Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Camping Trek 
Crystal Mountain Kora!
Great Himalayan Trail (GHT) | Nepal Himalaya Trek

Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Camping Trek | Bhijer & Crystal Mountain Kora Route – GHT Nepal Himalayan Trek
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You’ll be met at the Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from the Kathmandu Guest House. Once you exit the airport, look for the Kathmandu Guest House sign and a sign with your name on it. Rajendra (+977 9841623270) +/or the KGH driver will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House, where your rooms have been booked for you. Relax in their beautiful, newly expanded garden, hydrate, enjoy a snack and recover from your jet lag.

Kim will meet you at the guest house and introduce you to Thamel, the bustling tourist area of Kathmandu. Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Over dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Denchenling, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants we’ll get to know each other over a few drinks …

Day 2 – Kathmandu | Optional World Heritage Sightseeing Tour
Morning meeting at 9 AM in the back garden of the Kathmandu Guest House to collect passports, insurance information and photos, and go over some of our trek details and logistics. Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (see Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples.

We’ll have time for a bit of gear shopping in Thamel for anyone who needs to adjust their gear, and in the evening we’ll get together for dinner in another of Thamel’s great restaurants. Option to visit Boudhanath Stupa, Cafe Caravan and have dinner at Roadhouse Boudhanath overlooking the stupa. (B)

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji

Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepalis circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts and often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Day 3 – Fly Nepalgunj 150m
We have a scenic morning flight to tropical Nepalgunj in Nepal’s western Terai region. Our flight over the terraced hillsides and thatched villages of Nepal’s green middle hills, and across the western Himalayan peaks. Some of the peaks en route include Everest, Dorje Lhakpa, Shishapangma (Tibet), Gauri Shankar, Boudha Himal, Himal Chuli, Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu, Larkya Peak (in the Manaslu region), Lamjung, Annapurna 2, 4, 3, Mahhchapucchari, Gangapurna, Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna 1, Niligiri, Thukuche, Dhampus, Dhalagiri, 2, 5 4, 6, Mukut Himalaya, Daulagiri 2 (Annnapurna region). Finally, we head south and descend to Mahendra Airport in Nepalgunj, the largest city in the western Terai. Set in the steamy plains of southern Nepal less than ten kilometers from the border of India, Nepalgunj is a jumping-off point for many flights and buses into western Nepal. The drive to our hotel passes through the main road of this bustling town, a mix of modern and old Nepal, but doesn’t reveal the real Nepalgunj markets in back.

Nepalgunj is incredibly diverse, a mix of hill-Nepalis, Indians, Muslims, Hindus, Christians + Buddhists. For those venturing into Nepalgunj, you should look for the ‘Grasscutter’s Lane’ in the old bazaar, the main vegetable market, sample some street food on Surkhet Road, where you might also find the Kamaiya (bonded labor) camps. Local multi-hued beans exported from Humla are exported from Nepalgunj. Visit one of Nepal’s most sacred, and one of the region’s oldest, Hindu temples in the center of town, Bageshwori Temple, and note the Shiva with a mustache temple also in the complex. This is a Durga temple, so receives many visitors bringing offerings (sacrifices) during Desain and other Hindu holidays.

We stay the night at the air-conditioned Siddhartha Hotel, with a nice pool, a good restaurant, and is just a short rickshaw ride from the colorful bazaar of Nepalgunj. Single rooms are an option at Siddharta if confirmed early.

TRAVEL NOTE | Breakfast is included in Nepalgunj. If the group is delayed in Nepalgunj due to canceled flights, everyone is responsible for any extra nights, as well as lunches and dinners.

Day 4 – Fly Juphal 2490m. Trek Rupgad 2075m
Up early for our 45-minute flight to the small mountain airstrip at Juphal. The exact departure time is determined by the Mahendra Airport in Nepaljung that same morning. We’ll have beautiful views of the wrinkle of green ridges, peppered with small, terraced villages and surrounded by snow-capped peaks, from our small craft as we head north towards Juphal, the main airport of the Dolpo (Dolpa) region. It’s an exciting landing on their newly paved landing strip, built onto a small plateau just above the town. Juphal and the surrounding villages, built high above the Thuli Bheri River, are a mix of Hindu and Buddhist inhabitants with many ancient animist and shamanistic elements thrown in, an interesting vignette of the middle hills culture of Nepal. Women wear traditional Nepali dress, sarong-like skirts, and adorn themselves with gold nose-rings and earrings and thick, colorful strands of glass beads.

We’ll have some time to explore this interesting village of wooden and mud white-washed houses while repacking and loading our horses and mules (organized by Nima), which come from Dunai. You can resort your duffels and daypacks at Tarok’s guest house and camp site at the far end of town as we wait. There are a few small Nepali shops where basics like biscuits, sodas, juice, washing powder and rum are available.

Descending steeply out of Juphal through the terraced village of Dhagmara, decorated with frayed pink spots on the white-washed walls and hung with tangerine-colored marigold leis for Desain. The local Hindus are weathered by the harsh mountain sun, slightly resembling and ancient, carved animistic figures on the rooftops. Contouring around the terraced village fields, we pass wooden bridge posts carved with shamanistic faces which connect fields of red sorghum, millet, corn, buckwheat, local rice, vibrant red chilis and other local grains as we drop to the main trail far below. Other ancient customs such as hanging a dead raven on a high post make today’s hike an interesting one.

Once down the steep hill, the last section on a dirt trail, we continue to hike along a wide trail following the western bank of the clear, turquoise Thuli Bheri River. In back of us is Tripurakot village, an important Hindu pilgrimage sight with a tantric Kali temple, perched high on a hillside. Across the river are clusters of local villages, starting to resemble the Tibetan villages that we encounter higher up but with connected terraces. We pass more of the wooden, folk-artsy animistic figures along the trail, a throw-back to pre-Hindu and pre-Buddhist days, still in use, and continue to descend down to the river. After a few hours of easy walking along a newly built road, with the Kanjiroba range behind us, we reach a small, wooden bridge (which we cross) and a few tiny tea-houses of Rapghad and camp at a green clearing on the Rupghad Khola.

At camp we will introduce you to the ‘Kamzang-style’ trekking set-up – our signature Kamzang yellow dining tent, your personal Marmot Thor tents and our top-notch staff. Have a cup of chai, relax and enjoy the afternoon. A great afternoon hike starts across the small bridge, and continues past the local house and up the green hillside for about 200 meters, for incredible views up and down the valley. (2½ hrs)
Distance: 6.11km

Day 5 – Trek Chhepka 2675m
Leaving camp, we have a short walk to the new suspension bridge, at the confluence of the Thuli Bheri and the Suligad, which leads to the Army post and Upper Dolpo. A short walk up-river along the left bank brings us to a small wooden bridge (washed away in 2010) and a suspension bridge, both leading to the small hamlet of Sulighat, the entrance of Shey Phoksumdo National Park, Nepal’s largest park (3555 square km) established in 1984 (one of Susma’s aunties lives in the first house on the left). Trekking along the clear, blue Suligad River The trail is dusty and hilly, sometimes high above the river and often right along the bank. After two hours cliff-side hiking we reach the small hamlet of Kalarupi, where a friend runs a local shop next door to Susma’s grandmother’s house, always colorful with dried pumpkin, peaches and other local crops. Nearby is a fig tree, and the three-house village of Kageni, and just afterwards crossing the Suligad on a small, wooden bridge we reach the small campsite at Raktang. Continuing along the western (left) bank of the river, we pass several goths (grazing pastures) and the basic stone huts at Jyalhasa, an overgrown (with marijuana trees and spiky green pod weeds) seasonal settlement of the Ringmo inhabitants. A short way past this settlement, past red daisy-like flowers, is a wonderful swimming spot on sculpted rocks. We sometimes have lunch here and cool down in the river on hot hiking days.

Next, a gradual climb, hiking through open woods for an hour, to Shyanta where the owners of the small, green campsite and shop keep bee-hives, planted with wonderfully colorful flowers and an extensive garden. (Our second lunch spot). This region belongs to the pre-Cambrian Himal zone in geological terms, and is made up of garnet, schist, mica and quartzite which form talus slopes and make the valley sparkle in the sunlight. After crossing the river again on a metal bridge, it’s just an hour of ascending through a lovely forest of spruce, cedar (which looks like large juniper) and white pine, with mossy, lichen-covered rocks, to reach the grassy campsite at the hamlet of Chhepka, a small Tibetan settlement tucked away amongst the steep hill-sides. These Tibetans arrived here forty or fifty years ago, refugees from Tibet. In the Autumn the Tibetan women, dressed in their striped Tibetan skirts but having adapted a mix of Tibetan and Nepali clothes, will be beating their crop of dried barley with wooden threshing sticks and drying corn for animal fodder.

Head down to the river for a wash or there is a tap next to camp, and cold beers and salt-butter tea are available at the local Tibetan shop owned by the lovely Nyima. Look out for langurs sneaking down to raid the village barley fields from the nearby hillsides. (6½ hrs)
Distance: 12.66 km

Day 6 – Trek Chuniwar | Amchi Hospital 3115m
Another wonderful forest day of trekking through steep, dramatic gorges, the landscape reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest. We cross the Suligad numerous times today, crossing four bridges before reaching Rechi, two bridges afterward, and at least one tributary stream on a smaller wooden bridge. We’ll be trekking through rich forests of spruce (Christmas trees, round pricky needles), white pine, cedar (resembles large juiper, deep striped bark), fir (rounded needles), cyprus, birch, and larches (deciduous conifers, turning their Autumn hues), much of the day dwarfed by the steep canyon walls bordering the Suligad. We’ll also pass under massive walnut trees, with the shells of cracked nuts on the side of the trail. We hike on a trail of tangled roots and stones, up stone staircases and through flowering, thick woods of bamboo and these indigenous trees. The gorge is dramatic and deep-sided, and we often hike right by the riverside on flat, stone steps. Bird watchers will love this section of the valley; wag-tails and redstarts flit from rock to rock along the riverbank, and the trees are alive with many other varieties of small birds.

We hike 45-minutes through dense, damp forest to reach the first suspension bridge which we cross high above the river. En route look for the empty shells of cicadas glued to cedar trees.
After approximately two hours of hiking after leaving Chhepka we reach a riverside camp and take a break in the shade of large firs or on the rounded river rocks. From here, we start again with a steep climb of about 150 meters to a viewpoint hewn out between rock and tree-trunk. After admiring the Suligad views, we have a steep descent and a riverside walk on a stone path built right along the river. We’ll stop for lunch at a lovely spot by the river, and then continue for half an hour to the small village of Rechi and its small campsite. From Rechi, we have another hour of hilly trekking to reach camp. We pass a small bridge leading west and then, soon afterwards, reach the confluence of the Pungmo Chu and the Suligad, now known as the Phoksumdo Khola. From the west bank of the river a trail leads northwest towards the Kagmara La (pass) and on to Jumla. Our trail to Phoksumdo Lake the next day follows the west bank of the river, and the trail on the east of the Phoksumdo River branches off to the east and leads to Dho Tarap. Thus the name Sum (three) Duwa (trails).

Dolpo starts to have a real Tibetan feel from now on, the locals dressed in traditional Tibetan garb, and the women adorned in their Tibetan turquoise, coral and amber necklaces. Eventually we reach the lively Tapriza Cultural school and adjoining gompa, attended by children from villages all over lower Dolpo. The school is named after an important master from the ancient Zhang Zhung kingdom in western Tibet who achieved ‘Rainbow Body’, or enlightenment. It’s a good cause if someone is thinking of donating to a school. After visiting the kids we pass through the northern gate door, descend slightly to the river which we cross on a small bridge and then ascend very gradually to camp ten minute further on in the small hamlet of Chinwar. Note the small pikas (mouse hares) peeking out of their holes at camp. (7 hrs)
Distance: 13.73 km

Day 7 – Trek Ringmo 3615m
A classic Himalayan trekking day as we ascend towards Phoksumdo Lake and the large village of Ringmo (village at 3652m), the northernmost village in Lower Dolpo and the the gateway to Upper (or Inner) Dolpo. After freshly brewed coffee (the sun hits the campsite late morning) we head up quite steeply through barberry, cotoneaster and juniper for twenty minutes to Polam (3270m), one of the winter doksas of the Ringmo-pa. We ascend steeply for another 45 minutes through juniper to our first viewpoint (and rest-stop), and then another half an hour, switch-backing on a spectacular, dusty, alpine trail to a viewpoint gazebo (3700m) strewn with multicolored Tibetan prayer flags. This gazebo overlooks the magnificent waterfall, 200 meters high, that drain into the Sulighad. A bit further up at another set of prayer flags and we finally view the opaque, turquoise Phoksumdo Lake itself, a magnificent sight. The snow-capped peak to the lower right corner of the lake is Norbung Kang (6085m). We continue along this high, sandy trail, descending slowly through a lovely forest of larches and birch turning their Autumn colors to Phoksumdo Khola (river). Just past a series of entrance chortens we reach atmospheric Ringmo, built right above the banks of Phoksumdo Lake. Legend tells of a demoness that caused this lake to be formed during Guru Rimpoche’s conversion of Dolpo to Buddhism, a perpetual symbol of the struggle between the Bon and Buddhist religions.

This is wild country, a region of alpine meadows, flowered pastures, rivers, natural springs, soaring mountain views. Steve Razzetti, the author of ‘Trekking and Climbing in Nepal’, writes about this region of Lower Dolpo: ‘your heart will sing. This is trekking country to live for!’

Before reaching our idyllic lake-side campsite, we’ll stop to visit good friend, the lovely Mingma, the most talented weaver in Ringmo if not all of Upper Dolpo. We camp for the night at a spectacular, grassy campsite below the cluster house in Ringmo, right at the south end of the lake, and will have the afternoon to relax and wash up (next to the yaks, in the river draining the lake as it’s a sacred lake) …

Wander up into town after lunch. Several of the local tea-houses, fast encroaching on this little village, sell colorful, wool Dolpo blankets and a variety of other things, lots of which come from Kathmandu these days. Local Dolpo-pa women will often be weaving their traditionally striped ‘kamlo seta’ and ‘kamlo zangba’, striped white or dark blankets, on wooden looms outside their houses. Tibetan striped blankets are called ‘liu letpa’ in local dialect, and also available along with colorful, locally woven belts and bags. There is always a variety of local beans and legumes drying on colorful, woven blankets throughout the village. Nima’s family has a traditional tea-house at the top of town, not far from our campsite, where you can shop, get a cup of salt-butter tea or a cold beer. Ask to see the yersta gumbu that our friend Nima trades in.
(4 hrs) Distance: 5.84km 

Day 8 – Ringmo | Exploration Day
An acclimatization and exploration day in this picturesque Tibetan village of flat-roofed stone houses, mani walls and Tibetan chortens surrounded by juniper, larch and juniper forests. There is a small gompa in town along with an impressively repainted kane chorten (entrance chorten), one 300 and the other 500 years old. The ancient, white-washed Thasoon Chholing Bon-po Gompa, 500-800 years old, is a twenty minute walk from our campsite along the forested eastern shores of the lake, worth taking a short hike. There are four monks who reside at the Bon Monastery and will give us a tour.

As we’re camped right on the shore of the spectacular Phoksumdo Lake, the deepest lake in Nepal at 650 meters, with nothing living inside it because of the cold and high mineral concentration, take some time to soak in the fabulous surroundings. Remember the harrowing scene in ‘Himalaya’ when Thinle’s yak caravan attempted the ‘Devil’s Trail’? We look out onto this impresive trail from the dinint tent. Yak caravans will be heading in and out of Ringmo on their way north towards the border of Tibet, and our most northerly destinations, Saldang, Thinkyu and Tsarka. Gaze back at the snow peaks behind us; the lovely triangular snow-peak to the east is Norbung Kang (6085 m), the same we saw from the gazebo.

Ringmo is part of the Paleozoic geological zone, formed of shallow marine environments. Much of this zone is limestone and quartzite with bands of siltstone and limestone. To the east of Ringmo is the Mesozoic or Tibetan Sedimentary zone (dinosaurs), formed by sandstones, slates, shale and shallow continental platform sediments. In this section many ammonites can be found. Jackels can sometimes be heard howling just outside of the village as well as around other parts of these high Himalayan regions.

Day 9 – Trek Forest Camp 3675m
More stunning Himalayan trekking ahead of us as we trek along the western shores of Phoksumdo Lake, ascending on the narrow, cliff-side trail (the ‘devil’s trail’). We head north along this dramatic, precipitous (and slightly exposed) trail high above the lake, the scene of the famous yak scene in ‘Himalaya’. The mountain and lake views are wonderful if you can take your eyes off the trail! Half an hour later, we descend back down to the lake, cross a small stream which passes through a lightly wooded valley and then climb steeply, much higher this time and along a trail of loose scree and slippery sand. We eventually reach a crest at 3920 meters, followed by another at 4030 meters, the first especially worth a long rest and many photos. Ringmo La is a narrow pass 4090 meters another half an hour of climbing above us. We continue along this spectacular trail, staying high, as the lake opens up in different aspects in front of us, often with Himalayan griffins and lammergeiers soaring high above us. Near the northern end of the lake we make a long, gradual descent through a lovely forest of craggy Himalayan birches to reach the scenic and grassy Chabluk Phu, a local grazing area, just where the trail hits level ground. Local Ringmo-pa women have set up their tents as basic teashops, and sell locally woven textiles.

We’ll have lunch by the lake while we’re shopping with the Ringmo women. We used to use this as our campsite after Ringmo, collecting the driftwood for a roaring campfire in the evenings. One year our yaks wandered into the lake to cool down, a few still loaded (with Kim’s bags), a fitting ending to a Himalayan trekking day.

From the lake, we trek another 45 minutes further along a flat trail following the stream which soon grows into a river, hiking through white pine, scrub and briar changing to bright autumn colors, to our lovely Forest Camp, blanketed in the pine needles, tucked away amongst a large grove of white pines. The Kanjiroba hills to the left as we walk towards camp are blanketed in birch, with the massive hanging glaciers of the Kanjiroba range above. Local Dolpo-pa will pass through our campsite on their way to or from the doksas or higher up in Dolpo, and the river is lovely for washing. (5½ hrs)
Distance: 9.71km 

Day 10 – Trek Lartsa Camp 4200m
Our kora of sacred Crystal Mountain begins as we leave Forest Camp; there is sometimes a river crossing soon after leaving camp although the bridge was rebuilt in 2019. The valley is magical as we head north along the small Phoksumdo Khola with the Kanjiroba range and hanging glaciers providing a spectacular backdrop. Another hour later we pass a small campsite marked by a beautiful mani stone, with birds chirping around us as we hike, surrounded by the green of the willows and birches. The valley transforms into an open forest of birches and rose-buds, and then narrows as we follow the stream upriver to the first major river intersection to our right.

At the confluence of Tuk Kyaksa Khola, we continue to hike along the right banks of the river instead of turning right for the steep hike up to high camp. Our trail undulates above and back down to the water-sculpted river rocks on the shore of the river, and after about 45 minutes we cross an intersecting stream on a log bridge (or wade across). From here we begin our climbing, hiking up to a doksa at a cairn, and then continuing to ascend steeply with views down to Phoksumdo Lake and the forests of birches turning their Autumn colors when we get high enough. We’ll stop for lunch at the top of the climb, and then contour for about half an hour to our camp at a small doksa. (5 hrs)
Distance: 10.92km

Day 11 – Trek Tsakhang Gompa Camp 4630m | Cross Mentok Ding La 5130m, Crystal Cliffs La 4930m & Yamen La 4930m
Our Crystal Mountain pass day, with a long 4½ hour hike to the Mentok Ding pass, which translates as flowery high pastures. Leaving camp, we cross the icy river after 15 minutes of hiking north, and then begin the steep series of switchbacks up to the first ridge. Contouring and climbing, we finally head up into Mentok Ding valley, hiking above the stream and passing the damp doksa (high camp, 4650m) after 2½ hours. Jumping over branches of the stream on river rocks, we ascend several more hills (again steeply) to reach our pass. The last 20 minutes to the pass follows a nearly flat switchback. Ki ki so so lha gyalo! (May the Gods be victorious!) After hanging our prayer flags at the pass, we begin a half-hour descent to the river junction, the only spot for lunch until now.

Climbing again, we soon reach a possible high camp at about 4800 meters, though in 2019 the river was dry. We continue to climb gradually along an impressive cliffside to our right, cresting several ridges marked with small cairns to reach Crystal Cliffs La, where we were blessed by migrating cranes in 2019. There is an interesting rock climb to this pass, followed by a short descent and a smaller rise to the next pass at the same altitude. Finally, an easy half an hour descent heading right and across the tundra-like landscape to reach our incredibly idyllic campsite overlooking Tsakhang Gompa, which we’ll visit tomorrow morning. (7½ – 8 hrs, 15 km)
Distance: 11.18km

Day 12 – Trek Shey Gompa 4335m | via Tsakhang Gompa 4520m
An easy day, almost a full rest and the chance to visit the very special Tsakhang Gompa 4520m (see section below), with an easy hour’s descent to camp overlooking the fabled Shey Gompa and neighboring ‘Crystal Mountain’ (which takes its name from the veins of quartz that traverse its base), the most sacred peak in Dolpo which Dolpo pilgrims circumambulate each July or August, during the full moon, before the yearly grain harvest. The sacred mountain is knows as the Kailash of Dolpo; the mythology behind it describes a Tibetan Buddhist lama who battles the fierce local mountain spirit on a snow-lion, perhaps the same lama who founded Shey Gompa, called ‘Ribu Drurta’ in the Dolpo dialect. (see page 248, George Schaller ‘Stones of Silence’)

Most people know Shey Gompa from Peter Matthiessen’s ‘The Snow Leopard’, an inner journey and travelogue about his experiences trekking in Upper Dolpo with biologist George Schaller in 1973. Their team went to Dolpo to study blue sheep, and search for the elusive and magnificent snow leopard. Matthiessen was then studying Zen Buddhism and searching for the Lama of Shey Gompa on retreat at Crystal Mountain.

We have a very short descent to Tsakhang Gompa, where we hope the key-keeper will meet us and open up this ancient monastery for us. We can spend an hour (or more) at this scenic Himalayan spot as it’s a short hike to Shey. Leaving Tsakhang Gompa (see description below), we descend, cross a small stream, and then ascend, hiking along a high, undulating trail marked by fluttering prayer flags, ancient mani walls, chortens and pilgrimage sites atop the many ridges that we crest. Trekking past herd of yaks and perhaps some goat and sheep herders, we finally spot Shey Gompa and the neighboring village of Shey, a tiny hamlet of four houses and fifteen or so year-round inhabitants. In the winter, Shey is isolated from much of Dolpo by the surrounding passes, and snow is reported to be often waist-deep. A red chorten marks the entrance to Shey, where we stay for the next two nights near the gompa at a wonderful, grassy campsite. We are entering George Schaller’s blue sheep and snow leopard country, so keep the binoculars ready.

After lunch, we will visit the 11th-13th century, ochre Shey Gompa, a wonderful monastery full of colorful Tibetan murals and old statues that the gatekeeper, a monk who takes on the caretaker roll for three years, will open up for us. The Kagyupa gompa was fabled to have been constructed by a Tibetan Buddhist lama, arriving on the back of a mythical snow-lion. The murals are not old, but there is a valuable scroll that describes the mythology behind sacred Crystal Mountain and Shey Gompa, including where to find the milky lake in the interior of the Crystal Mountain kora which allows the pilgrim to see Mount Kailash in the far distance. Crystal Mountain was pronounced a sacred peak in ancient texts called ‘dho’ locals told us. To the left of Shey Gompa is another gompa, built into the cliff-side. You might remember the prayer room inside from the movie ‘Himalaya’. Make a ‘kora’ of the gompa complex and relax for the rest of the day with a book, soaking in the spectacular views from our campsite. Sadly, there was a theft of many priceless artifacts from Shey Gompa in 2015, and the keeper of the monastery was quite badly beaten by the robbers. This monastery keeper, a lay lama, was first married to the late Caravan Thinle’s daughter, and his son is Sonam Sangpo, a monk living in Kathmandu who will eventually return to spend the rest of his life at this monastery. (2+ hrs) 
Distance: 3.03km 

‘I flew through the sky on a snow lion
And there, among the clouds, I performed miracles.
But not even the greatest of celestial feats
Can equal once rounding on foot this Crystal Mountain’.
– Drotob Senge Yeshe (the lama)

Tsakhang Gompa 4520m
Trekking to Shey, we make a pilgrimage to the sacred Tsakhang Gompa situated up a valley to the west of Shey, Tsakhang Gompa (which means red house, after the cliffs), perched amongst craggy, ochre cliffs. Tsakhang Gompa, of the Kagyupa sect, is known for its teachers Tilopa, Marpa and Milarepa and set spectacularly in the cliff-side and with a sunny slate deck in front. The white gompa on the left is the dukhang, or puja gompa. To the left of this is a sacred spring in a small cave, in back of a white chorten, and below that an important lama’s hand print in a rock. Look for the saligram in the rock on the pathway nearby. The same lama’s footprint is under a small door between the two gompas. The larger gompa also houses a kitchen and a small prayer room filled with colorful Buddhist paintings and rare thankas. The incarnation of the first Tsakhang lama, the 17th ‘trulku’ of this line, is a young lama from Phijor now studying in Kathmandu. 

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Ngongda La (Snowfields Camp) Route

Day 10 – Trek Ngongda La High Camp (Snowfields Camp) 4625m
A beautiful day of hiking, with a few river crossings (bring sandals) where we gain some real altitude. We are entering further into the real Dolpo; to emerge into this mythical Tibetan region we have to cross the Ngongda La or Kang La, called the Kanga La in Peter Mattheissen’s ‘The Snow Leopard’, a beautiful, often snow covered pass.

There is sometimes a river crossing soon after leaving camp although the bridge was rebuilt in 2019. The valley is magical as we head north along the small Phoksumdo Khola with the Kanjiroba range and hanging glaciers providing a spectacular backdrop. Another hour later we pass a small campsite marked by a beautiful mani stone, with birds chirping around us as we hike surrounded by the green of the willows and birches. The valley transforms into an open forest of birches and rose-buds, and then narrows as we follow the stream upriver to the first major river intersection to our right.

At the confluence of Tuk Kyaksa Khola we climb through stones and boulders on a small trail, crossing the stream several times by rock-hopping, wading or on small, wooden bridges. Finally, a few tough hours later, we reach our ‘high’ camp, which Matheissen named Snowfields Camp. We’ve made a large ascent in altitude today, so take some Diamox, drink lots of water and have a rest as we set up our cold but scenic campsite for the night. We were snowed in at this campsite in 2009 (with our tents almost collapsing) thus living up to its name Snowfields Camp! And wow, the next day will be spectacular! (6 hrs)
Distance: 8.53km 

Day 11 – Trek Shey Gompa 4335m | Cross Ngongda La 5345m
Now begins our trek to the fabled Shey Gompa and neighboring ‘Crystal Mountain’ (which takes its name from the veins of quartz that traverse its base), the most sacred peak in Dolpo which Dolpo pilgrims circumambulate each July or August, during the full moon, before the yearly grain harvest. The sacred mountain is knows as the Kailash of Dolpo; the mythology behind it describes a Tibetan Buddhist lama who battles the fierce local mountain spirit on a snow-lion, perhaps the same lama who founded Shey Gompa, called ‘Ribu Drurta’ in the Dolpo dialect. (see page 248, George Schaller ‘Stones of Silence’)

Most people know Shey Gompa from Peter Mattheissen’s ‘The Snow Leopard’, an inner journey and travelogue about his experiences trekking in Upper Dolpo with biologist George Schaller in 1973. Their team went to Dolpo to study blue sheep, and search for the elusive and magnificent snow leopard. Matthiessen was then studying Zen Buddhism, and searching for the Lama of Shey Gompa on retreat at Crystal Mountain.

We’ll have an early start for the challenging pass crossing and the long day, heading up the rocky valley behind camp and then climbing steeply past a small waterfall for about an hour and a half to reach a small grassy plateau, a perfect resting spot. Heading to the left, our climb is even steeper as our trail switch-backs up scree or snow to the base of the pass, where we will soon turn left and hike up a steep trail traversing loose slate to the crest of the Ngongda La (Kang La) at an impressive 5345 meters. And what a panorama we are treated to for our efforts. We’ll admire the views of the snow-peaks Shey Shikkar and Kang Chunne, both just over 6000 meters, and Kanjiroba behind us before descending steeply down (or glissading down through the snow) to the wide valley floor. Be ready for snow on the northern side of the pass!

After stopping for lunch by the small stream (Hubalune Khola) that we follow down the valley, we pass a long, ancient mani wall; two hours later we finally spot Shey Gompa and the neighboring village of Shey, a tiny hamlet of four houses and fifteen or so year-round inhabitants. In the winter, Shey is isolated from much of Dolpo by the surrounding passes, and snow is reported to be often waist-deep. A red chorten marks the entrance to Shey, where we stay for the next two nights near the gompa at a wonderful, grassy campsite. We are entering George Schaller’s blue sheep and snow leopard country, so keep the binoculars ready. (7-8 hrs) 
Distance: 12.48km

Day 12 – Shey | Exploration Day
For those needing a rest day, the 11th-13th century, ochre Shey Gompa is a wonderful monastery full of colorful Tibetan murals and old statues that the gate-keeper, a monk who takes on the caretaker roll for three years, will open up for us. The Kagyupa gompa was fabled to have been constructed by a Tibetan Buddhist lama, arriving on the back of a mythical snow-lion. The murals are not old, but there is a valuable scroll that describes the mythology behind sacred Crystal Mountain and Shey Gompa, including where to find the milky lake in the interior of the Crystal Mountain kora which allows the pilgrim to see Mount Kailash in the far distance. Crystal Mountain was pronounced a sacred peak in ancient texts called ‘dho’ locals told us. To the left of Shey Gompa is another gompa, built into the cliff-side. You might remember the prayer-room inside from the movie ‘Himalaya’. Make a ‘kora’ of the gompa complex and relax for the rest of the day with a book, soaking in the spectacular views from our campsite. Sadly, there was a theft of many priceless artifacts from Shey Gompa in 2015, and the keeper of the monastery was quite badly beaten by the robbers. This monastery keeper, a lay lama, was first married to the late Thinle Lhundop’s daughter, and his son is Sonam Sangpo, a monk living in Kathmandu who will eventually return to spend the rest of his life at this monastery.

‘I flew through the sky on a snow lion
And there, among the clouds, I performed miracles.
But not even the greatest of celestial feats
Can equal once rounding on foot this Crystal Mountain’.
– Drotob Senge Yeshe (the lama)

Shey Day Trip | Tsakhang Gompa 4520m
For those wanting to hike we’ll make a pilgrimage to a sacred gompa situated up a valley to the west of Shey, Tsakhang Gompa (which means red house, after the cliffs), perched amongst craggy, ochre cliffs. Descending down to the river, we head west to the left of the long mani wall and climb again on the left side of the river. We spend the next 1 1/2 hours hiking on a high, undulating trail marked by mani walls and chortens atop the many ridges that we crest. Soon we have views of Tsakhang Gompa of the Kagyupa sect, knows for its teachers Tilopa, Marpa and Milarepa. We drop briefly to a small, intersecting stream, passing white flags en route, and then climb again to the gompa, set spectacularly in the cliff-side and with a sunny slate deck in front. The white gompa on the left is the dukhang, or puja gompa. To the left of this is a sacred spring in a small cave, in back of a white chorten, and below that an important lama’s hand print in a rock. Look for the saligram in the rock on the pathway nearby. The same lama’s footprint is under a small door between the two gompas. The larger gompa also houses a kitchen and a small prayer room filled with colorful Buddhist paintings and rare thankas. The incarnation of the first Tsakhang lama, the 17th ‘trulku’ of this line, is a young lama from Phijor now studying in Kathmandu. (3 – 4 hrs r/t)

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Day 13 – Trek Donchung Doksa Camp 4715m
Leaving Shey and hiking up the hill in back of our campsite and Shey Gompa, we have a long, high and relatively challenging day of dramatic ridge line trekking ahead. In 2018 we spent the day with massive herds of yaks carrying timbers, heading from their summer pastures to their homes at Tata and Bhijer. We are hiking through more blue sheep and snow leopard country, and we expect to see tracks along our hiking trails …

Staying high, we hike past several cairns marking the highest points on the trail (4850m), and trek on a wide, open trail with breathtakingly beautiful views of Kanjiroba (6883m), Crystal Mountain, Tsho Karpo Kang (6656m), Hiun Chuli (6553m), Kakor Kangri and Changadi, and deep canyons dropping steeply down to the river valley to our left. Descending, we’ll have lunch by a small stream, and then climb a short distance to the small Khunle Doksa (4530m), owned by four families from Saldang, one of the women Amchi Dhondup’s daughter-in-law, our friend (and Tsering Sangmo’s cousin) Labrang Bhuti’s mother. From the doksa, we follow a dry stream bed and ascend on a switchbacking trail for about an hour to a small pass marked with a cairn and prayer flags, from where we can see our idyllic campsite (which means ‘small visitors’ stop in Tibetan). Just one more small descent and climb to camp, one of the most scenic and remote of our trek. Locals with their yaks, transporting cheese from Bhijer to Dunai, might pass just above our campsite. Enjoy the late afternoon sun at this high camp! (6½ hrs)
Distance: 7.79km

Day 14 – Trek Bhijer 3840m | Via Tata & Shyamling Gompa 4225m
Continuing to trek along the ridge lines and high plateaus, we have a dramatic morning of contouring high above black, sloping ridges, with blue sheep, Tibetan snowcock and Tibetan partridges grazing and foraging along the hillsides. After a gentle climb we reach a small pass marked by prayer flags and a cairn, followed by undulating contours, slightly exposed with the red cliffs of the deep gorge below, with possible patches of ice. Descending along many switchbacks from the last ridge of these contours, we reach a small stream which we rock hop across on the flat rocks, and hike for about 20 minutes to the lovely, green Tata Doksa.

From the doksa the group has two options: to detour to Tata village and then on to visit Shyamling Gompa, or to continue directly to Bhijer. Visiting Tata and Shyamling Gompa takes an extra 1½ hours more or less, worth the extra effort. Those headed directly to Bhijer just have to hike up a small pass and then directly down the hillside to Bhijer.

Tata & Shyamling Gompa Route | Heading slightly left from the doksa, we contour yet again on a high trail, sometimes following irrigation ditches, and looking down the steep valley for an hour to reach Tata village, most of the villagers married with Saldang and Karang villagers. Tata is a village of 9 households, many chortens and mani walls, textured with a patchwork of barley fields. Thinle has several friends and relatives in Tata. From Tata, we trek easily to Shyamling Gompa, where we descend to its large, newly painted chorten and ancient, slightly overgrown monastery complex

The Bon Shyamling Gompa, connected to Bhijer (the caretakers are from Bhijer), is the first Bon Gompa in Upper Dolpo, founded in the 13th century by a lama of the same name. There are 22 chortens at Shyamling Gompa, and documents showing support from the emperor of China. It’s also a popular grazing ground for large flocks of skiddish blue sheep. If the caretaker lama or his family is at their house, we can go inside and visit the gompa. Leaving the opposite side of the complex, we pass by both Buddhist (to the left) and Bon (to the right) mani wall to reach a small pass, where circling lammergeiers and Himalayan griffins watch our progress. It will take us 1½ hours from Shyamling to reach Bhijer, staying high until a long, steep climb down into the Bhijer valley, stopping at a chorten on an outcrop for a sublime view down to the patchwork of Bhijer.

Bhijer, on the border of Dolpo and Mugu, is home to a village Bon gompa as well as the Nyingma-Shakya Ngagyur Naser Gompa, which is connected to a private health post (see below). Bhijer, the name associated with a mouse and a rock, is an amazingly large and bustling village given its remote location. There are plenty of snow leopards in the vicinity, as we discovered in 2019, when two goats were killed on the same day we arrived. We camp at our friend (and former horseman) Tuldim’s plot of land just off the Yamchho River, a warm and lovely spot for a wash and a social campsite.

After lunch, we’ll have a walk through scenic Bhijer, in full barley harvest in October. We will stop into Lama Tenzin’s Ngagyur Naser Gompa just above the river, a 950-year-old Buddhist monastery of which Lama Tenzin is the 35^th descendent of the founding lama; in the Sakya Buddhist tradition, the lineage is passed down from father to son. This monastery has been funded by international donors, and subsequently has a well-run local hospital, which has both Western-trained and ‘amchi’ doctors. Lama Tenzin’s daughter Tashi Bhuti is the nurse at the hospital, specializing in childbirth and midwifery. There is also a young female amchi with a clinic next to the gompa, an intelligent and knowledgable Tibetan doctor. The same group of sponsors (which includes Moet + an American man associated with the Hyatt we’ve heard) sponsor the wonderful Bhijer School at the other end of town, which has 60 clean, well-dressed students residing in its dormitories. (6½ -7 hrs, 5 hrs without Tata)
Distance: 12.47km

BHIJER NOTE FROM ALTITUDE PROJECT | “Tashi Bhuti Lama is the nurse from the hospital facility at Bhejir (Vijer), which improved health care in the region, notably by averting many deaths due to poor water quality issues and the ongoing problems with childbirth. Tashi decided at an early age that she wanted to be a midwife due to witnessing her own mother’s death during childbirth. She accomplished that goal starting with gaining a basic education in the Dolpo. She has now achieved her full nursing degree and is considering a masters. She helps teach at colleges in Kathmandu when she is away from Bhijer in the winter months.

The hospital is the best equipped and staffed facility in the Upper Dolpo and is completely funded by generous sponsors from the US and Switzerland. I was surprised that they can operate for about $35,000 US per year. Equipment includes blood chemistry analyzers, ultrasound and also refrigeration for vaccines. Another such facility is desperately needed on the other side of the 5,000 + meter pass near Saldang or Karang. Basic health posts exist there but not with the expertise of Bhejir. It must be noted that Tashi welcomes referrals from other health posts for more complicated cases and will travel to other villages when possible with her portable equipment. It is people such as Tashi who have had the opportunity for education that are making the difference in the Upper Dolpo. Thank you Tashi! It is Dorje Dolma’s (Yak Girl) great wish to help establish a better-equipped health post in the Dolpo.”

Day 15 – Trek Nengla La Base Camp 4880m
Leaving Bhijer, we pass through several large kane chortens and past ancient mani walls to reach Bhijer School where the well-behaved students will be doing their morning exercises, singing their anthems and getting ready for the school day. Staying on a wide trail for an hour, we ascend through low scrub, flowers, and by the two small seasonal settlements of Phulak and Phalang where Bhijer women will probably be threshing or winnowing their barley. After an hour, we reach the Bhijer Cheese Factory (4235m), which offers a tour of the factory, which makes delicious yak and dzum cheese. From here, there is an optional 10-minute detour to a rangjung mani stone created during the time of the lama that founded Bhijer Gompa 950 years ago. We continue on the same trail, trekking higher above the Yamchho Khola, and make a short but steep climb to a lookout by a rock outcropping, with views of a pyramidal peak, where we stop for a scenic lunch. Fortified, we have 1 ½ – 2 hours to our high camp, a steady but relatively gentle climb heading towards the pyramidal peak, now slightly to the left.

Our high camp sits high on the plateau below, not far below the Nengla La Pass, with the ‘Bear’s Ears’ rock to our right. There is a small shelter near the trail (we are just off the trail), where locals can spend the night when on trading expeditions; the shelter is necessary as it’s another cold camp, wild country! (We lose the sun early, and get it late in the morning, so we might stay closer to that stone hut). (5½ hrs)
Distance: 6.95km

Day 16 – Trek Karang 4150m | Cross Nengla La 5390m
Leaving our high camp, we have a steady but well-graded climb through rocky scree fields, sandy hillsides, and more plateau to the Nengla La pass (5390m), where we will hang more Tibetan prayer flags and enjoy the spectacular views of Dhaulagiri, amongst other Himalayan peaks.

The descent is again well graded as we head towards the scenic twin villages of Karang and Marang. We’ll continue to descend gradually, with the vast expanse of rugged, eroded hills and peaks of Dolpo opening up in front of us, and stop for a break at an intersection in the trail, the right trail leading towards Karang. Hiking along this trail, we contour to the right, with more undulations, and stop for lunch after another hour on a grassy flat section of the plateau. We continue to head right, hugging the peak to our right, and then make a sharp turn on a rough trail which leads eventually to Karang.

Karang is home to Dorje Dolma, the author of ‘Yak Girl‘, which we have in our library, a wonderful story of a young girl growing up in Dolpo. Finally, after a long trekking day and the last steep descent, we see the beautiful checkered fields of Karang, and our perfect campsite near Karang School. As we’re right next to the school, we’ll get a visit from the younger of the students in the afternoon, and will have the chance to meet Pema Konjor, the school coordinator. Friends David Swain and Peter Werth both contribute to keeping this special school running after it lost its long-time sponsor. The teachers are particularly motivated and creative at this school, arranging dance programs and working for partial pay when there wasn’t enough funding. The school nurse, Dolma Choekyi (Angel) speaks perfect English and is an incredible addition to the school complex, in charge of the medical clinic across the trail. We will also probably get an afternoon visit from friend Tsewang Kyinzom, who is being treated for a goiter-like condition, and school cook Kunsang, who we helped treat for TB in Kathmandu. (7 – 8 hrs)
Distance: 10.89km

Day 17 – Trek Saldang 4090
A short trekking day to Saldang after we take an hour or so in the morning to visit Karang, where the autumn harvest is generally in full force, perhaps finding the Karang Gompa key keeper. Karang’s beautiful Karang Gompa is situated at the top of the village near Thinle’s sister’s house (who is presently in the US with her husband). Look across the village to spot other ancient Buddhist monasteries high up on the far hillside. Passing by Karang School, we hike to the chorten and trek for 1½ hours on a high, slightly exposed trail high above the Nagon Khola to another chorten looking down on wonderful Saldang, the first house complex below us Thinle Lhundop’s family’s complex (4175m). We might visit his family for some salt-butter tea, sweetened hot milk or a cup of Tibetan barley beer, or ‘chhaang’. Watch the Tibetan mastiffs, chained up but with a fierce bark! Our first year in Saldang the low-caste butchers were at work in Thinle’s yard skinning three sheep, which would be cured and dried for future use. Thinle’s grandson, Dorji Gyalgen, is now in his late teens and attended the Saldang school until class 6.

In the clear blue Dolpo skies, large birds of prey and sometimes migrating Demoiselle cranes (October) soar above us, and we’ll share the trail with villagers collecting wood or traveling these ‘highways’ en route home. In all Himalayan regions, yaks are brought to high pastures to graze in the summer, and return to the village after the autumn harvests are completed. At this spur, with prayer flags fluttering from a lone pole, we look down on Saldang and the crinkle of dun-colored mountains to the north, bordering Tibet. You can see the route to the Panzang valley from the ridge and can pick out much of our route after leaving Saldang. The beautiful, pyramidal snowcapped peak at the border of Tibet is Danphesail.

Saldang, the largest village in the Nangkhang region (and in fact in all of Upper Dolpo), translates roughly as rising land, due to the lack of water in the village (note the deep, eroded gullies), and is colored by several scattered willows which grow amongst the traditional mud-brick homes. We trek through all of sprawling Saldang, up and down steep, eroded gullies, still half an hour of hiking to get to camp. Our campsite is above Amchi Dhondup’s family home, just past Saldang School at the far end of Saldang.

After unpacking and lunch in the tent, spend the day exploring the maze of small trails that connect fascinating and scenic Saldang, passing by mani walls and through kane chortens and around tilled barley fields. We will visit the newly renovated Samye Choling Monastery, gilded and sparkling in the mid-day sun, on the lower reaches of the village tomorrow, but it’s worth an extra visit during your wanders today as well (see next day’s itinerary). Again the labor-intensive harvest will be in full force, a fascinating look at timeless agricultural practices, and an exhausting time of year for all Tibetan border region villages, but essential for survival during the rest of the year. Local Saldang-pa will be up before dawn, and will only return home for lunch and again after dark during harvest time, as it’s essential to get the barley harvested, threshed and stored before the winter snows. An interesting fact about Dolpo and the caste system passed on from a visiting Lama, a relative of Thinle’s. Dolpo still retains an ancient caste system, discarded throughout much of the rest of the Tibetan Buddhist world, which doesn’t permit Dolpo-pa of the higher castes to eat with or enter the house of lower-caste Dolpo-pa.

In the afternoon we’ll be invited for a visit to Thinle Gyalgen’s house for some salt-butter tea, buckwheat pancakes, and of course the ubiquitous Lhasa beer, a strenuous hike across the many ravines which scar the landscape. The afternoon light across this beautiful visit makes the hike especially worthwhile! (1 ½ – 2 hrs)
Distance: 4.37km

EXTRA DAY GOMPA OPTION | Hire horses (approx $25 per person) for a day trip to Yanger Gompa, one of the oldest and most important in Dolpo, three or four hours to the north of Saldang along the eastern bank of the river. It’s a beautiful ride along the deep canyon bottom, crossing the Nagon River numerous time, but the saddles are NOT comfortable and it can be a long, cold ride! Along the way, you can visit Tiling and Giling villages. 

TRAVEL NOTE | Kamzang Journeys does not take any responsibility for our trekkers when hiring and riding a horse! Horses are contracted with the local providers and the riders.

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Day 18 – Trek Khoma 4215m | Cross Khoma La 4565m
The next few days take us into the remote, stunningly beautiful and purely Tibetan Panzang valley and some of the best trekking in all of the Himalaya.

Heading downhill to the Nyigmapa Samye Choling Monastery, we will stop at Amchi Dhondup’s house to visit his ancient family lhakhang (altar room), to see the ancient texts, murals and statues and some of his amchi tools and practices. The approach to Samye Choling Monastery is wonderful, passing a line of massive white-washed and painted chortens, and ancient mani walls to reach the monastery courtyard. The 500 (or 750) year old monastery was recently renovated by artist Tenzin Norbu and other local Dolpo artists, a unique mix of traditional and slightly quirky Buddhist murals. It was rebuilt in 1997 by Nyima Lama Rimpoche with help from the community. Attached to the monastery is Amchi Dhondup’s amchi hospital, an herbal (and western) clinic, the tradition carried on by the amchi’s son. Again please do leave a donation to both the monastery and the amchi clinic.

Descending along the route to Dho, we cross the Nagon Khola on a new suspension bridge and trek straight up the dusty ridge on a steep, rocky switch-backing trail for an hour. Dropping down to a dry, black riverbed, we climb even more steeply and for quite a while to a grassy plateau where we’ll stop for a much needed lunch break. From our lunch plateau we’ll have views of Damphesail Peak, a lone pyramid, and a snow-capped range in Tibet (or at the border) further to the left.

A further fifteen minutes brings us to the Khoma La (4565 meters), from where we contour gradually down to eventually reach the beautiful village of Khomagaon, locally called Khoma (‘gaon’ means village in Nepali) where we camp next to the beautiful new school on a large, flat and somewhat grassy plateau. Just before we reach camp we pass directly through Khoma Gompa and school where we might be greeted by the villagers. Dolpo blankets and aprons will certainly be on offer in the afternoon outside our tent, which will be transformed into a Central Asian bazaar! Our good friend Tundul Mentok is the ‘head weaver’ and seems to head up the organization of our impromtu textile market; her sales are generally the highest as her weaving is exquisite, a Himalayan craft probably not passed down to the younger generation for too much longer. (5½ – 6 hrs)
Distance: 8.97km

Day 19 – Trek Pu Gompa 3990m | Cross Shimen La 4270m
After fortifying ourselves with freshly brewed coffee, we leave our campsite, hike through the many bustling village complexes of Khoma (threshing has already long begun in the autumn), and stop at Khoma School to watch the morning exercises and songs. Afterwards, we pass the village mani walls and descend to the river, and after an hour or so cross the Gurchhu Khola on a wooden bridge. Right afterward, we ascend and contour for another hour to a small pass, the Shimen La. From the crest of the pass, look down the valley into the expansive and green Shimen village. From here it’s a short but steep and sandy hike down to the intersection of the northern trail from Saldang, which follows the Panjyan (Panzang) Khola. We are now in the Panzang district of Dolpo, which Kenneth Bauer writes much about in his book, High Frontiers; his wonderful organization DROKPA is worth researching. Shimen is just past this intersection, across a small, wooden bridge. Snellgrove, who visited Dolpo in the 1960s, wrote ‘Shimen is the most pleasant of Dolpo’s villages just because of its many trees’ and you’ll notice the difference between Shimen and Khoma! Shimen Gompa is in the middle of town, and we may stop to visit a family that we helped last year before continuing on to our campsite an hour (plus) down the valley.

Once through bustling Shimen, where villagers will be threshing their barley, we continue past the long line of crumbling mani walls and massive, ancient chortens and drop down to follow the Panzang Khola. We hike along this riverside trail for about an hour, sharing it with flocks of sheep and goats returning to Shimen, before turning right up a narrow canyon, crossing the small bridge and climbing steeply to Mendo, is a seasonal doksa with a mani wall and stone enclosures. To the north a trail ascends to the Yanan La (5487m) into Tibet, a locally used trade route. Continuing another 15 minutes out of Mendo we cross a wooden bridge to reach the small Pu Gompa, where camp is set near a lovely grove of willows and next to a refreshing stream. There may be monks living in the gompa who will open the prayer rooms for us in the afternoon, and there will certainly be blue sheep watching us from the steep ridges across the river. Note the ancient meditation cave retreats, the ruins of an old monastery and chortens across the river, up in the hillsides. (6 hrs)
Distance: 13.19km

Day 20 – Trek Thinkyu (Thinje) 4160m | Siddhartha Kulu Mountain School 4235m
Heading south along the Panzang Khola along the eastern bank we trek past more carved mani walls giving thanks to the local gods and Namgyal Chorten high up in the hills across the river. We stay along the river bank and enjoy the easy trekking to a seasonal village and then to the small hamlet of Phalwa, where another trail branches off to the north heading to the Tibetan border and the Marim La (5488m), signifying how important trade still is between Dolpo and Tibet. Crossing the intersecting stream, we climb slightly to an impressive group of large and ancient chortens and mani walls adorned with fluttering, multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags where we will stop to enjoy the serene setting. Notice the unique square chorten base with five smaller chortens on top, just next to the main, whitewashed kane chorten.

We trek another flat hour to Thinkyu, a sprawling and fascinating village, home to many of the villagers from the movie ‘Himalaya’ (other actors from Dho Tarap and Tsarkha). Tenzin Norbu, the well-known ‘Ngagpa’ painter of Dolpo, also comes from Thinkyu. In the olden times, his ancestors, also monk painters, traveled to Lo Monthang in Mustang to pay their tribute in murals, thankas and mani walls. Today his family still resides over Tralung Gompa, built high above the village, surrounded by mani stones and chortens.

Kula Ri is the sacred peak in front of the village and Baikher Danda is the craggy range directly to the east of Thinkyu. Thinle Gyalgen knows many people in this village, so we’ll have a chance to visit some of the local households and wander the village with the goats and sheep. There is an interesting and ancient look-out tower (or customs towers) just above the covered bridge at the lowest end of the village, below the now harvested barley fields.

Our old campsite was idyllic, across his covered wooden bridge on the grassy banks of the Panzang Khola which veers off to the south and Tokyu (near Dho) but was washed out by massive floods in 2018. We now generally camp in the grounds of Siddhartha Kulu Mountain School, 20 minutes past the main parts of the village, a lovely, grassy spot just below Tralung Gompa, and obviously quite lively!

A possible afternoon continues further southeast along Polte Khola, a flat one hour walk through small hamlets of Nilu and Dhaugaon to Polte village, all of which will be bustling with the harvest-time threshing and winnowing of the barley and digging up of the potatoes. There is another small monastery about an hour up the same valley; we haven’t visited it, but have met the lama who resides there. (4½ hrs)
Distance: 10.69 km,

Day 21 – Trek Shulung (Salun) Sumdo Doksa Camp 4430 | Hike Tralung Gompa 4530m
After a leisurely breakfast, those who are interested can hike with Kim and Lhakpa up to Tralung Gompa. The trail is just behind the school, several switchbacks to reach Tralung Gompa, just past the long mani wall and surrounded by large, ancient chortens, well worth the 300-meter ascent. We had salt-butter tea with the resident lama Karma Tenzin in 2009 (who has since passed away, sadly), and now visit his nephew Nyima Tenrup Lama, the 13^th lama in this lineage. The atmospheric Nyingma gompa was built just before Yanger Gompa, and features a Guru Rimpoche statue over the main alter, flanked by two snow lion carvings with serpent tails, a Shakyamuni Buddha mural on the right wall, a Ngari Pema statue to the left of the alter (Ngari is in western Tibet), and small statues of the twelve previous lamas to the right of the alter. Also inside the small, main prayer room, paved with slate slabs, are two small snow leopard pelts, a set of Yom (Bom) prayer books, and the usual monastic accoutrements of peacock feathers, conch shells, kangling horns, candles, offering bowls and the cham (lama) dance hats and masks, plus a beautiful Bhutanese silk scarf-textile.

Kenneth Bauer writes very engaging accounts of staying with Tenzin Norbu’s father, Karma Tenzin, and mother, Yangtsum Lama at their house gompa, Tralung Gompa. His book High Frontiers (an “ethnography and ecological history of Dolpo”, highly recommended to picking up your own copy) provides a wonderful look into the harsh every day life of the Dolpo-pa. We have his book in our reference library. 

After descending from the gompa, we have another 2 ½ hours of hiking to Shalung (Sulun) Sumdo Camp. Leaving Thinkyu, we hike right across the old airstrip (during the Khampa resistance to the Chinese invasion of Tibet, and continue to follow the local trade route southeast, heading towards Mustang. En route we might pass villagers from Tsarka with their yak caravans heading to or from Tibet or picking up supplies that they stashed, a timeless vignette. The trail is easy going at the start, following the Panzang River along the eastern banks, trekking past green kharkas where locals will be brewing their morning salt-butter tea. We’ve watched jackals take young goats from the flock near these doksas, and watched wooly hares dart across the rocky hillsides.

Our remote campsite is about 20 minutes past thus group of doksas, just below the main trail, and almost across from the Shalung (Salun) Khola intersection leading to Dho Tarap (where there is generally a large teahouse-tent on the opposite side of the river). Sadly for us, happily for the villagers, there is now a motorcycle track leading all the way from Thinkyu to Chharka, and another one across the valley leading towards Dho Tarap. We are generally surrounded by several hundred healthy, grazing yaks! (2½ – 4½ hrs)

Day 22 – Trek Mola Doksa 4518m, Mola Sumdo Camp 4790m or Tsharka High Camp
After a cold morning, we continue to follow the Panzang Khola along the Great Himalayan Trail; our trail climbs and descends, and we lose the views as we pass through narrowing, windy canyons with boggy valley bottoms, good grazing for the ubiquitous yaks. We pass the intersection of the Humlum Khola, and after another few hours of undulating hiking, the valley widens and becomes rockier. We cross a small stream feeding from a large glacial valley, climb and descend again to the wide plateau of Rapka (4535m). There are two campsites at Rapka, the closer one slightly less dung saturated, the next half an hour away, both with expansive views. Another 45 minutes, past more now empty stone doksa outlines, we have to cross the Dikhun Khola. You’ll need sandals for this crossing as the rocks are slippery, and the river wide (but not deep). Just past the river crossing is our Mola Doksa Camp (4520m), which we will bypass unless conditions warrant camping here. Continuing up our wide valley for another 45 minutes, we have to wade the wide and icy but shallow stream that winds through the flood plains to get to the access valley for the Mola (Chharka) La. We climb slightly and continue on another 45 minutes or so to our Mola Sumdo Camp, very close to tomorrow’s pass, a high, cold camp that gets the early morning sun to make up for the chilly afternoon. (7 hrs)
Distance: 23.11km

Day 23 – Trek Chharka (Tsharka) 4310m | Cross Mola (Chharka) La 5030m
Pass day, a much easier ascent of the Mola (Chharka) La when we start from our high camp, and following the newly built motorcycle road for much of the day. We follow several contours, without any steep climbs, for about 1½ hours to reach the Mola (Chharka) La where we have met huge yak caravan descending in years past, kicking up dust as the yaks ran down the pass, a fantastic sight back-lit by the sun. Just past the cairn-topped pass look to the right for a breath-taking view of the Dhaulagiri range.

We have another 2½ to 3 hours of contouring, sometimes steeply up or down, to reach Chharka and will probably pass villager en route collecting the evening’s firewood. It’s a wonderful time of day to be hiking, so forget the length of the day and look around at the classic Dolpo landscape glowing in the high mountain sunrays. Once we reach the line of impressive, whitewashed chortens along the trail we’ve reached the upper ends of Chharka and are close to our campsite. Chharka Gompa (see tomorrow’s description) is just below us to the right and Chharka village with more large entrance chortens is straight ahead. You might recognize the village from the opening scenes of ‘Himalaya’ as much of the movie was filmed here, near the river. We pass the village school on the left as we descend, pass through the large kane that marks the beginning of the main village, with small, walled alleys that fill with pashmina sheep and goats in the evening. We wind our way through this ancient village to reach the bridge that leads to the newer part of the village, with a few shops and possible campsites.

We will hope to camp behind Himalaya Hotel across the bridge with the lovely owners Melam Jama and husband Gyayke, her daughter in law Pema Puti, her son Lhargyal (Lha Gyalo) and their new daughter Dechen Chomo (2 months in 2019). Their dark teahouse is cozy, with a very Tibetan feel, and (of course) serves Lhasa beer as well as tea in the evenings. The other nice campsite option is to continue another 15 minutes to a green campsite behind a mani wall heading out of town. (5 – 6 hrs)
Distance: 18.55km 

Day 24 – Chharka (Tsharka) | Explore Chharka
A rest day in one of Dolpo’s most atmospheric villages, a great opportunity to explore this medieval feeling hamlet of closely built, white-washed dwellings. Hike back up to the chortens above the village before breakfast for an atmospheric photo of the village clothed in the morning smoke. Serkhang Gompa is just above the village, the newest of three Bon-po monasteries. This gompa was rebuilt recently after the second Serkhang Gompa across the river from our campsite was abandoned, which in turn was built after the original Serkhang Gompa, said to be 1000 years old, became uninhabitable (I have a Tsering Samdup painting of the original ruins). Also, high up the valley perpendicular to the bridge and intersecting river (the same valley as the original Serkhang Gompa) are two other ancient monasteries, an ani gompa (nunnery) and a Bon-po gompa, both several hours walk away.

Just below Serkhang Gompa is Chharka School where our friend Tsering Samdup (the painter) teaches, an interesting morning visit combined with the monastery. We’ll have a wander through town and visit some of the old Tibetan-style houses including our friend Tshering Kyinzom and her husband Tashi Tenzin. Tashi is a wood-worker who crafts Tibetan-style furniture to sell locally, and also makes the masks used in cham dances at the gompas. Their son Temba Gyaltzen completed a 3-year, 3-month, 3-day meditation at age 11 (which he started at age 8, along with 3 other village boys) and now studies at Tarik Sakya Gompa near Boudha in Kathmandu. Their other 8-year-old son studies in Chharka.

We’ve set up an impromptu ‘medical center’ inside our dining tent in Chharka when we’ve had doctors trekking with us, and have also arrived just in time for a big Tibetan festival, with all the typical Dolpo (Tibetan) components: chanting, dancing, music, eating and drinking in the ‘chang hall’ and socializing, the Dolpo-pa dressed in their finest Tibetan-style outfits. We’ll have a chance to visit friends Tsering Kyinzom and her woodworker husband Tashi Tenzin, a traditional Dolpo-style house, for a cups of salt-butter tea as we return to camp (you must like it by now)! This couple’s extraordinary son Temba Gyaltzen (12 in 2019), completed a 3 year, 3 month, 3 day silent meditation at the Sakya Tarik Gompa with three other young tawas (monks) of a similar age … 

Chharka has a salt mine, thus its name derived from the words salt (tsha) and kha (place?). 

Day 25 – Trek Yak Sumdo Camp 4735m
On towards the series of passes that will eventually lead us to Jomsom and Lower Mustang along the Great Himalayan Trail. We look forward to a lovely day of walking, gaining altitude as we head northeast. Leaving camp, we cross the Chharka Khola after 15 minutes on a suspension bridge and then follow the right side of the river for another hour or so on an undulating trail, and then climb gradually only to descend back to the river at Naliyang Sumdo, the intersection of the Chharka Khola and the Thansan Khola. We cross the river on a very high and long suspension bridge and then climb steeply (but a short climb) to the top of the ridge, from where we follow a good trail, ascending gradually, towards the high grazing plateaus. We soon reach a small, grassy campsite with a spring and great views, yaks grazing along the hillsides, followed by several other sheltered green sheltered spots, continuing to contour around the small hills.

Continuing to ascend gradually, contouring on a steep rocky trail through a scree field of large boulders around the hillside, we eventually descend steeply to the large, open, tundra-like pastures of Yak Mesa Camp where we’ll stop for lunch if we haven’t yet eaten. After crossing the plateau, we have a chilly but shallow river crossing, followed by a relatively big climb to the top of the hillside, again trekking next to grazing yaks. Just before our descent to the next valley, we look down onto a sublimely beautiful scene of the Thansan Khola snaking its way up the plateau, with snow peaks catching the early afternoon sun, Annapurna I peaking out in the middle of these peaks. We descend easily to our Yak Sumdo Camp just below our trail, near the end of the river valley, with pretty good afternoon sun and the possibility of another yak-dung fire in the evening as we have a chilly night ahead. (6½ hrs,)
Distance: 13.97km

Day 26 – Trek Yak Doksa Camp 4990m
Two early morning river crossings, both very shallow but with icy rocks which make it challenging to rock hop across, the second crossing the Thansan Khola just a 5 minute walk after crossing our stream. We trek along the river, past a grassy campsite and doksa called Yakulung (4665m), and then another called Dinger (4765m), all the time on this large, flat and grassy plateau. We continue to follow the undulating trail along the Thansan Khola, trekking right next to the river on a narrow trail, rock-hopping across an intersecting stream (icy again), and eventually start our series of small hill climbs. We have one more crossing of the wide, rocky (and again generally icy) Thansan Khola, finally reach our flat, wide Yak Doksa campsite, a winter grazing settlement of the Chharka-pa. Locals have told us that they spend the winters in this remote, cold and high campsite (as well as the doksas that we’ve just trekked past) to bring the female yaks and their young into paddocks every evening, keeping them safer from the snow leopards and wolves that are common inhabitants of this plateau. (The male yaks roam freely throughout this valley, too big and powerful to be food for the predators).

We’ll collect another large pile of dung for a roaring fire in the evening as it’s even colder at our highest campsite on the trek. There was a snow leopard siting by our staff a few years ago as they sat around this fire. (4 hrs)
Distance: 8.71km

Day 27 – Trek Ghulden River Camp 4345m or Ghok 4110m | Cross Niwar La (Jungben La) 5560m
Our double pass day today has to be on the top-10 list of Himalayan trekking days, a spectacular, wild and generally chilly day of superlatives. From the intersection of Malung Khola (to the left of camp) and Thansan Khola on the right, we trek directly up the right side of the icy, shallow Thansan Khola for half an hour. We cross this small stream on flat rocks and climb gently to a large plateau, a grazing area for 200-300 yaks. Continuing to climb gently, we reach a rock cairn called the Niwas La at 5120 meters, and then continue to traverse this vast plateau. After a rest we’ll make the last steep 300-meter traverse up to the Jungben La. Great Himalayan views from the prayer-flag festooned top of the pass, including Dhaulagiri to the back, and Manaslu over the Thorung La in front of us. The Jungben La marks the border of Dolpo and the Annapurnas; we’ve now entered Mustang and the Annapurna region.

After a good rest and many photos we start down the steep 400-meter switchback (it’s possible to descend by scree jumping straight down and through a narrow canyon-like opening) to the stream below, where we stop for a lunch on a grassy plateau about 400m below the pass. We then cross the stream on flat rocks (or a small bridge) and contour on a winding, gradually ascending trail to the next pass which we’ve called Sangda Ridge (5115m), and locals perhaps call Kewar La, a formidable pass if ascending from the other direction. From here, closer incredible views which include the peaks of Mustang and the Annapurnas, and a great lunch stop if not windy.

From Sangda Ridge we have an even steeper, and considerably longer, switchback down to the next ridge with cairns of sticks, followed by more steep descents through a brush-covered section of trail to our camp far below, at Ghulden River camp on a spur of land in the midst of this jagged, wild slope. A waterfall makes a dramatic drop just above our camp and falls down to a small, icy river near us. The evening is lovely as the sunset sends a pink glow over the distant snow peaks across the Kali Gandaki, but the sun leaves the campsite about 3. The winter settlement of the Sangda villagers, Ghok, is 45 minutes to the east of camp, or to the left as you look down valley. A previous year we have continued on to Ghok for the night to spend some time with these villagers from the most far-flung of Mustangi villages, though often there are some villagers in Sangda. (6½ – 7½ hrs)
Distance: 13.18km

Day 28 – Trek Sangda 3780m
Leaving camp, we head to the right as we face down the valley, cross a small ridge and hike down through a light forest of juniper and low brush, red with autumn colors, to a small plateau. We continue to the right and descend steeply on the exposed trail, partly washed by mudslides. We hug a cliff-side trail and descend steeply past falling icicles until we reach the suspension bridge at Kyalunpa Khola (3875m, Sangda Phedi on map). Climbing steeply up the opposite bank we pass a small doksa and contour on somewhat exposed, high trails with views across the steep valley to Ghok.

We eventually reach a large chorten hung with Tibetan prayer flags at Chotse La (4125m) where we bought a horse saddle blanket right off a horse one year. The scenery is spectacular as we descend steeply through hoodoos and past narrowing canyons and peaks open up in front of us. Dhampus Peak (6012m) is the southwestern most peak in this massif, and moving east from there is the Sechi Lek (5981m), Tashikang (6386m) and Tasartse (6343m). After a long traverse, we cross another suspension bridge and ascend for half an hour past ancient chortens to Sangda. Ahead, the flat mud village roofs with flags on four corners, backed by a mosaic of harvested fields, make a beautiful photo.

Sangda is a summer settlement that used to have 20 households but now only has 12-13, their now harvested fields golden and red with the remains of their barley and buckwheat crops. The stone ruins across the river is the old village of Sangda; even the oldest locals don’t remember when that village was abandoned, but our campsite owners told us the folklore behind leaving their old village.

The story of Sangda: Many generations ago there were two high lamas living in the old Sangda; one stayed in the village and one stayed high above the village. The villagers went to village lama as he was more accessible. The other lama felt neglected, became jealous, and made magic to break the village lama’s legs. In return, the village lama made his own magic and took out the high lama’s eyes. After many years of fighting, the villagers felt there was some bad karma in their village and decided to move their location to the present spot. There are also snow leopards in the hills around Sangda, the small ones sometimes coming inside the paddocks.

Most of the Sangda-pa now migrate lower to Jomsom or Pokhara for the winter, only 4 families now staying The few children of Sangda only attend their school in the village for 3 months each year, a challenging scenario for the villagers with young kids (there are only 5 that attend school. Most of the Sangda’s kids go to school in Lubrak.

We’ll camp just above the flat roofs of the village in the campsite of a small teahouse owned by Maya and Tsewang, and perhaps head out in the afternoon for photos or to visit the remaining villagers, with good shopping opportunities again at camp. (4½ hrs)
Distance: 8.53km Elevation Gain: 363m Elevation Loss: 804m

Day 29 – Trek & Drive Jomsom 2724m | Cross Pema Lajun La 4470m & Dolpo La 4310m
From Sangda there is now a jeep track to the main trail and on to Jomsom, so we’ll have the jeeps pick us up somewhere along the trek.

ORIGINAL TREK ROUTE
From Sangda, we start climbing right away, sometimes using the old trails to shorten the longer jeep road (with no vehicles yet). Enjoy the wonderful views back to Sangda’s rooftops as we ascend easily to the first pass (on the jeep road, there is a lower pass on the trail), spending the rest of the morning on the high traverse, crossing another three or four ridges to the next pass, marked by a large cairn of white stones.

After another hour of similar terrain, mostly following the jeep road, we reach the next pass. From here, we descend quite steeply into the Kali Gandaki valley, past a monastery cave (somewhere), and easily crest the Pema Lajun La (4470m), also called the Bhima Lojun La, marked with a larger stone cairn and a prayer flag pole. We have another half an hour of relatively easy climbing to reach one of the most scenic passes of the trek (and our lunch spot), which we’ve named the Dolpo La (4310m). From the pass, we have magnificent Himalayan views out towards snow peaks and down to Mustang’s patchwork of trails and villages far below. Kagbeni, Jharkot, Muktinath, Thorung Peak, the Thorung La, Niligiri, Dhaulagiri and the Kali Gandaki are all visible, an awe-inspiring site!

The northern (left) trail descends steeply down to Kagbeni. We descend on a wide trail heading to the right, the first hour not on the jeep trail, and have about two hours of contouring around, up and down the deep canyons to reach the last ridge above our destination, the Phalyak La (3850m). Below sit the fortress-like villages of Phalyak and Dhakar Jhong, the later village across the small stream. Enjoy the epic views of  Niligiri and Dhaulagiri as we enter the Annapurna region!

Finally we reach Jomsom, the district headquarters of Mustang, and we trek back to ‘civilization’ (road, trekkers, shopping, beers, bakeries and coffee shops) on the Annapurna Circuit. We reach the long, cobbled path that connects upper and lower Jomsom, along which beautiful textiles, woven on handlooms in the traditional style, and are displayed by Mustangi women. At the Trekker’s Lodge in the lower section of Jomsom near the airport hot showers await. We’ll celebrate our wonderful journey through remote Dolpo in the evening with our five-star crew, hand out tips and bonuses, and enjoy a few beers with the team. (3 ½ hrs,)
Distance: 10.08km

Day 30 – Fly Pokhara & Kathmandu | Transfer KGH
The end of an amazing trek, and an equally impressive exit as we fly by Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna range to reach Pokhara, where we transfer to a flight to Kathmandu. Back in Kathmandu, our rooms are waiting for us at the Kathmandu Guest House, hot showers being the first order of the afternoon! We’ll head out to dinner at the Roadhouse later in the evening to celebrate our incredible journey through sacredhope Upper Dolpo.

TRAVEL NOTE | In the case of flight cancellation out of Jomsom, we’ll pay for the rooms and everyone will be responsible for their own meals as if in Kathmandu. Unless you have flexible flights we strongly suggest you add at least one, and perhaps two days in Kathmandu at the end of the trek that allows for possible flight delays in getting out of Jomsom.

Day 31 – Trip Ends | Transfer TIA
Transfer to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for your flight home. We hope to have you back trekking with us again soon!

Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.

Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.

Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.

Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

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Traditional Route from Shey | Flight or Trek Delay Itinerary

Trek Namgung 4430m | Cross Cela La 5105m or Thinle La 5165m
The next few days cover some of the most culturally interesting regions of the trek, and the scenery is equally spectacular. We leave Shey and head east along the Sephu Khola towards the Shey La (or Cela La), a gradual three-hour hike up the valley past doksas (seasonal settlements) and many ancient mani walls. We may pass Saldang inhabitants en route to or from Shey as the people of Saldang own this region. Turning to the right and starting to climb less gradually following a small stream we soon reach the last steep climb which brings us to the prayer-flag festooned Shey La (Cela La) at 5105 meters. From the windy pass, we are treated to magnificent panoramic views of the peaks surrounding Dolpo, with Mustang to the far east, Tibet to the north, and Kanjiroba, Kagmara and Riu Dhukta, or the Crystal Mountain, to the West. The landscape resembles more and more the arid plateaus and cathedral-like canyons of neighboring Mustang as we descend through this other-worldly landscape.

TRAVEL NOTE | We may opt to climb up the hill on a smaller trail behind Ringmo to what we named the ‘Thinle La’ (5265m), about 4 hours from Ringmo. This is a more remote route, beautiful high Tibetan tundra, where blue sheep roam (we watched a show of male blue sheep dominance in 2015). There are several small, rocky streams to jump and several winding contours opening up to incredible views over Upper Dolpo before reaching the pass. The well-worn trail to our left as we ascend leads to Saldang doksa, and the flat-topped peak to the right of Crystal Mountain is Tsho Kalpo Kang.

We descend quite steeply to a small stream, where we continue to contour around the hillsides heading towards Namgung. We’ll stop for lunch at a seasonal herding settlement, and then follow our yaks, kicking up dust, towards camp. Once around the hillsides, the ancient red and white Namgung Gompa, perched on the hill-side behind Namgung village, appears impressively below us, the older gompa built into the cliff while the newer gompa sits with the two houses of Namgung. Other ruins of ancient gompas and dwellings are built into the cliff-side near Namgung, adding to the mystique of this area. Take a walk down to the crumbling gompa, but be careful as the trail is crumbling and often precipitous. Our campsite is a ten-minute walk above the small, five-house, fifteen inhabitant, village (we arrive first at camp), and we can walk down in the afternoon or morning to visit the Namgung Gompa. The lama has the key (his son studied in India) and will perhaps show us the ancient prayer books housed in the prayer room. From the village, it’s another five minutes to the old monastery, where there isn’t much to see. (6½ hrs)
Distance: 12.64km Elevation Gain: 773m Elevation Loss: 695 m

Trek Saldang 4090m | Cross Saldang La 4540m
A short, beautiful hike along the high trail leading to Saldang, with large birds of prey and sometimes migrating Demoiselle cranes soaring above us (in October), passing several doksas and villagers collecting wood or traveling these ‘highways’ en route. After a few hours of easy contouring and several climbs to mani wall topped ridges, we crest a ridge topped with prayer flags and look down on Saldang below us and the crinkle of dun-colored mountains to the north, bordering on Tibet. You can see the route to the Panzang valley from the ridge, and can pick out much of our route after leaving Saldang. The beautiful, pyramidal snowcapped peak at the border of Tibet is Danphesail. We call this point Saldang La although it’s not really much of a pass …

It’s a long, steep hike directly down the hillside to our camp, crossing several eroded run-off ditches along the way. Our campsite is at the far east of this large village, not far from the school and fifteen minutes above the ochre Saldang’s Samye Choeling Gompa, 750 years old, one of Upper Dolpo’s oldest monasteries, gilded and sparkling in the mid-day sun. The gompa was recently repainted by the renown Dolpo artist Tenzin Norbu and an apprentice, and rebuilt in 1997 by Nyima Lama Rimpoche with help from the community.

Take advantage of the free afternoon to wander through this fascinating, scenic Tibetan village, past mani walls, through kane chortens, down village alleyways and around tilled barley fields. An interesting fact about Dolpo and the caste system last year from a visiting Lama, a relative of Thinle’s. Dolpo still retains an ancient caste-system, discarded throughout much of the rest of the Tibetan Buddhist world, which doesn’t permit Dolpo-pa of the higher castes to eat with or enter the house of lower-caste Dolpo-pa.

The school kids from the local Saldang school will be by in the afternoon, as will lovely Tsering Sangmo, Amchi Dhondup from the movie ‘Himalaya”s teenaged granddaughter (she’s now studying in Kathmandu). Amchi Thundup’s house is just below the campsite; we might be invited to enter their family lhakhang (prayer room) and to see the ancient texts, murals and statues. (3 hrs)
Distance: 6.76km Elevation Gain: 232m Elevation Loss: 602m

2024 Dates
29 Sept – 29 Oct
31 Days

Trek Price
$6480
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT (ENDS 30 JUNE): $6280

+ NO Single Supplement for Trek (Single Tents)!
+ Single Upgrade Nepalgunj & Jomsom – $75
+ Price for 5+ Trekkers

+ Total Kilometers of Trekking (Approx) – 265 km
+ Total Miles of Trekking (Approx) – 160 miles

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Kathmandu Guest House Single & Double Upgrades 
+ Deluxe Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $135
+ Suite Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $225

Kathmandu Guest House | Extra Nights Room Price
Includes Breakfast & Taxes

Standard Single – $55
Standard Double – $65
Deluxe Single – $100
Deluxe Double – $110
Suite Single – $130
Suite Double – $140

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Includes

• Western & Sherpa Guide | Kim & Lhakpa Sherpa
• Upper & Lower Dolpo Permits
• Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) Permits
• Kathmandu Guest House (Breakfast)
• All Domestic Flights (4)
• Hotels En Route to Trek
• Group Transportation by Private Vehicle
• Airport Transfers
• NO Single Supplement on Trek!
• Kamzang Journeys Boutique Camping Treks
  Our signature Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness (dining tent), 3-person dome tents (NO single supplement), delicious & plentiful food with seasonal, fresh produce, yummy snacks & deserts, French Press organic Nuwa Estante coffee, masala chai, Kashmiri & herbal teas, filtered drinking water, warm washing water, library, colorful Indian dhuri rugs, camp chairs, blankets, occasional local tent music in evenings, oxygen & PAC bag (when needed), full medical kit, horses, yaks &/or porters, Western & Sherpa guides, & our 5-star Kamzang team!

Safety & Health Precautions | Included in Trek

• Thuraya Satellite Phone
• InReach Satellite Messaging System (Free Texts on Trek)
• Updated Route Published on InReach Site
• Helicopter Evacuation Services (Excluding Cost of Evacuation)
• Oxygen Saturation Monitoring System
• PAC Bag (Portable Oxygen Chamber)
• Full Medical Kit & Stretcher
• Filtered Drinking Water
• Delicious, Plentiful Meals
• Large Variety of Hot Drinks & French Press Organic Coffee

Excludes

• International Flights
• Travel Medical & Travel Insurance (Both Required)
• Nepal Visa
• Helicopter Evacuation
• Meals (While Not on Trek)
• Monastery Donations
• Equipment Rental
• Alcohol, Sodas & Packaged Drinks
• Laundry
• Tips

Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $250 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and tips. We recommend $350 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

Client Highlights & Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

Trek Highlights

• Our Wild + Unique Trekking Route Through Upper Dolpo to Mustang
• The Crystal Mountain Kora (Sister Peak of Mount Kailash)
• A Trek Through ‘Old Tibet’, in the Tibetan Border Region
• Vignettes from Eric Valli’s movie ‘Himalaya‘
• Turquoise Phoksumdo Lake + the Devil’s Trail
• Bon Thasung Tsholing Gompa (Monastery)
• Shey Gompa + Tsakhang Gompa (Monasteries)
• Tralung Gompa | Artist Tenzin Norbu’s Monastery in Thinkyu
• Traditional Tibetan Villages | Saldang, Khoma, Thinkyu + Tsharka
• Hidden Sangtha Village | Mustang
• Beautiful + Traditional Panzang Valley
• Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries
• High Himalayan Passes en Route to Lower Mustang
• Harvest Season in Upper Dolpo
• Spectacular Himalayan Panoramas + Peaks
• Wild Trekking, Few Other Trekkers + Remote Routes
• Lots of Exploration
• Extra Days for Cultural Village Visits + Day Hikes
• Beautiful Campsites
• Kamzang Journeys Boutique Trekking Style!

Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Kamzang Journeys Menus
Camp Menus

Dolpo Prints & Paintings
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath.

Trekkers’ Highlights
“I would recommend Kamzang Journeys and Kim and Lhakpa to anyone contemplating a Himalayan trek! We were well taken care of in every respect and I am planning to come again. Thank you!”
– Fern K (Canada), Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2019

“An amazing trek through Upper Dolpo, ending in Jomson in the Mustang region! When you trek with Kamzang Journeys, you explore villages, high camps, and experience the long term connections that Kim Bannister and Lhakpa Dorji have forged over many years of travel in this region. They continue to fine tune the route and have the skill and experience in Himalayan travel to ensure safety, and a beautiful passage through the sometimes challenging terrain. The Kamzang team is stellar, the food is remarkably creative and healthy and the day-to-day attention to detail and great skill in all the facets of trekking make for a memorable adventure. I have trekked with Kamzang Journeys many times over the years, and every journey has been amazing. Highly Recommended!”
– TripAdvisor Review, Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2019

“Terrific off-the-map trek of Upper Dolpo. Kim and Lhakpa are experienced, professional guides who provide an amazing experience. Quality of planning, team and itinerary simply excellent. I would not travel with anyone else!”
– TripAdvisor Review, Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2019

“Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek: It is very telling when the returning client rate is so high. You don’t even realize how seamless the entire experience is until you see and hear of other camping groups. The itinerary is well planned, the dining tent is spotless + a great hangout spot stocked with blankets, hand sanitizer, a library of relevant books, snacks, and tea. The tents are high quality and always positioned optimally, and if it’s a washing day, the staff will immediately put up a clothesline. The food is amazing, with great variety and local produce; you will not go hungry! What pleasantly surprised me was the added cultural element you get with Kim and Lhakpa engaging with the locals. Definitely recommend Kamzang and their rockstar staff; it really shows that they have worked together for many years!”
– Tanya C (USA), Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2019

“Attention to safety and well-being of the group was 100%. The staff knew many of the villagers so we were able to interact in a relaxed way, and were lovely people, friendly and attentive. The landscape was wild and beautiful. It is a challenging trek, however Kamzang were able to put me in contact with a local Dolpo pony man so I was able to ride most of the way while my partner walked!”
– Maureen B (Australia), Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2019

“Life is much too short to trek with anyone but Kamzang Journeys! Our Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek was a very remote and challenging trek, extremely rewarding, certainly a lifetime top-10 experience. No one can go on this trek and not come back changed in some significant way. Everyday of the trip was thrilling! There are not enough superlatives to describe the experience, knowledge and competence of the entire Kamzang Journeys team. Over the past 30 years I have traveled, hiked, trekked and climbed mountain ranges in many parts of the world and it is obvious and easy to say that Kim + Lhakpa are the best at what they do. By a wide margin. They are simply in a class of their own. My respect and affection for Kim, Lhakpa + every one of the crew could not be higher. Looking forward to the next one!”
– Mark D (USA), Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2018

“Don’t go to Dolpo with anyone else! This trek with Kim and Lhakpa was the best of the 10 or so we have done in the Himalaya. No detail was overlooked, making for a camp that was the envy of other groups! Kim’s ability to engage with local villagers added another dimension to our experience as the locals invited us to join them in their schools, homes and daily tasks. The food was imaginative, well-presented and plentiful, and served with a smile. Kamzang Journeys crew were unfailingly helpful and generous with their time, responding to individual needs as far as possible. An experience not to be missed!”
– Karen D (Australia), GHT | Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2014

Upper Dolpo trek, along the Great Himalayan Trail; the perfect combination offered by the Kim + Lhakpa duo, who led this adventure in a very safe, very friendly and very professional manner. Top quality of the trek itineraries (off the beaten tracks with good acclimation to higher elevations), great energetic food, a smart pace for the 28 hiking days. Just perfect, hats off! Thanks Kim, Lhakpa and Kamzang team!
– Jose F (France), Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2018

“Kamzang Journeys & Kim run great treks! Lhakpa and Kim are highly experienced, skilled guides. Kim’s creative finesse makes for truly memorable trekking. A fantastic crew, dedicated & savvy, and a wonderful cook, Junar, are integral to this great team. A passion for the cultures of the Himalaya, a depth of knowledge and understanding, are all a part of what Kim shares, with great generosity and exuberance. Interactions with local villagers, from kids to elders, are a big part of Kamzang style.

I admire Kim’s creativity, deep love and knowledge of this part of the world, which she shares so generously. She is an awesome trek leader. Her incredible strength & athleticism are matched by her truly deep integrity & compassion. I have the utmost respect and admiration for all that she does. One of the great joys of this trip was watching Kim interact with kids + locals. Magical! I am grateful for the skill & great guiding wisdom that Kamzang Journeys exemplifies. Thank you for your kindness, patience and marvelous, positive spirits & good humor. The Upper Dolpo trek of October 2014 was an incredible journey. Highly recommended!”
– Susan L (Canada), GHT | Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2014

“Our Upper Dolpo to Mustang trek was a challenging trek to a fascinating land; anyone wanting to see what Tibet was like before its culture and religion were decimated only needs to take this trek. That is, if you’re a strong trekker and confident that you would perform well at the altitudes involved. If you’re not sure that you meet these criteria, consider one of Kim’s less-demanding treks – she has many from which to choose – and she and her top-notch crew will make your trip as safe and comfortable as possible. I’ve been trekking in the Himalaya 5 times now, and Kim and Kamzang Journeys are the only way to go!”
– Tad H (USA) Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2018

“Kamzang Journeys is fantastic! Other hiking groups had to turn back due to heavy snow on passes, Kim, through her extensive local network was able to get us into Upper Dolpo using an alternate route. Her love of Nepal and it’s people is evident in everything she does. She had the best price when you look at what’s included and length of trip. The food on the trek was outstanding. I was so impressed I am doing another 2 treks with Kim this year. Absolutely outstanding!”
– Lorraine H (Australia), GHT | Upper Dolpo to Jomsom 2013

“We had a wonderful time and greatly appreciated you opening our eyes to Dolpo. Your composure and decision making combined with your fun personality make you truly the best trip leader we could imagine. We look forward to many more trips together!”
– Mary, Kathy & Ross M (USA), GHT| Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang 2014

“I’ve just returned from my second trek in Nepal with Kamzang Journeys. Once again Kim and Lhakpa made the trek unforgettable. We were confronted with some very difficult situations due to unfortunate weather conditions (cyclone), however, Kim re-routed our course assuring our safety and the safety of her crew. In fact the changed itinerary was brilliant and a photographers dream. Kim and Lhakpa take pride in their treks and bend over backwards to accommodate the differing needs of their clients. Safety is paramount along with fun and a lifetime of memories.”
– Sue W (Australia), GHT | Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2014

“A heartfelt THANK YOU for a wonderful trek and fond memories of special people and their environment, and to you and Lhakpa for your hospitality and having made it possible to live these moments on the High Himalayan trail. I’ll never forget and will always treasure the experience! I read your Kamzang Journeys website regularly and read all the eulogies about your care, support and attention to detail till the last moments of our trek. They all ring true. You are truly a pro and I wanted you to know that it has been greatly appreciated. I consider myself a privileged person to have trekked with you in Nepal!”
– Jan Erik R (Holland, France), GHT | Sacred Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek 2011

Travel Reading | Enhance Your Trip!
Travel Books

Articles, Books, Websites + Movies | Upper Dolpo

Himalaya (Caravan) | Movie – Eric Valli

Eric Valli | Eric Valli Website

The History of Dolpo | Drokpa INGO (Kenneth Bauer)

Yak Girl | Book – Dorje Dolma

The Only Son | Movie Trailer

Peter Matthiessen’s ‘The Snow Leopard’ in the Age of Climate Change | The New Yorker

BBC Human Planet | Mountains – Sky Burial | BBC Earth

Nomads of Dolpo | National Geographic Blog

Yak Herders’ Vanishing Way of Life | NY Times

My Friend Tenzin Norbu | YouTube (Trailer – A film by Alberto Anzani)

The Emperor’s Mighty Brother | The Economist

Peter Mattheissen | Smithsonian

We’re No Tibetans | Kathmandu Post

Forgotten Regime | Kathmandu Post

Bon Voyage | Nepali Times

Articles on Yertsa Gunbu (Yarsagumbu)
Yarsagumba – The Film – Eric Valli

Yarsagumba – Curse of Annapurna Himalayan Region – BBC

Tibet’s Golden Worm | National Geographic

The Gold Rush – Kathmandu Post

Yarsagumba – Biological Gold – The Diplomat

Caterpillar Fungus – The Viagra of the Himalayas – NPR

Harvesting Yartsa Gumbu During the Pandemic – My Republica

Yarsagumba Fungus – Health Problems in the Himalaya Gold Rush – Science Direct

Overharvesting Leaves Himalayan Viagra Fungus Feeling Short – Nature

Gold Rush for Nepal’s Himalayan Viagra – Al Jazeera

The Killing Fields – Outside Magazine

Dolpo Prints & Paintings
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath.

Dolpo
The mystique of remote Upper (Inner) Dolpo, closed to foreigners for decades and still culturally Tibetan, has been enhanced by Mathiessen’s ‘The Snow Leopard’, David Snellgrove’s ‘Himalayan Pilgrimage’ and George Schaller’s ‘Stones of Silence’ among many other travel accounts. Legend has it that the ubiquitous Guru Rimpoche, who spread Tibetan Buddhism throughout the Himalayas, discovered this hidden land, a ‘beyul’ or refuge, over 1700 years ago, and it has been inhabited by Tibetan nomads, drokpas in Tibetan, for over a thousand years.

Upper and Lower Dolpo are now part of the Nepali region of Dolpa, but historically came from the Zhangzhung Bon-po kingdom which dominated Western Tibet for over a thousand years, later defeated by the first Tibetan dynasty, Yarlung, between the sixth and eighth centuries. Afterwards, Dolpo was governed by the Kingdom of Lo (now Mustang, formerly part of Tibet) until the Gorkha Kingdom took it over during its consolidation of Nepal a century and a half ago. Since then, it has remained isolated, partly due to its remote location, and partly because of the Khampa guerillas using Mustang and Dolpo as a base during their fight against the Chinese occupation of Tibet after 1959.

Dolpo has only been open for trekking and tourism since 1989, and then only parts of southern Lower Dolpo were opened. There is still a special restricted area permit needed to trek above Phoksumdo Lake in Shey Phoksumdo National Park, Nepal’s largest park, which has only been a viable trekking region since 1999 because of the Maoist activities in this region.

Dolpo has a population of approximately 5000 inhabitants, many of whom head south for the winter, and is home to some of the highest villages on the planet. One of the highest inhabited realms on the planet, Dolpo is still a stronghold of the pre-Buddhist, shamanistic Bon religion as well as several sects of Tibetan Buddhism.

There is a plethora of wildlife in Dolpo, including the snow leopard, blue sheep, musk deer, wolf, marmot, snowy hare, Himalayan thar, goral and more …

The Snow Leopard | A Pictorial Companion – Leo Montejo
Leo Montejo trekked on our GHT | Upper Dolpo to Mustang Trek in 2014 and is an avid photographer, and a fan of Peter Matthiessen and George Schaller. All proceeds from the book will go to mHealthKarma to buy medical equipment and or medicine for countries like Nepal.

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Yartsa Gunbu (Yersagumba) | The Himalayan Gold Rush
“For the past 500 years, Yarsagumba (Cordyceps Sinensis), has been prized as an aphrodisiac by the Chinese. It can be found in the high pastures of the Himalayas above 3,500m, and is traditionally picked in early spring before the monsoon rains. Each year, hundreds of Tibetan traders cross the border illegally into Nepal to buy Yarsagumba from local villagers and sell it back to China. One kilogram can fetch up to $10,000.

“The medical properties of Yarsagumba are numerous and many,” says Carroll Dunham, a medical anthropologist who has worked in Nepal for the past 25 years. Yarsagumba is known as an immune booster. It’s also known as a great aphrodisiac. It works in a way similar to Viagra. It’s considered to be helpful for impotence in men and it’s considered to be a great stimulant.”

This has meant that Yarsagumba has become the most valuable commodity in this remote region that has few economic opportunities. It has become so lucrative that the district government now operates a permit system for those who want to collect Yarsagumba. In certain areas, the permits are more expensive for people from outside the region. In others, outsiders are completely banned from searching for the drug.

From March, the Yarsagumba picking season will start again and hundreds of locals will scour the mountainsides searching for the valuable drug in the hope that they will make their fortune. But for many who live here, Yarsagumba is not a blessing but a curse. And they remember the old Buddhist saying that it will bring nothing but bad luck.” – BBC

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“Yarsagumba is a unique caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores (Ophiocordyceps Sinensis) infect and mummify a ghost moth larva living in the soil. A spindly fungus later sprouts from the dead caterpillar host’s head. Two to six centimeters long, the fungus shoots above the soil, acting as a tiny, finger-shaped flag for harvesters to find. This peculiar hybrid is the world’s most expensive biological resource. Yarsagumba thrives in the picturesque peaks of the Himalayas, at altitudes of between 3000 and 5000 meters, in Nepal, India and Bhutan, and also on the “roof of the world” — the Tibetan Plateau. In Tibet, it’s called “Yartsa gunbu,” which translates to “summer grass winter worm”.

Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for 2000 years, the caterpillar fungus is a highly prized tonic, touted for its ability to increase energy and vitality, strengthen lung and kidneys, treat cancer and asthma, and, perhaps most famously, cure impotence and boost libido — its supposed aphrodisiac effects earning it the nickname “Himalayan Viagra.” A 15th century Tibetan medical text also mentions the “faultless treasure,” which, “removes prana diseases, cures bile diseases, and does not raise the phlegm: a marvelous medicine. In particular, it especially increases semen”.

Locally in Nepal, harvesters get the equivalent of about $18 per gram (a single dried specimen weighs less than half a gram). But by the time yarsagumba is sold in China, the major international trade destination, it’s worth as much as $100 per gram. Gram for gram, that makes it more expensive than gold. The global market value has been assessed at between $5 and $11 billion.”

Nepalese authorities lifted a ban on harvesting and selling yarsagumba in 2001, spurred by the impossibility of preventing its trade in a secluded, mountainous landscape. The nation is now the second-largest supplier to the global market after Tibet, and although much of the trade still occurs secretly, the government collected about 5.1 million rupees in taxes (roughly $52,000) from the industry in 2011-12. Research published in Biological Conservation last year notes that in the late 1980s, caterpillar fungus was traded for cigarettes, noodles and other goods rarely found in remote villages. Between 2001 (when the ban was lifted) and 2011, the local market price of yarsagumba spiked by 2300 percent.

While purchased and consumed by the prosperous, collecting and selling yarsagumba presents a critical income for some of the most impoverished Himalayan highlanders who etch out a living in one of the most extreme environments on earth.

Despite dependence on farming in Dolpa District (Nepal’s mid-west), fewer than 7 percent of people grow enough food for the entire year, making it one of the most food-insecure districts in the country. And while agriculture is the main source of income, growing conditions are far from ideal. Yarsagumba is the second biggest contributor to household income, after farming, with 90 percent of people in the region harvesting the resource. In the 2010 picking season an estimated 50,000 people were involved in the harvest. The study found that caterpillar fungus is the biggest contributor to the cash economy of the poorest people, playing a key role in alleviating poverty by allowing isolated highland families to send their children to school, buy food, and pay off debt.

However, picking yarsagumba in freezing conditions with low oxygen levels is a precarious task, especially given that many harvesters lack proper shoes and have limited protection from the elements while they sleep at camps for the season (which generally runs for six weeks between May and July, weather depending). From cold alone, at least 13 people died in the 2014 picking season. Freezing to death, avalanches, altitude sickness, slipping in the snow, and slicing flesh on sharp rocks are not the only hazards yarsagumba harvesters face. The yarsagumba gold rush has bought a curse of greed and banditry to remote mountain regions. Year after year during harvesting season, the Himalayas are rocked by resource conflict, robberies, and even murders.” – The Diplomat

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“(Survey of people) collecting Yarsagumba fungus. They had paid high prices for permits, hoping to recoup the cost and make a profit by selling specimens of Yarsagumba, but the fungus seemed scarce in 2016, resulting in a bleak economic forecast. Most collectors were living in austere conditions, walking long hours to the collection areas early in the morning and returning in the late afternoon. Most were subsisting on 1 daily meal. Health problems, including acute mountain sickness as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, were common. Yarsagumba has become harder to find in recent years, increasing hardships and risk of injury. Medical care was almost nonexistent.

As abundance decreases and demand increases, there is increasing pressure on collectors to find Yarsagumba. The collectors are an economically disadvantaged population who live in austere conditions at high altitude with poor shelter and sanitation, strenuous work, and limited availability of food. Health care resources are very limited. There are significant risks of illness, injury, and death. Targeted efforts by government entities and nongovernmental organizations might be beneficial in meeting the health needs.” – Science Direct

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“Native to the meadows of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau at 3,000–5,000 metres above sea level, yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is prescribed in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine for a wide range of conditions including impotence, asthma and cancer.

The peculiar life cycle of the fungus has also earned it the names ‘winter worm, summer grass’ and ‘caterpillar fungus’. In late summer, the fungus spores infect moth larvae that live in the soil. The fungus grows inside the caterpillar, mummifying it and steering it into a position a few centimetres below the soil surface, with the head pointing upwards. Just before winter sets in and the soil freezes, a small bud forms and pushes up out of the caterpillar’s head. The following spring, a brownish fruiting body — a mushroom — emerges from the soil.

If the caterpillar fungus disappears, says Liu, it could lead to an uncontrolled proliferation of the larvae and moths, triggering a series of changes in the fragile mountain ecosystems.

And because hundreds of harvesters typically work in a limited area, they too could damage the ecosystem with their digging tools and by compacting the soil, says Shrestha. Bawa speculates that other factors may also be contributing to the decline of the fungus — in particular, rising temperatures and less snow in the eastern Himalayas as a result of climate change.” – Nature

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For more than 500 years, this exotic specimen has been coveted in the Asiatic market due to its aphrodisiac and medicinal properties. “It regulates the normal functioning of various part of the body and strengthens the immune and circulatory system. “It has traditionally been used for impotence, backache and to increase sperm and blood production.

Fungal spores colonise larvae that live in the soil during summer rains and, after mummifying them over winter, a mushroom grows from each caterpillar’s head to emerge from the soil.

The fungus is then harvested before the monsoon season, between May and June, when tens of thousands of tents invade the vast plateau in Rukum and Dolpa, which becomes home to 60,000 harvesters and generates 40 percent of the country’s yarsagumba yield.

The power to boost the libido attributed to the fungus has made it highly prized in the Chinese market and it has become a key source of income for poor Nepalese villages.” – Al Jazeera

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“Yartsa gunbu was officially declared a ‘threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last year, citing overharvesting and decline in its availability as the reasons. There is a clear need for Nepal to develop strategies to prevent overharvesting, improve management of the collection sites to minimize the impacts of the seasonal rush, and perhaps even close off heavily impacted sites for some time to allow for regeneration.” – My Republica

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Articles on Yertsa Gunbu (Yarsagumbu)
Yarsagumba – The Film – Eric Valli

Yarsagumba – Curse of Annapurna Himalayan Region – BBC

Tibet’s Golden Worm | National Geographic

The Gold Rush – Kathmandu Post

Yarsagumba – Biological Gold – The Diplomat

Caterpillar Fungus – The Viagra of the Himalayas – NPR

Harvesting Yartsa Gumbu During the Pandemic – My Republica

Yarsagumba Fungus – Health Problems in the Himalaya Gold Rush – Science Direct

Overharvesting Leaves Himalayan Viagra Fungus Feeling Short – Nature

Gold Rush for Nepal’s Himalayan Viagra – Al Jazeera

The Killing Fields – Outside Magazine