Journey to The crescent turquoise Crown Jewel of the Annapurna

High in the heart of the Annapurna range lies a lake so breathtaking, it feels like nature’s best-kept secret — Tilicho Lake. At an altitude of 4,919 meters, it isn’t just one of the highest and deepest lakes in the world; it’s a destination that captures the raw spirit of the Himalayas. Our journey to the turquoise gem, Tilicho, is not just about reaching a place on the map. It’s about every crank we pedal, every climb, every moment when you pause to catch your breath — only to lose it again to the majestic views before you.
 

Nevertheless, the crescent blue lake, in this mountain bike escapade, is merrily just one of the milestones, as the real goal is the challenge to cross one of the less traveled routes, the formidable pass called Mesokanto La, which is located parallel to Thorung La. 

After travelling through Manang and acclimatising in Tilicho Base camp for two days, hiking up and down the Tilicho lake, following the mantra of “hike high, sleep low”. The other day, the camp we had set ourselves at the shore of Tilicho next to the tea shop was an experience of life lifetime of its own. With negative 5-7 degrees even in summer, we brewed fresh coffee, cooked dinner, and the next day breakfast to calibrate our energy for the day when we push for Mesokanto Pass. 

Just below the pointy brown tempting rock peak of Mesokanto is the Mesokanto Pass. It is continually visible from far away, right across from the start as we come to the Tilicho Lake. The undeniably spectacular Mesokanto is alluring, and it was inviting us. It doesn’t feel too far, but what lies ahead is never a never-ending hike-o-bike with countless ups and downs, draining us, even hallucinating our minds with a few more fake passes that looked like the pass we were supposed to be at. 

The highlight of the journey is conquering and crossing Mesokanto La (5,245m), a rugged and remote pass with breathtaking views of Tilicho Lake and the Annapurna Massif. While circumambulating Tilicho Lake, we were awe-inspired over and again because of the unique, unworldly, bizarre landscape and the toughness of the alpine terrain. The surroundings looked as if they could be from any planet, being out of the world's ruggedness. The exhausting push took more than 4-5 hours, even from Tilicho Lake itself.

The view of Tilicho Lake is simply mesmerising, with misty clouds blowing in and out with strong wind gusts over and over again. Across the pass, the other side is the overview of Mustang Valley at a glance, with Jomsom and other nearby villages on the horizon below the Mustang Himalayan range.