Upper Dolpo Trekking : Challenging Hike Towards Isolated Region

Behind the Himalayan Mountains surrounded by harsh weather conditions barren hills and isolated lands, there lays magical and majestic Dolpo. Dolpo might be a bit far, condition, and might be a little inhospitable. It might be windy, dry and it might be a laborious trek to reach there but the beauty of the place is mesmerizing. 

Dolpo lies in Karnali zone and with the area 7889 square km. It is the largest district of Nepal covering 5.36% of the total landmass of the country. The district borders Tibet on the north and northeast and its elevation ranges from 1525m to 7625m above sea level. A landscape of Dolpa is uncommon and when you come across at this pristine Shey Phoksundo Lake you are totally taking a back. Its location, its surrounding, its presents, its deep blue water and there’s simply no answer to its beauty, it is simply stunning. 

Phoksundo is the deepest lake in Nepal and it is the deepest lake of high altitude. Its depth is 145m or 476ft and it is located at an altitude of 3611.5 meters. Another attraction of this place is 11^th century ‘Shey Gompa’. It lies at the base of Crystal Mountain. This gompa is an esteemed pilgrimage of the Buddhist. Every year hundreds of pilgrims come and make a circuit of crystal peak. Due to the harsh living conditions few people live here and not been travel in these areas. As a result the people of Dolpo are parts of a very unique and isolated culture found in specific pockets of northern Nepal. This is a land where life’s still revolves around horses, mules and yaks. People still wear tradition attire and jewellery and the remains of death body are given to the wild vulture. This sacred land carries sacred believes and even today much of Dolpo is restricted area for tourist.

Dolpo is a restricted region controlling by Nepal government and requires at least of two travellers to get special trekking permits from the immigration of Nepal. Due to its remoteness and lack of lodges only organize camping trek is possible in this region. We suggest you to travel in Dolpo with the help of local tour operators.

Trip Facts :-

Trekking days requires : Minimum 20 Days  

Trekking grade : Hard

Highest point of the trek : 5,300 meters

Best travel season : March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November.

Trekking style : Camping  

For trip itineary and other detail of this region trek visit : Upper Dolpo Trek

10 amazing treks of Nepal for 2017

Nepal is well known as the land of almighty Himalayas, which can be a synonym to the land of challenges and adventures. So, if you are an adventure lover and want to hug the adventurous moments, then come let’s explore the beauties of Nepal with this New Year 2017 with an adventurous trip to greater Himalaya where lies the splendid flora and fauna. We have listed top 10 trekking routes of Nepal for 2017 as per our previous client’s recommendations.

1) Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp trekking is the most preferred trekking zone in Everest region as this trial is a wonderland where you can not only enjoy the views of mountains but feel them too. Base Camp in Nepal is in Southern region of Mount Everest, which has the highest point of 5545 meters (Kalapathar). You can fly to Lukla and then trek, however the trek to Lukla is also possible. The trial goes via Namche Bazar following the Dudh Koshi, and then Dingboche. Trek to Everest Base Camp offers you to enjoy the beauty of majestic peaks like Mt Everest, Mt. Lhotse , Mt Makalu and Mt Cho Oyu. However the presence of tea houses along the route give you time to refresh yourself. Duration needed : 12-15 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 5556 meters Trek Grade : Moderate

2) Annapurna Base Camp Trek Annapurna Base Camp trek is the world class trekking trails in Nepal. It is a high glacial basin located in the north of Pokhara city. Annapurna Base Camp trek gives an extraordinary variety of ecosystem because of the unique combination of depths and height. It is surrounded by the snow giants, especially Annapurna Himalayan ranges and other peaks above the 7000 meter mark. So, it receives only 7 hours sunlight a day in summer season. A dense tropical forest of bamboo and Rhododendron covered the south facing slopes and the north facing slopes are covered by rain shadow. The sanctuary is considered sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists as it is believed to be the abode of their deities. Annapurna sanctuary was not opened for foreigners until 1956. It is also called an Annapurna Sanctuary Trek. It is the most beautiful trek exploring the diverse ethnic groups and their cultures such as Gurung, Magar, Thakali and glimpse of flora and fauna.We can observe the spectacular mountain views including Machhapuchhere (6,993 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Lamjung Himal (6,983 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna III (7,555m), Annapurna south (7,219m), Himchuli (7,246m) while on the trail. Duration needed : 11-14 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 4200 meters Trek Grade : Moderate

3) Everest Gokyo Lake Trek If you want some extra in your itinerary while visiting Everest Region, then we will suggest you Everest Gokyo trekking as this is a combined trek to Everest base camp and then to Gokyo Ri valley(5350 meters). Including the beautiful scenes visible from Base Camp, there is more to watch at Gokyo Ri valley. Trail passes from the heartland of Sherpa community. Gokyo, a hidden valley with gorgeous blue lakes in the lap of Himalayas and has its own reputation among the adventurous souls. The entire trip is blessed with abounding natural beauty of shimmering lakes. Everest Gyoko is for the person who want to trek in high altitude, see the biggest mountain the earth and can handle the fairly cold climate which exist at almost any time of the year at this altitude. Visiting Namche bazzar before ascending the stunning gokyo valley to the glacier lakes under Cho Oyu(8153). The main high lights of this trek is visiting trail sided teahouses, sipping homemade chang (beer made from barley) with new friends and learning about Tibetan Buddhism culture. Duration needed : 14-16 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 5556 meters Trek Grade : Moderate

4) Annapurna Circuit Trek Annapurna circuit trek is a popular name for trek within the Annapurna mountain range of central Nepal. Nowadays it is known as Nepal’s classic trek, we can see the scenic beauty of Nepal. The trail is open for foreign travelers since from 1980s. There we find the amazing variety of landscapes ranging from sub-tropical through alpine peaks to an arid semi desert to Tibet. Annapurna Circuit Trek begins at Beshisahar in the Marshyangdi river valley and ends up in the Kali Gandaki gorge. It provides an opportunity to interact with different ethnic group of people and their culture. Numbers of sacred pilgrimage, monasteries lies on it way. The climax of the trek is crossing the iconic thorong la pass. Duration needed : 14-16 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 5400 meters. Trek Grade : Moderate

6) Upper Mustang Trekking The Upper Mustang Trek leads you into the hidden kingdom of Mustang. It is called Lo Earlier lo used to be a part of Tibetan empire. It offers an impressive trekking too the remote trans- Himalayan area which is influenced by Tibetan culture. The ultimate destination of upper mustang trekking is lo manthang, which is also the capital of upper mustang. Explore the thousand years of old monasteries, caves, local tribes and scenic beauty of different landscapes. Upper mustang not only offers its visitors beautiful views of rugged landscape but also allow them to observe the Tibetan, Buddhists culture. Upper Mustang trek is a great adventure trek for those who wish to make a challenging trek along “off the beaten path” in the Trans-Himalayan Region. Duration needed : 14-18 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 3840 meters. Trek Grade : Moderate

7) Ghorepani Poon hill Trekking Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is an easy and popular trek in Annapurna region. This trek is also referred to as the Annapurna sunrise view trek. It is one of the shortest treks to annupurna and preffered for family and friends groups. The main specialty of this trip is that within a short period of time you will be able to see the breathtaking views of Himalayan region. The whole of ghorepani is densely forested with rhododendron trees, the national flower of Nepal. There lies numbers of villages like ghorepani, ulleri, gandruk, where you get chance to see the picture of Nepalese local lifestyle as well as others community’s people and the way they maintain peace and harmony among one another. This trek is well suited for the first time trekkers or who have limits time but still want to experience the diverse culture and mind-blowing beauty of nature that makes you feel the real Himalayan experience. Duration needed : 6-8 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 3210 meters. Trek Grade : Easy

8) Langtang Valley Trekking Lantang valley is the nearest Himalayan region from Kathmandu valley. It will take few hours to reach beautiful Langtang region. The people living in Lantang region are mainly influence by Tibetan’s culture though they are Nepali. It is one of the most popular trekking regions for those who wish to have a beautiful trek from Kathmandu to greater Himalaya. On the way to Lantang region, we will be able to see varieties of rhododendron, bamboo forest, majestic waterfalls, and snow capped Himalayas. And also explore the cheese factory. Not only this, we will also able to see holy gompas and wild yak pastures. The Langtang valley is a land of spectacular alpine scenery and a place of unique culture and traditions. We can see more then 8 mountains on this trek including Mt. Ama Angri, Dorje Lakpa, Lantang Lirung, Sisapangma, Ghan Sekpo, Yala Peak, Yubra, Ganjala Glacier and others. The Langtang valley was declared a National Park in 1976 and is the second largest in Nepal covering an area of 1,700 sq. km. this area is covered with wide variety of flora and fauna. |Duration needed : 10-12 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 5000 meters. Trek Grade : Moderate

9) Tsum Valley Trekking Tsum valley trek in which lies the culturally diverse and mesmerizing beauty of Himalaya this can be seen from its trail. There lies place were sacred Himalayan pilgrimage is situated, which is also known as hidden valley. Tsum itself has a very broader meaning which means vivid, derived from the Tibetan word. The local peoples are mostly from the Tibetan community and speak their own dialect. This region is very rich in ancient art, culture and religion. Talking about the trail these are spread with artistic chortens and lines with mani walls made of thousand of stone slabs carved with drawings of god and goddess along with the prayers. Trek begins from Arughat in Gorkha district. This region is opened for tourism only a few years ago, Tsum Valley offers authentic traditional culture plus breathtaking beauty and big mountain views. Duration needed : 12-15 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 5100 meters Trek Grade : Moderate

10) Mohare Danda Trek Mohare Danda Trek is one of the beautiful short treks in the foothills of Annapurna area which is a new trail discovered by Nepal government. Mohare Danda is a name of view point from where you can see spectacular mountain views better than Ghorepani Poon Hill. This trek is a model of Eco community lodge trek where you can stay at local eco community lodges and eats local product foods to promote and support local people. While on this trek, you walk inside the dense forest along the bank of Kali Gandaki River, Kaligandai is the deepest gorge in the world. Moreover, you will overwhelmed by beautiful landscapes, valleys and mountains.    Duration needed : 8-10 days Highest Elevation of this trek : 3300 meters Trek Grade : Easy