Restricted Area Trekking

Virgin territory as wild as it gets…exploring some of the most rugged terrain in the world as we seek to discover the unknown from the known…

Some of the remote areas of Nepal were restricted for foreign visitors until 1991. After multiparty democracy in Nepal, rules have taken a twist for the good with the new democratic constitution enacting new regulations that allow for visiting the most inaccessible and firmly controlled areas within Nepal. The regulations were actually designed primarily to protect the environment and cultural riches of the remote regions and provide security and safety for both foreign trekkers and that of Nepal's northern borders with China.

All treks in remote areas must be fully arranged through a registered Trekking Company. It has to be fully equipped with tents, all Support staffs & cooks, etc. trekking agencies arrange the trekking permits through a series of applications and guarantee letters as per government regulations for restricted areas. Visitors are not allowed to trek alone in restricted areas. You should be at least 2 people in the group. Each group is accompanied with a government environmental officer. The environmental officer has to handle all the formalities with the police and government offices on all routes in restricted zones. Check our website for highly popular restricted trekking routes where we could arrange for your trekking ventures into such areas.

If you are seeking to get well off the beaten track, you may wish to consider a journey to one of the restricted regions of Nepal. Some of these restricted regions are just mesmerizing in its natural beauty that is arguably found nowhere else on earth.

These regions remain pristine wilderness that is similar to ecological and cultural museums where life has changed very little. An intimate experience of the differing ways people arrange their lives in order to cope with their often harsh physical conditions would be sometimes behind comprehension for some of our guests visiting these starkly far-flung outposts where the natural wonders of nature in all its divine beauty literally challenge its inhabitants to survive within its risky eco-environmental settings that are mercilessly tough, & yet rewarding; if well planned & developed. A journey full of questions and contrast awaits everyone who visits these remote & lonely regions that dare one & all to tread its rough ground.

For trekkers who wish to explore the unseen and unspoiled regions of Nepal, a wilderness trek is definitely the perfect pick. These treks take you to remote regions where you can explore the rugged beauty of high mountain passes, spell binding glaciers, hidden valleys, quaint villages and diverse eco-systems with the kind of landscapes that baffles viewers with its naked virgin beauty.

These treks can be organized on fully supporting camping treks and require special permits to travel to these remote regions within the borders of Nepal.

One of these regions is the Ba-Yul, or the hidden land of Dolpo, which was first settled in by Rokpa farmers and Drokpa nomads from Tibet in the 10th century. It is one of the highest inhabited places on earth, with scattered fortress-like villages and monasteries nestling amongst mountains of stark, ascetic beauty. Though part of Nepal today, Dolpo remains culturally and economically firmly tied to Tibet, the people of this desolate area are cut of from their southern neighbors by snow-covered passes for much of the year. This is a highly fascinating and difficult country to travel in.

Most of the Dolpi is protected by the Shey Phoksumdo National Park. It is bound in the east and south by Dhaulagiri and the Churen Himal ranges; and in the west by the Jumla district. Dolpo has been bypassed by development and until recently, by tourism. Although a few Anthropologists and geographers had explored the region, the entire district was closed of to foreigners until 1989, when southern parts of Dolpo was opened to organized trekking groups.

We must keep in mind that wild adventure into Nepal’s most rugged & remote regions where the going is tough & virtually forces the tough to get going, the risks comes down to the minimum with Annapurna Travels & Tours… no matter what or where, we go the mile to ensure your safety throughout the trip, because we know the land & understand that you have dared to enjoy doing these challenging ventures…your way, at your pace; as the rugged landscape you hike through unfolds its divine sanctum with each drop of sweat that pours from the body; giving you the pure kind of adventure that occurs perhaps, only once in a lifetime. We encourage you to plan your trips with us… we’ll be with you, all the way.