Ringmo Village, Dolpo: A Trekker's Guide to Phoksundo's Bon Village

Ringmo village is a small Bon settlement of flat-roofed stone houses at 3,611 metres (11,847 feet) on the southern shore of Shey Phoksundo Lake in Dolpa region (district), western Nepal. It is the last village before the lake and the overnight stop for every trekker heading to Phoksundo, Shey Gompa, or Upper Dolpo.

I have walked into Ringmo many times, and the first view never gets old. The trail climbs from Sumduwa to a ridge at about 3,875 metres, the turquoise lake opens up below, and the path drops through the trees to the village and its yak meadows. Most trekkers spend two nights here: one to arrive, one to rest, visit the monastery, and let the body adjust to the altitude.

This guide covers where Ringmo is, who lives there, how to reach it, what to see, when to go, what permits you need, and how to stay safe at this height.

Ringmo village lies in Dolpa District, Karnali Province, inside Shey Phoksundo National Park, at the southern tip of Phoksundo Lake. The village sits on the old landslide dam that blocked the Phoksundo River and created the lake.

Image: Ringmo Village, Dolpo

Ringmo is the seat of the former Phoksundo Village Development Committee, now part of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality. The nearest airstrip is Juphal, four walking days to the south. Dunai, the district headquarters and the end of the road, is three days down the Suli Gad valley.

Ringmo is special because it combines three things you rarely find in one place: Nepal's deepest lake, a living Bon community, and a village that still looks the way it did a century ago. You can see all three in a single afternoon walk.

The lake is the first reason people come. Shey Phoksundo is 136 to 145 metres deep, has no fish, and holds a turquoise colour that looks edited in photos. The water is clear because fine glacial silt scatters the light and almost nothing lives in it. The local Bon community bans fishing by custom, which has kept the lake this way for centuries.

Image: Shey Phoksundo Lake

The second reason is the village itself. Ringmo houses are built from stone and mud, with flat roofs stacked with firewood and juniper for the winter. Narrow lanes run between the houses. Chortens and mani walls mark the entrances, and Bon custom is to pass them anticlockwise, keeping them on your left.

The third reason is quiet. Shey Phoksundo National Park counted 1,825 foreign visitors over the five years to October 2025, against 17,712 Nepali visitors, so most of the people you meet at the lake are domestic travellers. On most nights you share Ringmo with a handful of other trekkers and a few hundred yaks.

The village has also appeared on screen. Eric Valli's 1999 film Himalaya (also titled Caravan) was shot around Phoksundo, and Peter Matthiessen's 1978 book The Snow Leopard describes his walk through here on the way to Shey Gompa.

You can fill a full rest day in Ringmo with the lake shore, the monastery, a ridge walk above the lake, and the village lanes. Here is how I usually plan that day.

1. Walk the lake shore in the morning. The light is best before 10 am, when the water is still and the colour is deepest. Follow the path from the village to the outlet and along the shore.

2. Visit Thasung Tsholing Gompa. The round trip from Ringmo is 2 to 3 hours, about 4 km, with 250 metres of climbing. Ask the caretaker to open the main hall, and ask before taking photos inside.

3. Hike the high traverse ridge if you feel strong. This 4 to 5 hour round trip covers about 8 km and climbs 650 metres to around 4,000 metres. You look straight down on the lake and across to Kang Norbu. It is a good acclimatisation walk if you are heading higher.

4. Walk the village. Look at the stone houses, the firewood stacked on roofs, and the prayer wheels at the village chorten. Follow the locals' direction around chortens and mani walls.

5. Look along the west-shore trail. The famous cliff path on the western shore leads toward Upper Dolpo. It is an exposed gangway cut into the rock, with a high point of about 4,100 metres. Walk only the first part for views back over Ringmo, and turn back if you feel unsteady.

6. Sit at the lodge in the evening. Dolpo nights are cold and clear. The stars over the lake are among the best I have seen in Nepal.

The 167-metre Phoksundo Waterfall, about half a kilometre south of the village, is best seen from the trail you walk in on, so plan your photo stop on day 4.

The best months to visit Ringmo are September to November and March to May, when the trails are generally dry and flights to Juphal are most reliable. Early December is also possible if you are ready for cold nights. Avoid late December to February, when heavy snow and extreme cold close the high trails.

You need the Shey Phoksundo National Park entry permit (NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and the Lower Dolpo Restricted Area Permit (USD 20 per person per week) for foreigners. The restricted permit is issued only through a registered agency, and you must trek with a licensed guide. We (Travel To Nepal) can arrange all that for you.

The USD 500 Upper Dolpo permit is not needed for Ringmo or the lake. You enter Upper Dolpo only when you continue past the northern end of the lake toward Shey Gompa.

Ringmo has a few basic lodges and homestays, so you do not need to camp. Rooms are simple twins with private doors, but toilets are shared, and a "hot shower" usually means a bucket of heated water.

Lodges fill up in October when large groups arrive. Book early ahead of the season. Many trekking groups still camp on the meadow by the lake.

Food in Ringmo is simple and filling. Dal bhat (rice, lentils, and vegetables) is the main meal and usually comes with refills. Lodges also serve noodle soup, momos, fried rice, Tibetan bread, porridge, and omelettes. There is little fresh produce and no shop worth the name, so carry snacks from Kathmandu.

Carry enough Nepali rupees for the whole trek.

Ringmo is high enough at 3,611 metres to cause altitude sickness, but a four day walk from Juphal and a rest day in the village keep the risk low for most healthy trekkers. The key is not to rush the climb from Chhepka.

These are the rules I follow with every group:

• Gain no more than about 500 metres of sleeping altitude per day above 3,000 metres. Sleeping at Sumduwa (3,085 m) before Ringmo does this for you.

• Take a full rest day in Ringmo. Use it for the lake and monastery walks, which are easy and stay close to village level.

• Drink three to four litres of water a day. Skip alcohol until you have slept well at Ringmo.

• Know the warning signs. A headache that does not ease with water and rest, nausea, dizziness, or loss of appetite mean stop climbing. If symptoms get worse, go down.

• Carry a basic kit. Diamox (if your doctor approves), ibuprofen, blister plasters. There are no pharmacies beyond Dunai. Our guide also carries oximeter to check your oxygen level daily.

Evacuation from Ringmo is slow. There is no road, and a helicopter can fly only in clear weather. Check that your insurance covers helicopter rescue above 3,000 metres before you leave home.

Other risks are small but real. The ridge on day 4 and the west-shore cliff path above the lake need care in wind or snow, and trekking poles help. Keep your distance from yaks on narrow paths, and step to the uphill side to let mule trains pass.

Pack for cold. Estimated night lows at Ringmo are around 0°C in October and -3°C in November. A down jacket, warm hat, gloves, and a sleeping bag rated to -10°C are the minimum.

Four treks pass through Ringmo, from a 7 to 10-day lake trek to a 25-day Upper Dolpo expedition. All of them start at Juphal and use Ringmo as their first high stop or their gateway to the high passes.

The Shey Phoksundo Lake Trek is the right choice if Ringmo and the lake are your goal. It stays below 4,000 metres, uses lodges or homestays most of the way, and suits first-time high-altitude trekkers with good fitness.

The Lower Dolpo Circuit adds the Tarap valley and Dho Tarap (4,040 m), then two passes: Numa La (5,190 m) and Baga La (5,170 m). It covers about 142 km, the highest camp is Pelung Tang at 4,465 metres, and there is nothing between Dho Tarap and Ringmo, so you camp. Longer 17 to 19 day versions add buffer days.

The Upper Dolpo trek continues north from Ringmo along the west-shore cliffs, over Kang La to the 11th-century Shey Gompa and the Crystal Mountain. It is a full camping expedition with no lodges beyond Phoksundo. Published heights for Kang La range from about 5,300 to 5,360 metres.

Ringmo is worth the trip if you want a Himalayan village that has kept its culture, sits beside Nepal's deepest lake, and sees only a trickle of foreign visitors. The cost is two flights or jeep drive, four days of walking in, and a restricted-area permit. For most trekkers who make it, that effort is the reason the place still feels untouched.

Plan for September to November or March to May, give yourself two nights in the village, and break the climb at Sumduwa. Book your guide and permits through a registered agency (we will do it for you) well before the season, and carry cash, a warm sleeping bag, and a spare day for the Juphal flight.