HIGH PASSES OF DOLPO

Day 1
Depart London.

Day 2
Those on the group flight from London will arrive in Kathmandu and will be transferred to the Royal Singi Hotel in the afternoon. Those not travelling with the group will meet us in the hotel this evening.There will be a full trek briefing in the evening.

Day 3
We transfer to the airport for the flight to Nepalganj. Located in the Terai (lowlands), the climate is sub tropical and it can be very hot here especially in spring. (Occasionally we may have to fly to Juphal from Surkhet instead of Nepalganj. In this case we fly to Nepalganj in the morning and drive for three hours to Surkhet in the afternoon).

Day 4
Usually the flights to Dolpo are early in the morning as they are subject to good weather conditions. The spectacular flight takes around 40 minutes. On arrival in Juphal (2440m) we will meet our trekking crew and after lunch we have an easy three-hour walk along the Thulo Beri River to our first camp in Dunai (2140m), the district headquarters.

Day 5
We cross the river on a suspension bridge and follow the Suli Gaad River. The trail undulates beside and high above the river as we ascend the steep lush valley. We have lunch near the small village of Kageni and then continue ascending the valley. We cross the river on small wooden bridges which have beautifully carved posts and pass through Jyalhasa, a winter settlement for the inhabitants of Ringmo. Passing through Shyanta we continue climbing to our camp at Chepka (2640m).There are a couple of small teahouses here which might sell cold drinks or beer.

Day 6
Today we continue ascending the valley passing through magnificent bamboo and conifer forests.The trail is frequently very close to the river and at other times climbs high above the river on steep and unrelenting trails hewn from rock. We cross the river a couple of times and have lunch by the river just before Renje. Later we continue to climb through forest, finally dropping down to cross the river at Sumduwa (3050m). We will camp either down by the river just past Sumduwa or a short way along the trail close to a couple of teahouses.

Day 7 - 8
Leaving camp we begin by ascending steadily through a forest of conifers as wonderful views of the mountains unfold before us. The trail becomes steeper as we zig-zag up to a viewpoint at 3585m, from where we see one of Nepal's most spectacular waterfalls. Look out for Blue Sheep hopping on the crags above. The trail finally turns a corner and descends to the village of Ringmo. Our campsite is in a fantastic location on the edge of the village overlooking the stunning azure blue Phoksumdo Lake (3540m). We will reach camp by lunchtime and have a day and a half to enjoy this amazing place. This must rate as one of the most spectacular campsites in the world. We can visit the ancient Thasoon Chholing Bon Monastery set at the edge of the lake about 20 minutes walk from our camp. Ringmo village is five minutes walk away - a picturesque village with flat roofed stone houses and impressive chortens. From our camp we can see the spectacular trail winding up and round the lake to Upper Dolpo. In the film 'Himalaya' this is called the 'Demons Trail' and is featured in the scene where a yak falls from the trail. We may well see yak trains as they head out of Ringmo on their way north to the Tibetan border.

Day 9
Leaving camp we climb steadily through forest for an hour. We are then rewarded with an even better view of the magnificent waterfall we saw on the way in to Ringmo. The Kanjiroba Himal now rears up above us as the trail undulates high above the river to the high grassy pastures used by yak herders in the summer. We have lunch somewhere by the river and then have a short afternoon climbing to the base of the Baga La. The afternoon ascent is mostly gradual with a final steeper climb to camp at 4000m, situated just below a waterfall. This is a wonderful grassy campsite with superb views back down to the valley

Day 10
An early start as we cross the first of many high passes. From camp the trail climbs steeply up the valley to our left. After an hour the gradient eases off a little and the valley opens out; we can see the Kanjiroba Himal in the distance. The climb seems unending and the trail becomes rockier the higher we go. It takes around five hours to reach the top of the pass at 5000m. The top is marked with cairns and prayer flags and the views ahead into Inner Dolpo are stunning. The descent begins on a scree slope along side several moraines by our campsite close to the Poyon Chu.

Day 11
Another early start for our second pass as we climb out of the camp site round the barren hillside on a spectacular trail. After an hour we drop down to cross a stream and turn off the main trail. We ascend a U-shaped valley crossing numerous scree slopes. The trail is not always obvious especially if there has been snow and so we will need to stay fairly close together. Finally we reach the top from where we can see Shey Shikhar (6,139m), Kanjeralwa and the magnificent Dhaulagiri 1 (8167m). A fairly long descent follows as we head towards a small stream and camp near Shering Gompa (4450m). (Please note if there has been unexpected snow we will cross the Numa La South Pass as this is lower and less steep. It involves an ascent on a scree slope and a descent on an unmarked trail).

Day 12
A beautiful (and easy) morning's walk down the fertile Tsarap Valley passing many small Tibetan-style settlements. We pass fields of barley and potatoes and the typical flat roofed mud brick houses of the region. We will reach the village of Dho Tarap (4000m) around lunchtime and have the afternoon free to explore the village and monastery set on a hill overlooking the valley. The village is a maze of mud brick houses and it is featured in the film Himalaya. Look out for the villagers in the fields dressed in their distinctive Dolpo striped aprons.

Day 13
We now venture into the most remote stage of our trek, as we head east along the trails of Inner Dolpo leading to Jomosom. Some of the days will be long and there are several high passes. The trekking will involve long days on difficult trails, as we trek through some of the most isolated landscapes in Nepal. Depending on the availability of water we may change where we camp. Inner Dolpo has some truly awe-inspiring scenery as we cross a huge barren mountainous desert. We start with a short easy walk heading east out of Dho. The distinctive red and white Ship Chaur Gompa can be seen across the valley. After Dho Ro village the trail splits and we take the southern route to Charka. The trail begins to climb steadily up through a treeless landscape with magnificent views back to the Chungla Lekh. We follow the Tarpi Khola to our camp below the Chanla Pass at 4530m.

Day 14
A long day as we cross our next pass. The trail follows the Tarpi Khola for a short while and then a steep switchback trail brings us to a col at 4990m with great views back to the Numa La. From here the trail eases off as it drops down to a small stream. After climbing to the top of the Chan La (5170m) we will be surrounded by wonderful views; the high mountains of Inner Dolpo and the Mukut Himal and towards Mustang is a line of broad white snowy peaks. Behind us is the Numa La and the Chung La Lekh. We descend steeply to the intersection of a stream with the Kehang Khola where we set up camp at 4400m. We may descend further to camp by the Barbung Kholai if we have time. We are now in Inner Dolpo where the scenery becomes increasingly barren amid this breathtaking multi-coloured mountainous desert.

Day 15
From the Kehang Khola the trail climbs before dropping steeply to the Barbung Khola. The walk from here to Chharka is spectacular as the valley ahead closes into a narrow canyon. Depending on the time of year and the water level we will either take the easier trail by the river, which may involve some wading (don't forget your river crossing sandals today), or, if the water level is too high we will need to scramble up and over a rocky outcrop. The trail then follows the riverbank for a while and again there is a choice of trails depending on water levels. The high trail contours spectacularly above the river with some narrow sections. Descending again to the river we now climb through a beautiful barren rocky landscape and we finally reach Chharkabhot (4110m), a wonderful mediaeval village with white-washed flat-roofed houses surrounded by barley and potato fields. The Dolpopa are mainly subsistence farmers, although they still trade wool and salt with Tibet, and we may well see them in the fields. We follow the Chharka Khola and camp a short way out of the village.

Day 16
A hard but spectacular day's walk as we climb to the base of the Sangda La. The trail undulates high above the Chharka Tulsi Khola before dropping down to a suspension bridge across the Thansan Khola, which we cross. The trail climbs steeply up the left side of the valley and after a few hours we drop down to a lovely broad meadow. The trail climbs through yak pastures for the rest of the day and leads to a camp at approximately 4800m below the Sangda La. The landscape here is remote Dolpo at its best. Stark, beautiful and high Himalayan scenery surrounds us and the colours of the mountains vary from shades of ochre and tan to green and purple.

Day 17
A very early start so we can cross the two passes. At first the trail climbs up to some prayer flags and yak pastures at 5130m (Niwar Pass on some maps). From the col our trail veers off to the left and climbs steeply to the Sangda La at 5460m. This is a long, tough climb but the views from the top are some of the best in all of Dolpo. After a steep tricky descent on a gravel trail we come to the second pass, the lower Sangda La. The descent from this pass is on loose shale and it can be slippery if wet or snow-covered. Watch out for Blue Sheep today, as this is an area they favour. Crossing the Bheri Khola we come to the winter grazing settlement of Sangda Gunsa. We will follow the Kyalunpa Khola for several hours to the village of Sangda, a remote outpost of Gurung Tibetans. Tonight we camp somewhere on the way down from the Sangda La near Sangda Gunsa.

Day 18 - 20
The last three days of the trek ends at Jomosom. Where we camp will depend on our earlier crossing of the Sangda La and the availability of water. From our campsite we descend steeply to the Kyelungpa Khola, which we cross by bridge. Joining the main trail to Sangda we descend to a stream which we cross. The trail follows the valley until the village of Sangda comes into view. We will have amazing views back to the Sangda La and ahead to a deep canyon. The pristine terraces of Sangda village stretch out before us and the scenery becomes even more impressive as we climb up onto a high traverse. We camp where there is water and continue following the valley crossing several ridges, the highest being 4400m. Each corner we turn boasts increasingly spectacular views as the Annapurnas come into sight. We finally round a col where we can see the mighty Thorong La ahead and spectacular multicoloured canyons of Mustang. From the highest ridge we begin our gradual descent each ridge a little lower than the previous one. Magnificent views appear until finally we see the green fields of Dhargarjun below us. Passing through Dhagarjun we climb one last ridge and look across to Niligiri , the Annapurnas and down into the dramatic Kali Gandaki gorge. A steep rocky descent brings us to the end of our trek at Jomosom, the district headquarters of Mustang. Jomosom is on the main Annapurna Circuit trail and so there are lodges, apple pie and beer! We will stay in a teahouse for our last night as we bid farewell to our trekking crew. Please note dinner in Jomosom on day 19 is not included.

Day 21
The flight from Jomosom to Pokhara is usually early in the morning. The spectacular 30-minute follows the Kali Gandaki for most of the way. We usually have to change planes in Pokhara and we will have to wait here a while before the short flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. If the weather is clear the mountain views are fantastic. We transfer to our hotel for welcome hot showers!

Day 22
Today is free for sightseeing in Kathmandu. You may wish to visit Durbar Square in the heart of the old city where the old Royal Palace, with its intricate woodcarving is located. Outside is Kumari Chowk, home of the Kumari, the young girl who is revered as a living goddess. The whole area is a maze of temples and images. Alternatively you may wish to visit the monkey temple at Swayambunath, one of the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world at Bodnath, or the most important Hindu temple in the valley at Pashupatinath. Various sightseeing tours can be booked and paid for locally. There is also the chance to take the optional scenic mountain flight for amazing views of the Himalaya including Everest in the morning. This can be booked and paid for on arrival in Kathmandu. For more details of all of these optional activities please refer to the Optional Excursions section.

Day 23
The trip ends after breakfast. Those travelling with the group back to London will transfer to the airport.