Upper Dolpo Trek

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Trip Overview

Start from

Kathmandu

Ends at

Kathmandu

group size

NO group people

duration

29 Days/28 Nights

meal accomodation

Free

Price

N/A

29 days 28 nights package

Itinerary

1Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu

Flight from Europe to Kathmandu. Welcome by our local team at the airport with transportation facilty from Airport to Hotel.

2Day 2: Rest at KATHMANDU

Free time to explore the city.
(Leisure or Rest day)

3DAY 3: KATHMANDU - NEPALGUNJ

Nepalgunj is located in the Terai plain, not far from the Indian border. Flight of about an hour with superb views of the Manaslu, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.

4DAY 4: NEPALGUNJ - JUPHAL - DUNAI

Flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal. After reaching Juphal, we start walking down to the village of Suligad (2,080 m). We make an administrative stopover and present our permits for Bas Dolpo. We then go back to Kageni and stop at Sangta.

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: about 2,500 m

5DAY 5: SANGTA - CHEPKA - REGI

We continue our progression along the Suli Gad River, first on the right bank and then on the left bank. The torrent that comes from Lake Phoksundo is tumultuous or loud. We pass a cliff that overlooks the river. Night in camp in Regi, a village set at a respectable distance from the gorges.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: around 3,000 m

6DAY 6: REGI - CHUNUWAR - RIGMO - LAKE PHOKSUNDO

As we go up the vegetation becomes lower and rarer. We pass the center of Phoksumdo National Park, then the winter village of Palam. We continue our progression towards the high point at 3,700 m. A small watchtower allows us to observe the highest waterfall in Nepal, whose waters come straight from the lake. An easy descent takes us to the village of Rigmo. Magnificent camp in front of Lake Phoksundo.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 3,610 m

7DAY 7: PHOKSUNDO LAKE/REST DAY

Acclimatization day that allows us to get to know this Tibetan village better. The inhabitants are of Buddhist religion and Bon (the pre-Buddhist religion). An easy walk in the forest along the lake leads us to the Bön monastery. Dolpo is one of the rare regions of the Tibetan cultural area to practice this pre-Buddhist religion and yet very close to Buddhism.

Number of hours of walking: about 2 hours
Final altitude: approximately 3,610 m

8DAY 8: PHOKSUNDO LAKE- PINE CAMP

One of the best days of the trip, on the side of the cliff, we walk along the lake. Here we find the landscape of the famous scene of the yak which falls into the lake from the film “Himalaya, the childhood of a chef” by Éric Valli. Beyond, we go up a large pebble beach to the pine camp. In the camp, the Kanjiroba from its height of 6,612 m dominates us.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: approximately 3,700 m.

9DAY 9: PINE CAMP - FOOT OF KANG LA

We start in the forest and cross the torrent that comes out of the Ghent La Gorge (take the ford sandals in your bags in the morning). The passage through this alternative pass avoids many crossings of a river with strong current and a bivouac at low night temperatures. In addition, it is a pleasant route that crosses many grassy areas in the middle of detrital rocks.

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,650 m

10DAY 10: FOOT OF KANG LA - KANG LA (5,350 M) - SHEY GOMPA

We go up a thalweg and after 3 hours of effort, the Kang La prayer flags greet us. We are at the geographical border of Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo. Descent to the lost monastery of Shey following a valley with tortured rocks; it should be noted that this valley is precisely the suture zone between the Asian and Indian plates.

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,350 m

11DAY 11: SHEY GOMPA - NAMELESS PASS (4,800 M) - SHEPHERD CAMP

We visit the Tsakhang Hermitage on the way back and forth at the foot of impressive cliffs. It is here that Peter Matthiessen and Georges Schaller came to study the rut of Bharal (blue sheep) in 1973 (cf. Bibliography “Leopard des neiges”).Every 12 years during the Year of the Dragon and the Month of the Dragon, this pilgrimage takes on another dimension and the thousands of pilgrims set out to tour the Crystal Mountain which dominates the Shey Monastery. It’s a mini Kailash of sorts. If we have time we will go to the hermitages of Tsarang and Gomoche. In the afternoon we climb to an unnamed pass and descend into a green valley used as a summer pasture by the shepherds.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,350 m

12DAY 12: SHEPHERDS CAMP - PASS AT 4600 M - SHAMLING GOMPA – BIJOR

Steep climb with passages of several small passes, the highest is at 4,600 m, the view is sublime towards the gorges of Tar Khola but also towards the snow-capped peaks of Tibet. We descend to the isolated village of Bijor. On the descent we branch off towards the Bon monastery of Shamling. Far from the eyes of the world, forgotten by time, this improbable monastery is worth the detour.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: about 4000 m .

13DAY 13: BIJOR - FOOT OF NANG LA

This morning we stroll through the village, we visit the school then the monastery and we then climb up the hillside above the village to the Nang-la base camp.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,350 m

14DAY 14: NANG LA 5 400 M - KARANG

We pass the Nang La at 5,400 m, magnificent view of the valley, we descend to Karang. The path descends towards Saldang but we continue to our left and walk on the ridges, above beautiful villages to reach a very agrarian valley.

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,200 m

15DAY 15: KARANG - TORA SUMNA

We walk to the confluence of the Saldang valley and the Yangser valley. It is not uncommon to see yak caravans from Tibet with Chinese products stopping or just passing through. We set up camp at the confluence then after lunch we will visit the Yangser gompas and the remote village of Nysalgaon.

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 3,680 m

16DAY 16: TORA SUMNA - SALDANG GOMPA - CHAGAON

We follow the Namgung Khola to the foot of the village of Saldang, in fact a succession of hamlets. We visit the main temple whose murals were recently redone by Norbu, the painter monk in the movie “Himalayas, the childhood of a chief”. Saldang was also the place of life of Thinlé, one of the heroes of the film who died on April 24, 2016. In the afternoon, we continue towards Chagaon by following the caravan path traced at the level of the river and crossing many villages.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: about 4000 m

17DAY 17: CHAGAON - JYANTA LA PHEDI

We leave Chagaon which is also the last village in the valley, we see the Rap monastery opposite (4,200 m) then climb towards the pastures of Jyanta La Phedi.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,700 m

18DAY 18: JYANTA LA PHEDI - JYANTA LA (5,130 M) - TOKKYU - DHO TARAP

We pass the Jyanta La at 5130 m, we have a magnificent view of the Dhaulagiri. We descend to the Tarap valley, “the valley of excellent horses”. Visit of Champa Lakhang in Tokkyu village. To learn more about this valley, do not hesitate to read the books of Corneille Jest, a French ethnologist who studied the region in the 1960s and 1970s (cf. Biblio). Then we descend the Tarap valley and cross many hamlets. We make the essential stop at the “Crystal mountain school” sponsored by a French association before landing at Dho Tarap campsite by the river.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: about 4,100 m

19DAY 19: DHO TARAP - SCHIPSHOK - FOOT OF JHYARKOI LA

Discover the well-preserved Tibetan villages and monasteries of Upper Tarap, including the Buddhist monasteries of the Nyingmapa (Red Caps) school of Ribo Bhumpa and Doro, as well as the Bön-Po monastery of Shipchhok. We then leave the valley to go to the foot of Jhyarkoi La located in the center of a circus of detrital rocks. And as a bonus, just opposite, the slopes (raised …) of the pass of tomorrow.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,800 m

20DAY 20: FOOT OF JHYARKOI LA - JHYARKOI LA - LAJAR SUMNA

Regular climb to Jhyarkoi La. The path is traced by caravans of yaks. The trail becomes very steep before reaching the pass as well as at the start of the descent. By a level curve balcony path, we reach our bivouac site near nomadic tents placed on the mola La pastures.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,800 m

21DAY 21: LAJAR SUMNA - MOLA LA (5 030 M) - CHHARKA BHOT

Another high pass and another splendid view of the Dhaulagiri! We descend to the village of Chharka. It is in this village that a large part of the film “Himalayas, the childhood of a chief” was filmed. Visit of the old fortified village and camp nearby.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,330 m

22DAY 22: CHHARKA BHOT - CAMP IN THE MULUNG KHOLA

A little after Chharka Bhot we cross the Barbung Khola then the Thasang Khola on two new bridges which make this route possible. Then we go along the Thasang Khola. After having crossed large meadows with yaks then having cleared a passage in the austere gorges of the Thasang khola, we go up towards the pastures and camp at the foot of the pass the next day. Plan many uses for the sandals, the river “letting go” from time to time until it submerges the path traced on its right bank …

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,870 m

23DAY 23: CAMP IN MULUNG KHOLA - NIRWA LA (5,140 M) - JUNGBEN LA (5,555 M) - JUNGBENLEY LA (5,125 M) - CAMP DE LA GHALDEN GHULDUNG KHOLA

The rise of Nirwa La is easy (just a false flat to gain a foothold on a grassy plateau …), the second is of another accabit: steep and interminable but at 5555 m the reward is up to it. A spectacular view of the mountains of Mukot himal, Dhaulagiri and as a bonus almost the entire Mustang is offered to us. We descend through large bends in a scree slope to reach the river valley of the Lhanhimar khola. In the early afternoon, crossing the Jungbenley Laou Kok La at 5,125 m will be a formality before descending the jet-black schist slopes and reaching a haven of happiness with trees, yes, yes! It has been 14 days that we had not seen one … Beautiful plunging views over the Kyalungpa khola valley, the villages of Ghok and Sangta with at the bottom some selected and colorful portions of the eastern Mustang plateaus . And mouflons all around which colonize the raised slopes. What happiness!

Number of hours of walking: about 7 hours
Final altitude: approximately 4,320 m

24DAY 24: GHALDEN GHULDUNG KHOLA CAMP - SANGTA - CAMP ON THE PLATEAU

From the camp in the juniper tree, we descend towards the “door” of Dolpo, a path traced in the cliff which at times does not exceed 1 m wide! We then cross the Kyalungpa khola river on a suspension bridge, then a Nepalese flat leads us to the village of Sangda having found on the way two deep thalwegs to cross … In the village, few places to set up camp. We go south through two snares to reach a flat area on the plateau, a real caravanserai for convoys of mules and yaks. Guaranteed atmosphere! Night more or less agitated according to the number of convoys which made stopover …

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: approximately 3,760 m

25DAY 25: CAMP ON THE PLATEAU - BHIMA LOJUN - KAGBENI

From the camp, we cross a very small pass (4400 m) where we find the old trail. Then, the track found (beyond, the old path is no longer used by the locals and has become dangerous …), we embark on a descent to the 4300 m level where we switch on your left towards the alpine pastures below. Superb views of the Mustang and the Tilicho peak. We cross an area of limestone tuff in which many caves are dug before finding sheep pastures. Direct descend to the furrow(trial) of the Kali Gandaki then We enter the village of Kagbeni.

Number of hours of walking: about 6 hours
Final altitude: approximately 2,840 m

26DAY 26: KAGBENI - LUPRA - JOMOSOM

Last step, last small pass, we make a detour through the village of Lupra where we can visit a gompa bon. We end the trek by taking a balcony path traced above the Panda khola river before ending on the dusty track of Jomosom.

Number of hours of walking: about 5 hours
Final altitude: approximately 2,740 m

27DAY 27: FLIGHTS JOMOSOM - POKHARA - KATHMANDU

We reach Pokhara then Kathmandu by plane – Free time. NB: flight not guaranteed and subject to the vagaries of weather conditions and places available. The flight can be replaced by a long driving day (8-10 hours) on an uncomfortable track.
Mode of transfer / transport: by private vehicle, by plane Duration of transfer / transport: about 1 hour Flight duration: 1 hour

28DAY 28: KATHMANDU

Leisure day that can be used after the trekking or free day in Kathmandu.

29DAY 29: KATHMANDU - INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Free day in Kathmandu and transportation to the international airport.

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Airport pick up & drop off service in a private vehicle
All ground transportation by comfortable private vehicle as per the itinerary

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