Reason to Upper-Dolpa Trek

Upper Dolpo is the region of Nepal which could very well be considered as the remotest part of the world in every sense. A region so secluded they are completely out of touch with the lifestyle or the prosperity of rest of the world.  Often called as the ‘forbidden kingdom’, this portion of the land was forbidden for the tourist to travel until the eighties by the Nepalese Government. Even today, only the most daring and able of the tourists visit the land with a hefty charge for a permit and at least a person as a companion.

Probably the most difficult of any trek in the world, Upper Dolpo is a region that is sandwiched in between the Dhaulagiri mountain range and the Tibetan plateau. Trekkers travel this long trail passing through some of the roughest terrains in the Himalayas, with the necessity to cross some of the highest passes there is. With no tea-houses or hotels in the trail, camping is the only option for the travellers. To pile more misery on travellers, paths are narrow and mostly lies in the edge of a steep precipice. But, that being said, any travellers brave enough to tackle these impedances are then rewarded with the most spectacular sceneries of the land that is so pristine and untouched. The gorgeous alpine river and mountain valleys covered with bed of colourful flowers, the sighing rivers snaking beautifully through the landscapes, yaks and horses languidly grazing on the pastures, and the fantastic views of the mountains smiling in the sunny sky—the trail is straight out of the imagination of some romantic poet; the landscape that the God made in his leisure. And the majestic Shey Phoksundo lake; there is simply no words to describe its sheer beauty.

As an icing on the cake, the Upper Dolpo is one of the most religiously significant treks, too. Centuries-old Buddhist monasteries and shrines could be found hanging in the cliffside where the hymns of the Buddhist monks pervade the senses. The monks, comprising almost universally of Tibetan descent, live an ascetic life in remote, secluded mountains, practising Buddhism in its truest sense; being one with the gifts of nature. Indeed, the Upper Dolpo trek is quite simply a trek to heaven.