Lower Dolpo Trekking

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

Nepal alternative treks have started to arrange tea house trekking in this area since 2010 AD. You can find lodges in every place that we have designed the itinerary except Numa la, Baga La and Yak Kharka for three days. We will organize tents and food for those days. Make a rendezvous with the remote Himalaya mountains of Dolpo, the land of the Oscar-nominated Caravan fame, Thinley, a culture nearby Tibet that has survived its originality for centuries. Thanks to the reportage of National Geographic Fame Eric Valli, the Dolpo region of Nepal has been shown in all its integrity and full mystical experience. Along with one of the deepest Himalayan Lakes, the Phokhsundo with beautiful turquoise blue water, watch the yak caravans that maintain the traditional salt trade with Tibet. The region lies further north from the Dhaulagiri Range in the rain shadow of the Himalayas - reflected in the colorful barren slopes of the mountains where the play of light and shadow is a perpetual fascinating spectacle. In summer, the caravans of yaks and sheep run through this valley on a trade route through the Himalayas and allow the exchange not only goods but also of ideas between the Tibetan Plateau and the valleys of Nepal.The Lower Dolpo Trek is meant for real adventurers wishing for an off-the-beaten-path experience. This remote region in western Nepal was opened for the foreigners only in 1990. The trek passes through Shey-Phoksundo National Park with spectacular mountain scenery, Buddhist monasteries and yak caravans. Our trek takes us through a wooded area, then load through rugged canyons in the barren plateau near the border with Tibet. After your arrival in Kathmandu, make a historical and cultural tour of Kathmandu valley and monuments while we obtain special permit for the lower Dopla trekking. Then we take our flight to Jhupal via Nepalgunj. Experience the high altitude tundra and rocks and the microclimate of Lower Dolpo and Phoksumdo with the cold air of the glaciers of Kanjiroba. Nepal alternative treks invites you for life-time wilderness experience in Lower Dolpo region.

02 / WHY GO

The memorable moments

You will witness the age-old Bon-Buddhist practices in different monasteries. You will trek to the pristine Shey Phoksundo (3611 meters) alongside with an entry to the Shey Phoksundo National Park. You will have amazing experience walking in the desert-like rainshadow area of the lower Dolpo region. You can also catch the enticing views of Yak Caravan and got to walk on the ancient salt trade route. You will feel enticed by the sight of diverse flora and fauna of the region.

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day 1: Kathmandu - Fly to Nepalgunj (150m./495ft)- 45 minutes — Nepalgunj is lowland terrain which lies in the Mid Western region of Nepal nearby Nepal India border. The short 45 minutes flight takes you with great views of hilly mid-regions of Nepal, with the long-range of Himalayas in the north. Overnight in Hotel. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 2: Nepalgunj to fly Jhuphal (2475m./8167ft.) and trek to Dunai (2140m./7062ft.) - 4 hours walk — Another 30 minutes short flight to Jhuphal. Take a lunch there while guide will arrange porters/Yak, fuels and necessary thiings in Jhuphal. We walk steep down through a beautiful village, joined houses, Hindu flags in their roof top and the houses are built with mud and rocks. The path takes us to steep downhill mostly till the banks of Thuli Bheri and gradual to Dunai. Stay overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch,Dinner Day 3: Dunai - Shar Tara (2730m./9009ft.) - 7 hours walk — We trek through Thuli Bheri River after breakfast. The trail lead us through full of local villagers, the donkeys carry stuffs for villages up to upper Dolpa. The trail is "nepali flat" . Stay overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 4: Shahar Tara - Laina Odar (3370m./11121ft.)- 7 hours walk — The trail passes through the nature and is full of ups and downs to get Laina Odar. Stay overnight there at ldoge . Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 5: Laina Odar - Toltol (3523m./11625ft.) - 6 hours walk — After taking our breakfast, we leave Laina early for Toltol. Another day of full of ups and down through the Dho Khola, the beginning of Thuli Bheri River. We really can enjoy the unique landscape of Dolpo region, with rocky hills, wild animals, various species of butterfly, and the blooming flowers on the trail is amazing. Stay overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 6: Toltol - Dho-Tarap (3945m./13018ft.) - 5 hours walk — We are crossing the trees lines and walk through desert and wide view of himalayas. We can see only juniper bushes, wild roses with sharp thrones, various types of flowers in the ground, different shapes and full of deep colors. We gradually trek up to the Dho Valley. As we head higher, the valley gets wider and we can see the Dho valley with crops on the field, and the monastery with colorful praying Buddhist flags in the upper ridge of the valley. Stay overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 7: Acclimatization Day - Explore Bon Monasteries and Visit local village — Today is acclimatization day to get acclamatized to high altitude. Dho valley is situated on east to west. We visit a Bon monestry in Sipchyo on the eastern part of the Dho valley then we can climb up to the hill, there is Amchey lama and from that monastery we can see the bird’s eyes views of the Dho-Tarap Village. It will be extraordinary experience to get into the local houses of Dho Tarap village and to know their life style, food, jewels, dresses, etc. Stay overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 8: Dho Tarap to Numa-La Base Camp (4440m./14652ft.) - 5 hours walk — We continue to walk to Tokyu. After crossing the small river and visit a newly built monastery and our journey continues toward Numa-La Base camp. Yaks and horses will be grazing on the field. If you are there in May /June, the Caravan in the hunt for Yarcha Gumba makes you think about how important or costly Yarcha Gumba is. Hundreds of thousands of people from the Dolpo and even from lowlands will be in such elevation, camping for months in their search for Yarcha Gumba. Yarcha Gumba is half plant and half insect, half of its body is in within the ground and the remaining half is above the ground as a plant. Overnight in the tent. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 9: Numa-La Base Camp to Numa-La (5310 m) and to Danigar (Baga La Base Camp) (4512m./14889ft.) - 7 hours walk — We head toward Numa-La early in the morning. Firstly, we trek steeply up and another 3 hours goes gradually upward with wonderful views of Kannjiroba and Mt. NorbiKang mountains. We step down to Baga-La Base Camp, another 4 hours to get down to Danigar. Overnight in the tent. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 10: Danighar - Baga-La (5170m./) - Yak-Kharka (3860./12738ft.) - 6 hours walk — We move to Yak kharka today. After crossing the river, this vertical trekking trail takes 3 hours up to the Baga La. You will have breathtaking views surrounded by landscapes and snow capped mountains while you get on the top. Then we walk downhill to the Yak Kharka for another three hours. Overnight in the tented camp. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 11: Yak Kharka - Ringmo (Phoksundo Lake) (3641m./12015ft.) - 4 hours walk — Now, we are down enough to get tree line, we can see vegetation like pines, walnut, willow oak . At begining, we walk an hour through the vegetation and another 2 hours we pass by the cliffs, narrow rocky with the great views of the landscape. We may visit Ringmo village, Phoksundo Lake and the monastery on the north corner of the lake after taking a short break and lunch. The lake views from the courtyard of the monastery are amazing. Overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 12: Ringmo - Chhepka (2838m./9365ft.) - 6 hours walk — Today, is easy and entertaining walk through the forest and there is a beautiful viewpoint of waterfall running out from the Shay Phoksundo Lake. Overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 13: Chhepka - Jhuphal ( 2500m./8250ft.) - 5 hours walk — We follow the Phoksundo River and join the trail we started our trek on first day and national Park Head Quarter. Climb uphill to get Jhuphal at the end. We will walk around Jhuphal village in the evening. Overnight at lodge. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 14: Jhuphal to fly Nepalgunj and connection flight to Kathmandu — Fly to Nepalgunj and connection flight to Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel. Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1Kathmandu - Fly to Nepalgunj (150m./495ft)- 45 minutes — Nepalgunj is lowland terrain which lies in the Mid Western region of Nepal nearby Nepal India border. The short 45 minutes flight takes you with great views of hilly mid-regions of Nepal, with the long-range of Himalayas in the north. Overnight in Hotel.+