Journey to Dolpo

Grade 1 2 3 4 5
Grade 4 – Demanding
These treks require participants to be in excellent health. They take you into the high Himalaya, altitudes ranging from 9,000ft / 2,800m to often in excess of 16,500ft / 5,000m. Trails venture into sparsely populated or uninhabited high-mountain wilderness, and are often ill defined, occasionally on glacial moraines. Average walking is 6 - 9 hours a day.
×
Trek Difficulty Grading

Our treks vary from easy hikes in the foothills to challenging climbing adventures in the high Himalaya. More often than not, we use trails that have since ancient times been the only link between villages, settlements, and their inhabitants. The trails may take you through a well-inhabited area with many villages and tea-shops, or through a mountain wilderness without a single permanent settlement for days, but one thing is certain: there'll be lots of ups and downs as we walk from one Himalayan valley to another. Treks are graded on the basis of altitude, trails, walking hours per day, and length of trek.

Grade 1 – Easy
Treks in the foothills staying below 6,500ft / 2,000m. Trails are relatively gentle & wide, and average walking is 3 - 4 hours a day.
Grade 2 – Moderate
Treks in the foothills and the middle-hills going up to 10,000ft / 3,000m. Trails are mostly gentle and wide, but at times may involve more difficult stretches like a steep stone staircase. Average walking is 5 - 6 hours a day.
Grade 3 – Challenging
Fairly demanding treks, usually in the high Himalaya, going up to 13,000ft / 4,000m. Trails can be ill defined, narrow, steep, and rocky, and will usually take you into uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas. Average walking is 6 - 7 hours a day.
Grade 4 – Demanding
These treks require participants to be in excellent health. They take you into the high Himalaya, altitudes ranging from 9,000ft / 2,800m to often in excess of 16,500ft / 5,000m. Trails venture into sparsely populated or uninhabited high-mountain wilderness, and are often ill defined, occasionally on glacial moraines. Average walking is 6 - 9 hours a day.
Note on altitudes
The altitude definitions indicate elevations through the major part of the trek. Treks usually involve side-trips into elevations exceeding the altitude ranges defined for their grades. Grade 3 and grade 4 trek itineraries are designed to allow proper acclimatization, with acclimatization days when we take side trips to higher elevations where necessary.

 

30 days – A 3 ½ week journey from the foothills to the mysterious land
  • 25 days demanding trekking in the middle hills / high Himalaya
  • Leisure in Kathmandu & Pokhara
  • Dramatic views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanjiroba & Sisne Himal, Phoksundo Lake
  • Cultural encounters with the Dolpalis and other ethnic peoples of the middle hills
  • Astounding topographical diversity – an exotic alternative to the “Circuit” treks.
dolpo-caravaneers-270x180This classic 3 ½ week trek provides a “cross-section” of mid-western Nepal and its indigenous peoples, besides offering a close encounter with Dolpo & the Shey-Phoksundo National Park. Starting with a drive to Baglung from Pokhara, we trek up along the Kali Gandaki valley to its confluence with the Myangdi Khola, then go upstream along the Myangdi Khola. From Lulang, we climb steeply through pine and rhododendron forests to the Jaljala Lekh. Descending from the pass, we enter the Dhorapatan valley, from where we continue walking up and down over three more passes, through desolate landscape typical of the trans-Himalayan region. Trekking past the villages of Sahartara and Tarakot, we arrive in Dunai, where there is a checkpost. From Dunai, we trek up through the narrow gorge of the Suli Gad, entering the national park at Raha. We reach the Phoksundo lake after trekking for another two days through the settlements of Ankhe, Cherpa, and Sumdoa. Taking a day to visit the village of Ringmo with its monastery and explore the area surrounding the lake, we head westward to Jumla. Passing through the Bon po village of Pungmo, we cross the Kagmara La. We descend past Hurikot and Chaurikot to cross the Mauriya Lagna pass and descend to Chutra. We arrive in Jumla in three days, trekking past the settlements of Munigaon, Gothichaur, and Garjyangkot.
Trip Itinerary

Days 1-2 Arrive Kathmandu. Fly to Pokhara.

Days 3-9 Foothills of Dhaulagiri Himal
After a scenic two-hour drive to the town of Baglung on the banks of Kali Gandaki, we trek along the same river to a town at its confluence with the Myangdi Khola. We then follow the Myangdi Khola westwards past the villages of Tatopani, Dharapani, Takum, Muna, and Lulang, then go across the Jaljala Pass (3,430m), from where we encounter the massive Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu ranges in a magnificent panorama. Descending from the pass we enter the Dhorpatan valley, inhabited by the Magars and Tibetans who claim to be Magars. From here we contour north to climb across the Phagune Dhuri pass (3,963m), and gradually descend to the Pelma Khola valley. All along the way we camp on beautiful ridges & meadows, or by the lush forests.

Days 10-14 Dolpo
Descending to cross the Pelma Khola, the trail gradually ascends past the villages of Pelma, Yamkhar, Duley and across Nautale Bhanjyang pass (3,970m). From the pass, the Dhaulagiri Himal rises imposingly to the east, and to the west the Kanjiroba Himal stands in a majestic profile. We make our entry into the Dolpo region at this same point. Gradually descending towards the Seng Khola, we ascend past Phupal Daha, and cross two passes — Phupal Bhanjyang (4,570m) and the Jangla Pass (4,525m). We then slowly descend past the villages of Sahartara and Tarakot and turn west to arrive in Dunai, the headquarters of the Dolpo district, at the confluence of the Thuli Bheri and Suli Gad rivers.

Days 15-18 The Turquoise Lake
From Dunai, we keep along the banks of the Suli Gad. At Raha, we enter the Shey-Phoksundo National Park. We trek northwards past the settlements of Ankhe, Cherpa, and Reyaji to arrive at the unearthly beautiful Phoksundo Tal. The reflection of the surrounding forested hills and ridges, the depressed cliffsides and the distant Kanjiroba Himal on the turquoise blue waters of the lake is a sight of “out of this world” beauty. We take a day to visit the monastery at the hamlet of Ringmo at the northern end of the lake and enjoy the splendor of this unique place.

west-nepal-farm-100x133Days 19-28 Westward to Jumla
We head west towards Jumla through the village of Pungmo, crossing the high Kagmara La (5,115m), with spectacular views of the Kanjiroba, Patrasi, Sisne and Jagdula peaks of the Kanjoriba Himal. Trekking down past the villages of Hurikot and Chaurikot we climb once more to cross the Mauriya Lagna pass (4,325m) and descend again to Chutra and past Dillikot, Munigaon, Gothichaur and Garjyangkot to finally arrive in Jumla, above the banks of the Tila river. The following morning we take a flight to Nepalganj, from where you can proceed to a wildlife safari at Royal Bardia Natlional Park or take the flight back to Kathmandu.

Day 29 At leisure in Kathmandu.

Day 30 Depart for onward destination.

Dates and Pricing
We can operate private departures for groups of four or more from May through September.
  Standard Hotels
4 or more personsUS$ Prices will vary with group size; please check with us.
Single room supplement US$ 230
Airfare Jumla - Nepalganj - KathmanduUS$ 368
Cost Information
×
Cost Information

The trip cost quoted is the cost per person, and includes:

  • Hotels: Accommodations in Kathmandu and Pokhara on twin / triple room-sharing basis with breakfast.
  • Tours: Sightseeing tours indicated with a certified English-speaking guide.
  • Transfers: All land transfers by car (Toyota Corolla or similar) or van (Toyota Hiace or similar).
  • Trekking: Room-sharing accommodation in local lodges, all meals, services of trek crew (guide, sherpa(s), and porter(s) to carry all luggage & equipment), applicable trekking / ACAP permit / National Park entry fees.
  • Permits, Fees, & Taxes: All applicable permits, entry fees, and taxes.
  • Trek leader: We provide a trek leader on groups of six or more. A tour leader can be provided upon request for smaller groups, upon additional cost.

Not included in the cost are:

  • Meals other than indicated.
  • Flights: All internal flights are extra. Internal airfares indicated are subject to change without notice.
  • Personal clothing & equipment (upon confirmation you’ll receive a clothing & necessity checklist of items we recommend you bring, items you can hire / purchase locally are indicated).
  • Personal expenses, bottled / alcoholic beverages, and tips to crew.
  • Insurance: We strongly recommend that all trip participants be covered by their own personal insurance that also covers emergency evacuation.
  • Other unforeseeable expenses that may arise due to factors beyond our control, like bad weather or flight cancellations.
  • Nepal visa fee.

 

  Standard Hotels
KathmanduNirvana Garden Hotel
PokharaHotel Trek-O-Tel
NepalganjHotel Batika
Suggested Trips