Tingri to Everest Base Camp Trek

Transcription

1 Tingri to Everest Base Camp provides a heady mix of solitude, wildlife sighting and physical challenge, onagers and gazelle thruve around the trail. If you are lucky enough, you may see a Tibetan brown bear rambling in the pastures. You will accomplish 70 km trekking in 4 days and the route of Tibet trekking is on the plateau with altitudes ranging from 4400m to 5300m. On the way to Everest Base Camp you will have enough time to explore the valleys and glaciers below the massive north-face of Mt. Everest and view the most magnificent scenery on the world's highest mountain.with unobstructed views of the stunning north face, Tibet s Everest Base Camp at Rongbuk is truly the best place to see the world s highest mountain. A trek into Base Camp from Tingri could follow several routes and we are taking a more demanding route than most, but also the most rewarding in terms of scenery. We will follow a high ridge with good views of Mount Everest, to the village of Zommug and then to Rongbuk to explore the glacier. Duration: 15 days Price: $4345 Group Size: 2 Grade: Moderate Destination: Nepal Activity: Trekking Region: Everest Equiment Lists: Footwear : Well broken-in walking shoes - these must be suitable for snow, thick socks, light socks, camp shoes. Clothing : Down or fiber filled waterproof jacket and trousers, sweater or fleece jacket, underwear, warm and cotton trousers or

2 jeans, shirts and T-shirts, shorts, long underwear, wool hat, sun hat, gloves, bathing suit, track suit. Other equipment: Sleeping bag (5 seasons), lock, day pack, water bottle, sun cream, sunglasses, flashlight with spare bulbs and batteries, lip salve, gaiters. Other items: Insect repellent, toilet articles, diary, toilet roll, laundry soap, wet ones, pocket knife, towel, sewing kit, plasters, binoculars, camera, film, cards and personal medical kit. Itinerary: Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Nyalam We leave Kathmandu after an early breakfast and drive northwards through Nepal s beautiful terraced hillsides, river valleys and forests and catching glimpses of the Himlayas. We reach Kodari on the Nepal Tibet border and must complete the border formalities at both the Nepalese and Chinese immigration posts. Once in Tibet we follow a series of incredibly steep switchbacks climbing up a mossy gully with cascading waterfalls to Nyalam where we stay the night. Day 2: Acclimatization day With Tibet s average altitude being over 3500m above sea level we take altitude sickness very seriously, so we spend today resting in Nyalam in order to acclimatise before heading up higher.we take the opportunity to go a short way out of town to visit a small temple, Nyalam Pelgye Ling, associated with eleventh and twelfth-century poet-lama and saint Milarepa, credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet. Day 3: Drive to Tingri Today s drive takes us from the lush, green lower hills into the dry, arid landscape of the Tibetan Plateau. We cross several high passes including the Lalung La at 5050m from where (weather permitting) there is a breathtaking panorama of the Himalayan range including Mt Everest an incredible backdrop to the vast and arid Tibetan Plateau. We spend the night in Tingri. Day 4: Trek to Lung Thang We start our first day of trekking on the Tingri plain and will really feel the vastness of this huge land as we walk through it for the first time. We pass through some villages as we make our way south, heading in the direction of Cho Oyu. We will pass through the village of Chholung, and we can visit the small Gompa there. Not far from Chholung we come to Lungthang, our campsite for today and the last village in this part of the Tingri plains. It is a somewhat bleak region surrounded by barren flats, yet the people do manage to harvest barley showing their resilience and hard work. Most villagers here are also herders as the harvest would not be enough to sustain a livelihood. Day 5: Trek to Lamna La After breakfast today we get into some more serious trekking. We head up in the mountains, towards the top of Lamna La (5150m). This is a hard days trekking with a lot of uphill walking, but of course the higher you go the better the views are! We have sensational views as we ascend of the Himalayan Range. We camp near the Langma La this night. Day 6: Trek to Zommug Today we begin with a steep decent from Lamna La, towards Zommug, where we will camp tonight. On this side of the pass the 2

3 vegetation here is more lush than on the Dingri side and is capable of supporting hundreds of yaks and a few herders families.as we get approach we can see the whitewashed walls of Zommug village. This is the highest permanent settlement in the Everest region and is set high above the valley in a moon like landscape of barren hills, with views of Mount Everest and Gyachung Kang. Because crops cannot survive at this elevation, all of the families residing here rely upon animal husbandry. Day 7: Trek to Everest Base Camp Today is our last day of trekking and we make our way towards the Dza Rongbuk Monastery and the Rongbuk Everest Base Camp. Dza Rongbuk Gompa and its accompanying hermitage retreats were introduced to the world in the 1920s through the accounts of the first British mountaineering teams. It is situated 8 kilometres below the Base Camp and was reconstructed after the excesses of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960 s. We continue up to Everest Base Camp at 5020m where we camp for the night. Day 8: Exploration of Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Glacier Today we have the opportunity to explore Everest Base Camp, which is actually quite dry and barren, but the views of Mt Everest more than compensate for this. It is a truly awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above us. Nowhere is the view of Mt Everest as spectacular as it is from right here. Day 9: Drive to Lhatse Today we leave the Rongbuk Valley, taking our last long look at the awe inspiring view it has offered us for the last few days. We have a short drive towards Shegar, crossing the Pang La, a 5150m pass set back away from the main Himalayan Range. The view from the top is stupendous (weather permitting) with uninterrupted views stretching from Makalu to Shishapangma. We come back onto the Friendship Highway just before Shegar and continue on to Lhatse, where we stay the night. Before reaching Lhatse we cross the highest pass on our journey, the Gyatso La (5105m), no doubt thankful we are not trekking now, before descending once more to the barren splendour of the plains. Day 10: Drive to Shigatse After breakfast we continue along the Friendship Highway to Shigatse, marvelling again at just how vast this place is and simply immersing ourselves in the barren yet spectacular landscape of Tibet. Tonight we stay in Tibet s second largest city, Shigatse, home to the Tashilhunpo Monastery and formerly home of the Panchen Lama. Day 11: Drive to Gyantse Today we have a relatively short drive, so this morning we have time to visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet. Reaching Gyantse where we will stay the night, we can explore the Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Gyantse Kumbum. The Kumbum is a large gold-domed stupa and its many chapels house an impressive array of Tibetan Buddhist murals. Day 12: Drive to Lhasa Today we have a spectacular drive taking us over yet another high pass, the Karo La at 4690m. From here we have the awesome 3

4 sight of a huge glacier tumbling down towards the road! Leaving the pass and passing through the small town of Nagartse, we reach the stunning Yamdrok Tso. Also known as the Scorpion Lake, this is one of the four holiest lakes in Tibet, where the landscape is mapped out with holy lakes and mountains. We wind around the banks of this stunning turquoise lake for about 20km, before we cross our last pass, the Khamba La (4700m) and continue on into Lhasa. We have arrived in the Forbidden City! Day 13: Explore Lhasa Today we can immerse ourselves in this amazing city the heart and soul of Tibet! Our sightseeing will be accompanied by a guide and interpreter and we will visit the Sera Monastery, one of the best-preserved monasteries in Tibet. Within its whitewashed walls and golden roofs, several hundred monks live and study.after lunch we ll visit the Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, followed by the Jokhang Temple. This temple is possibly the most sacredshrine in Tibet and there is always a procession of devout Tibetans through the complex. Surrounding the Jokhang is the Barkor a maze of narrow cobbled streets, which is the central market of Lhasa. This is truly fascinating stuff and you will be mesmerised by the energy and feel of this area of Lhasa. Day 14: Explore Lhasa Day 2 No visit to Tibet could be complete without visiting the Potala Palace. A spectacular building, it literally dominates the skyline of Lhasa. It contains the private quarters of the Dalai Lama as well as numerous grand staterooms and many important chapels. There has been a palace on this site since the 5th or 6th century, but the present palace was constructed in the 17th century.after lunch we will visit the Drepung Monastery which was founded in the 14th century. This monastery was once the largest in the world, with a population of around 10,000 monks! These days that figure is down to several hundred, but there is still much here of interest as it was left relatively unscathed during the Cultural Revolution. Day 15: Departure from Lhasa B We bid farewell to Lhasa this morning. Cost Include: Kathmandu Nyalam private transportation & Cargo Twin/Double sharing accommodation in Tibet as per itinerary Transportation by 4WD land cruiser in Tibet part China/Tibet travel permit / visa fees Special Trekking permit for trekking High Altitude Dome Tent and all meals on the trek. (if necessary) Toilet tent English Speaking local Tibetan guide Supporting staffs (as experienced cook, kitchen staffs, porters) during trekking Yak and Yak man for trek (compulsory) / Local porters First Aid Kit Travel rescue arrangement Cost exclude: International airfare Nepalese Visa Fee & re entry visa fee Custom clearance in Tibet Accommodation & meals in Kathmandu Personal gears & clothing 4

5 Travel/medical insurance Alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry Tips, any expenses of personal nature Medical evacuation in case of emergency Expenses incurred due to mishaps, landslide, strikes, political unrest etc. In such case extra will be charged as per actual Others expenses which are not mentioned on cost includes section. 5