on December 24, 2021
This was the hardest but also the best trek I have ever taken (and I have done a lot of trekking, including four previous treks in the Himalayas). The scenery was incredibly beautiful and varied, from snow peaks with cascading glaciers, to unspoiled meadows, deep canyons with rushing rivers, and red rock cliffs. From Nyingma Gyanzen La we could see all the mountains of central and western Nepal. It was the wildest wilderness trip I have ever had in Nepal, with 8 or 9 days of trekking on which we saw no one other than our party and where there were no real trails in many parts. The villages were also beautiful and fascinating, especially in the Dolpo back country. Sudeep was a great guide, and he deserves extra credit for getting us over a route that no one in the party had done before – and very few people have done at all. Sudeep did it without serious mishaps or logistical screw-ups, with a group of porters who had great back-country skills but were culturally from another world, and he managed to maintain good humor and keep everyone happy. (My contact with the porters was limited because of language but was an unexpectedly fun part of the trek.) I cannot recommend this trip too highly, but be warned that it requires excellent fitness, a flexible attitude, and complete commitment.
