Located in the Northwest region of Nepal, Dolpo Region is one of the most isolated and remote areas. It is also among the restricted areas and requires special permits for trekking in the area. In addition, the Lower Dolpo Trek is very demanding as trekkers must pass through two high passes, namely Numa La pass at 5309 m and Baga La at 5169 m, and the trail is rugged and off-the-beaten. There are relatively lesser tea houses and lodges and require camping on most nights. Therefore, Lower Dolpo Trek is for those adventure-loving trekkers who have adequate experience of trekking at high altitudes and are used to wilderness.
The trekking route to the Lower Dolpo region passes through vibrant villages with lively local culture and centuries-old Buddhist traditions. Most people in the region still follow the purest form of Buddhism which is a divine aspect of this area. You will get to visit several monasteries that will give you an immense feeling of spiritual peace. Apart from religion, the people in this region follow basic lifestyles and traditional methods of farming. They rear Yaks and Sheep as agricultural land is very scarce given it falls in the rain shadow area beside the Dhaulagiri chain.
Along the route, you will also explore Shey Phoksundo National Park which is the habitat of many endangered species like Snow leopard, Himalayan Blue Sheep, Thar, Ghoral, Langur, Himalayan Black Bear, Rhesus Monkeys, and many more. The abundance of floras is also a wonderful aspect of this trek. Make sure you do not touch or smell any wildflowers that may cause illness.
While Shey Phoksundo lake is the show stealer of this trek with its clear, turquoise water at its purest form, the other best parts of this trek is the dramatic landscapes, high altitude Tundra, majestic scenery of snow-capped peaks, the ancient salt trading route, cold breeze from the glaciers of Kanjirowa and heartwarming inhabitants of this region. Moreover, we will be camping under the open sky for most of the nights, Wonderful right? All these astonishing rewards make this challenging trek worth all the pain.
It is advised that you have strong physical endurance and stamina to go on this trek. Mental preparation and physical training are a must before you step out on wild adventures like this.
Best season to go on Lower Dolpo Trek
The best seasons to go on the Lower Dolpo Trek are Summer and Spring as the skies are clear, the views are visible and nature blooms at its best during these seasons. However, Eight K Expedition can organize customized trips as per your request at any time of the year.
The team at Eight K Expeditions will be tracking your flight to receive you at the airport. As soon as you land and complete the immigration procedures, one of our representatives will escort you to the hotel room booked for you. You may take your time to rest and relax to get rid of the jetlag. Meanwhile, we will prepare the documents and pack the stuff for our expedition.
The spare day is for sightseeing and trek preparation. Our city guide will take you around the World heritage sites in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, our team will prepare all required documents and permits for the trek to Lower Dolpo Region.
After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we will meet up for a briefing and then depart to the airport to catch a flight to Nepalgunj. Nepalgunj is a beautiful city at the border of Nepal and India and is the gateway to beautiful treks like Rara, Dolpa, and Expedition to Putha Hiunchuli as well. We will stay overnight in a hotel.
We will take a short scenic flight to Juphal from Nepalgunj airport. Enjoying the aerial view of majestic mountains, beautiful scattered settlements, lush green hills, we land at Juphal and have our lunch. Then, we trek to Dunai to catch up with our porters and other staff. Dunai is a popular village in the Dolpo area. We stay overnight in a lodge.
On this day of the trek, we will cross several streams leading to dense forest of pine and rhododendron. The site of terraced farmlands amidst picturesque villages are magical. Trekking for about 5-6 hours, we finally reach Tarakot village to rest overnight. We will also have the opportunity to visit the Sandul Gompa nearby the village.
We must prepare ourselves for this trek as it goes all the way up on a steep hill. We will cross dense forests and numerous suspension bridges until we reach Laini Odar. Laini Odar is a former construction camp with a stunning cliffside setting. We set up our camp in Laini Odar for the night.
On this day, we walk over the forest area and ascend alongside the Tarap River, on barren landscapes on steep slopes. The trek becomes adventurous and exciting as the valley narrows down into gorges as we descend to Chyugur Khola. We will set up a camp in Nawarpani.
We will start our day as early as possible so that we can reach our destination in a relaxed manner. The trail begins with a steep climb leading to the confluence of Tarap Khola and Lang Khola. Then the trail proceeds along a narrow path above the tree line on rocky barren lands with juniper bushes. After 7-8 hours of strenuous walk, we will finally reach Do Tarap, a small settlement resided by both Bon Po and Chaiba communities. It houses some centuries-old monasteries which we will visit on the next day that we spend here for acclimatization.
Leaving the admirable Do Tarap behind, we move forward on our journey. We head higher towards the northern section of the valley to reach Numa La Base Camp. The views of Dhaulagiri range and other peaks around make this trek an exciting and thrilling one. We set up our camp on a rocky basin and rest overnight.
The trek on this day demands a lot of energy and endurance. We walk upon steep slopes until we cross the Numa La pass at 5190 m. Our body will crave rest but the scenery that we see throughout the trek makes us forget all the pain and suffering of the journey. From Numa La Pass, we descend to Pelung Tang to rest overnight in a tented camp.
Like the day before, we must gather all our energy as we must cross an even higher pass to reach our destination for the day. We start after breakfast and walk on a steep uphill that leads to Bagala Pass. Bagala Pass offers unforgettable views of the high snow-capped peaks of the Dhaulagiri and Kanjirowa range. We then proceed to descend to Dojak Tang to rest overnight in a tented camp.
After crossing two high passes, we now trek on easier terrain through pine forests. Walking past yak pastures and then on a rugged path with Alpine Shrubs, we finally reach Ringmo to rest overnight.
We will stay in Ringmo for the next day and use this opportunity to explore the divine and supernatural Shey Phoksundo lake with turquoise green water. It is just so spectacular that it amazes each traveler that reaches there. We will walk around the lake and enjoy the peace and tranquility of wild nature. We then trek back to Ringmo for the night's rest.
After exploring the magnificent Shey Phoksundo Lake and resting at Ringmo, we then head to Shyanta village. The Chepka village comes along the way. The area is rich in different types of medicinal herbs and plants that cure most diseases. After traversing a few more villages, we reach Shyanta to rest overnight.
From Shyanta, we will set our feet towards Juphal. This is the last day of our trek in the Lower Dolpo Region. The trail goes through forests of pine and birch and takes us to a ridge from where the mountain views are visible while Juphal lies downwards. Then, descending on the trail, we reach Juphal and rest overnight in a lodge.
From Juphal, we take a short scenic flight to Nepalgunj as early as possible. Then, catching another flight from Nepalgunj we fly to Kathmandu and rest overnight in a hotel. The evening dinner will be hosted by the Eight K team for all our members.
After such a great journey, we will bid farewell to all our valued climbers and trekkers. We hope to travel with you again. One of our representatives will drop you off at the airport for your scheduled departure.
Climbers are advised to prepare and train their bodies and mind in a perfect way to adapt to the remoteness, high altitude, and distance from the families. It is also advised to carry lesser amounts of valuable belongings. Also, pack in some cotton clothes for your stay in Kathmandu while some warm ones for the Himalayas. Always keep a copy of your passport and photos with you.
Trekking and mountain climbing in the Mountain Region are highly dependent on weather conditions. We try to schedule our trips at the most favorable time but in case of extreme scenarios, domestic flights to Nepalgunj and Juphal may be delayed or canceled. In cases as such, we would like to notify you that except for the total number of days in the itinerary section, expenses of other extra days shall be borne by the client himself/herself. However, 8K Expeditions will make necessary arrangements for the accommodation of porters and guides. If you wish to make alternative arrangements such as a helicopter flight to avoid flight delays, we can arrange it at a nominal extra charge.
Also, 8K Expeditions shall not be liable for any compensation for losses due to missed International Flights but we will surely help to make necessary arrangements to minimize your loss. To avoid missing flights, we suggest keeping some flexible time frames before trip departure and after trip departure.
Also be notified that as we will be traveling in remote areas with extreme climatic conditions and geography where trails can be distorted at times, we might need to adjust our itineraries as required. But we assure you that the quality of service shall not be compromised at any cost.
Thank you for joining us on our Trek!
