Dolpo - Shey Gompa

  • 22 Days
  • N/A
  • Year-round

Shey Gompa and Saldang

If you are thinking about Dolpo, a Must-Read book is The Snow Leopard by Peter Mattheissen. (Amazon link) One of the best travel books ever written, it describes Mattheissen's trek with biologist George Schaller to Dolpo in search of the reclusive snow leopard. Their trip, in 1973, was one of the first times foreigners had ever been to Shey and Saldang. Even today, once you get above Ringmo the experience of this remote sanctuary is remarkably similar to theirs.

Like all Dolpo treks, this route can also start by walking in through Dhorpatan National Park, nine or ten days from the roadhead at Beni. By doing that you could follow exactly the route Mattheissen and Schaller took.

 

Day 1

Fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and overnight there.

Day 2

Fly Nepalgung to Juphal and walk to Dunai

Day 3

Trek Dunai to Sulighat

Day 4

Trek Sulighat to Chhepka

Day 5

Trek Chhekpa to Ringmo

Day 6

Rest day in Ringmo

Day 7

Trek Ringmo to Chabluk Phu

Day 8

Trek Chabluk Phu to a camp under Ngongda La

Day 9

Cross the pass and trek to Shey Gompa

Day 10

In Shey Gompa for exploration

Day 11

Trek Shey Gompa to Namgung

Day 12

Trek Namgung to Saldang

Day 13

In Saldang for exploration

Day 14-21

Trek back to Juphal

Day 22

Fly Juphal to Nepalgung; then Nepalgunj to Kathmandu