Saribung Peak (6,346 m) stands in the Damodar Himal, on the Tibetan plateau behind Upper Mustang, and getting to it is most of what makes it remarkable.
The approach runs a week through the restricted area of Upper Mustang — Kagbeni, the canyon country, the red cliffs of Dhakmar, the walled city of Lo Manthang — and then out east across bare plateau to the sacred lakes of Damodar Kunda, where the pilgrims go in summer and nobody goes at all in the climbing seasons.
The climb itself is a clean PD+: a glacier approach, a snow slope at 40 to 45 degrees on fixed rope, and a short summit crest. What it asks for is tolerance of a long, dry, high, windy approach and a willingness to camp above 4,800 m for the best part of a week.
The Climb at a Glance
| Summit | 6,346 m |
| Grade | PD+ — glacier, 40–45° slope on fixed rope, short summit crest |
| Duration | 25 days Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
| Base camp / high camp | 5,300 m / 5,750 m |
| Approach | Eight days from Jomsom through Upper Mustang |
| Summit success rate | Around 70 to 80 percent |
| Best seasons | May to June, September to October |
| Price | From USD 5,650 per person |
We run it as a 25-day expedition. Abi Peak is the easier summit from the same lakes, and the Saribung Pass trek crosses the col below the peak into Nar Phu.
The Route
Jomsom to Lo Manthang (2,720 m to 3,840 m)
Fly to Jomsom, walk to Kagbeni, then five days north through Chele, Ghami and Charang into Upper Mustang, with a full acclimatisation and exploration day inside the walls of Lo Manthang — the palace and the Jampa, Thubchen and Chodey monasteries all need it.
East to Damodar Kunda (3,650 m to 4,890 m)
To Yara, then the cave monastery at Luri Gompa and Ghuna Kharka at 4,300 m, and out onto the plateau to Damodar Kunda (4,890 m) with an acclimatisation day at the lakes.
Base camp and the summit (5,300 m to 6,346 m)
Base camp at 5,300 m on the moraine below the Saribung glacier, a training and acclimatisation day, then high camp at 5,750 m on the glacier itself and the summit day: the glacier, the fixed 40 to 45 degree slope and the short crest.
Living High and Dry for a Week
The thing that catches people out on this trip is not the climbing. It is spending seven days above 4,300 m in a desert.
- -20 °C at the high camp, with nights well below freezing from 4,300 m upward and warm days in the sun.
- Wind every day from late morning and no shelter anywhere on the plateau.
- Very little water, and what there is tends to be silty. The crew boils and treats everything; you carry two litres and drink four a day.
- No resupply, no lodges, no signal east of Lo Manthang.
- Horses can be hired in the Mustang villages for a stage, which is worth doing if you are tired.
Mustang sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs and stays dry when the rest of Nepal is closed, which is why the seasons here run May–June and September–October rather than the usual windows.
What It Costs
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 climber | USD 6,890 |
| 2 to 4 | USD 6,380 |
| 5 to 7 | USD 6,050 |
| 8 to 10 | USD 5,880 |
| 11 to 14 | USD 5,730 |
| 15 and over | USD 5,650 |
As on Abi Peak, the Upper Mustang permit — charged per person for a fixed ten-day period with a daily rate beyond it — is the largest single item after logistics.
What Is Included
- Airport transfers, a briefing, restricted-area permits and an equipment check in Kathmandu.
- Transport Kathmandu to Pokhara and the Pokhara–Jomsom flights.
- Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara with breakfast, and teahouses in Mustang.
- Full camping support on the plateau, with base camp (5,300 m) and high camp (5,750 m), mess, kitchen and toilet tents and a cook crew.
- Three meals a day throughout, with all water boiled and treated.
- Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit, the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit and the NMA climbing permit for Saribung.
- A government-licensed climbing guide and climbing Sherpas above base camp.
- Group climbing equipment and fixing of the 40 to 45 degree slope.
- A training and acclimatisation day at base camp, plus a reserve day.
- Pack-animal and porter transport, garbage deposit, summit certificate and all taxes.
What Is Not Included
- International flights and the Nepal entry visa fee.
- Travel insurance covering mountaineering to 6,346 m, with helicopter evacuation and repatriation.
- Personal climbing equipment, available to rent as an add-on.
- Personal clothing, double boots and a sleeping bag rated to -25 °C.
- Porter services for your personal duffel, and horse hire in the villages.
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
- Snacks, bottled water, hot showers, Wi-Fi, charging and drinks.
- Laundry, phone calls, souvenirs and personal expenses.
- Tips for the guide, climbing Sherpas, cook crew and porters.
- Extra accommodation or rescheduled flights caused by weather at Jomsom, or an early descent.
