Upper Dolpo Trek: Shey Phoksundo Lake & Shey Gompa Trek

Your Firante team meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Thamel. The evening is yours to explore: take a slow walk through the buzzing lanes, pick up any last gear, and let the altitude and energy of Kathmandu settle in. We will run through your permits and final briefing tonight.

A morning flight takes you southwest to Nepalgunj, the gateway city to western Nepal. This warm, low-altitude city is your staging point. Use the afternoon to rest and confirm your gear is organized. Baggage limits on the onward flight are strict: 15 kg to Juphal.

We will arrive in Jhuphal after taking a 40 minutes flight from Nepalgunj. Our crew members will be waiting for us with every necessary equipment’s.  After reaching there, we will hike for 3 more hours to reach Dunai. Dunai is the capital of Dolpo district. The route to Dunai is through the terraced fields until we reach River Bheri Gorge. There will be time for us to have a short inspect of the town before it gets dark.

Dunai to Ankhe trail is upwards through the Thulo Bheri Valley before entering the Phoksundo River Valley. It takes almost 6 hours to reach Ankhe. On the way, there are a few villages to see as well as walnut groves to enjoy. There are also the mountains but Kagmara Peak can be seen clearly. Finally, the trail descends to Ankhe which is at the altitude of 2896 meters, through deep jungle-like greenery.

The trail today takes us through trees and up and down a grassy incline above the river. Due to the complex pathway, it takes 6 hours to reach the destination. Continuing the route downwards, we descend a stone path to the river’s edge and head towards Sulighat which is at the altitude of 3,180 meters.

Today we get to Phoksundo Lake, which has wonderful, clean water. Phoksundo Lake is situated at an altitude of 3611m. We follow the valley route, which takes 4 hours to reach Phoksundo Lake passing by the Phoksundo and Pungmo rivers as well as pine trees. We get our first glimpse of the lake sparkling in the light below us from the top of a high mountain. One of Nepal’s highest waterfalls is also found here. The route is then towards the birch forests to Ringmo.  Ringmo is a charming village on the edges of the Mountain.

Do not skip this day. You have been climbing steadily, and the next sections push higher. Walk to the upper end of the lake, visit the small Bon monastery at Ringmo village, or simply sit by the water. Your body needs this time. Your soul will too.

We leave the lake today by following the trail west, passing through wooden bridge-like structures till we meet a grassland that leads to the Phoksundo Khola river bed which is at the altitude of 3,507 meters. The path leads us above the muddy ground towards the valley to the riverside, where we can all spend the night. It is a 5-hour trekking route from Shey Phoksundo Lake to Phoksundo Khola.

Today, the trek is through a glacier valley to the Phoksundo Khola and another stream’s junction recognized by an old wooden bridge. Phoksundo Bhanjyang lies at the altitude of 3910 meters. We encounter a sheep field and then a steep canyon as we climb north-east. Walking up here is difficult, so it takes around 6 hours to reach Phoksundo Bhanjyang. We must reach another valley in order to cross the Kang La Pass.

The day begins with a challenging ascent to the summit of the Kang La Pass. Kang La pass elevation is about 5300 meters approximately. It is a five-hour trek today despite its difficulties. The views of the valley below are spectacular from the top. The trail then takes a steep slope to the valley level. We stick to the river’s banks, crossing and recrossing the freezing waters. Mud caves can be seen lining the slopes that face down the river. We trek across meadows with mountain goats, yaks and sheep before arriving at Shey Gompa which is at the altitude of 4500 meters.

We’ll travel past juniper trees into a canyon today, where the track bends over loose stones and rocks to the top of Saldang La Pass. It’s also exhausting to descend the other side. Therefore, today’s trek requires 6 to 7 hours to complete. Nomadic herders with their sheep and yaks can still be seen today. There will be time to visit the red monastery built beneath a gorge rock when we get at Namduna Gaon.  We will spend the night here in Namduna Gaon at the altitude of 4800 meters.

The trek today leads us across barren mountains to Saldang village, which is situated on a plateau just above Namga Khola at the elevation of 3620 meters. This is the largest settlement in the inner Dolpo area, spanning a 2-kilometer slope. It’s worth mentioning that there are five villages totaling approximately 80 houses here. Because of its vital position on the trade route to Tibet, there are presumably a lot of residences here. The trek from Namduna Gaon to Saldang requires 4 to 5 hours to complete.

As we follow the Nagon Khola past the villages of Marang and Ki, the landscape becomes increasingly dry. Yangze Gompa is at the altitude of 4,960 meters. We will arrive at Yangze Gompa, another Bon monastery, after crossing a tributary of the Panzang River a couple more times. It requires approximately 4 hours to reach Yangze Gompa from Saldang.

To get to Namdo village, we walk through terraced fields, mani walls (stone walls with prayers engraved into them), chortens, stupas and a monastery. This prosperous village, which rises high above the Nam Khong Khola, has roughly 60 houses. We will continue walking for another two hours until we reach Sibu, located at the altitude of 4560 meters, where we will camp tonight. It takes 6 to 7 hours to finish this trek.

Jeng La Phedi is at the altitude of 4900 meters. As we go east and then ascend to a grazing field below the Jeng La Pass, we will most certainly spot yak caravans there. It takes about 5 hours from Shibu to reach Jeng La Phedi.

Tokyu Gaon is situated at the altitude of 4,209 meters. We only have to climb 200 meters today to cross the pass because we are starting from Jeng La Phedi at 4,900 meters. From the pass, we have a spectacular view of the Dhaulagiri Massif’s north face. After crossing the pass, the trail descends through rugged terrain to the Tarap Valley and Tokyu’s monastery. It takes around 5-6 hours to complete this trek.

It takes around 4 hours to reach Dho Tarap starting from Tokyo Gaon. Today’s scenery will be different, with grasses and marshes lining the riverbanks. Dho Tarap is at the elevation of 4070 meters.

We will spend the day in Dho Tarap on this rest day. There are approximately 40 houses here, with the majority of the residents being Magar’s, a Nepalese hill tribe. There are some Tibetans who live here and Buddhism is still very much a part of the culture. A Bon Gompa is just a short distance away from the village. We can explore the surrounding area, Gompa and village today.

Today’s trek approximately takes about 6 hours to reach Tarap Khola. The path leads us past juniper and wild rose bushes to a broad valley that narrows into a canyon. Before approaching the confluence of Lang Khola rivers and Tarap Chu, we encounter herds of sheep once more. We will set a camp next to the Tarap River today at the altitude of 3800 meters.

Today’s journey takes 4 hours to reach Khani Gaon. On the journey, we meet numerous locals who are primarily transporting their cattle to lower pastures. Khani Gaon is at an altitude of 3,150 meters. We’ll be walking over rough bridges, logs, stone slabs, and maybe even through the river!

We take the path to Lalberi village and continue through forests and a gorge until we reach the river. We will go to another monastery today, which is located on a hill just above Bheri River. We’re camping tonight at Tarakot which is at the altitude of 2,537 meters because there’s no ideal camping between Tarakot and Dunai. We’ll reach there tomorrow. As a result, it’ll be a short walking day for four hours today.

The hike to Dunai today is relatively easy, passing through a pine-lined ravine along the Bheri River. It is easy but it takes around 5-6 hours to reach Dunai, which is at the altitude of 2,140 meters.

The expedition concludes today with a short and easy walk to Jhuphal, situated at the altitude of 2,475 meters. It takes around 3 hours to reach Jhuphal from Dunai.

From Jhuphal, you will take an early morning flight to reach Nepalgunj and then take another flight to return back to Kathmandu.

Your Firante team transfers you to the airport for your international flight. You leave Nepal lighter in luggage and heavier in everything that actually matters.