Shey Festival with Dolpo Jomsom Trek

Overview

Shey Festival with Dolpo Jomsom trek is an ideal trek com festival. Shey Festival is commenced every 12 years Tibetan lunar calendar. In the year of Dragon (Druklho), Shey Festival takes place in Shey Gompa Upper Dolpo. Shey Festival happens in the twelve-year cycle in the Buddhist calendar each year is represented by a different animal and each year with the importance of twelve different pilgrimages, which include Mt. Kailash in Tibet, Swayambhunath in Kathmandu, Shey Gompa in Dolpo, and many other places in the world. The last time Shey Festival happened was in 2012 and the next festival will take place in Shey Gompa in 2024.

The festival starts from August 16th to 19th 2024. The first dayof the opening ceremony is followed by different activities on each day. There will be teaching by great lamas and Rinpoche along with cultural performances (Syabros) and traditional games such as horse racing and archery. 18th is a full day and it is an auspicious day to circumambulate (kora) around Shey Ribo Drugta. Even some people circumambulate (kora) barefoot around Shey Ribo Drugta. It is believed that making circumambulate (kora) around the Shey Ribo Drukta will purify and cleanse sin and bad deeds. At the end of the festival, participants get blessings (Wangs) from honorable and renowned lamas.

Shey Festival with Dolpo to Jomsom Trek is about 230km from Juphal airstrip to Kagbeni in the Kali Gandaki valley of Mustang district. The first part trek, stretching through the Lower Dolpo region is followed by Hinduism hamlets, the lush vegetation of Phoksundo National Park, and stunning Phoksundo Lake, a turquoise blue colored lake that certainly changes its color after exposing sunlight during the day time, Bonpo follower village and community.

The second part of the trek takes you to Upper Dolpo. Upper Dolpo has been referred to as the last enclave of pure Dolpo Pa culture with the barren landscape, sparsely populated settlement, land of Bon, and Buddhist religion. Upper Dolpo reserves its charisma for a three-week-long walk from Phoksundo Lake. Beyond the Phoksundo Lake, following gorges and stony trail encountering complicated Kang La (5363m) pass before reaching to sacred and mythical land Shey Gompa. Then after following, we head east following Sephu Khola passing many mani walls, several isolated fields and doksas (seasonal settlements for yak herders) we cross Shey La Pass approaches the largest village of Upper Dolpo Saldang and the trail leads to the north, the oldest and beautiful monastery of Dolpo is Yangjer nearby Nisal village. Approaching further to the North-east corner, the hidden frontier village is Musi village. Beyond the Musi village, conquering the Muri La pass trail connects remote and isolated valley Panzang valley villages Simen, Phalwa and Tinje. For a really strenuous and rugged adventure seeker can further continue to the east traversing Mo La pass to Chharka Bhot and a high wild trail crossing across Jungbenla 5550m before knee-jerking trails to Kaligandaki Valley and Jomsom.