Inner Dolpo Trek

Inner Dolpa is one of the most utterly remote and challenging trekking destinations, the high Tibetan valleys are sealed off from the rest of the country by mountain passes over 17000 feet high, and its people exist in a time warp of Tibetan culture little changed in a thousand years. This is the land of rare Bon monasteries ( Bon is the ancient pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet) and the region where we find remote She Gomba and crystal mountain, both so beautifully describe in Peter matthiessen's The Snow Leopard. Parts of this trek are also featured in Himalayan Pilgrimage, by the renowned scholar David Snellgrove, and in the movie Himalaya.

This trek is high, touch, and 21 days long, following ancient trading routes to the Tibetan border. Trekking over high passes and steep valleys, through village and monasteries that were once very powerful, we will reach the Kali Gandaki Valley at the border with Mustang. We make our way back to Pokhara on one of the most scnic flights on the Himalaya, taking a breath and reflecting on the beauty and power of our journey.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Day 2 - Sightseeing in Kathmandu.

Day 3 - Fly to Pokhara, passing over the valleys and rivers of central Nepal and with wonderful views of the Himalaya.

Day 4 - Fly to the Dolpo airport in Juphal. Meet with your Sherpa staff, cooking crew, and horsemen (horses are used for porterage in Dolpo) and trek about three hours to the town of Dunai (6,650').

Days 5-6 - Trek through villages and across ridges to the Shey-Phoksumdo National Park Headquarters at Palam.

Days 7-9 - Hike to Phoksumdo Lake and up through forests of birch and dwarf rhododendrons to a high plateau with some snowfields. Rest day to acclimatize.

Days 10-12 - Ascend the Kang La (17,700') with stunning views of surrounding peaks, then down to Shey Gompa (14,760'), nearby the Crystal Mountain of legend. Here we may have our first views of bharal, or blue sheep. Layover day to explore.

Day 13 - Slow ascent to a 16,430-foot pass, with huge mani walls all along the trail. Descend to the village of Namgung, with views of the monastery across the valley.

Day 14 - Trek to Karang, a large village with over 40 houses and several temples.

Day 15 - Hike to the renowned large gompa complex of Yang-tsher, which dominates the river valley, and on to the village of Mugaon.

Day 16 -  Steep ascent to Mushi La pass (approx. 16,600') with views of the Tibetan Plateau, just a day’s walk away. Hike to the village of Shimen, lined with willow trees, and visit the old gompa.

Day 17 - Hike to Tingkhyu, situated in a large, half-mile wide basin at the meeting point of two rivers.

Day 18 - Cross the Kula La Pass

Days 19-21 - Cross the Tasho La Pass and descend into Upper Tarap and the village of Do.

Days 22-23 - Hike through Kanigaon and Tarakot to the lower Tarap Valley

Day 24 - Trek back to Dunai and fly to Juphal.

Day 25 - Fly to Pokhara and connect with flight to Kathmandu.

Day 26 - Morning sightseeing in Kathmandu.

Day 27 - Fly home.