Upper Dolpa Trek

Dolpa is situated in the western part of the country, and is regarded as one of the most remote regions in Nepal. It lies in between the Tibetan plateau and the Dhaulagiri ranges. The entire district was closed to the trekkers until 1989. The remote region of Nepal Dolpa runs parallel to the image of the “Shangri-la” of Bhutan in various aspects. One has to see the landscapes in all of its natural beauty and experience the remoteness to understand Dolpa. The nature, culture and ethics of upper Dolpa is very rich, colorful and almost beyond measure.

The upper Dolpa trek crosses three relatively high passes, with some good paths followed throughout and unfortunately there is no trekking on glaciers. Our trek begins from the flight to Juphal via Nepalgunj.  This trekking route passed many gigantic snowy mountain ranges namely Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba, and passed through Lower. The Upper Dolpa shelters about 5000 people, whose lifestyle revolve around Buddhism, barley, and yaks.  This village (over 4270 meters) is regarded as one of the highest settlements on earth.  People living here still practice the pre-Buddhist Bon Po religion. The unique people, architecture and distinctive life conditions in Dolpa make Dolpo a photographer’s paradise. "The Snow Leopard" of Peter Matthiessen and "Himalayan Pilgrimage” of David Snellgrove have contributed to the mystique and attraction of Dolpa. Both the writers had visited the Shey Gompa, to the north of the Shey- Phoksumdo Lake.  The warm welcome given by local communities and the fascinating insight into the Tibetan lifestyle makes this trek an extremely varied and special. Upper Dolpa trek follow the ancient Tibetan salt caravan route, through the wilderness in one of Nepal’s most remote region. 

The best months for the Lower Dolpa trek are Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to October). Since, Dolpo region lies in the rain shadow area formed by the two peaks Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges, you can also easily take this trip during the Monsoon season (June to August).