Independent trek in Lower Dolpo + looking for a trekking partner, details to be decided

Hi there,

I’m heading to Nepal for two months in October/November, including a 20-day trek that I’m planning in Dolpo this time (after the Dhaulagiri Circuit and the Three Passes trek in the Khumbu region in previous years).

1/ Is it possible to organize a trek in Dolpo solo—that is, without going through an agency? (I know permits are mandatory, but I’ve heard conflicting info about whether a guide is required.)

I’m considering one of these two routes: - Lower Dolpo loop + variations - Dunai to Lo Manthang traverse (I’d love any tips if someone’s done this route, especially about resupply points)

2/ If it’s not allowed, are there guides or agencies in Dunai that might offer services? I’d appreciate any local contacts.

3/ Lastly, I’m looking for 1–3 trekking partners. Dates and route to be decided together. Experience with high-altitude trekking would be a plus, but simplicity, a thirst for adventure, and a good sense of humor are non-negotiable. Also, up for a self-sufficient experience (no guide or porters), depending on the answers to the points above.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Olivier

Hi, you need to go through an agency for the permit, but no need for a guide or porter. Just the Lower Dolpo permit and the national park entry, which you can get in Sulligat near Dunai.

The Dho Tarap - Lo Manthang section goes through Upper Dolpo and Upper Mustang, so the price skyrockets since they're Restricted Areas.

Gorgeous trek anyway!

Thanks for your reply, Tim.

For the Dho Tarap to Lo Manthang section:

- Are there any resupply points? - How many days of trekking should we plan for?

Thanks.

If you go via the Ghemi La (a very remote route, and you need to check with locals in Ghemi beforehand to see if crossing the pass is allowed—I think I read in the GHT guide that locals only permit crossings in October), the only options are Charkka Bhot and a few nomad camps. Anyway, if you take this route, you’ll need both H-D and H-M permits, which means guides, porters, cooks, and everything that comes with them, so resupply points won’t be an issue.

Via the Jungben La, it might be less remote, but you’ll then have to head back into Upper Mustang. Either way, you’ll need two restricted permits.

thanks

None of the durations mentioned... how many days of hiking: - via the north (Dho Tarap - Chanagar La - Lo Manthang) - via the south (Dho Tarap - Jomsom via Jungben La)

I don’t know about the northern route. Via the Jungben, it takes 5 to 8 days depending on the stages and your fitness. Longer if you stay a while in Charkka

Just out of curiosity, did you take a tent on the GHT? (If so, which model?) How many kg was your pack? How many days of food autonomy did you have max?

Anyway, congrats... your trip is dreamy!

Thanks

No, I didn’t have a tent. Backpack of 4 to 6 kilos—from what I remember, I never had more than 3 days’ worth of food autonomy.

You can trek to Dunai from Dhorpatan. No permit needed, except for entering the Dhorpatan Reserve. In Dunai, there’s a well-organized tourist hotel, but not much else besides that. The road should reach Dunai soon—or maybe it already has—so it’s possible to get there by public jeep from Musikot.

I can share some info via PM about guides, porters, and Dunai. It’s impossible and unsafe to do solo. For the Dhorpatan crossing, in my opinion, it’s more beautiful but tougher than Dolpo—best done in spring because of the rhododendrons and Yarsagumba harvesting. Mukot and Chharka are high-end Dolpo. Still, in my opinion, Upper Dolpo is a bit meh... always that gray-brown-white vibe, and there are tons of bikes all the way to Dho. Don’t even try to mess with permits and entry fees... Hope this helps!

I'm interested in a new trek in Nepal after the Three Passes trek in Khumbu I did in 2017 (well, almost: I only crossed the Cho La, east-west direction. The Kongma La was a long day's hike that I wasn't sure I could manage without difficulty, as I was feeling unwell, and my porter-guide advised against it. We bypassed it, and I was too sick to do the third pass—a pneumonia with early-stage pleurisy was diagnosed when I returned to Kathmandu). This time, I want to do it independently (the food in tea houses is, in my humble opinion, really too bad once you get tired of garlic soup and dal bhat) and with a porter or a guide-porter because I'm not as young as I used to be, and my knees can't handle carrying 14 to 16 kg, which I think is the necessary weight for an independent trek in Lower Dolpo and toward Jumla. I'm a pretty good hiker, even with a 39.5°C fever, but not a fanatic.

Adventure, encounters, and observing landscapes and wildlife should be the main focus.

October/November works for me. Lower Dolpo and Upper Dolpo are also options.

Let me know if you're interested in joining or if you know someone else who might be up for it.

Still, keep in mind that depending on the routes you choose, treks in Dolpo are significantly more challenging than the Three Passes trek in Khumbu. Don’t underestimate it! :)

Hello,

I don’t have much mountaineering experience—just a 4,000m peak in the Alps with a guided roped team. So I’m not looking to summit anything, just treks that let me explore relatively remote areas, but not as desolate as the far north of Upper Dolpo likely is. I want to go at my own pace, which probably isn’t yours after the 8 months you spent on the GHT...

I still remember how fit I was after 5,000 km by bike across France with 8–10 kg of gear. None of my friends, even the trained ones, could keep up with me once the trail started climbing.

So I realize I probably wouldn’t be your ideal teammate, especially since I’d need a porter or a porter-guide.

I’d love advice on a route—even a challenging one—that doesn’t require mountaineering skills beyond the basics. I was thinking of starting from Jumla, heading to Rara Lake, then making my way to Poksumdo Lake via the Kagmara La, and finally to Jomsom.

Best regards.

You can do the Rara Lake–Jumla–Dunai route without camping gear—there’s lodging and meals the whole way. But if you don’t like dal bhat, I’d avoid this region (or any other remote trekking area), because there’s nothing else.

Very good, it seems things have changed. Dhal Bhat is great for the first few days, but like everything else, repetition gets tiring. I'll alternate with some freeze-dried meals then. Looking forward to exchanging tips.

You can also do Lake Rara Simikot (or Simikot Lake Rara) with basic accommodation https://www.terresdunepal.com/sejour-au-nepal-chez-lhabitant/trek-karnali-humla-simikot-lac-rara/

Just a few personal and very subjective remarks. Rara Lake—there’s nothing tempting about it. The roughly sketched-out itinerary—there must be more than 5 passes over 5,000m, and not in the best direction to cross them. A guide-porter... guides registered with TAAN don’t carry loads, and others can’t get the permits. Porters are essential in this region and are often the only ones who really know the trails and campsites... I don’t know all of Nepal well, but I’m not aware of any pure trekking that includes mountaineering. Dolpo—sure, it’s a bit remote, but honestly, I was pretty disappointed.

Maybe you should rethink all this by reading guides (in English) and especially the relevant forum threads. Just some personal and very subjective remarks

We did the Jumla–Rara Lake circuit then Jumla–Dunai, no need to camp—we found lodging—and no high passes.

Thanks to all contributors, 1. To those who have already done the Jumla - Rara Lake - Dunaï route, is the landscape generally dry or lush? What’s the best season? Why do you say, Mayakke, that there’s nothing tempting about Rara Lake? Too many roads or tracks around? Paths too wide? Or is it because it’s low-altitude terrain and you’re more drawn to high mountains and mineral landscapes? Are the locals in the valley between Jumla and Dunaï hospitable (Lonely Planet seems to say they’re not)? 2. The Kagmara La pass to Poksumdo isn’t subject to the Upper Dolpo permit, I believe. What about continuing to Dho - Chharka - Jomsom? If so, what’s the current cost (it seems like it’s gone from 100 USD per day to 100 USD per week—from memory, sorry for the approximation)? Are there any accommodation options along this route, or does it have to be done self-sufficiently with a tent and meals? How many days for an average hiker? 3. Guide-porter: For the Three Passes trek from Salleri/Phaplu, a Kathmandu agency found me a "guide-porter" who only spoke Nepali, but everything went very well. Can you find a porter in Jumla, a guide-porter in Hurikot or the area for the Kagmara La pass, which can be tough if the weather turns bad (based on what I’ve read on this forum), or in Ringmo or the area for the rest of the trek? Since I can’t find a guide-porter for the whole route in Jumla, are there options along the way? 4. Is a "safari" in Bardya National Park near Nepalgunj—an obligatory stop on the way to Jumla—worth it for someone who’s already visited several Kenyan and Tanzanian parks in terms of wildlife abundance? Thanks in advance for your answers. Once I’ve gathered more info, I’ll start looking for travel partners. One last question for Willemspie, whom I exchanged messages with two years ago, and Jerzy: Which Himalayan routes left the strongest impression on you for their beauty and landscape variety, excluding mountaineering expeditions?

Hi Mayakke, Sorry for my ignorance: what’s AMHA, and where’s Dhopatan? Which areas do you recommend in particular?

This is Juphal to Jumla via the Maure Lagna pass (3,900 meters) (highest point). No permit required. Moderate difficulty. It's also possible to go to Phoksundo Lake with a small detour without crossing a pass, but this requires the Lower Dolpo permit (the check is done in Tarakot).

Lake Rara Dunai is green except toward the end when you reach Dolpo. The west route is more interesting than the east route between Lake Rara and Jumla (I’m referring to the old Jumla–Lake Rara trek loop). You won’t run into any foreign tourists. Yes, the locals were quite welcoming. If you pass through Nepalganj, it’d be a shame not to visit Bardiya for a day.

Where is Dhorpatan, and which areas do you particularly recommend?

Hey there, Dhorpatan is a town in the Rukum district. It was also a former royal hunting reserve in Nepal. I went there in the 80s from Pokhara—back then, there wasn’t a single drivable road after Pokhara. Now, you can at least get to Beni by public transport and then continue on foot for 6 or 7 days. The stages: Beni/Tatopani/Dharapani/Lumsung/Moreni/Gurjaghat/Dhorpatan. From Dhorpatan, you can go all the way to Tarakot/Dunai, which is the entrance to Dolpo. I had to turn back mid-route at Takur (before Jalja La) because I ran out of supplies and didn’t have the right gear to camp.

You can take a jeep from Beni all the way to Darbang, or even farther—Phalyagaon now, I think.

On the other side, starting from Nepalganj by road, you can reach Dunai by jeep via Jajarkot.

Knowing that on the other side, starting from Nepalganj by road, you can reach Dunai by jeep via Jajarkot.

Yeah, I knew that was possible, but hiking from Dhorpatan to Tarakot is a stunning trek—I’m only talking about the part I did up to Takur...

🙂 IMO, in my humble opinion... it's that simple. DHORPATAN—maybe try searching on Google or Google Maps... 😉

Hi,

A very rough dirt road goes all the way to Dunai. But you’ll need to make several jeep changes (shared rides) because of washed-out bridges or simply because each driver only covers a short stretch. It’s really long, ends up being quite expensive, and is absolutely not worth doing on foot. By far the best option is to take the flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal—just a big half-hour.

From Dunai, it’s on foot, even if the trail isn’t fun at all, until Lower Tarakot. They’ve almost finished installing a medium-voltage power line—just the poles, no wires, which have been waiting for ages...

And from there, you can go wherever you want...

From Tarakot, the climb to Jang La Pass. Ouch. It’s really tough, especially the first part up to the last village. Tarakot is actually a zone of villages, extensive livestock grazing, and potato farming. The last village is called Tara. After that, you’ll be contouring the foothills on the left for what feels like forever. The route via Dunai is more gradual, a bit longer, and almost reaches the pass itself. It follows the ridge of another foothill but is much less scenic.

Once you reach the pass, since it’s on the north face, snow lingers longer than elsewhere—even though it’s only 4,500m—because it’s the north side and where the monsoon hits. Yes, really. The monsoon actually comes from the northwest, not the south, to bypass the entire Dhaulagiri-Dhorpatan massif.

The vegetation is stunning—rhododendron shrubs, etc. The trail isn’t always obvious, so a local porter or guide is essential. From the last village, you need to be self-sufficient. No teahouses outside of the yarsagumba season, and even then, it’s better to have your own tent and food for several days. The vibe is a bit like a mining town...

The elevation changes are brutal. Expect nasty drops of -1,000m and climbs of +1,000m in the same day. But in my opinion, it’s a gorgeous, wild, alpine, and solitary route for about a week. Tip: go via Tatopani, even if there are a few landslide-prone sections—just don’t expect to take a dip, the spot isn’t great...

Dhorpatan itself? No comment. The return to Pokhara is a very rough, dirty jeep ride over 2–3 days, with sketchy hotels for non-backpackers.

Stop walking at Dhorpatan—don’t continue to Dorapani or Beni. In my opinion, no interest. It’s mostly deep valley terrain.

For me, this route *has* to be done in this direction. For X reasons...

Hope this helps clarify...

Paper maps are a thing of the past—they’re useless. Locus Map works great, and you can use photos as waypoints. Garmin, even with good topo maps, is useless. I think I’m finally going to toss my Oregon...

The elevation changes are basically deadly. Expect nasty -1000m and +1000m in the same day.

Hmm... 1000m of elevation gain isn’t really that nasty! Well... hmm...

Stop walking at Dhorpatan, don’t continue to Dorapani or Beni, in my humble opinion, no interest. It’s mostly deep valley floor.

How do you know if you haven’t done it? The Jalja La isn’t really in the valley floor! And we’ve got a stunning view of Dhaulagiri! Hmm...

You're really the idiot who did everything in the eighties. What a loser.

Hi Olivier. Have you found your team for the trek yet? I’m looking for teammates for the Dolpo trek, but I’ve got some date constraints and also need to stay several days in Dho because I work for Action Dolpo, which runs the school in the village. Best, Georges.

You're really the idiot who did everything in the eighties. Pathetic.

You make me wonder what you've actually done besides maybe learning Amharic😏... And when all you have is insults for arguments....😕

Hi Georges

Thanks for your reply. Message me privately so we can discuss. The tickets are booked. We leave from KTM on 10/1/19

Best,

Hi Olivier, I just finished the book by Paolo Gognetti called *The Eight Mountains* ("Sans jamais atteindre le sommet" – *Travel in the Himalayas*, Éditions La Cosmopolite), where he details his trek in the Dolpo region in October 2017. His bedside book for the trip was *The Snow Leopard* by Peter Matthiessen, which recounts his trek in Dolpo back in 1973...

Paolo G. writes that they set off as a group of 4 but had a total of 47 people—guides, muleteers, cooks—to help them on this trek, which involved circling the Dolpo.

So, without being quite that ambitious, it might be interesting to read this little book—it’s packed with fascinating insights! !

I can share some info via PM about guides and porters and Dunai. It's impossible and unsafe to do solo. For the Dhorpatan crossing, in my humble opinion, it's more beautiful but tougher than Dolpo—best done in spring because of the rhododendrons and yarsagumba harvesting. Mukot and Chharka are classified as Upper Dolpo. Still IMHO, Upper Dolpo is a bit meh... Always that grey-brown-white vibe, and there are tons of bikes up to Dho. Don't even think about trying to game the permits and entry fees... Hope this helps

Hello, The message is old, but I’d be interested in your guide and porter contacts in Dunai. Thanks in advance