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Dolpo Region Trekking.
Dolpo is located in the far western region of Nepal with its fabled crystal mountain were the focus of Peter Matthiessens’s classic book ‘ The Snow Leopard ’. The southern valleys leading to Dolpo’s Shey Phoksundo National Park were the restricted in 1988. The visit to Shey Gompa and the rest of the huge park covering 1373 sq km above Phoksundo Lake is still restricted and special trek permit is required from Kathmandu to enter this region. The trekking into this remote and agriculturally impoverished landsape requires a mindset to endure hardships and all foods and camping equipment to be carried from Kathmandu. There are several approach routes to Dolpo from Pokhara and Jumla.
The journey begins with a 35 minutes flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal. From Dunai , the district headquarter and check post the trek route continues along the banks of Barbung Khola to Tarakote , known locally as Dzong for its hill to forests . Moving ahead to Tarap Khola through grassy meadows, Magar villages and their Gompas, the highest point of the trek Numa La (5190m) is reached, which offers a magnificient viewof Dhaulagiri to the south and Tibetan ranges – Kugung La and Khyung La to the north. Blue sheep, Musk deer, Ghoral, snow leopard, Tahr and black Bear inhabit the park. Ringmo is across the Baga La (5070m), a pass surrounded by large glaciers and spiced rock cliffs. The first view of the lake’s radiant turquoise blue water of Phoksundo set in a cleft between rocks that rise 2000m into the clear mountain skies and the peaks of Kanjirowa is simply Stupendous. The descending trail drops along Suli Gad river to Raha, the park entrance and finally to the hamlet of Juphal.
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