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Lower Dolpo Trekking |
Dolpo! The word conjures up visions of mysterious monasteries of snow leopards and blue sheep. A land beyond the Himalaya. Laying in western Nepal, Dolpo is one of the most remote of Nepal's regions. By special permit, we are able to offer these-days trek through upper and lower Dolpo. Our route follows much of the route taken by Peter Mathiessen and George Shaller as described in (The snow Leopard". We trek 200 miles, averaging 10 miles a day. We spend 6-8 hours a day trekking. Several layover days are planned. Porters carry a day pack with the things you need for the day. Participants should be in good shape. We are at high elevation much of the time on this trip. Five passes, over 16,500 feet, are crossed. Steep climbs and descents are made.
Trip Facts
Duration: 25days (19 days trek & 6 days in City)
Grade: Strenuous
Accommodation : Camping
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the trek
Maximum Altitude: 5243m
Group Size: Minimum 2person
Starting & Ending Point: Nepalgunj
Permit Fee: US$ 10p.p per week for the first four weeks &
US$ 20 per week there after
Outline Itinerary
Day 01 Welcome to Kathmandu
Day 2 Kathmandu
Day 03 Kathmandu - Nepalgunj (Fly)
Day 04 Fly Nepalgunj - Jumla (2370m) - Trek Gothi Chaur(2700m)
Day 05 Gothi Chaur - Naphukana (3080m)
Day 06 Naphukana - Chaurikot (3060m)
Day 07 Chaurikot - Bheri Riverside (2610m)
Day 08 Bheri Riverside - Garpung Khola (2900m)
Day 09 Bheri Riverside - Kagmara (3500m)
Day 10 Kagmara - Kagmara Phedi(4000m)
Day 11 Kagmara Phedi - Cross Kagmara La (5115m)
Day 12 Cross Kagmara La - Pungmo
Day 13 Pungmo - Phoksundo Lake
Day 14 Phoksundo Lake
Day 15 Phoksundo Lake - Baga La Phedi
Day 16 Baga La Phedi - Cross Baga La (5090m) - Numa La Phedi (4800m)
Day 17 Numla Crosss [5360m] - Dho [4100m]
Day 18 Dho
Day 19 Dho-Lahini (3560m)
Day 20 Lahini - Tarakot (2600m)
Day 21-22 Tarakot - Dunai (2100m) - Juphal(2500m)
Day 23 FLY Juphal /Nepalgunj/Kathmandu
Day 24 Kathmandu
Day 25 Departure
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Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 Welcome to Kathmandu
Arrive Kathmandu airport, you will be met and transferred to your Hotel
Day 02 Kathmandu
after Breakfast sightseeing Tour to Shyambhunath Stupa, Where you can see a lots of monkeys & beautiful view of Kathmandu Valley. This old stupa called by Monkey Temple as well. Bouddhanath Stupa, second biggest Stupa in the world & Pashupatinath Temple, famous Hindus Temple. In the afternoon prepare for Trekking. O/n at Hotel.
Day 03 Kathmandu - Nepalgunj(Fly)
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Nepalgunj which lies close to the Indian border in the western Terai. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 04 Fly Nepalgunj - Jumla (2370m) - Trek Gothi Chaur (2700m)
This morning we fly from Nepalgunj to Jumla. Leaving the airport at Jumla, we cross the Tila Khola and the Chaudabise Khola near their confluence and climb gradually to a fertile valley of rice terraces. The trail continues through several villages before passing through a forest of maple and walnut to a meadow which, in season, is covered in wildflowers. Beyond the meadow, the trail climbs to a small pass before descending again to Gothi Chaur and our first night's camp.
Day 05 Gothi Chaur - Naphukana (3080m)
Today's walk follows the Tila Khola through fields of corn, potato, buckwheat and barley until the valley narrows and we enter a forest of oaks, spruce and maples. We pass through the village of Chotra with it's typical Tibetan mani walls and a short distance beyond, come to another Tibetan-looking village, Naphukana. Above this village, there is a large gompa.
Day 06 Naphukana - Chaurikot (3060m)
From Naphukana the trail becomes steeper and climbs through a forest to a pass named Mauri Lagna [3820m]. From the pass there are views of snowy peaks to the north and east. Descending from the pass, the trail traverses a steep slope before dropping into a forest of pine and oaks. We then enter the Bheri Valley and, after following the trail in and out of side valleys, we come to the village of Chaurikot. Our camp will be near the village.
Day 07 Chaurikot - Bheri Riverside (2610m)
Continuing on to the village of Balasa we can see Kagmara peak on the horizon. The trail drops to a stream before climbing through a forest of walnut trees to a ridge. Passing through the apple orchards of Jyakot, we then descend to the village of Rimi before following a rocky trail down to the Bheri River. Our camp will be by the river.
Day 08 Bheri Riverside - Garpung Khola (2900m)
We stay on the west bank of the Bheri River, passing Hurikot and arrive at the entrance to the Shey Phoksumdo National Park. We then come to the confluence of the Garpung and Jagdula Rivers, which join to form the Bheri River, and follow the Garpung Khola to our camp which is again by the side of the river.
Day 09 Bheri Riverside - Kagmara (3500m)
We continue to follow the Garpung Khola, ascending slowly towards the Kagmara La. Today is a short day, but it is very important for acclimatisation that we don't ascend too quickly.
Day 10 Kagmara - Kagmara Phedi (4000m)
We now cross to the eastern side of the river and where the valley narrows, the river becomes a series of waterfalls. The trail climbs to a moraine below the Kagmara La and we make our camp among the boulders. The views from here of the surrounding peaks are magnificent.
Day 11 Kagmara Phedi - Cross Kagmara La (5115m)
We get an early start this morning and ascend alongside the Kagmara Glacier to the Kagmara La. This is a good place to spot the rare blue sheep. After a 900m descent, we reach the pastures of the Pungmo Khola Valley.
Day 12 Cross Kagmara La - Pungmo
The trail now enters birch and juniper forests which soon give way to blue pine. Up the side valleys, there are views of Kanjirolba peak before we reach the fortress-like village of Pungmo, set amidst barley fields.
Day 13 Pungmo - Phoksundo Lake
We continue downstream to the national park headquarters at Sumduwa before joining the trail up the Phoksumdo Khola to Phoksumdo Lake. We climb through a forest of large cedars to the winter settlement of Palam and continue ascending through the open country to a ridge from which there are good views of the lake in the distance. Close by is a spectacular waterfall, the highest in Nepal. The trail then makes an initial descent before climbing gently to Ringmo village. After crossing a bridge below Ringmo, the trail continues northwards to the shores of Phoksumdo Lake.
Day 14 Phoksundo Lake
Today is a rest day at the lake which is known for its unusual greenish-blue colouring. It is overlooked on the western side, by a large snowy peak known as Kanjirolba or Kanchen Ruwa. A trail leads through a stand of juniper trees to an old dilapidated gompa which overlooks the lake. As well as Buddhist paintings and statues, there is also evidence of the ancient Bon-po religion within the temple and chapels.
Day 15 Phoksundo Lake - Baga La Phedi
We retrace our route as far as Ringmo and then follow a trail eastwards through forests of juniper and blue pine. The trail follows the river up the valley to a waterfall and we will camp here at the base of the Baga La.
Day 16 Baga La Phedi - Cross Baga La (5090m) - Numala Phedi(4800m)
From our camp it's a steady 3 hour climb to the top of the Baga La, the second of the high passes. The descent is gradual at first but it soon drops steeply to a stream before ascending again to the foot of the Numa La.
Day 17 Numala Cross [5360m] - Dho (4100m)
We continue climbing through arid country to the last of the high passes, the Numa La. It is marked by mani stones and, if it is clear, we can see as far as Dhaulagiri. The trail now descends past a huge mani wall to the Tarap region and we walk through the barley fields of the Tarap Valley to the settlement of Do.
Day 18 Dho
Today is a rest day at Do which is the largest settlement in Tarap and has several gompas. On the ridge above the village is the Ri Bhunpa Gompa and, just to the east, the village of Shipchhok has a Bon-po gompa which is certainly worth exploring. There are also opportunities to get great views of the valley and surrounding snow peaks from a number of nearby ridges.
Day 19 Dho - Lahina (3560m)
This morning's walk is almost level and follows the river until it flows into a gorge. We enter the gorge which has large rose shrubs and other wildflowers, and after crossing and re-crossing the river numerous times we finally come to a flat expanse where we can camp.
Day 20 Lahini - Tarakot (2600m)
The trail today is steep, narrow and dangerous as it clings to the cliffs, and the bridges along here can often be washed out. Eventually, the valley widens and the route becomes easier as we approach the village of Khanigaon. We then climb high above the river before descending towards the Barbung Khola and the fortress village of Tarakot.
Day 21-22 Tarakot - Dunai (2100m) - Juphal(2500m)
We follow the Barbung Khola downstream along the south bank to the village of Lawan, before crossing to the north bank and walking for several more hours to Dunai.
Day 23 Juphal - Nepalgunj - Kathmandu
Morning flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj then again take flight to Kathmandu on the same day. O/n at Hotel.
Day 24 Kathmandu
Free day on your own for refreshing, rest or shopping. O/n at Hotel.
Day 25 Departure
Transfer to International Airport for your for your final departure.
Important Note
Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary but as this is adventure travel in a remote mountain region we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions availability of porters and the health of Trekkers can all contribute to changes. The guides and their Sherpa assistants will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if necessary.
Food & Accommodation
This is totally Camping Trek You are accommodated in tents whilst on trek. We usually camp near village. We have our own cook team who will do all the cooking on trek. This also ensures that we have good control over hygiene.
Experience Required
This Trek is suitable for keen walkers who are able to walk for 5 - 8 hours in a day, with a light rucksack. Some of the days are quite long, and the walking feels more strenuous at altitude. Generally the trail is a good track, but occasionally it will be uneven and rocky. There may also be some snow cover on the Trail sometime.
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