. We explain the thinking behind it in how acclimatization is built into our itineraries.
Done this way, a first walk to 3,700m feels like a long day out, and you sleep well afterward.
What to carry on Day 8
- Water and snacks for a long day.
- A warm layer and a shell. At 3,700m it can turn cold quickly, even on a sunny day.
- Sun protection: hat, UV sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm.
- A headlamp, in case the walk back runs late.
Everything else stays with the porters, who carry the group gear.
Visiting the gompas
Tsum's gompas are working religious places, not museums. Your guide will show you how to walk around chortens and mani walls (keep them on your right) and when it's fine to take photos. Asking first is always welcome.
After Mu Gompa
The trek turns around here. Days 9 to 12 retrace the valley to Chumling, Lokpa, Jagat and Machha Khola, and Day 13 drives back to Kathmandu. On our 21-day Manaslu and Tsum trek, the same day at Mu Gompa does extra work: it's acclimatization for the Larkya La a week later.
The full Tsum route, with every day, is on the Tsum Valley itinerary.
Frequently asked
How high is Mu Gompa?
About 3,700m. It's the highest monastery in the Tsum Valley and the high point of our Tsum Valley Trek.
How long is the walk to Mu Gompa?
Day 8 on our itinerary goes from Nile (3,361m) up to Mu Gompa and back down to sleep at Chhokangparo (3,010m). It's the longest day of the trek, 8 to 9 hours.
Do you sleep at Mu Gompa?
No. We walk up from Nile and come back down to Chhokangparo the same day, so you climb high and sleep low.
Is the walk to Mu Gompa difficult?
It's long rather than technical. There's no pass to cross, and the climb from Nile is steady. Most of the effort is the 8 to 9 hours.
How close is Mu Gompa to Tibet?
It sits near the top of the Tsum Valley, close to the Tibet border.