Shey Phoksundo National Park

Introduction

Shey Phoksundo National Park is the largest National Park of Nepal extended with the total area of 3,555 square km ranging in elevation from 2,130m to 6,885m. The National Park offers you the pristine view of nature, trekking trails, fabulous landscapes and ranks among the most scenic mountain parks. It is located in Dolpa and Mugu district of Northwestern Nepal. The main objective to establish the park was to preserve a unique Trans-Himalayan ecosystem with a diversity of flora and fauna. The park also encompasses one of the most beautiful and colored Phoksundo Lake.

Phoksundo Lake is the deepest lake of Nepal with the depth of 145m (476 feet). The vegetation found in the lower altitude of national park are Pine, Walnut, Willow, Oak, Poplar and Cypress whereas Spruce, Juniper and Birch dominates the park in the higher altitude. Shey Phoksundo National Park is home of over 200 species of birds, six species of reptiles, 29 species of butterfly and different wild animals such as Snow Leopard, Wild Dog, Marmot, Weasel, Rhesus Monkey, Musk deer, Ghoral, Sheep, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Thar, Jackal etc. The major rivers in the park are Khung, Nmajung and Panjang. The Suligad and Jugdual rivers are the major tributaries of the Thuli Bheri River. The park is also famous for the pilgrimage site as it has many Gompas. Among them, the most famous one is Shey Gompa which was built in 11th century. Thashung Gompa located near Phoksundo Lake was built about 900 years ago to conserve wildlife of the park.

Weather / Climate

Since the national park lies in trans-Himalayan region, the climate of the park during the monsoon is dominated by arid climate as the winters in the park are harsh with snowfall region above 2,500m. The temperature of the park above 3,000m fall below freezing points. Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba massifs form a massive barrier prevents most of the rain from reaching the Trans-Himalayan area which makes the area dry. The best time to visit the National Park is from April to November.

FLORA

According to some reports, the National Park contains 286 species of floras of ethno botanical importance. The northern region of the park consists of Rhododendron, Caragana shrubs, Salix, Juniper, white Himalayan birch, etc. The occasional silver fir flora dominates the high meadows of the park. The park also contains barren areas of the upper Himalayas as the Trans-Himalayan slope lands. Less than five percent of the park is forested and the Suligad Valley’s flora consists of blue Pine, Spruce, Hemlock, Cedar, silver fir, poplar, Rhododendron, and bamboos.

FAUNA

The National Park is home for numerous endangered species including Snow Leopard, Grey Wolf, Musk Deer and blue Sheep, Goral, great Tibetan sheep, Himalayan Tahr, Leopard, and Himalayan black Bear. The park is also habitat to six species of reptiles, 29 species of butterfly and over 200 species of birds among which includes Tibetan Partridge, wood snipe, white-throated tit, wood accentor and crimson-eared rose finch.

CULTURE

The National Park is home to more than 9,000 people with most of the inhabitants practicing Bon Buddhism. Bon Buddhism is an ancient religion with roots in Animism and Buddhism. It was founded 18,000 years ago during the Zhang Zung Empire, which forms the entire cultural base for Tibetan Buddhism. The park also contains many gompas and religious sites like Shey Gompa. It is the most famous Gompa which was established in the period of 11th century. Thashung Gompa is another Gompa located near Phoksundo Lake which was built about 900 years ago to conserve wildlife. Beside this, there are many other monasteries, thangka paintings, and chortens. The local community is heavily dependent on trade with Tibet and agriculture as this area is also famous for its salt trade caravans to Tibet.

FACILITIES

High and modern facilities are not available but the local accommodations are available in Dunai, Sangta, Chhepka, and Ringmo. Most of the nights might be in campsites with rubbish pits, toilets in absence of local shelter or trekking lodge. The main trekking lodges are located in Dunai, Chhepka, and Ringmo which provides food and limited supplies. Park offices are located at Suligad, Chhepka, Palam Ringmo, and Toijem.

HOW TO GET THERE

The easiest way to reach National Park is by air from Nepalgunj to the Juphal airstrip in Dolpa followed by a half day walk to the park entrance at Suligad.

Trekking in Shey Phoksundo National Park

Offering you an extra ordinary experience in the Trans-Himalayan region, the park offers two best trekking journeys; Lower Dolpo Trekking and Upper Dolpo Trekking. In the least visited trail, off the beaten path awaits your presence in this surreal destination under the Nepal Himalayas. Join Nature Lovers Treks and Tours, a dedicate company in the field of Nepalese tourism is more than glad to lead you there to provide you a memorable journey for life.