Best time to travel Dolpo Region – when to go for the best experience
One of the most adventurous and challenging trekking routes one can discover in the Himalayas is the journey from Lower to Upper Dolpo. You might be aware that the Dolpo region is one of the most secluded and remote regions of the country due to its extremely low population density. So for that reason, it becomes important to know the optimal time to visit this region.
We want to let you know that, the region is divided into two parts upper and lower Dolpo. So the best time to visit this region actually depends upon the region. The Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba mountain ranges surround the Dolpo region. Thus, the region could be regarded as a rain shadow. With this cause, it is possible to travel to this region even in the summer months.
But generally speaking, the best time to travel to the Dolpo region are spring and autumn like any other trek in the country. If you are considering going on a trek before or after these times, you may have to deal with the difficulties caused by unpredictable weather events. Hence, it could ultimately make it quite challenging to cross the high passes at those moments of the year. Finally, Knowing those two seasons as the best times of the year we will now discuss more features and details of each season in the below sections.
Spring
Adventure activities are presently quite popular in Nepal in Spring. And it’s highly sought-after for a very good reason. Due to its pleasant and consistent weather across the region, springtime offers the best weather conditions. Usually, on spring days, you get to experience bright sunny days with cool temperatures touching your skin with a soothing vibe.
Simply expressed, the climate is neither too hot nor too cold, which makes trekkers feel welcome and gives them a fine experience in this region. Particularly in the lower region, the Blooming Rhododendron forest greets and introduce you to the wonderful surroundings.
In this season, you can pick any day between March and May if you want to embark on a lower Dolpo trek. But if you want to see the real beauty of the upper region, come on between April and May. We highly advise you to travel at the best time when it provides the most for the upper Dolpo region. The beauty of the Mountains, high passes, and breathtaking scenery set the higher Dolpo apart from the lower ones. As the higher section borders the Tibetan plateau, it gives the Trans-Himalayan desert its full appearance.
Autumn
Though spring is an ideal season to come here, many people actually prefer the autumn season for trekking in Nepal. The Trekking routes are most crowded in the most prominent regions like Everest and Annapurna. But in the case of the Dolpo region, the route happens to be not crowded as these regions. However as the snow shuts swiftly in the later months of the autumn, it is preferable to pick the earlier months.
Autumn is especially famous for its beautiful, blue sky, which provides Spectacular panoramic vistas of the Mountains and a dazzling environment. The crucial trekking factors such as temperature, weather, and visibility are all in balance at this time. So, this reason makes the visit to this region even worth it in every aspect. Also, this time in Nepal represents most of the big festivals. On the occasion of it, you could join the locals and have a great time together celebrating and creating memories.
Lastly, we suggest that the last month of this season (November) is not the best time to travel to the Dolpo region. The bright fall weather will give way to the very frigid winter this month. Ultimately it increases the possibility of snowfall in the higher region making camping challenging. So, we highly recommend you travel to this region in September and October.
Summer
Generally, the Summer season is regarded as the off-season to trek in the Nepali Himalayas. The summer consists of the months of June, July, and August. Many of the other parts of the county will be affected by the rain of this season causing landslides and floods. But in the case of the Dolpo region, the summer usually doesn’t affect the regions as others since it is a rainshadow region. So, Exploring the Dolpo region in the summer isn’t a terrible idea.
Although summertime exploration of this area is not difficult, getting there is a challenge. The heavy rains have an impact on many parts of the country. So, Dolpo will likely not be accessible most of the time. Most of the Flights will probably be canceled during this time. Thus you will have to wait several days or even a week to catch a flight to Juphal. So, you should have patience if you want to explore this region in the summer.