Journey to upped Dolpo and the Crystal Monastery in the footsteps of Peter Matthiessen

A small group expedition (10 to 12 people) led by US based, highly experienced guide Jigme Lama who is an expert on Tibatan Budhism and by local and indigenous guides who are part of the communities you will visit.

• Be hosted by and have meaningful interaction with local communities and local culture as you travel in Dolpo.
• Travel the now lesser visted paths and pinpoint the locations that Matthiessen and Shaller viisted on their 1973 journey: listening to Matthiessen's narration of the journey from recordings made shortly before he died.
• Travel through little visited Mountain Shamanic Hindu Villages that were visited by Peter Matthiessen in 1973.
• Arrive in the Land of Bonn religion and visit the traditional and spectacular Tibetan style villages of Rike and Ringmo which of which Matthiessen writes.
• Meet the lamas, elders, village leaders and communities along the way to gain a true understanding of the life and culture of this area.
• Participate in and watch local ceremonies, festivals and events which Nomadic Skies is often invited to as part of our link with local commuities and religious leaders.
• Be among the snow capped high Himalaya in a land of deep spirituality and tradition and in the habitat of the ever present but illusive snow leopard
• Cross a high mountain pass of over 5000m to reach 'Upper Dolpo'
• Visit the iconic and sacred Crystal Monastery - Shey Gompa - beside the Crystal Mountain
• Visit the stunning Tsakhang Monastery perched on a cliff above Shey Gompa.

In 2022, Nomadic Skies teamed up with US based author Lance Richardson to assist him with mapping and following the route that Peter Matthiessen and George Schaller took through Dolpo to the sacred Shey Gompa. We were accompanied by our local guides and linked to our local community contacts and friends.

For author Lance Richardson: this was a trip to support his research for his major biography 'True Nature: The pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen'. An opportunity to not only retrace Matthiessen's journey physically but to get a sense of the journey spiritually, culturally and intellectually.

For Gavin Anderson and James Appleton from Nomadic Skies: This was an opportunity to introduce the people and culture of Dolpo and perhaps to redress some of the misrepresentations we felt there were within the 1978 Snow Leopard book.

We came away from Dolpo with a greater understanding of the people, an appreciation of Matthiessen's skill as a writer in conveying place, landscape and nature - despite what we felt was sometimes a misrepresentation of the Dolpo-pa people.
We are now offering small group trips to Upper Dolpo that build on this journey - Dolpo remains an area of stunning High Himalayan landscapes, natural beauty and deep culture and spirituality. An area that we believe merits slower and more thoughtful travel. Our trips do not try to complete the whole Upper Dolpo Circuit, but take a slower route, more off the beaten track and with a potential to spend time with local communities and peoplee.