The Upper Dolpo Trek is one of the most adventurous, and exhilarating treks in Nepal, situated in the North-West part in between the Dhaulagiri massif and Tibetan plateau. The Upper Dolpo trail marks itself as the rarely visited and off-beaten trail leading you to the secluded terrain with several high passes.
Unexposed to the contemporary development to date, the Upper Dolpo Trekking takes you on a journey to the upper part of Dolpo with abrupt high pathways mostly inside the Shey-Phoksundo National Park. From the rugged landscapes, high passes to unique secluded villages with a raw genuineness following ancient Buddhist and Bon Po traditions influenced by Tibetan culture, the trek guides you to a distinct world exceeding your envisioning.
The main highlight of the Dolpo trek Itinerary is the pristine turquoise-blue 1500 feet deep Shey-Phoksundo Lake situated at an elevation of 3589 m surrounded by lush pine forests & snow-capped peaks all around. Also, during the Upper Dolpa trek you will cross five high passes; Kang La Pass (5380m), Saldang La Pass (5060m), Chharka La Pass (5015m), Upper Sanga La Pass (5515m) and Lower Sanga La Pass (5035m).
Traversing through ancient monasteries and isolated mystical remote land, the region is a restricted area only open for tourism since 1989. For adventure-seekers, there cannot be any other better option than the Upper Dolpo trail to serve your craving.
It is a long and challenging trek of over three weeks which is not suitable for beginner trekkers without any experience. The 27-day Dolpo trek starts with a flight to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu followed by another flight to Jhupal from Nepalgunj. From Jhupal the real trek on foot begins as you make your way to Dunai.
You will cross several ancient remote villages on your way before arriving at Phoksundo Lake. From Phoksundo Lake, the trail then leads to several high passes as you continue your journey traversing through more remote settlements.
The trek on foot ends at Jhupal and then a flight back to Nepalgunj and Kathmandu marks the official end of your trek. Presenting you with a distinct part of nature and wilderness, the Upper Dolpo trek although long and challenging is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all adventure and thrill-seekers.
Upper Dolpo Trek Difficulty
Upper Dolpo Trek falls under the difficult-challenging grade trek in the Dolpo region of Nepal. As it is a restricted region of Nepal that is rarely visited and prohibited to trek alone, the trek is certainly challenging physically and mentally compared to other trekking destinations in Nepal.
Difficult or Grade C level trekking which is also known as adventure trekking is more challenging than moderate level trekking as it involves crossing the high passes above 5000 m elevation and walking approximately 6-8 hours a day.
This grade of trek requires previous trekking experience and requires trekkers to be physically fit with good stamina. As the Dolpa treks involves walking on rough terrain for more than three weeks, it is highly recommended to get physical training beforehand like walking, hiking, cycling, etc.
The trek is suitable for trekkers looking for a challenging, and adventurous trek of more than 2 weeks in rough and remote surroundings.