Jomsom is the main town of the Mustang district, strung along the bank of the Kali Gandaki river at about 2,700 metres, in what is often called the deepest valley in the world, because the river runs between Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna massif, both above eight thousand metres. The scale is hard to take in. Snow peaks hang on either side of the valley, the river bed is a wide plain of grey gravel braided with channels, and the town sits in the middle of it, a place of whitewashed buildings, apple orchards, and a small airport whose planes fly in only in the morning before the wind rises.
The wind is Jomsom's great character. Every afternoon, as the air heats on the Tibetan side, a strong wind funnels up the valley, strong enough to blow dust in your face and push a bike off line, and the locals plan their days around it. Ride early, when the air is calm and the light is clear, and be ready to shelter after midday. The wind has shaped the local culture, with houses built low and stone-walled, and prayer flags snapping in every gust.
The people here are mostly Thakali, an ethnic group known as traders and innkeepers, whose cooking is celebrated throughout Nepal, and the region is also a centre of Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage. Muktinath, a sacred site for both faiths, lies a short distance north-east, and pilgrims come from all over to visit it. The river bed itself holds a curious treasure: black stones called shaligram, which are ammonite fossils from the ancient sea that once covered this land, and which Hindus hold sacred. It is a reminder that these mountains were once seabed.
The road is not for the faint-hearted. In places it is little more than a track along the river, with stream crossings, loose gravel, landslides and washouts after rain, and it varies from season to season, so ask locally about conditions. Fuel is limited and sometimes hard to find, and when you do find it, it is expensive, so carry what you need and plan ahead. Food is simple and good: dal bhat, apple pie and apple brandy are local pleasures, and a warm room is welcome after the cold nights. Respect the altitude, and take it slowly.