Lower Dolpo Trekking

Additional Information

Trekking Difficulty

Is it difficult to trek Lower Dolpo? You do not need to be a good Football player or Olympic athlete to success Lower Dolpo trek. Sometime, we have many experience of young people failing to reach Lower Dolpo and older people succeeding. So, anyone who is mentally and physically fit can easily completer the journey to Lower Dolpo. Walking slowly, drink plenty of water, enjoying nature, avoiding cold, eating a balanced diet and mentally daring to reach Lower Dolpo with happy mood are the hallmarks of your successful journey to destination. Though, Lower Dolpo is challenging trekking trail having steep hills with ascending path, sometime with ice but there will be no need any technical equipment or skill. 

High Altitude Sickness

If the trekkers have symptoms of headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, rapid pulse with sleeping problem, he/she is suffered by high altitude sickness. The other factors such as changing weather, cold, sun, wind, low oxygen and bad foods are the key component of high altitude sickness. So trekkers need to warm while trekking Lower Dolpo with proper clothes and equipment. It can affect people of any age, sex and physical conditions. 

So, we suggest our clients, do not drink alcohol and smoke, drink plenty of water while hiking to Annapurna, train your body and strength up before trekking, eat energy food, and mentally be happy during your journey. The most common medicine for preventing high altitude sickness is Diamox or Acetazolamide. Even our guide takes Diamox on the route which is easily purchased in Kathmandu. Ascending down is the solution to avoid high altitude as the altitude sickness affects people from the elevation of 2600 meters above sea level. For normal high altitude sickness our guide helps to control by providing medicine and good food and he takes to medication center where available. If the trekkers feel bad, we send private helicopter for rescue, which is covered by your personal travel insurance. So, individual insurance is necessary while trekking to Lower Dolpo.

Best Time to Go 

If you are looking trek to Lower Dolpo, must know the best time to visit such as weather and circumstances with other factors that affects in your trip. The best time to visit Lower Dolpo is March – May and Sep – Nov due to clear sky and pleasant temperature. Spring and autumn is considered as the best season to trek Everest Base Camp. In spring, the days are warmer and longer whereas the autumn has short days. October and April is the peak touristic months having more crowd but the weather is fantastic and amazing. 
 

Pre-monsoon is called spring season that covers the month of March, April and May whereas the lower region of Everest, rhododendron and flower blooms with warm temperature. In higher route, there will be more chance of problematic snowfall with sunny weather.

Post-monsoon is called autumn season that covers the month of September, October and November whereas the Himalaya is full of blue sky, pleasant atmosphere, moderate temperature with less chance of problematic snowfall. As for the climate, it is neither warmer at day or not freezing cold at night. The Tea houses, cafes are full of tourist and visitors in autumn season.
 

Accommodation 

During the trekking trail to Lower Dolpo, trekkers sleep and eat in Tea house and well as Camping tent. All the places in the route, Tea houses not available so we sleep in camping tent where our trekking crew Camp the tent and also cook food. 

Tea houses provide tea and food which is the best possible accommodation available on the route. Tea houses offer very basic accommodation facilities having bed and blanket inside the room and some places attached bathroom too. The tea houses looks very basic and normal but it is neat and clean. Though, tea houses provide us the blanket but it is not enough to reduce cold. That is why, we suggest to bring sleeping bag own self to make warm and safety night.
 

Food and water

Food and water is very important things during the trekking to Lower Dolpo. Tea houses provide breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Tea/coffee. Trekkers can choose the food from Menu list what they like to eat such as Nepali food (Dal Bhat), soups, snakcs, momos, fried Rice, continental and American breakfast, porridge, Bread with Jam and honey, Eggs, noodles, spaghetti, spring roll, fried potatoes, and steak. But during Lower Dolpo trek, there will be basis local food that tea house provides to the clients. 

We recommend to have vegetarian food during trek due to porter and yaks carry meat from lower region which is not refrigerated that may cause stomach problem. Therefore, we would highly recommend to avoid meat dishes on the route with exception of tinned fish and preserved items. So, no need to carry food except chocolates, such as Diary milk, Snickers, Mars and so on. But in low region, if Tea houses can provide fresh meat of Chicken can eat easily.

Do not drink water from river or water fall; local people can easily drink the running water that is not fit for foreigners as they do not have habit before. So, we recommend to drink bottle water or boiled water for good health that keeps our body safe. Even, trekkers keep purification tablet inside water, kills 99.9% of bacteria, virus and protozoa. Because of the altitude, it is recommend to drink 2-3 liters per day.
 

Hire a Guide

A person having license from Nepal government, who guides visitor, interprets the cultural and nature, leads the right track to the Himalaya having responsible work recognized by the appropriate authority is known as trekking guide. Without a guide, trekkers cannot make entry to Lower Dolpo because it is restricted area. Guide not only led the way rather he is the ambassador of country explaining People, history, geography, religion and make successful attempt for visitors. 

Trekking guide is also knows as Trek Leader who makes easy access in Himalayan region to book Tea houses, order food for visitors, manage porters, and lead the right trail to destination. He controls everything during trekking such as Porter, staying Camp, and communication with locals too. If any problem occurs guide need to decide after talking with clients and company.

During trekking, Guide is a good friend, makes entertainment with fun and laughter too. So, Trekking guides has very important role who not only make enjoyable trip but also educate the visitors through interpretation and contribute sustainability of local environment. The trekking agency should choose appropriate guide by providing suitable training time and again though they are government license holder. Guides expected to work to a high level of customer service keeping good reputation of the company and clients. 

That is why our Guide has good communication skill, immediately solve the problem, decision making with self-motivation having physically strong and fit. Either the visitor go to Everest region trek, Annapurna region trek, Upper Mustang trek or other trekking trail, our guide makes successful effort to complete the trip.
 

Hire a Porter 

Trekking porters are those people who carry the gear of trekkers from one place to other, lives in village especially from Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung and Rai, community. But in Dolpo region, Porters are from Sahi and Thakuri community. 

They are very innocent, kind, pleasant and smiling having broken English will be together from beginning to the end of the trip.A trekking porter carries 25 kg to 30 kg of gears who are very fit from mountain altitude. Porters are the transport of the visitors so must be good relationship with Guide and trekkers. We find porter in Jhupal who are locals and after finishing trekking they will leave you in Jhupal but guide will fly from Kathmandu.

Telephone and Internet

The internet, telephone and mobile phone is not available all the way to Lower Dolpo. There are multiple option for Internet, mobile network such as NTC and NCELL. Sometimes internet becomes poor during the time of bad weather or snow. NCELL and NTC are cheaper that works during trekking trail as well as Kathmandu too. Even trekkers can purchase WIFI in local tea houses which is chargeable. Due to the exciting geography and sometime bad weather conditions the mobile network has not access in all parts of the trial but the network such as NCELL and NTC works most of the places. The both NTC and NCELL Sim Cards can purchase at Tribhuvan Interantional Airport, Kathmandu or in the street of touristic town Thamel. 

There is telephone connection in lower region of Dolpo but in higher region telephone and internet does no work.

Toilet and Shower

Wherever travel in the Himalaya, must know the circumstances of toilet and shower before depart to the destination. During the trekking to lower dolpo, most of the places, toilet should be shared by all trekkers due to common Tea houses only with normal beds in the room. Bucket Shower is possible in high altitude. 

But during the time of bad weather for example if heavy snow at that time it is hard to get shower above 4500 meters. We suggest to bring toilet paper during the trail due to very cold water for your safety and protection. Our Guide and Sherpa make toilet camp if you will go for camping trekking all routes of Lower Dolpo.

Trek Insurance 

Trek insurance is very important component during the trek to Lower Dolpo. We suggest trekkers to make plan to be covered up to 5300 meters. Due to unexpected event or emergency evacuation, if the trekkers feel uncomfortable to walk in Himalaya, Helicopter rescue is necessary along with administration in hospital. So, need insurance for your safety and protection. There are so many insurance companies, you may find in internet and make strong insurance for your security. There may occur so many causes such as altitude sickness, accidents, physical illness, flight cancellation, that is why need to make insurance before you fly to Nepal for Lower Dolpo.

Trek Permit 

Trekking permit is mandatory to entry Lower Dolpo. So, we provide Dolpo Conservation Area Permit (DCAP). USD 20 per person per week plus USD 5 per additional day per person. 

Dolpo is restricted area so without a government holder licensed Guide, foreign tourist cannot entry to Manaslu region. So a Trekking guide is compulsory. 

Permits can be purchased in Nepal Tourism Board by our company. During trek, need to show Permit in checking points from our trekking guide and provide permit to you after finish the trek in Jhupal and even in the route. Our company need your passport copy and 2 copy of passport size Photos to make permit at Kathmandu.

Trek Equipment List 

While trekking to Lower Dolpo, need to sufficient trekking gears for your protection and safety. Trekking gears not only make protection for your body, it makes successful trip to Lower Dolpo. The trekking gears also have benefit to remove high altitude sickness and make easy access to destination. The following gears are mandatory towards Lower Dolpo Trek.

• Sleeping Bag (-20) 
• Trekking poles 
• Waterproof hiking boot 
• Water proof warm Gloves 
• Sport shoes 
• Waterproof hiking Pant 
• Fleece pant 
• Comfortable underwear 
• Warm and thin socks 
• Duffel Bag, 90L 
• Hand carry bag 
• Water bottle 
• Hiking Shorts 
• Down Jacket 
• Warm Cap & Sun Cap 
• Sun Glass 
• Sun Cream 
• Lip care 
• Headlamp with extra batteries 
• Neck Gaiter 
• Lightweight thermal tops 
• Waterproof jacket with hood, waterproof and breathable 
• Rain coat 
• Travel Towel 
• Camera 
• Personal first Aid Kit (Though our guide also have First Aid Kit)