Dolpo: Expedition to the Crystal Mountain

Overview

Cut off from the outside world by high passes, the Dolpo region of western Nepal is an ethereal corner of the Himalayan world that few trekkers have ever visited. With our extraordinary Trip Leaders, we set off for an incredible 20-day trekking expedition deep into this rare world. We follow ancient trails to remote high-altitude villages where people still live as barley farmers or semi-nomadic yak herders, as their ancestors did, wearing traditional homespun wool robes and Tibetan boots. Many Dolpo villages still practice Bon, the pre-Buddhist religion that all but disappeared from Nepal in the 7th century. This is a rugged and remote trek that brings many rewards, including an exploration day to visit Shey Gompa (14,250'), the fabled monastery that Peter Matthiessen described so beautifully in The Snow Leopard. Our journey crosses a few high passes (our highest at 17,700'!) and we camp at 13,000 feet or higher for an extended period of time, but know that we’ve designed a route that offers gradual acclimatization, with the highest pass coming near the end of the adventure. Another big bonus is that the entire region is still so remote that it’s likely we’ll rarely see other trekkers. This is one of the few places in the world where treks of this remoteness and scope are still possible. Join us!