The Legacy of Shey Phoksundo

Shey Phoksundo Park is the largest national park of Nepal covering the area of 3555 sq km located in Mugu and Dolpa districts. It is one and only national park located in trans-himalayan region ranging 2,130 m to 6,885m above sea level. Shey Phoksundo Lake after which the national park is named is at the elevation 3,612 m. The wide diversity of mesmerising landscape that is covered by this national park makes it one of the top ranked beautiful mountain parks that exists.

Shey Phoksundo lake which lies in the same national park covers an area of 1,220 acres and is 145 meters deep. It lies in the altitude of 3,611.5 m. This lake was formed when a landslide some 35,000 years ago created a dam. A village called Ringmo is located on the landslide dam. This lake has a great religious significance to the who practice traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture. On the southern belt of the lake there are more than 20 stupas and a gompa is located towards the east of the lake. The lake plunges over a 167m waterfall past the dam.

A wide range of climate prevails in the national park as it lies in the transition zone from an arid climate to a monsoon dominated climate. THe south receives more than 1500 mm of rain while there is only an average of 500mm rain every year. Kanjiroba and Dhaulagiri peaks play vital roles in this pattern of precipitation as they form a great wall blocking most of the rain clouds to reach the northern area. During winter Shey Phoksundo national park receives severe snow plummeting the temperature way below freezing point during which trekking in the Dolpo Region becomes impossible.

There is a wide diverse range of flora and fauna contained in Shey Phoksundo national park. Although the northern part of the National park is mostly barren the southern side is covered with caragana shrubs, rhododendron, juniper, salix, occasional silver fir and white himalayan birch which only covers 5% of the total floras in the park. The park is the habitat of 29 species of butterfly, 6 types of reptiles and 200 species of birds. 9000 people live together in harmony with all the floras and faunas in the area.