Breathtaking Upper Dolpo Trek Adventure

We leave Dunai, cross a suspension bridge, and head west along a route that passes a hospital. The trail climbs the edge of the treeless Thulo Bheri valley before entering the Phoksundo River Valley. During the walk, we get a view of Kagmara Peak up the valley. We pass through walnut groves, Dhera and Rahagaun villages, and then go through impenetrable jungles to reach Ankhe. Overnight in Ankhe. It is a 5-6 hour hike.

Our trail ascends and lowers a wooded riverside before climbing a difficult trail. The ups and downs can be tiresome, but there are various streams along the way that allow you to cool down. The trail soon emerges from the trees and winds through a grassy hill high above the river. We walk downhill on a trail surrounded by lush woodlands until we reach a cliff, followed by a terrifying descent down a rickety stone staircase to the riverbank. We continue our trek till we reach Sulighat, where we will spend the night.

We continue along the valley floor until we reach the junction of the Phoksundo and Pungmo rivers. After crossing a bridge, we stroll along the western bank of the Pungmo Khola. Before arriving at Palam village, the trail takes you through a cedar forest. From here, we hike up a ridge to see distant views of Phoksundo Lake and a stunning waterfall, one of Nepal’s highest. Our track then descends through birch forests to the upper levels of the Phoksundo Khola, before arriving in the lovely Ringmo town, complete with mud-plastered chortens and mani walls. A short stroll from here takes you to the shores of Phoksundo Lake. Overnight at Phoksundo Lake.

Today will be a well-earned rest day for acclimatization at Phoksundo Lake. During the day, we can go for a short climb to the settlement of Ringmo and its Tibetan Buddhist monastery. During our brief walks, we also get to learn about the local culture. The Dolpo people wear homespun attire that is sometimes dyed maroon, and they choose Tibetan-style somba or dhocha (boots with upturned toes) for footwear. Both men and women frequently wear religious amulets, as well as coral, amber, and turquoise strings. Overnight at Phoksundo Lake.

Our trail round the top western extremity of Phoksundo Lake, contouring on a rocky ledge along the lake’s western side. This shaky trail, suspended on a gangway of wood supported by pegs hammered into a crevice in the rocks, indicates the remoteness of the area we are about to visit. At the lake’s westernmost side, the path winds through a lovely meadow before opening up into the Phoksundo Khola flood plain. Then we walk across the valley, crossing the river and avoiding the occasional muddy marsh underfoot before arriving at the riverbank for our overnight camp.

We walk on a route for about an hour, following a flat path through a glacial valley that heads directly north. An old wooden bridge may be found where the Phoksundo Khola and another mountain stream meet. From here, we walk northeast. After a long ascent, we arrive at a sheep meadow from which our track leads up a rocky ravine. A difficult climb to the summit leads us to another valley, where we can view the Kang-La pass. We pitched up camp near the pass, which Peter Matthiessen named ‘Snowfields Camp’. Today’s trek also includes views of Chhamlang Peak 6 (6739m) and Peak 7 (6105m).

In the morning, we climb a difficult trail studded with slate toward the pass. The climb up the pass is fairly difficult. From the summit of Kang-la pass, we have excellent views of the huge valley divided by a flowing river. We descend to the valley level by a steep route. Next, we take a meandering track along the banks of a river, crossing and re-crossing it numerous times. Mud caverns line the hills above the river. We also pass through meadows with grazing yaks, hundreds of sheep, and domestic mountain goats (Chyangra). After crossing a picturesque wood bridge, we arrive to the Shey Gompa compound, where we will spend the night.

Shey Gompa was erected in 1655 and is famous for its massive copper and gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. Crystal Mountain, located to the east of the gompa, is one of the oddest mountains, with its deformed cliffs interwoven with quartz and embedded with a diverse collection of marine fossils. Today is another well-deserved rest day for acclimatization. We spend the day hiking about Shey village, which is famous for its ancient pre-Buddhist civilization known as Bon Po. In Dolpo, the ancient Tibetan way of life combines animism with Buddhist teachings. Overnight in Shey Gompa.

We begin the day by taking a nice walk among juniper trees that leads to a grey, stony canyon. The road then begins to zigzag across bare rocks and coarse degraded dirt, eventually leading us to the top of Saldang-la Pass. The subsequent descent to the north is long and taxing, but the sight of grazing yaks and sheep, as well as nomadic tents made of yak hair, is pleasant. In Namduna Gaun, we visit the Namgung monastery. The red stone monstery is constructed against the backdrop of a cliff on the north side of a canyon. Overnight at Namuda Gaun.

We leave the settlement, climb a slope, and begin a long hike across dusty, barren mountains. After 3-4 hours of hard climbing, we can see Saldang Village below us on a plateau high above the Namga Khola stream. It has a lovely look. Saldang is the largest settlement in the inner Dolpo area. The town runs over two kilometers on an open slope and is made up of five settlements, each with approximately eighty well-built dwellings and a population of nearly 600 people. It is an affluent village due to its strategic location on a trade route to Tibet, as well as its agricultural wealth. Stay overnight at Saldang.

From Saldang, we trek north along the Nagon Khola (river) through rugged and bleak landscape. We start our stroll on a rather level trail with minimal ups and downs. On our way, we travel via Marang and Ki villages. Next, we bridge a branch of the Panzang River and proceed east, crossing the river again before arriving at Yangze gompa, which houses a historic Bon-Po Monastery. Overnight at Yangze Gompa.

From Yangze, two trails go to Sibu. To save time, we will retrace the path back to Saldang village, which will be more easier and shorter than the previous trip. From Saldang, we walk along a river, passing past terraced fields, stupas, chortens, heaps of mani stones, and a Chaiba monastery, before passing into Namdo village, which is equally prosperous, with approximately sixty dwellings and nearly 400 inhabitants. It spans for around 5 kilometers along the high slopes to the left of Nam Khong Khola. The Namdo monastery is located along the riverbed. Our trek continues for another two hours down the river to a campsite near the little settlement of Sibu.

We stroll along the Nam Khong Khola for a time, passing by caravans of yaks heading towards the Tibetan border. After heading east and trekking for a while, we come at the confluence of two tiny creeks. The rocky trail then ascends to a grazing region below Jeng La pass (4,900m/16,072ft). Our campsite will be built up in this lovely meadow. Overnight stay at Jeng la Phedi.

We get up early and go out on today’s journey. It will take us two hours to reach the summit of the Jeng La pass, from which we will get amazing views of the north face of the Dhaualgiri mountain. From here, we descend on a rocky trail to the Tarap Valley, a remarkable valley with large plains and towering mountains that stretches twenty kilometers along the Tarap Chu River. We camp near the monastery at Tokyu.

We go downward through a plain valley with patches of green grass on both sides of the river, which is unlike any other part of inner Dolpo. There is also a marsh, which is typical in Tibet’s desert mountains and the Ladakh Himalaya. In the valley, people practice both the Bon Po and Buddhist sects. After a short journey, we arrive at Dho Tarap). Stay overnight in Dho Tarap.

We spend the day relaxing and strolling through the village of Dho Tarap, which is enclosed by an irregular stone wall. Our walks will let us learn about the local culture of the area. At Dho, roughly 40 houses are grouped into three clusters and built haphazardly. They are inhabited by a few Tibetans and mostly Magars, a hill tribe from Nepal. While here, we can visit a Buddhist Gompa near our campsite or travel 40 minutes to a Bon Po Gompa.Overnight in Dho Tarap.

From Tarap, we descend into a broad valley that ultimately narrows into a canyon. We go through juniper and wild rose plants just above the treeline. On our hike, we observe flocks of blue sheep, and by the afternoon, we have arrived at the junction of the Tarap Chu and the Lang Khola, a stream that joins the Tarap River from the east. We’ll spend the night camping in a beautiful meadow known as Kamakharka.

We continue trekking down the gorge of the Tarap River, sometimes alongside it. During our stroll, we pass by locals who will move their herds to lower pastures during the winter. This will be one of the most exciting days of the journey, as the valley narrows into a steep gorge, allowing us to jump from one side to the other. Sometimes there is no trace of a trail, and we must go across stone slabs mounted on logs in between the walls, which serve as a bridge. The gorge also offers unexpected adventures and thrills. In some instances, the bridges are either destroyed or washed away, and we may have to traverse the Icey torrent on foot. Finally, we arrive at our campsite by the Tarap Khola in Khanigaon, where we spend the night.

From the camp, we follow a trail to the settlement of Lalberi. Our trail then leads through a lovely forest, down into another gorge, and back along the river. After arriving at Tarakot, we can visit Sandul Gompa, which is located 8 kilometers east of the hamlet at the confluence of Barbung Khola and Tarap Chu rivers. The monastery is situated on a hill to the south of the Bheri River. Today we camp along the Tarap Chu River, about 150 meters below Tarakot, near the police station.

We begin our journey on a trail behind the Bheri River, then pass a bridge near Lawan village. Our trail will continue alongside the large Bheri River, ascending to the Byas Gadi. From here, the trail heads west on a relatively simple trail. We cross the river again around Lochakhola Gaon before ascending to Dunai for the night. The majority of today’s hike will take place in a beautiful gorge lined with pines.

We trekked along the Bheri River from Dunai, taking in the stunning scenery. On our way, we travel by Dhupichaur and Rupgad villages, as well as a temple. We continue trekking via Kalagaonda and Motipur villages before arriving at the little airfield. Stay overnight in Jhuphal.

We board the earliest flight from Jhupal to Nepalgunj. After arriving in Nepalgunj, we take the next available flight back to Kathmandu. When we arrive in Kathmandu, we will be transported to our hotel. There is nothing to do but exchange emails with tour partners and organize images. To honor our great adventure, Himalayan Glacier will throw a goodbye meal. Overnight in Kathmandu.