Dolpo

About this trek

Behind the Dhaulagiri massif lies a forbidden kingdom — turquoise Phoksundo Lake, ochre-walled gompas and a Bön culture sealed off by high passes. The Nepal of a thousand years ago.

Upper Dolpo is a rain-shadow desert behind the main Himalaya — a Tibetan world of mani walls, ancient Bön monasteries and herders moving salt by yak. It opened to outsiders only recently, and still feels like stepping back a millennium.

Our 21-day traverse begins at the impossibly blue Phoksundo Lake, crosses passes above 5,000 m and visits Shey Gompa beneath Crystal Mountain. It's high, dry and demanding — and one of the last truly remote walks left in Nepal.

Trek highlights

Trek at a glance