Shey Phoksundo is Nepal's largest
national park and covers 3,555 sq. km. Sitting
astride the Dolpa and Mugu districts of western
Nepal, the park was established to protect the
trans-Himalayan ecosystem found only in few areas
of the Kingdom. The unique park includes the Kanjiroba
Himal, with many peaks of over 6,000 meters, as
well as the famous Shey Monastery, the Phoksundo
Lake and the Langu Gorge.
The flora of the area include pine,
walnut, willow, oak, poplar and cypress in the
lower southern parts. In the higher reaches, pine,
spruce, juniper and birch pre-dominate. The alpine
areas are vegetated by berberries, wild rose and
caragana. The and trans-Himalayan mountains and
grassy alpine meadows to the north are almost
devoid of trees but have caragana and dwarf juniper.
The wildlife of Shey Phoksundo include
a good popula-tion of blue sheep and ghoral, musk
deer, leopard, wild dog, wolf, marmot, weasel,
mouse hare, rhesus and langur monkeys. The higher
reaches and the haunt of the elusive snow leopard.
The adjoining Tibetan region is home to such rare
animals as the great Tibetan sheep, Tibetan wild
ass, Tibetan gazelle and antelope, and wild yak.
Bird species of the park include the Impeyan and
cheer Pheasant, chough, raven, Tibetan snow cock,
Tibetan twit, brown dipper, Himalayan griffon
and lammergeier. The park is inhabited by people
of Tibetan descent who follow the pre-Buddist
Bon religion and some of the main villages are
Ringmo, Pugmo, Salclang, Kugun, and Tatgaun. On
the august full moon all Dolpa villagers converge
on the Shey (Crystal) Mountain in a festival to
walk around the holy peak three times in as many
days.
FEATURES
Shey Phoksundo National Park provides a diversity
of spectacular landscapes. Elevations in the Park
range from 2,130m in Ankhe to 6,883m at the summit
of Kanjiroba Himal. Much of the Park lies north
of the Himalayan crest. Nepal’s deepest
and second largest lake, Phoksundo Lake, lies
in upper regions of Suligad. Near the lake’s
outlet is the country’s highest waterfall.
The major rivers in the Park are the Khung, Nmajung
and Panjang, The Suligad and Jugdual Rivers, which
are the major tributaries of the Thuli Bheri River;
and the Langu River, which drains the high dolpo
plateau to the east and flows westward.
Phoksundo Lake is famous for its
magnificent turquoise color and the spectacular
scenery clearly rank it with the most scenic mountain
parks in the world. Ringmo village, a typical
Tibetan village, is scenically nestled in the
area. Many beautiful glaciers can be found near
and above the lake area. The Park contains many
Gompas (Monasteries) and religious area. The most
famous, Shey Gompa was established in the 11th
Century. Thashung Gompa located near Phoksundo
Lake was built about 900 years ago to conserve
wildlife.
CLIMATE
As a result of its spanning both the northern
and southern aspects of the Himalayan crest, the
Park experiences a wide climatic range. Most of
the precipitation in the area occurs during the
monsoon (July-September), although the Dhaulagari
and Kanjiroba Ranges forms a massive barrier preventing
most of the rain from reaching the Trans-Himalayan
area. The park contains the transition from a
monsoon dominated climate with 1500 mm.of annual
precipitation in the south (Suligad) to an arid
climate with less than 500 mm. a year in the northern
slopes. Winters are quite severe, with frequent
snowfalls above 2,500m. and temperature’s
remaining below freezing above 3,000m. through
much of the winter.
FAUNA
The Park provides important habitat for endangered
species including the snow leopard, grey wolf,
musk deer, and blue sheep, goral, great Tibetan
sheep, Himalayan tahr, leopard, jackal, and Himalayan
black bear are also found in the park. The park
is home to six species of reptiles and 29 species
of butterfly, including the highest flying butterfly
in the world, Paralasa nepalaica. The park provides
habitat for over 200 species of birds, among which
include Tibetan partridge, wood snipe, white-throated
tit, wood accentor, and crimson-eared rose finch.
FLORA
The flora found within the Park is extremely diverse.
The northern regions contain barren areas of the
upper Himalayas and the Trans-Himalayan slope
lands consisting of some rhododendron, caragana
shrubs, Salix, Juniper, white Himalayan birch,
and the occasional silver fir dominate the high
meadows of the inner Himalayas. Less than five
percent of the park is forested, with much of
it lying in the southern portion. The Suligad
Valley’s flora consists of blue pine, spruce,
hemlock, cedar, silver fir, poplar, rhododendron,
and bamboo. The Park also contains 286 species
of ethno botanical importance.
CULTURE
The Park is home to more than 9,000 people and
their villages among the highest settlements on
Earth. Most of the inhabitants practice Bon Buddhism,
an ancient religion with roots in Animism and
Buddhism. The Bon-po religion, which forms the
entire cultural base for Tibetan Buddhism, was
founded 18,000 years ago, during the Zhang Zung
Empire of today's western Tibet. The landscape
is dotted with sacred monasteries, thangka paintings,
and chortens. The local community is heavily dependent
on trade with Tibet and agriculture. This area
is also famous for its salt trade caravans.
TREKKING
Individual trekking is permitted to trek to Ringmo
or Phoksundo Lake. The Tran-Himalayan region of
inner Dolpa is restricted to group trekking only.
A group trekking permit is needed and can be arranged
through any recognized trekking agency of Nepal.
FACILITIES
Local accommodations are available in Dunai, Sangta,
Chhepka, and Ringmo. Campsites with rubbish pits,
toilets, and shelters are available throughout
the park. Trekking Resorts are located in Dunai,
Chhepka, and Ringmo and provide food and limited
supplies. Park offices are located at Suligad,
Chhepka, Palam Ringmo, and Toijem. At the headquarters
in Palam there is a small visitor center.
HOW TO GET THERE
The easiest way to reach the Park is by air from
Nepalgunj to the Juphal airstrip in Dolpa followed
by a half day walk to the park entrance at Suligad.
