Upper Dolpo

Overview

Dolpo area is protected by Shey Phoksumdo National Park of mid- western Nepal, behind the Upper Dolpo Trek Dhaulagiri massif, towards the Tibetan Plateau. Dolpo remains a truly isolated corner of Nepal: time has stood still here for centuries as the inhabitants of Tibetan stock continue to live, cultivate and trade the way they have done since time immemorial. At 3555 sq km, this is the country’s largest national park.The Dolpo area is hard to match for its surreal beauty and stunning charm. Situated at the rain- shadow place of the Himalaya, rugged scenery shows, compared to the similar altitude where in the kingdom. There are no lush and green hills fed by monsoon but a thrilling hardcore landscape, guarded by impressive peaks, striving for heaven. Moreover, the Dolpo region offers visit to ancients and isolated villages, immortal to time. It provides you with sites of spectacular lakes, authentic Buddhist monasteries and plentiful wildlife.The park stretches across all possible vegetation zones from the luxuriant forest of the lower Himalayas to the near desert of the Tibetan Plateau. Wildlife of the Shey Phoksundo Park holds a good population of blue sheep, gaur, musk deer, wild dog, marmot, weasel and snow leopard. The adjoining Tibetan region is home to such rare animals as the great sheep and wild ass. Among the many bird species in the park are chough, raven, Tibetan snow cock, Tibetan twit, brown dipper, Himalayan griffon and lammergeyer. The whole of the Dolpo region lies away from main routes, affording the native people very little contact with outsiders. A trekker visiting the area feels as if he is in a different world and among people beyond normal standards of behavior. The people, very pleasant by nature, are of Tibetan descent that follows the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. Their language is closely related to Tibetan.