Dolpo trek- travel in Himalaya

 

Dolpa is a remote himali district located in the Karnali zone in the north-western part of Nepal. The district covers an area of 3,046 square miles (7,889 km²) and the total population of the area is 36,700. Despite covering 5.36% of Nepal’s landmass, the district is home to only 0.13% of Nepal’s total population.  The district is headquartered in the town of Dunai which is situated on the banks of the Thuli Bheri River at an elevation of around 2000 metres (6562 feet). Due to the treacherous terrain and lack of infrastructure, the district is accessible only by foot and is regarded by tourists as well as Nepalese with a mystic and mystery. The elevation of Dolpa ranges from 1525metres (5003ft) to 7,625 metres(25,016 feet) above sea level. The district lies on the trans-Himalayan region of Nepal and is situated beyond the Himalayas.

 The main attractions of the region include the Churen Himal(7381m), Kanjiroba Himal(6221m), Putha Hiunchuli(7246m), the Shey Phoksundo National Park, Phoksundo Lake, Sulighad Falls, Shey Monastery, Byas Cave, Dunai, Dho Valley, Tarakot, hot springs at  Sahartara and Sulighad and various other monasteries. The district is rich in flora and fauna and the culture there is heavily influence by the Tibet which borders the district in the north and the east. (read also: trek in lower Dolpo)

 

Outside Access

 

The district can be accessed through the Juphal Airport which is linked to the Nepalgunj Airport which is situated in the south-western part of Nepal. Tara Air and Nepal Airlines are the only two airlines that fly from Nepalgunj to the Dolpa district.

 

Dolpo trek

 

The trekking to this region has been opened since 1988 and is regarded as one of the hardest but the most breathtaking treks in Nepal. The landscape in this region is mostly barren and untouched. The trek in Dolpa region includes trek to the Inner(upper) Dolpa, Outer(lower) Dolpa, and the Phoksundo Lake. The region which lies on the north of the Phoksundo Tsho is regarded as Inner Dolpa and the region south of the Phoksundo Tsho is regarded as the outer dolpo region.

Since trekking permits for these regions are one of the most expensive in Nepal, proper planning is absolutely necessary. There is a limit of foreign travellers who can travel to Inner Dolpa each year. The limit is currently set at 250 which makes the trek even more special and mystical.

 

Dolpo lies far off to the north west of Nepal. It is a beautiful place largely untouched by modernization, a result of being one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of Nepal. Dolpo is not a very popular circuit due to its remoteness, and tea house trekking is not possible here. Trekkers also need special permits to explore the area, since the government does not want to risk rapid modernization to throw off balance the delicate lifestyle of the inhabitants.

 

However, the very nature of this rugged beauty attracts a different breed of adventurers. Dolpo provides a totally unique experience when compared to the heavily commercialized trips to the Annapurna and Everest regions. Highlights of this trek are the beautiful and unspoilt Phoksundo lake, sharp blue in the brown landscape. Upper Dolpo is home to the Shey Phoksundo National Park, a sanctuary for musk deer and snow leopards.

 

Media and books about Dolpo

 

Eric Valli’s 1995 book Caravans of the Himalayas tells the tale of two traders’ adventures traveling from the foothills of the Himalayas to the high plateau of the Dolpo region.

 

The book was brought to life in Himalaya – l’enfance d’un chef (also known as Himalaya or Caravan), a 1999 film directed by French director Eric Valli. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Film in the Academy Awards in 1999. Almost all of the characters in the film are played by locals and the film depicts the daily struggle for survival in the Himalayas in face of extreme weather and poverty. The film portrays the lifestyle and customs of people in the upper Dolpo region.   

 

Peter Mathiessen’s 1978 book, the Snow Leopard, describes his two month search of the snow leopard with naturalist George Schaller in the Dolpo region. Regarded as one of the best travel books ever written, the book won the 1979 National Book Award prize for Contemporary Thought and also the 1980 National Book Award for Nonfiction by the National Booksellers Association from the USA.

 

Mathiessen’s travel partner George Schaller’s Stones of Silence recounts tales of expeditions in various parts of the Himalayas near Dolpo.

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