Rolwaling Valley Trek
Also known as Tsho Rolpa Trek / Rolwaling Tsho Rolpa Trek.
Rolwaling Valley Trek is a difficult 8-10-day teahouse trek in the Rolwaling region of Nepal, reaching 4,580 m. It starts at Chetchet (Chhetchhet) and ends at Chetchet (Chhetchhet).
Key facts
- Region
- Rolwaling (Dolakha)
- Duration
- 8-10 days, 4-7 hours walking per day
- Distance
- 65 km
- Maximum altitude
- 4,580 m
- Difficulty
- Difficult — Remote, little-trafficked valley climbing from 1,380m to 4,580m (Tsho Rolpa) in a few days, with steep forested ascents (Simigaon wall, Dongang gorge), basic and sparse lodges, and no rescue infrastructure. Teahouse version is non-technical but its remoteness, quick altitude gain and rough trail justify a 4.
- Trek type
- Teahouse, out-and-back route
- Best season
- Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (mid-Mar-May)
- Guide
- Not mandatory
- Restricted area
- No
- Budget cost
- NPR 35,000–60,000
- Comfortable cost
- NPR 60,000–95,000
- Guided cost
- NPR 110,000–170,000
- Getting there
- Kathmandu → Charikot/Dolakha (paved, 5-6h) → Singati → Chetchet (1,380m; rough river-valley road, 3-4h) → trail. Road continues to Gongar/Lamabagar (Upper Tamakoshi dam site) but trekkers leave the road at Chetchet for the Simigaon climb.
- Altitude sickness
- High for the profile: trekkers sleep at 4,180m (Na) within 4-5 days of leaving 1,380m, and day-hike to 4,580m; the valley's steady but fast gain plus zero medical infrastructure means AMS must be self-managed.
Weather
Monsoon makes the gorge trail landslide-prone and leech-ridden and the Chetchet road frequently blocked; winter snow closes the upper valley (Beding/Na residents descend) and many lodges shut. Spring gives rhododendron forest low down and stable snow up high; autumn the clearest skies over Gaurishankar (7,134m) and Melungtse (7,181m).
Permits
- Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit (GCAP) — NPR 3,000 for foreigners. Where to get it: NTNC counter at Nepal Tourism Board (Kathmandu) or entry checkpoint (Charikot/Singati area)
- TIMS Card — NPR 2,000 for foreigners. Where to get it: NTB Kathmandu or through registered agency
- Lapche Valley Restricted Area Permit (side valley only — NOT needed for Tsho Rolpa route) — NPR 3,040 for foreigners. Where to get it: Immigration via registered agency, min 2 trekkers
Itinerary
- Day 1: Kathmandu to Chetchet, walk to Simigaon, 2-3 h, 2,000 m — Tamakoshi valley drive; waterfall at Chetchet; steep stone-step climb to the Sherpa/Tamang village of Simigaon
- Day 2: Simigaon to Dongang, 5-6 h, 2,790 m — Enter the tight Rolwaling gorge; rhododendron and bamboo forest; river bridges
- Day 3: Dongang to Beding, 5-6 h, 3,690 m — Valley opens to Gaurishankar views; Beding — the main Sherpa village of Rolwaling, gompa above the houses
- Day 4: Beding to Na, 3-4 h, 4,180 m — Alpine yak-pasture plateau of Na; Melungtse appears; afternoon acclimatization stroll toward Yalung ridge
- Day 5: Na to Na (acclimatization), 3-4 h, 4,180 m — Rest/acclimatization day — short hike toward Yalung Ri base camp side valley or ridge above Na
- Day 6: Na to Tsho Rolpa, return Na, 5-6 h, 4,180 m — Tsho Rolpa (4,580m) — 3.5 km-long glacial lake beneath the Trakarding Glacier, ringed by 6,000-7,000m peaks; GLOF early-warning installations
- Day 7: Na to Dongang, 6-7 h, 2,790 m — Long descent back through Beding and the gorge
- Day 8: Dongang to Simigaon, 4-5 h, 2,000 m — Forest descent; last Gaurishankar views from the village
- Day 9: Simigaon to Chetchet, drive to Kathmandu, 1.5-2 h, 1,400 m — Knee-testing stair descent, then the long drive out