DAY 01 Arrive KATHMANDU

Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, meet & transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure for acclimatization.

Overnight at Hotel Everest.

Day 02              Sightseeing tours inKathmandu

Fullday sightseeing tour of  Kathmandu city ,Swayambhunath and Patan. Lunch at Patan Museum Café. Overnight at hotelEverest.

KathmanduCity :

Knownas Kantipur, the capital of the Kingdom of Nepal. Here you will visit thetemple of the Living Goddess who acknowledges the greetings of the devoteesfrom the balcony of her temple residence. Kashtamandap - the source of the name Kathmandu and supposed to be madefrom the timber of a single tree and the Durbar Square are with its array oftemples overlooked by the Hanuman Dhoka Palace, the ancient place of theNepalese Royalty.

Swayambhunath:

Locatedapproximately 4 kms./2.5 miles, this Buddhist Stupa is said to be 2000 yearsold. The Stupa which forms the main structure is composed of a solid hemisphereof brick and earth supporting a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle ofcopper gilt. Painted on the four sided base of the spire are the all seeingeyes of Lord Buddha. This hill is a mosaic of small Chaityas and Pagodatemples.

Patan:

5kms./3 miles away from Kathmandu City. Patan also known as Lalitpur, is thecity of fine arts, enclosed within 4 stupas said to be built in 3rd Century ADby Emperor Ashoka. You will see the Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar whichhouses a bronze collection, the Krishna Temple built by King Siddhi NarsinghMalla, Hiranya Varna Mahavir and Mahaboudha Temple.

Atrip to the Tibetan Refugee Camp and the Handicraft Centre will also be donewhile, visiting Patan where you will witness the hand weaving of Tibetancarpets and moulding of metal statues.

Day03              KATHMANDU/ fly toNEPALGUNJ

Theregular 55 minutes flight on a Jetstream/ Beech aircraft brings you toNepalgunj.  Nepalgunj is a border town inthe western Terai region with extreme cold and hot climate.  The overnight accommodation and meals arearranged at a local hotel.  Overnight atHotel.

Day04              NEPALJUNG – JUFAL - DUNAI                          Walk 3 - 4 Hours

A40 minutes scheduled flight or chartered flight reaches you to Jufal airport inDolpo. These flights depart early morning to avoid the harsh afternoon windsthat blow through the high passes of Mahabharat range.  Trekking begins from Jufal onwards to Dunaiand the 9.6 km stretch passes through a Dalit village.  The first two hours is steep downhillarriving at the foothill of the bank of Bheri river.  The trek continues along the right bank ofBheri river to reach Dunai.  (4hours).  Overnight in the local hotel orCamping at tent

.

Day05 DUNAI - CHEPKA                                                          Walk 6 - 7Hours

Westart early after breakfast; crossing the Bheri river on a suspension bridge inDunai and continue walking towards Suligad, the confluence of the Bheri andSuli rivers.  Check into the SheyPhoksundo National park office for registration.  The upriver trail is mostly through shrubsexposed to the morning sun.  At Kagbenicross a wooden bridge and continue uphill on the left above 150 feet of theSuli river.  The narrow trail leads towide riverside winter sheds of B’onpos from the Ringmo village calledJalash.  The gradual uphill takes youthrough a shade of Maple, Oak and Pine trees and then brings us to a quick milddescend to a wooden bridge crossing. From here to Chekpa is a strenuous 1.5 hour uphill for the day crossinga smaller rivulet at Shyangta.  Overnightin teahouse or camp.

Day06 CHEPKA- SUNDUWA                                                    Walk  7 - 8 Hours

Todayis a real test for endurance.  There are3 major uphills and downhills and at places the gullies run deep andnarrow.  The first 2 hours from Chepka isa comfortable hike through the giant Pines, Oaks, Maple, Walnut, and Birchtrees.  The trail is wider and mostlyalong the river bank.  In the morningsthe damp dark soil often captures footprints of larger mammals, primates, andhorned herbivores.  At Reiji there is alone abandoned bungalow and a camping site. We continue  upstream crossing asmaller rivulet.  The trail widensmiraculously as we reach our overnight stop. Our camps are set in a green pasture overlooking the high peaks.  Overnight in teahouse or camping.

Day07 SUNDUWA - RINGMO                                                   Walk  5  - 6Hours

Todayis the shortest yet most exhilarating day of the entire trek.  The altitude crosses 3000 meters and thetrail on the precipice is narrow and steep with confusing runoffs of loose soiland inhospitable rocks. The vegetation changes dramatically with the presenceof sparse Juniper and Cypress shrubs. The steep climb definitely burns calories but reaching the waterfallviewpoint is rewarding.  The 270° view ofbeautiful terraced farms of Reike, Sunduwa and the nearby mountains is quitebreathtaking.  About 30 meters above thispoint on the trail the climb ends and also graces you with the first sneak peekof turquoise Shey Phoksundo lake.  Fromhere to the camping site at lakeside is only 25 minutes of easy downhillthrough Pine groves, Chortens, and the village of Ringmo.  Overnight at Teahouse/ Camp.

Day08 Guided tour of Ringmo and Orientationon B’on at the Monastery

Thevillage of Ringmo (3640m) lies on the bank of Shey Phoksundo lake.  About 20 Tibetan style houses cluster in aclose knit fashion to form the village which is surrounded by scattered cairnsand Chortens.  The people of Ringmo areB’onpos, the followers of the B’on tradition. They are subsistence farmers andalso raise Yaks, Dzos, and horses. B’onpos are strict believers in non violence and hence refrain from anyform of animal sacrifice.  During theharvesting season, women and children work in the fields while the men crossthe high mountain passes to reach the China border for trade.  It is quite a relief to see not a singleperson clad in jeans or modern appliances and means of communication are closeto non-existence.  The lifestyle is traditionaland simple.

Thereis an old B’on monastery in Ringmo.  Theentrance of the monastery is fascinating for it has large horns of either Bluesheep or Himalayan Thar. There is also a small museum at the monastery.  The Lama present will guide you through themonastery and briefly speak about B’on. Overnight in Teahouse / Camping.

Day09  Guided hike to Lake viewpoint/ CaravanYak Drop or Guided tour of waterfall and Amchi healing centre.

Theshape of Shey Phoksundo Lake resembles the lowercase Latin alphabet “r”.  Since the camping site is on the southernbank and the high mountains encircle the lake the best spot to view the entirelake in from the viewpoint about 200 meters above the Ringmo village.  The hike to the viewpoint passes through theYak Drop point as featured in Eric Valley’s movie “CARAVAN”, on through a pinegrove and a steeper ascent.  It certainlyfeels like paradise to be there.

SheyPhoksundo lake is drained out by a river that creates a forceful waterfall halfway through Sunduwa and Ringmo.  Thiswaterfall is perhaps one of the most majestic in Nepal.  The crystal clear water of Phoksundo forms adramatic giant cotton ball effect while making a thunderous landing about 100feet  below.  The vegetation around the waterfall is richwith thick pine forest Musk deer, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Thar and the rare SnowLeopard have also been sighted around the waterfall.

“Amchis”are the traditional healers of Dolpo. Their practice is still largely prevalent in upper Dolpo.  The Amchis use a variety of natural herbs andminerals to cure illnesses.  Recognisingthe usefulness of Amchis and in an effort to promote the understanding oftraditional indigenous medicine, an Amchi hospital has been setup inSunduwa.  A tour of this facility and a chatwith the practitioners is a unique experience. Overnight at Teahouse or Camping. (At leisure in Ringmo valley).

Day10 RINGMO/ SUNDUWA – CHEPKA                                   Walk 5-6 hours

Thedownhill from Ringmo to Sunduwa is quite steep. A lone Lammergier can be sighted on top of the ridge.  Otherwise, the hike is pleasant.  Overnight in Teahouse or Camping.

Day11 CHEPKA – JUFAL                                                                     Walk6-7 hours

Startearly after breakfast, there are no major uphills or torturous downhills exceptfor the last 2.5 hours stretch to Jufal. The distance covered today is quite a conquest.  Overnight in Teahouse or camping.

Day12 JUFAL – NEPALGUNJ- KATHMANDU

Flightto Nepalgunj depart early morning and transfers to Kathmandu are arrangedaccordingly.  Upon arrival at Kathmanduairport, meet and transfer to hotel. Evening: Enjoy typical Nepalese dinner with cultural dance show at localrestaurant.  Overnight at Hotel Everest.

Day13              Departure from KATHMANDU