Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek - 9 Days

The Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek is a two-flight, 9-day trek into one of Nepal’s most restricted and least visited areas, starting with the 1st flight, which is a one-hour domestic flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (152m) the biggest city in the western part of Nepal’s Terai and the point of transport to the Dolpo region. Located on the Indian border, in the tropical lowlands, Nepalgunj is a bustling and vibrant market town that is far removed from the mountains you are crossing.

The second flight: a pretty amazing 30 to 35 minute full length mountain hop from Nepalgunj to Juphal (2475m) in a tiny Twin Otter. The plane ascends rapidly and climbs through river valleys, up ridgelines, until it banks onto the Juphal airstrip, which sits on a narrow plateau above the Bheri River. The trail starts right from Juphal, passes through terraced farmland and villages of Bheri River valley, then heads to the district headquarters of Dolpa, Dunai, and finally to the trail head village of Sulighat (2,070m), which is the official entry point to Shey Phoksundo National Park.

The trail from Sulighat crosses over the national park boundary and starts the ascent through more and more wild and dramatic terrain. It runs through thick cedar, pine and rhododendron forest, and offers frequent vistas of waterfalls cascading from the cliffs above. Stations on this section (Rechi, Chhepka, 2720 m) are small and very traditional with Magar and Bon communities using these river terraces for generations. The rudimentary but warm lodging is at the basic level, and the quiet during the night is incredible.
From Chhepka, the path winds and winds through the steeper gorges and more open areas to reach Jharana Hotel (3,040m), named for a magnificent waterfall tumbling down the cliffs behind the small guesthouse. The elevated and clear air, combined with the distant sound of the water, and the lack of other trekkers make for one of the most atmospheric overnight stops on the entire trek.

The final ascent up to Ringmo Village (3,640m) on Day 5 is a relatively short but steep one, but in changing vegetation zones, with the last of the tree cover being replaced by open alpine meadow and rocky outcrop as you cross the final ridge and descend to the lakeshore. The settlement of Ringmo is the only permanent settlement on the Phoksundo valley, a small village of flat-roofed stone houses, prayer flags and ancient Bon chortens, home to approximately 50 Tibetan Buddhist Bon families. Well-preserved with its butter lamps, thangka paintings and ritual objects, the village’s ancient gompa, one of the oldest and most important Bon monasteries in Nepal, stands undisturbed on a rocky promontory above the settlement.

It’s impossible to prepare for the lake itself. Shey Phoksundo Lake is the deepest in Nepal with a depth of 145 meters and an area of 4.94 square kilometers at its altitude of 3611 meters. It is an extraordinary body of water, its deepest waters turquoise and its shallowest, deep cobalt, and its walls of vertical cliffs give it an almost theatrical appearance from the eastern and northern shore.

This lake was created over 30,000 years ago when a landslide blocked the valley and a magnificent waterfall at the lake’s southern spilling point (some 167 metres in height in a series of cataracts) is regarded as one of Nepal’s tallest waterfalls. The lake is sacred to both the Bon and the Buddhist community, and it is traditional to not fish or otherwise disturb the water, part of the reason for this being so vividly coloured is the extraordinary clarity of the lake.

The return flight passes through Chhepka and Sulighat on the way back to Juphal, and then to Juphal, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu, making it a complete circuit that is like an actual expedition to one of the world’s most remote places.