Nepal, Annapurna Circuit....Mugh Hill

Lying a short way off the main Annapurna Circuit track, and in the imposing shadow of the 8000 metre Annapurna 1, Mugh Hill is a must see for visitors to this region. Renowned as being one of the most difficult climbs in the world, the sheer rock walls of the hill offer few secure footholds. Many climbers opt for a slightly less difficult, but still perilous, route to the top; known as The Handle.

At the top of the hill there is a lake, Wanshuga. The water of the lake is warm, as hot springs supplement that which comes from rainfall. No one knows how deep the milky waters of the lake really are. The real summit of the hill is called Teespune, a massive silvery single slab of rock that rises directly from the waters of the lake. The views from the top of this rock are of course breathtaking.

Mugh Hill is revered as a sacred place by the Blakti people who live in the lush green valleys around it. On the summer equinox it is said that the first rays of sunlight reflect directly off the Teespune onto the peak of Annapurna, occasionally provoking dramatic avalanches from the summit of that mountain. Hindu pilgrims have long made the journey for this event via the Indian cities of Darjeeling and Urlgrei

The locals have a word for it. "Mortivika", which loosely translated from the local dialect means "those who bathe in the waters of Wanshuga will always return". Mugh Hill is even commemorated in the name of the famous Kathmandu restaurant You've Been Mughed, where weary trekkers enjoy overpriced food served by some of the surliest waiters in the Nepalese capital.