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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, oa k, 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.
Entry Fee Per Person Per
Entry
For Nepalese Nationals,
Free
For SAARC Nationals, Rs.
100/-
For Other Foreign Nationals, Rs.
1,000/-
(Note Entrance fee not required for
children under 10 years).
Filming Permit Fee
(Documentary/Feature Films)
For Nepalese
Nationals,
Rs. 5,000/-
For SAARC Nationals, Rs.
25,000/-
For Other Foreign Nationals, US $ 1,000/-
Helicopter Landing in Protected Area, Rs. 2,000/- per
landing |
Access
The nearest airstrip is at Juphal, south of the
park. Visitors can also fly to Jumla from where it is a 10 day hike to
the Phoksundo and Shey areas. The best time to visit this park is from
April to November.
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