Lower Dolpo Trekking
Ba-Yul, the hidden land of Dolpo, was first settled by Rokpa farmers and Drokpa nomads from Tibet in the 10th century. It is one of the highest inhabited places on Earth, with scattered fortress-like villages and monasteries nestling amongst mountains of stark, ascetic beauty. Though part of Nepal today, Dolpo remains culturally and economically firmly tied to Tibet, the people of this desolate area are cut off from their southern neighbors by snow-covered passes for much of the year. This is both a fascinating and difficult country to travel in. Most of Dolpi is protected by Shey Phoksumdo National Park. It is bounded in the east and south by Dhaulagiri and Churen Himal ranges and in the west by the Jumla district. Dolpo has been bypassed by development, and until recently by tourism as well. Although a few anthropologists and geographers had explored the region, the entire district was closed to foreigners until 1989, when southern parts of Dolpo were opened to organized trekking groups. Peter Matthiessen’s ,& David Snellgrove contributed to the mystique and attraction of Dolpo. Both writers visited the Shey Gompa, to the north of the Phoksumdo lake, in inner Dolpo. This is the goal of most trekkers, but this Dolpo trek will take you even further into this mysterious land.
An outstanding trek in the isolated area of west Nepal where trek can also be done even in the mid-monsoon, as it lies in the rain shadow area formed by the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. The Dolp trek begins at the STOL airstrip of Juphal after a short flight from the terrain town of Nepalgunj, which is well connected by both road and air from Kathmandu.
Trekking in the Dolpo region has its own charm; people here still lead a primitive life, yet they are very friendly and welcoming. This is also one of few areas where the pre-Buddhist Bon Po religion is still practiced. The trail goes over three high passes, the Kagmara La [5115m], Baga La [5090m] and Numa La [5360m] passing the deep-blue tranquil Phoksumdo Lake and finally concludes at Juphal descending the gorge-side path of Tarap Khola.
A physically fit person can do this trip anytime from April to October. November can be a bit risky as the passes are covered by snow.