Upper Dolpo Trek
Maximum Altitude : 5190 meters
Duration of Trek : 27 days camping
Trekkers rarely visit the remote and wild district of Dolpo yet it offers a wonderful chance to experience a landscape and culture far different from other parts of the country. Dolpo is divided into two areas (upper and lower).
The upper region is restricted and requires a permit. The whole region is situated in the Shey Phoksundo National Park, 400 km west of Kathmandu. It is rich and diverse area lying west of the Kali Gandaki Valley just behind the Dhaulagiri massif in mid-western Nepal. Dolpo is home to many rare and endangered animal species including the Snow leopard, musk deer and blue sheep. The whole region has been opened to foreigners since 1989.
Upper Dolpo
For determined trekkers only, this is a long and difficult route which takes you into the heart of this remote ‘bayul’ or hidden land.
Dolpo, bounded in the east and south by the Dhaulagiri and Churen Himal ranges and westwards by Jumla district, is mostly protected by Shey Phoksumdo national park. Two famous books, David Snellgrove’s Himalayan Pilgrimage and Peter Matthiesen’s The Snow Leopard, have undoubtedly contributed to Dolpo’s allure. Both of these writers visited Shey Gompa, north of Phoksumdo Lake, which is the destination of our trek also.
No part of the Dolpo area was available for trekking until 1989, when the southern part of Dolpo was opened up to organized trekking groups. Most of Dolpo is still linked by religion and culture to Tibet, with the inhabitants continuing to trade with Tibet on the historic grain/salt routes, although southern Dolpo has Hindu influences.
Day to day Itinerary
DAY 01 : On arrival in Kathmandu we meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel
DAY 02 : Full day sightseeing within the Kathmandu Valley.
DAY 03 : Transfer to Kathmandu airport for flight to Nepalgunj in western Nepal and transfer to hotel
DAY 04 : Transfer back to Nepalgunj airport for flight to Juphal (Dolpo) and trek to Dunai
DAY 05 : DUNAI – TARAKOT
We follow the trail east from Dunai along the south bank of the Thulo Bheri. After a short time the route crosses the river, later re-crossing near Lawan. Passing below fields to a campsite near the Yalkot Khola , we end the day below Tarakot village (2550m), where the inhabitants’ main trade is running horse caravans to the roadhead at Chaurjhari.
DAY 06 : TARAKOT – KANIGAON
There is a new section of trail above Tarakot, which stays high up from the river – here known as the Barbung Khola – eventually crossing it over a high suspension bridge 120m long. We have a delightful site for camping, in a grove of cedars near the police post. Kanigaon is perched on the hill above, with a small gompa which you can visit, but only if you are intrepid enough to cross the roaring stream via a single log.
DAY 07 : KANIGAON – CHHEUR
It is thanks to a Dutch volunteer project that this section of the trail is open once more, having been impassable for several years when a glacial lake burst and caused extensive flooding. We trek through cedar forest and fields of cannabis, going over some spectacular landslides. The trail has wide stone steps and three-sided tunnels blasted out of rock in the steepest section of the gorge. The river drops sharply – 600m in just 3km – and the gorge widens out at Lahini (3160m), the abandoned camp used by the trail construction crew. The path switchbacks and climbs stone stairs to a crest at 3540m before crossing an exposed but wide trail to another crest at 3600m. Next we descend to a rushing side stream, the Tilba Khola, at 3570m before climbing one more ridge and hiking down to Chheur, a small campsite beside a stream (3610m). There are some lovely flowers here in season, including large rose shrubs, yellow poppies, magenta blooming legumes and bi-coloured impatiens.
DAY 08 : CHHEUR – SISHUL KHOLA
At the beginning of the day we climb a scree slope and cross two or three ridges. You will notice that the local slate-like rock has proved ideal for building the new trail, on the west bank of the river. We undertake some short climbs before reaching Nawor Pani, another trail crew shelter (2620m). There are some remnants of spruce, fir and juniper forest, inaccessibly high up. The valley turns to the west as the trail wends its way to a grassy meadow, before repeatedly crossing the Tarap Chu over a series of log and stone bridges past Tar Tar (3660m) and Tal Tole (3680m). The trail switchbacks up a steep slope to a ridge at 3710m and re-descends to riverbank, following the river to Gyam Gyar (3740m). Crossing the Tarap Chu on a very short bridge, we then climb up through some very typically Himalayan landscape to a chorten on a ridge at 3870m. This is Serkam, which was the Nepal/Tibet checkpoint in the nineteenth century. There are many herds of blue sheep in this area and bird lovers must look out for white-breasted dippers along the river. We climb down from Serkam, crossing the river again on a crooked bridge high above the Tarap Chu. We are now nearly at Sishul Khola, a grassy camp site at 3770m with good caves for porters.
DAY 09 : SISHUL KHOLA – DO TARAP
We make a gradual ascent to two weatherworn chortens at the top of a ridge, then descend to the river. The trail is rocky as it crosses under cliffs to a bridge at 3890m. We cross to the east bank, where a huge side valley enters the Tarap Chu valley. A trail up this canyon leads along the Lang Chu to the remote village of Lang. Soon we can see the white Ribo Bhumpa gompa ahead in Do Tarap. We climb to a line of ancient chortens at 4010m and then have an easy, level walk through fields of barley to Do Tarap, consisting of several clusters of closely packed stone houses with tiny windows. The Ribo Bhumpa gompa above the village was re-built in 1955; beside it is a ‘chorten within a chorten’, containing the remains of a demon killed by Guru Rinpoche. Paintings inside the chorten represent both Bonpo and Nyingma Buddhism. Above Ribo Bhumpa is Mekyema gompa, which is around 100 years old and has a large statue of Maitreya Buddha and a richly decorated interior. Do Tarap women wear elegant Tibetan dress with huge amounts of jewellery and cumbersome silver headgear. The men wear red braid in their hair in the style of Tibetan Khampas.
DAY 10 : DO TARAP – TOK-KHYU HIGH CAMP
We head west from Do Tarap past a cluster of stone houses and reach the private Crystal Mountain school – NGO sponsored and the first serious attempt to bring education to this remote region. Beyond the school the trail leads uphill to Ga Kar (‘white mountain’) village. We continue up-valley to Trangmar (‘red cliff’) and Dorje Phorba gompa at 4170m. The gompa is thought to have been built to house a red mask of Guru Dragpo, a sinister interpretation of Guru Rinpoche, brought here along with Sakya statues and cult objects by a lama from Kham. A little further on is Chu Magar (means ‘don’t cross the river’ !) and a small private gompa. Soon the trail DOES cross over, on a wooden bridge leading to Mondo. Here the valley divides and we take the southern fork, past the white Champa Lhakhang to Tok-Khyu (4180m).
DAY 11 : TOK-KHYU HIGH CAMP – PELUNGTANG
Today is a long, hard trek over Numa La, sometimes complicated as late as May by new snowfall. From the camp we follow a stream which we cross on rocks and climb steeply up a grassy slope to a ridge where there are several mani walls and a chorten at 4580m. It is said that a hermit monk lives in a cave below the chorten and spends his life making mani stones.
The route is less obvious after this, but crosses a small stream and makes a long climb along a moraine to Numa La (5318m). From the pass on a clear day you can see Shey Shikhar (6139m), Kanjeralwa and Dhaulagiri I (8167m). We descend from the pass into a U shaped rocky valley. The trail turns left and you can see the Baga La across the valley. It is possible to see blue sheep – and very occasionally, even snow leopards – in this remote, rocky valley. We descend, crossing a large stream and numerous scree slopes. Another large valley cuts in from the east and the two streams join to form the Poyon Chu. We cross the river on a combination of rock and logs and climb again up the south bank. We then round the ridge into the valley and climb gently to a good camp site in a meadow at 4465m. This spot is known as Pelungtang. The large glaciated peak at the head of the valley is Norbu Kang (6005m).
DAY 12 : PELUNGTANG – DAJOK TANG
We have another exacting, but fulfilling, day’s trekking, particularly if the pass is covered by snow ! The trail crosses a stream, then climbs a slope above Pelungtang, making its way along the side of several moraines to a large bowl. The trail skirts round the bowl on a scree slope to several rough cairns on the top of Baga La (5190m). We descend, steeply at first, staying high above the stream. At 4390m we turn a corner, entering a huge valley with a final steep, switchbacking descent to Dajok tang (‘prayer flag meadow’) at 4080m. The stream drops beside the trail in an impressive series of step-like waterfalls. This is a really spectacular valley with a large moraine encompassing a lake at its head and numerous waterfalls shooting off sheer cliff faces. At the foot of the valley are several snowy peaks, including Kanjelrawa.
DAY 13 : DAJOK TANG – PHOKSUMDO LAKE
We follow the trail down to a meadow full of marmots, at the base of a waterfall (3970m), then descend into a forest of cedars. The walk through the trees is beautiful. We trek through meadows, forest, yak pastures and stone herders’ huts on a trail rising high above the river. Eventually the trail emerges into an area of thorny shrubs – climbing on a high cliffside trail to a ridge at 3870m. There is a lovely view across the valley to the huge waterfall formed by the Phoksumdo Khola. The trail levels out again and re-enters forests, climbing to another crest at 3820m. It then descends gently through a blue pine forest to two Bonpo chortens and the fields of Ringmo (3730m), a picturesque settlement of flat-roofed stone houses with a lot of mud-plastered chortens and mani walls. Phoksumdo Lake (3730m) is spectacular, brilliantly clear and renowned for its distinctive aquamarine colour. It is 4.8km long, 1.8 km wide and said to be 650m deep. According to legend the lake was formed by a spiteful female demon. Fleeing from the saint Padmasambhava, she apparently gave the village people a turquoise after they promised not to reveal she had been there. Padmasambhava turned the stone into a lump of dung, whereupon the locals were so irate they divulged the demon’s whereabouts. In retaliation, she caused the flood - it is alleged you can still see the remains of the ‘drowned’ village below the lake surface. This is Bonpo country and a trail leads from the lakeside through juniper trees to the white Pal Sentan Thasoon Chholing gompa, said to have been built 60 generations ago. There are five other private gompas in various houses near the lake, containing dusty Buddhist paintings and statues and reflecting animistic elements of the Bonpo religion – so some of the chapels can seem rather like old witches’ caverns !
DAY 14 : PHOKSUMDO LAKE – CHUNEMBA
From the camp-site on the southern end of the lake at 3620m, the trail contours on a rocky ledge, skirting the western lip of the lake. In some places the path is precariously suspended on a wooden gangway supported by pegs driven into crevices in the rocks crossing the stream, the glacier descends from the upper slopes of Kanjetalwa (6612m). We climb up to the crest at 4060m for an amazing view of the lake with the snow-topped Sonam Kang peak in the background. There is a steep and dusty descent through birches and blue pines to the western edge of the lake at 3630m. Next we follow an indistinct trail through thorn bushes and scrub trees, criss-crossing boggy marshes and tributaries of the Phoksumdo Khola. We also camp in a forest of blue pines at Chunemba.
DAY 15 : CHUNEMBA – LAR TSA
Today we continue north through a glacial valley, crossing to the east bank of the Phoksumdo Khola about half an hour after leaving Chunemba. We follow the main valley for another hour to Kang Gopa, which is in a birch grove (3710m). There is a long ridge-top climb with some fantastic mountain views, including Shey Shikar (6139m) and Kang Chunne (6443m). After reaching 4200m the route descends gently on a rocky trail to Lar Tsa campsite, beside the river at 4120m.
DAY 16 : LAR TSA – MENDOK DING
Today’s hike takes us to the picturesquely named Mendok Ding (flower valley). We cross a new bridge and scramble up some scree before reaching the 4640m crest via a grassy ridge. There are herds of blue sheep on the slopes above our campsite.
DAY 17 : MENDOK DING – SHEY GOMPA
After a long haul to Mendok Ding La (or Sehu La) at 5160m, the trail descends a scree slope to grassy meadows beside a stream at 4620m. There is a long series of climbs and drops across ridges and in and out of side valleys, as the path weaves its way around Crystal Mountain. After a tough ascent to a crest at 5010m the trail heads down to the Tar valley. The direct route to Shey runs past Goths and yak pastures. The final descent is on a wide trail to a campsite in a large meadow near a cluster of nomads’ huts just below Shey gompa. We cross the river on a log bridge and climb past a big chorten and a large field of mani stones to the Shey gompa compound at 4390m. The building is said to be 800 years old, however the wall paintings date from the 1970s. The statues on the altar are of Guru Rinpoche Sakyamuni and Milarepa. The gompas also houses an ancient Tibetan scroll which explains the myths surrounding Crystal Mountain and Shey Gompa. According to the inscription, there is a holy lake in a crater among the mountains surrounding Shey. When a pilgrim makes nine circumnambulations of this lake the water turns into milk, after one sip of which Mount Kailash is said to become visible in the distance !
DAYS 18-20 : SHEY GOMPA – DO TARAP
We head for the return trail by trekking for three days across four high passes to Tarap. We will be following the trail east from Shey Gompa and then turning onto a route leading south. We climb to the Sela Munchung La at 5060m and then descend numerous side valleys to a camp site. On the second day of this section we cross the 5140m Langmosia She La and then the 5160m Khyung Bhanjyang. We go down alongside a stream to the junction of the route over the Numa La. We have then rejoined our original route and the third day of this section takes us back to Tok kyo and Do Tarap.
DAYS 21-23 : This is the reverse of Days 5-9 back to Dunai
DAY 24 : To Juphal airport for flight to Nepalgunj, overnight hotel
DAY 25 : To Nepalgunj airport for flight to Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
DAY 26 : At leisure in Kathmandu
DAY 27 : Transfer to Kathmandu airport for flight to onward destination.
For further information regarding this tour please contact us.
Vast reams of material have been written on Nepal over the years, in particular over the past fifty years with the successful summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The past twenty has slowly seen Nepal become a well recognised holiday destination. 
