Dolpo lies in the remote north west of Nepal, between the Tibetan Plateau and the Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. The Upper Dolpo trek takes in, as the name suggests, the upper part of this region, which is even more remote and rarely visited. Only opened to visitors at the end of the 1980s, Upper Dolpo is still considered a restricted area and requires a special permit. Phoksundo Lake; Shey Gompa; Bon Po practitioners; Buddhist monasteries; views of Dhaulagiri; Crystal Mountain (a mountain whose cliffs are laced with quartz and marine fossils); unique Tibetan cultures; the magnificent and rare snow leopard – all of these may sound familiar. And yes, they are, made so through Peter Matthiessen’s book “The Snow Leopard” and Eric Valli’s film of Dolpo life, ‘Himalaya’.
While Dolpo is in general a dry, bare place, it is laced with fast flowing rivers, roaring waterfalls, deep river gorges, lush meadows, and valleys of tilled fields. Remote villages with interesting cultures, including the Bon Po religion, and of course the beautiful icy waters of Phoksundo Lake are other attractions in this region. As part of Dolpo falls within the Shey Phoksundo National Park, the wildlife, such as the snow leopard, rare Himalayan blue sheep, goral, thar, Himalayan black bear etc. is protected.
This three week trek is not for the faint-hearted as trails are difficult, high, steep, shaky, and sometimes barely there. Long walking days at high altitude are the norm with several high passes to cross, but for those with the stamina, fitness level and sheer willpower, this trek is definitely a once-in a lifetime trip.
| Days | Itinerary | Altitude | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (Flight) | 150 m | 1 hr |
| Day 2 | Nepalgunj to Jhupal (Flight) to Dunai | 2850 m | 3 hr |
| Day 3 | Dunai to Ankhe | 2896 m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 4 | Ankhe to Sulighat | 3180 m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 5 | Sulighat to Phoksundo Lake | 3612 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 6 | Acclimatization Day | 3612 m | 2 hr |
| Day 7 | Phoksundo Lake to Phoksundo Khola | 3507 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 8 | Phoksundo Khola to Phoksundo Bhanjyang | 3910 m | 6 - 7 hr |
| Day 9 | Phoksundo Bhanjyang to Shey Gompa | 4500m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 10 | Acclimatization Day | 4500 m | 3 hr |
| Day 11 | Shey Gompa to Namduna Gaun | 4800 m | 6 - 7 hr |
| Day 12 | Namduna Gaun to Saldang | 3620 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 13 | Saldang to Yangze Gompa | 4960 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 14 | Yangze Gompa to Sibu | 4560 m | 6 - 7 hr |
| Day 15 | Sibu to Jeng La Phedi | 4900 m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 16 | Jeng La Phedi to Jeng La Pass to Tokyu Gaun | 4209 m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 17 | Tokyu to Dho Tarap | 4040 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 18 | Acclimatization Day | 4040 m | 2 hr |
| Day 19 | Dho Tarap to Tarap Khola | 3800 m | 6 - 7 hr |
| Day 20 | Tarap Khola to Khani Gaun | 3150 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 21 | Khani Gaun to Tarakot | 2537 m | 4 - 5 hr |
| Day 22 | Tarakot to Dunai | 2850 m | 5 - 6 hr |
| Day 23 | Dunai to Jhupal | 2320 m | 2 - 3 hr |
| Day 24 | Jhupal to Nepalgunj (Flight) to Kathmandu (Flight) | 1380 m | 1 hr |
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