Trekking in Upper Dolpo and Shey Gompa

8/6/2019 Trekking in Upper Dolpo and Shey Gompa

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TREKKING IN UPPER DOLPO AND

SHEY GOMPA

(27 days)

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 scatteredfortress-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, thepeople of this desolate area are cut of from their southern neighbors by snow-covered passes for

much of the year. This is 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. Although a few Anthropologists andgeographers had explored the region, the entire district was closed of to foreigners until 1989,when southern parts of Dolpo was opened to organized trekking groups.

Peter Matthiessen's the Snow Leopard and David Snellgrove's Himalayan Pilgrimage have

contributed to the mystique and attraction of Dolpo. Both writers visited the Shey Gompa, to thenorth 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

Dolpo is Bon-pro country, where people practice a shamanistic religion predating TibetanBuddhism.

Much of Bon-po symbolism is the opposite of Buddhist practice. You should walk to the right ofancient mud chortens, which are inscribed with swastikas with their arms pointing in the

opposite direction to the Buddhist chant of "om mani padme hum", the Bon-pos chant 'om ma trimu ye sa le du", in Tibetan means "in clarity unite'.

Phoksumdo LakeThe lake is spectacular, it is 4.8km long, 1.8km wide and said to be 650m deep. It is known for

its aquamarine color a greenish blue similar to a special Tibetan turquoise .There is no aquaticlife in the lake, which helps to make the waters brilliantly clear. If you toss a rock in, you can

watch it for a long time as it sinks to the bottom. According to legend, Phoksumdo Lake wasformed by a spiteful female demon

In Buddhist Himalaya, David Snellgrove recounts how the demon was fleeing from the saint

Padmasambhava and gave the village people a turquoise after they promised not to tell that shehad passed by. Padmasambhava turned the turquoise into a lump of dung, which upset the local

people so much they revealed the demon's whereabouts. She, in return caused a flood. It is saidyou can see the remains of a village below the lake's surface.


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> TRIP FACTSTrip length: 27 Days

Grade: Strenuous - GradeExplanation

Starts in: Kathmandu

Ends in: KathmanduTrek Type: FOT (FullyOrganized Trek or Camping

Trek)Accommodation: Hotel &

campingTransportation: 3 flights

transferMaximum altitude: 5460m

TESTIMONIALS

My trek was excellent, the walking relatively easy, the scenery beautiful and the people I metvery nice. Only 3 other westerners we met on the trip and so most of the time it was just me and

my trekking staff and the people of DolpoName: Catherine Marriott

Country: New-ZealandArea: Dolpo

> OUTLINE ITINERARYDay 01 Arrive Kathmandu

Day 02 Sightseeing tour inKathmandu

Day 03 Fly to NepalganjDay 04 Fly to Juphal, Trek to

DunaiDay 05 Trek to Chepka

Day 06 Trek to RenjeDay 07 Trek to Ringmo

Day 08 Rest and explorationDay 09 Trek to Chunemba

Day 10 Trek to Lar TsaDay 11 Trek to Mendok Din

Day 12 Trek to Shey GompaDay 13 Rest-Exploration

Day 14 Trek to NamgungDay 15 Trek to Karang

Day 16 Trek to MugaonDay 17 Trek to Shimen

Day 18 Trek to Tinje


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Day 19 Trek to RakpaDay 20 Trek to Chharka

Day 21 Trek to NorbulungDay 22 Sangda Phedi

Day 23 Trek to Sangda

Day 24 Trek to DhagarjunDay 25 Trek to Jhomson, flyto Pokhara

Day 26 Drive/FlyKathmandu

Day 27 Depart Kathmandu

Trip facts:Trip duration: 27 Days

Grade: Strenuous TrekActivity: Sightseeing & trekking

Starts in: KathmanduEnds in: Kathmandu

Trek type: FOT (Fully Organized Trek or Camping Trek)Accommodation: Hotel & camping

Transportation: internal flight, Private car or tourist busMaximum altitude: 5460m

PRICE

Camping (FOT)Price per person on twin sharing:

2 persons: USD 36053-5 persons: USD 3380

6-9 persons: USD 315510-14 persons: USD 2920

Single supplement: USD 70 per person

PRICE INCLUDES:

Fully Catered Camping Trek (FOT)National park fees

All domestic airfareAirport transfers and escortAll guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu with entry fees.

3 nights accommodation at 3 star hotel in Kathmandu on double sharing with breakfastTransfers as per the itinerary in private vehicle

PRICE EXCLUDES:

International flight & departure taxUpper Dolpo trekking permit (USD 500 per person for the 1st ten days and USD 50 per person

per day thereafter).


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Lunch & dinner in KathmanduTips, any expenses of personal nature,

Clients insurance

For more information: http://www.explorehimalaya.com/dolpa_2.php

Email: enquiry @explorehimalaya.com

Documents

Trekking in Upper Dolpo and Shey Gompa