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Nepal’s Himalayas attract thousands of visitors each year since first opening up to outsiders in the fiftes. Khumbu (Everest), Langtang, Annapurna Sanctuary, Mustang and the Lo (Upper Mustang also referred to as Lo Manthang) are popular destinations. While the areas have long developed as popular trekking routes, Nepal’s Western Himalaya is gradually emerging as an enchanting destination for adventure and ethno-cultural tourism. Dolpa (Dolpo in Tibetan) is one such destination offering a diverse nature and a rich culture and lifestyle of over 5000 years. The district of Dolpa is situated in the mid western region of Nepal. At an elevation range of 2700-7000 meters, the Nepal’s Western Himalayas traverses Dolpa distinctly resulting in Upper/Inner Dolpo, a vast arid stretch resembling the topography of Tibetan plateau and Lower Dolpo, a semi arid topography with deep gullies and narrow valleys. Mountains and rock formations cover over half of Dolpo’s topography leaving a sparse forest cover mainly of Pine, Oak, Birches, Cypress, Walnut, Bamboo, and Maple. Snow fed rivulets run down the high mountains but only larger torrents are perennial. Bheri, Suli, Pungmo are notable rivers that run through Dolpo’s narrow gullies.
In sharp contrast to its size Dolpo’s economy is frail and dependent. Its absolute disconnection from the outside world has cost Dolpolis adversely. Till this day Dolpo is far off from road connection. The high mountainous terrain makes any form of navigation difficult and to certain extent impossible. The lack of sufficient arable land affects annual food production thereby resulting in an incessant dependency on state subsidized food distribution scheme. Modern industries, trade and services are yet to implant a meaningful foothold in Dolpo. As grim a picture this may portray, Dolpo is actually quite rich. Besides omnipresent water resource, it is bestowed with bountiful precious herbs and mineral deposits. In only last decade, Yarshagumba -a semi worm, semi fungi abundantly found in the alpine altitude– emerged as a single dominant lucrative item of trade. Similarly, Silagit, a mineral with multi therapeutic value extensively used in Tibetan medicine, is also widely harvested in the overhanging cliffs of Dolpo.
Buddhism is the main religion in Dolpo. The monasteries in Shey and Tsakang are two important sites of pilgrim in this part of the Himalayas. The Crystal Mountain in the same region is considered holy by the people of Dolpo who believe in acquiring divine merit if circumambulated once in a lifetime. The teachings and practices of Buddhism in Dolpo grew even further after the Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1949. The fleeing Tibetans including venerable Lamas crossed through Dolpo taking refuge at its many monasteries and towns scattered over the vast arid landscape. Some contemporary Rinpoches of different sects of Tibetan Buddhism were actually born in Dolpo to fleeing Tibetans. Buddhism continues to be a way of life in upper Dolpo; and till today young boys sent to places as far as Mysore in South India to study Buddhism under the tutelage of venerable Lamas.
Interestingly, Upper Dolpo was once a part of the Kingdom of B’od in Western Tibet. B’on, the religion of the land with close semblance to Buddhism, is still practiced in certain pockets of Dolpo. B’on and Buddhism differ on fundamental ritual practice and inscription. In Ringmo, a B’on village nestled in southern end of Shey Phoksundo Lake, the Chorten – typically a Stupa erected at the village entrance- is always kept at left while making an entry into the village in sharp contrast to reverse practice in Buddhism. Similarly, the inscription of Swastika symbol is reversed in B’on tradition. The arcane differences apart what is interesting is the co-existence of the two for thousands years to this day. Today, Upper Dolpo route originating or terminating in Jomsom, Dolpo Circuit, Dolpo-Mugu-Jumla trail, and Shey Phoksundo are the most popular trekking routes. Needless to mention that many of these trails remains unused during snowy winter and torrential monsoon resulting in often dilapidated state of the trail and logwood crossovers. The trekking duration ranges anywhere from 9-31 days. A lengthier and customized route beginning in Jomsom through Upper Dolpo, Mugu and Jumla can also be tailored for adventure seekers and Buddhism enthusiasts preferring to undertake an extra stretch to experience Dolpo.
Trekking in Dolpa is an unique experience. You walk through beautiful landscapes, passing through pine forests alongside wild rivers with views to beautiful snowcapped mountains. The Phoksundo Lake is clearly of an incomparable beauty. It’s deep blue and emerald colors are enchanting. In Ringmo, the village close to the lake, you can experience Bonpo culture, based on a century old religion which is a mystique mixture of Buddhism and animistic believes. Due to its remote location, Dolpa is still an “off the beaten trek destination”. Especially in spring and summer you see very few other tourists.This is a rather short and not too difficult hike. Leaving from Kathmandu, it’s an 8 day trip, but it could be longer or shorter, depending on the number of hours you choose to walk per day.There are (basic) guesthouses all along the trail, so you don’t need to camp if you don’t want to.
Fact about trip
Duration: 12days
Difficulty: Moderate
Route: Juphal-Chhepka-Ringmo/Phoksundo Lake-Juphal
Best time: April-October (including normal monsoon periods)
Highlights of the trek
Walk through the stunning landscapes of the Trans Himalayan mountains
Admire the incomparable beauty of the holy Phoksundo Lake, with its enchanting blue and emerald colors
Encounter authentic Tibetan Buddhism and Bonpo culture
Sleep in authentic, small Buddhist villages
Have encounters with villagers, who are direct descendents of the Tibetans
Chance to see Blue sheep, musk deer and monkeys
Walk the famous Demon Trail from the movie Himalaya from Eric Vallie
See Nepal’s highest waterfall, the Suligad Waterfall, of 167 meters high
Glimpse of outline itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in kathmandu (1345m) airport and transfer to hotel.
Day 02: Half-day Sightseeing tour in Kathmandu and preparation for the treks
Day 03: Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj.
Day 04: Fly from Nepalgunj to Flight Juphal.
Day 05: Chhepka to Chunuwar/Amchi Hospital.
Day 06: Amchi Hospital to Ringmo/Phoksundo Lake.
Day 07: Phoksundo Lake – in afternoon to Chunuwar/Amchi Hospital.
Day 08: Amchi Hospital to Sangta. 2421m, or Kageni.
Day 09: Kageni to Juphal.
Day 10: Fly from Juphal to Nepalgunj to Kathmandu.
Day 11: Leisure day at Kathmandu. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12: Final Departure.
Note-I: In some circumstances we could face problem of internal flights to/from Nepalgunj delayed by few hours or canceled for a day or more because of bad weather. Very rarely, but it could happen even in best trekking season also as you know how climate change is effecting our globe. Thus, we always recommend you to add supplement night/s in Kathmandu after your trek if possible (just for incase). If everything runs smoothly, you can enjoy other activities like sightseeing, rafting , wildlife activities, shopping, as you wish in those additional day. However, if you want heli rescue in the state of flight cancellation to/from Nepalgunj-we can organize it.
Note-II: Your safety is of paramount concern whilst traveling with Yala Adventure. Please note that your leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary; however, as this is adventure travel in remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions, health condition of a member, unexpected natural disasters, etc., can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.
Upon your arrival, we will meet you at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport and you will be transfered to hotel. When you have had your time to freshen up after your long fight, you will be invited to visit our office for a briefing about your program. You will have meeting with your trekking guide and discuss about the equipment needed for the trekking and we will process for the trekking permits. If you arrive at night we will have same discussion in next day morning after your breakfast.
Today after breakfast we will start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu including Durbar Square, and Pashupati temple that are both Unesco World Heritage Sites. You will also visit the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambunath) and Buddhists shrine (Buddha Nath) that is one of the large Stupas in the world. Afterwards, you will meet with your trek leader for a briefing and a short question and answer section about your trip. You will also have time to shop for any additional trekking equipment with staff assistance if necessary. Overnight at hotel.
To get to Dolpa, generally you have to fly to Nepalgunj first. Nepalgunj is a steaming hot city in South Western Nepal, in the lowlands of Terai, close to the Indian border, which is just 8 km away. Culturally the area more resemble India than upland Nepal. Take a cycle rikshaw for a ride in town. You pass the hustle and bustle of the bazaar and see horse carts full of colorful people going to or coming from the Indian border. The Bageshowri temple is one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples and is worth a visit as well.
It’s just a 35 minutes flight to Juphal over steep mountain ridges with beautiful views of snowcapped mountains. Juphal airport is just a gravel airstrip amidst the mountains, which guarantees a spectacular landing. Stepping out of the plane, you enter in a completely different world. From a hot city in the plains, you arrive in a small mountain village, situated in the midst of the Himalaya, breathing in crispy cold air.
From Juphal you walk down over a small path among fields with wheat and vegetables to the ThuliBheri River, which you’ll follow after reaching it. A big iron suspension bridge, the Dhim Bridge (99 m long) forms the entrance to the SheyPhoksundo National Park (SPNP). SPNP is Nepal’s largest National Park, established in 1984, with an area of 3,555 km². It aims to conserve the Trans-Himalayan ecosystem and the Tibetan type of flora and fauna. In 1998, and area of 1,349 km² surrounding the park was declared as buffer zone, which is jointly managed by the park and local communities. (You have to pay 1000 NPR entrance fee, except persons from SAARC countries, who pay 100 NPR). Next to the entrance is the small village of Suligat, where you could stop for a tea.
The path follows the SuliKhola River now. Behind you, you can see a part of the Dhaulagiri Range. You pass small villages along the way, like Kageni (2413 m) and Sangta (2520 m), where you could stop for a tea, lunch or stay for the night. In Sangta honey is cultivated. It’s a great place for a tea with honey! While sipping your tea, you can see the bees going in and out the beehives, made from tree trunks. Just before Sangta you enter the forest. It’s a beautiful walk, alongside the wild flowing river, which at some parts is beautiful emerald green. The path is surrounded by pine trees, like spruce, fir, juniper and cypress and passes small bamboo forests and walnut trees. At the other side of the river, the high rocky slope goes up steeply and is dotted with pine trees as well. At the end of the day you reach Chhepka, a small village, surrounded by fields of millet and wheat.Overnight at hotel.
The path goes through beautiful pine forests, with some bushes, birches and other broadleaf trees mixed in as well. It’s following the river all the time and most of it is Nepali flat: sometimes going up and sometimes going down, with a couple of steeper climbs and descents. At some parts the valley gets very narrow and the impressive steep rocks are towering high above you on both sides. On the way you encounter local people with their mules or dzopas (crossbreed between yak and cow) loaded with things to sell. After about four hours you pass the village of Rechi, where there is a camping spot. At the other side of the bridge, there is a small teashop as well. The path continues at the other side of the bridge. It’s two hours more to Chunuwar. Close to Chunuwar you can find the Amchi Hospital. This is a very interesting place and worth a visit. In fact it is more a clinic, which is well frequented by local people. An Amchi is a doctor who is educated in traditional Tibetan medicine, and always is a lama (monk) as well. Tibetan medicine has a tradition of thousands of years and uses techniques as pulse analysis and urine analysis for diagnosis. For treatment, medicines made of herbs and minerals are used, together with physical therapies, like Tibetan acupuncture. In the Amchi Hospital you can see a collection of herbs and minerals used to cure people. Most Dolpa people prefer to visit the Amchi over a regular doctor when they are ill. A donation is highly welcomed to keep this tradition living.Next to the Amchi Hospital is a guesthouse with a campsite, Overnight at hotel.
It’s a short hike today to Ringmo and the Phoksundo Lake. It includes a long and sometimes steep climb of about 2 hours. Just before the top, you can see Nepal’s highest waterfall, a spectacular waterfall of 167 meters high, the Phoksundo Waterfall (also called Suligad Waterfall). From the pass you have your first view of the Phoksundo Lake. The path is going down till it gets close to the river, which you follow until you reach Ringmo. Ringmo is a charming village. People practice the Bonpo religion here. Bonpo is related to Buddhism, but it is a lot older than Buddhism and goes back thousands of years. The religion was founded more than 18,000 years ago by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab Miwo. It is believed that Dolpa used to be the centre of the Bon kingdom, called Zhang Zhung, a big and powerful kingdom in present Western and Northwestern Tibet and surroundings, as in Dolpa you can still find a big concentration of Bonpopractioners. In the 7th Century Zhang Zhung was defeated by the Buddhist kingdom of Tibet, and Bonpo disappeared almost completely. However many Bon traditions were absorbed into Tibetan culture.
It has more animistic aspects than Buddhism. For outsiders it is difficult to see the difference between Bonpo and Buddhism, but one small but important detail is that you have to cross their shrines, like mani walls (low walls with loose stones with Buddhist mantra’s carved on it) and chortens anti clockwise, while according to Buddhist custom, you pass them clockwise. The women wear dark or checked dresses with colorful aprons made from yak wool. You see fewer men in the typical dress, which is a long coat, from which they let one sleeve hanging down. Strolling around the village, you might see women weaving. In Ringmo women make very nice woven products, like belts, bags, shawls and blankets. Most items are made from cotton, but they also sell products made from yak wool. There are a few shops where you can buy these. These shops serve as a general shop as well, and you can fill up your stocks of biscuits for the rest of the trek.
Ringmo lies at the shore of the holy Phoksundo Lake. This lake is of a stunning beauty. It has an enchanting deep blue color and is emerald green close to the shore. The water is crystal clear, with no aquatic life in it. Steep cliffs and snowcapped mountains surround the lake. The colors change a bit during the day; you just won’t get enough of simply looking at it. At the shore of the lake, there is a wonderful campsite.
If you want, you can walk a part of the famous Demons Trail from the movie Himalaya (Caravan) of Eric Valli. This is a beautiful movie about the life of people in Dolpa, who bring their yaks over difficult passes bearing salt from Tibet to trade with grain from the lowlands. In the movie, this trail is used during the salt caravan and one of the yaks falls in the lake here. It’s a spectacular trail, going high above the lake. At some parts it gets very narrow due to landslides, so watch your steps. At the other shore, there is a beautiful Bonpo Monastery which you can visit. In the monastery you can observe a statue of TonpaShenrabMiwo, the founder of Bonpo religion, who lived thousands of years ago.Ringmo has a few guesthouses: Hotel. Besides, you can camp at the shores of Phoksundo Lake.
As the Phoksundo Lake is such a beautiful place, an extra free morning here is recommended. In the afternoon you leave back to Chunuwar. Leaving Ringmo, the path is rather flat at first, but soon climbs steeply up the hill. Soon you will see the river far below you. The climb takes about half an hour. At the top you have a beautiful last view of the Phoksundo Lake. And then it is going down, down and more down. Pretty steep at the beginning but later Nepali flat again till you reach Chunuwar.Overnight at hotel.
The path descends gradually, going almost entirely through beautiful pine forests, with some bushes, birches and other broad leaved trees mixed in. It’s about 1:30 hours to Rechi. After Rechi, the trail is Nepali flat, to Chhepka (4hrs) going up and down, with a couple of steeper climbs and descends, following the river all the time. You notice that you are descending; not only by the increasing temperature, but also by the difference in vegetation. You’ll see bamboo again for example, and big walnut trees. From Chhepka it’s an hour more to Sangta, and another hour to Kageni. After Sangta you leave the forest, and suddenly you walk through a bit dry landscape.Overnight at hotel.
It’s a pleasant walk in a rocky landscape till the checkpost of the SheyPhoksundo National Park (SPNP). After the checkpost you can choose to go left to Dunai or cross the big iron suspension bridge (the Dhim Bridge) and go west to Juphal. It’s about 45 minutes to Dunai, the headquarters of Dolpa District. It’s a large village, of about 2,500 people, more or less half Hindu and half Buddhist. Up the hill, there is a Buddhist monastery, the DolpaKendriyaGompa, which is worth a visit. It is situated at the slope at the other site of the river, overlooking Dunai. The monastery belongs to the Nyingmapa lineage, the oldest Buddhism linege and was built in 1998. There is only one monk/lama. If he is there, he will be happy to open the monastery for you and show you around. Inside the gompa you can observe a beautiful statue of Sakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Buddha), the Kengyur (the holy scriptures of Buddhism) and big thankas (Buddhist paintings on cotton). There is a small daily puja (prayer ceremony) from 6-7 am.
A bit further away from Dunai, at the same slope, you can find the Dolpo Bon School and Hostel. Besides the normal teachings that children receive at common schools, the Bon School educates children in the Bonpo religion, Tibetan culture and Tibetan language. The school offers education to poor and orphaned children in the district from Bonpo background. As the children come from different, far away villages, there is a hostal as well. Currently there are 26 children in the school, divided into 5 different classes. Unfortunately at present the school faces a lack of funds, due to which the children receive classes in a big tent. They are hoping for new funds to build a descent school building.
At regular schools, Tibetan language is not given, nor Tibetan culture and Bon religion. The school therefore helps to maintain an millennium old culture. The school and hostal make a very interesting visit which gives you a chance to learn more about Bonpo. One of the teachers will be happy to show you around and give you explanations about the Bonpo religion and culture. Besides the Hostal, there is a beautiful stupa with holds a century old footprint of an important lama. A Bonpo Gompa is being built here as well.In Dunai there is a guesthouse with a campsite: The Bluesheep Inn. Besides there are a few hotels, like Hotel Ghorka Palace and Lodge and Pala Guesthouse.From the bridge, it’s about 3 hours to Juphal. The first part goes over a large path, passing through the small village of Kalagaonda. Then you leave the main road and walk over a small path, through fields of barley and wheat, with walnut, peach and apricot trees. It’s a pretty steep climb to reach Juphal. Juphal is a large village with a small bazaar where it is nice to spend some time looking around.
Early in the morning you fly to Nepalgunj, Especially the first part of the flight through the mountain valleys is spectacular. Later in the day, you fly back to Kathmandu. Overnight at hotel.
Today is a free day in Kathmandu valley. You are free to have some shopping and enjoy the local streets and life of people. You can have a relax walk over the streets and view the normal living of Nepalese. Also you can buy some memories and gifts for back to your home. Full day leisure can be accompanied by some entertainment and prepare for your final departure flight. Overnight at hotel.
Today your all programmed are ending in Nepal, It’s saying a good bye, after having your breakfast, then you will transfer to (TIA) appromaxitely 3 hour before the scheduled flight time. You will be escorted to the airport with a representative from Yala Adventure staff. After our farewells, you will have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in Nepal with Good Karma, as one time is never enough, wonderful country of Nepal.
