Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek – 11 Days

Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek is one of Nepal’s most pristine and untouched trails that takes you to the super turquoise Phoksundo Lake. On this adventurous trip, the travel experience is honest as it gets and with a fantastic opportunity to explore the country’s long-preserved culture and traditions of the mountain people, medieval settlements, ancient monasteries, secluded hidden valleys with rugged landscapes, and the pristine Phoksundo Lake, bringing full experience into travel.

Phoksundo Lake Trek, begins from Nepalgunj a city located in the southern plains of the Terai region to a small mountain airstrip to Juphal, the starting point of your trek. The trek starts from Juphal to Dunai trekking alongside the bank of the Beni River traversing through diverse terrain with high river valleys and alpine pastures.

From Dunai village, you will walk forward to Chhepka village, the Shey Phoksundo National Park‘s entry point, the unique wildlife of the region can pop up anytime Red Panda, Musk Deer, Blue Sheep, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Thar are few of them, along the dense woodlands with a backdrop of the majestic views of the Dhaulagiri range to the east and the Kagmara range to the west.

Heading toward Phoksundo Lake

Furthermore, from Chhepka village, you will trek towards Phoksundo Lake, a sacred and mystical lake nestled between rugged landscapes and barren mountains of lower Dolpo valley. At first, you will come across Jharana village, where you will witness the splendid view of the shimmering waterfall. From here, continue your trek towards the Tibetan village of Ringmo. Here, you will experience the primitive lifestyles and culture of the mountain people, and there is no other way besides trekking to explore them, explore the village, and interacts with the locals, most of the people who inhabited here are descended from the Tibetans and used to travel to these part of the country for trade crossing high Himalayan passes. Exploring this trail will give you a sense of the entirety of the landscape and then complement that with the people living there.

Traveling to the back trails and you’ll experience something else, so the trek to the tranquil Phoksundo is a perfect option for those seeking solitary walks on an off-the-beaten trail. From Ringmo village, continue your trek onto the picturesque Phoksundo trail which will take you to the pristine and clam turquoise Shey Phoksundo Lake which is located between rugged landscapes making it a perfect backdrop for any photographers.

Explore the Phoksundo Lake area, and also visit the ancient Tshowa monastery. After exploring and enjoying extraordinary snowy peaks, rugged dry landscapes, and the Phoksundo lake, trek back through the less touristic trail through Nepal’s far western region’s unspoiled and wilderness area, some of the most beautiful locations in Nepal. From Juphal, you will catch a flight to Nepalgunj, and another one to Kathmandu, which marks the end of this short and adventurous Phoksundo Lake Trek.

Brief Introduction: 

Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek brings you to some of the most beautiful locations in Nepal, captured my imagination, and detached from the modern world’s hassle, Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek takes you to the side of Nepal you don’t think of when planning a vacation. Nestled in the districts of Dolpa and Mugu in the Mid-Western region of the country.

Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek is a secluded and extremely remote trekking route of far western Nepal. This trekking region is isolated, untouched, and untanned and receives very few trekkers, making it one of Nepal’s tranquil and serene treks. It is a short and relatively easy trekking route leading to the stunning pristine Phoksundo Lake in Nepal. Shey Phoksundo Lake is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake and covers an area of 494 hectares with a maximum depth of the lake at 136.20 meters the lake has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2007.

Undoubtedly, the Lower Dolpo trail is a hidden treasure and is famous for the remote high Himalayan valleys. During this magical trek, you will pass through the picturesque traditional settlements of Dunai, Chhepka, Jharana, Ringmo, and Jhupal. The main attractions of the trek are Shey Phoksundo National Park and the turquoise blue pristine Phoksundo Lake. Apart from unmatchable natural beauty, you will also get a chance to be part of the indigenous lifestyle and culture of the Himalayan people, a chance you’ll miss if you don’t explore the back roads are the authentic people.

The off-beaten trail will take you to a landscape free of all kinds of commercialism and without the buzz of tourism, For real adventurers, who want to experience off-the-beaten trek in a short period, Phoksundo Lake Trek is an excellent destination.

Entry Permits & Requirements:

The following Permits are required on your Everest Base Camp Trek

• Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit and
• Khumbu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit.
• Island Peak Climbing Permit

You can get a Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit from the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu or the park’s entrance gate in Monjo whose fee is NRS 3000 for foreign countries citizens and NRS 1500 for citizens of SAARC countries.

You must fill out an application for permission and show your passport or a copy of your passport. To obtain the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit, you must be in Lukla. The permit costs NRS 2000 and can be obtained at the rural municipality counter on the settlement’s outskirts.

The climbing permit fee for Island Peak varies according to season.

1. The permit fee for Spring (March to May) –  is USD 250
2. The permit fee for Autumn(September to November) – is USD 125
3. Off seasons (December to February and June to August) – USD 70

If you want to hike from Jiri, you’ll need to pay NRS 2,000 at the Gaurishanker Conservation Area Project Entry Permit or you must receive permission from the Nepal Tourism Board’s headquarters in Kathmandu.

You won’t have to wait for permits because the company will handle everything.

Travel Insurance:

All clients engaging in any activity must have smart travel insurance or emergency evacuation insurance. Alpine Club of Himalaya highly suggests you obtain a comprehensive insurance plan from a reliable insurance firm that covers emergency evacuation insurance in high altitudes, personal injury, hospital expenditures, repatriation fees, helicopter rescue, and any other misfortune.

Passport and Visa:

Each client must be issued a valid visa with a six-month validity from the date of return by the Nepalese embassy in your country or the immigration office at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

Meals and drinking water:

In Everest Base Camp Trek combined with Island Peak climbing, you’ll be provided with various ethnic cuisines and varieties of Western meals. The Everest region has a number of tea-house to luxury hotels from which you can choose from providing basic facilities to grandeur ones.   Try various traditional cuisine and popular snacks including locally made dairy items such as cheese, Churpi, and milk-based delicacies.

Similarly, drinking water taps are accessible with natural water supplies which are untreated, so direct use of the water is not recommended, you may refill boiling water or cold filter water from any of the teahouses. However, if you buy a water purification tablet, chlorine drops, or utilize SODIS (sunlight assisted) filtration procedures for further assurance of saving money, and reducing plastic pollution.

Accommodation:

Local accommodations are available with minimal facilities to luxury ones, trekking lodges and teahouses are located all along the trail, which provides basic accommodations to luxury ones you can choose from these supplies including twin sharing beds as well as a single bed. Campsites are also available along the trail with rubbish pits, toilets, and shelters providing a special opportunity for the campers. As you’ll be camping for a few days too.

Best Time to Visit?

The best season for  Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek is during the season of autumn and spring.

The months of September, October, November, April, and May are the best time to visit. These months are better in terms of visibility and climate conditions.

During the autumn season, the months of September, October, and November are the best time for trekking in this region, as the weather is clear with great visibility and the temperature is warm.

The spring season of March, April, and May are also the best time to visit Shey Phoksundo Lake, the end of winter bring change in the topography of the region with varieties of blooming trees, high green pasture lands covered with wildflowers, mild temperatures, and clear weather.

Monsoon season is not favorable as the weather gets harsh and it’s hard to get around the country, so the monsoon season is mostly avoided by trekkers.

In the winter season, the area receives high snowfall, covering most of the trail, and access is denied to most of the regions of Shey Phoksundo.