Upper Dolpo Trek, Nepal’s one of the most exciting off the beat treks has challenges and the rewards bigger than these challenges. The trek is not for novice trekkers for sure but the travelers who have passion for walking and have sound physical condition can undertake this adventurous escapade in the Wild West of Nepal.

Explore Dolpo after assessing all the important landmarks of Upper Dolpo declares this trekking trail is probably one of the safest trekking adventures in Nepal after the powerful quake 2015.

Here have a look at five fascinating highlights of Upper Dolpo Trek.

1. The melting point of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon

Upper Dolpo, the isolated paradise in Nepal is the home to Tibetan Buddhists and Bons, where both these clans forget their centuries old rivalry that began in Tibet and have managed to live harmoniously in the region. The Upper Dolpo Trek caters authentic Buddhist and Bon cultures. The highland monasteries each holding interesting and religious myths are interesting discoveries during the trek. Some of these monasteries date back to 11^th century.

Time frozen landmarks trodden by handful trekkers

Wheels have not been invented yet in Dolpo. The lifestyle in Dolpo revolves round the natural carriers that are horses, mules and yaks. The patterns of making the house to the process of farming are still the traditional ones. Sparsely populated villages practice the culture that has become history long time back in most of parts of the world. The rawness of nature and the nomadic lifestyle still prevails in Upper Dolpo. Moreover, this place the ideal destination for those trekkers who prefer silent and incredibly beautiful time frozen landmarks very rarely trek to the region.

Important Destinations

The Upper Dolpo Trek incorporates several important destinations that trekkers encounter every next day. The popular Bon settlements Ringmo on a hill above incredibly beautiful Phoksundo Lake are the alluring destinations of Upper Dolpo Trek. Shey Gonpa is the common holy site for Buddhists and Bons, which stands on the base of Crsytal Mountain and gives opportunity of insightful peep into the unique Tibetan culture. It also caters the beauty of its surroundings. Similarly, Dho Tarap the highest altitude human settlement in the world and the ancient monastery of Yangzer and largest settlement of the region Saldang are the most important destinations during Upper Dolpo Trek.

Floral and Faunal Biodiversity

The home of Shey Phoksundo National Park, Dolpo has wide biodiversity of floral and faunal species. During the 22 days long Upper Dolpo Trek, trekkers have opportunities to sight these rare floral and faunal species. Endangered species like snow leopard love to live in the wilderness of Dolpo. The herd of blue sheep playing the heavenly playgrounds of wild Dolpo can be sighted and if you are lucky enough, you will have opportunities to see the natives harvesting high value medicinal crop yarsagonpa.

High Passes

Upper Dolpo Trek throws trekkers the challenges of traversing across 5000m plus passes not once, not twice but thrice. Kangla, Sheyla and Choila are three passes trekkers cross over during this challenging walking adventure in Upper Dolpo. The views from the top of these passes are so wonderful and varied that each direction caters different landscapes. The high Himalayas dominated by Kanjiroba to the north and deep arid valley to the south and the lush vegetation of Phoksundo National Park in rest of the directions are wonderful bounties after the hardship trekkers undergo while conquering these passes. Moreover, the sights of yak caravans heading towards their owners trading destinations are great views to watch from the pass.