Life on the Tibetan Plateau

Final Post

I have had this blog for the past 5 years. I have had at least 750,000 vistors and thousands of emails from across the globe asking for travel advice on Tibet. Since the Yushu Earthquake in April 2010, I have been quite busy and haven't had as much time as I would have liked to post on this site. After the earthquake, I spend considerable time helping with the relief, both in Jyekundo and in Xining. I have also traveled extensively covering nearly 100,000 kilometers overland the past 20 months. I have also done traveling throughout other parts of Asia including Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and India.

This will be my final post on this site. I am building a new website which will replace this site and the other site I maintain, landofsnows.com. I hope to have my new site up and running shortly after the new year. It will be similar to this site, but I hope to have more detailed information about Tibet including itineraries, treks, personal stories...just about anything anyone could possibly want to know about traveling in Tibet. Though it is not up and running yet, my NEW site can be found at thelandofsnows.com. As always, if you have any questions about travel in Tibet or which travel agency to use in Tibet, send me an email at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

See you at my new site!

Losang བློ་བཟང་

Tibet Photography Workshop 2012

On April 22, 2012, my company Plateau Photo Tours, will be hosting Matt Brandon and Brian Hirschy on a 13 day photography workshop adventure through Tibet and Nepal. This workshop is a follow up to our very successful 2011 trip through the Himalaya's (read link for testimonials from this years workshop). The workshop will begin by flying from Chengdu to Lhasa and from there we will take the famous Friendship Highway before arriving in the ancient city of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley. With this workshop, we will be exploring the once forbidden Tibetan capital city of Lhasa, wander around the large monastery of Tashi Lhunpo in Shigatse, gaze upon the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake, follow the pilgrimage circuit around Tibet's largest stupa in Gyantse and stand in front of Everest from the North Face Base Camp. From there, we will descend down to the Kathmandu Valley to the well preserved ancient city of Bhaktapur. We will be photographing some of the most interesting cultures and peoples in the world. 

Matt Brandon and Brian Hirschy are both Asia-based professional photographers with many years experience teaching photography and leading workshops. Plateau Photo Tours always limits the number of workshop participants to a small number so that each customer can spend adequate one-on-one time with the instructors. No matter what your level of photography is, Matt and Brian can help take your photography to the next level. I, Losang, serve as the lead guide on all of Plateau Photo Tour's workshops. Having lived in Tibet for nearly 10 years, I am familiar with all aspects of Tibetan culture, history, language and religion. Together, the 3 of us work hard to ensure that all of our workshop participants come away with a greater understanding of photography and the cultures they travel through. 

For more information about this workshop, go to the following link:

2012 Tibet, Nepal, Everest Overland Workshop

For an overview of the workshop, go to the following link:

2012 Himalayan Workshop Overview

To sign up for this workshop, go to the following link:

2012 Tibet, Nepal, Everest Overland Workshop Application

Space is very limited for this workshop so sign up today! If you have any questions about this workshop, send me an email at info@plateauphototours.com.

See you in Tibet next spring!

 

Yading Nature Reserve

The Yading Nature Reserve is found in western Sichuan’s Ganzi Tibet Autonomous Prefecture དཀར་མཛེས་བོད་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ་ in the traditional Tibetan region of Kham ཁམས་. Ganzi, known in Tibetan as Garnze དཀར་མཛེས་, is divided into 18 counties covering an area of 151,000 square kilometers (58,300 square miles). Yading is located in southern Daocheng county, which is known as Dapba འདབ་པ་ in Tibetan. The Yading Nature Reserve covers an area of 1344 square kilometers (520 square miles) and has an average elevation of well over 4000 meters.

 Inside the Yading Nature Reserve are the 3 holy mountains of Chenresig, rising to 6032 meters, Chana Dorje and Jampelyang, which both rise to 5958 meters. These 3 snow-capped peaks sit in a triangle formation with forested valleys, clear rivers, glacier-fed lakes and abundant wildlife between them. The Tibetan name for Yading is “Nyiden” ཉིན་རྟེན་, which means “facing the sun”.  The local Tibetan name for the area around the 3 holy mountains is “Rigsum Gonpo”. In Tibetan, the names of the mountains mean “Wisdom” (Jampelyang), “Power” (Chana Dorje) and “Compassion” (Chenresig). This region was designated as a nature reserve in the late 1990’s. 

The first westerner to see the area of Yading was the famous American botanist and explorer Dr. Joseph Rock. Dr. Rock explored the southeastern portion of the Tibetan Plateau (modern day western Sichuan and northwest Yunnan provinces) in detail for over 20 years beginning in the mid-1920’s. In 1928, he arrived in Yading and photographed the entire region. In the July 1931 issue of National Geographic, more than 60 pages are dedicated to the writings and photographs of Dr. Rocks travels in this area. This issue of National Geographic gave the world its first pictures of the incredible beauty of the Yading area. 

 Many regions of the Himalaya’s are referred to as “Shangri La”, the fictional paradise written about by James Hilton in his famous novel “Lost Horizon”, which was published in 1933. In 2001, the Tibetan county of Zhongdian (Gyelthang in Tibetan) in northwest Yunnan province was officially renamed “Shangri La” in an attempt to market more tourism to the area. Other regions in Nepal, India and Bhutan market themselves as being the “real Shangri La”. Most likely, James Hilton based his fictional place of Shangri La after the pictures that Joseph Rock published in the July 1931 issue of National Geographic. More recently, the small town of Riwa, located 35kms north of the entrance to the Yading Nature Reserve, also officially changed its name to “Shangri La”. Of all the places that call themselves “Shangri La”, the Yading Nature Reserve probably best represents what James Hilton was thinking about when he wrote “Lost Horizon”.

Though the outside world didn’t learn about Yading until 1931, local Tibetans have known about Yading for more than 800 years. Tibetans from the region have long considered the 3 peaks of Chenresig, Jampelyang and Chana Dorje to be the “abode of the gods”. Pilgrimage circuits go around the entire region as well as around each individual mountain. Local Tibetans try and complete a circuit around the highest mountain in the reserve, Chenresig, at least once a year.

 Due to its remoteness, the Yading Nature Reserve is still relatively unknown to foreign travelers. It is not listed in any of the major guidebooks for Tibet or China and getting accurate travel information for the area is difficult. Yading is becoming more popular among Chinese tourists, but even during the high season the tourists numbers are relatively low, especially compared to other popular areas on the Tibetan Plateau such as Lhasa, Jiuzhai Gou and Shangri La. There is talk about an airport being built near Yading, which I am sure will drastically change this quiet, tranquil area. 

Getting to Yading Nature Reserve

Yading Nature Reserve is not the easiest place to reach. With no airport and no railway, the only way to get there is by public bus or private vehicle. From Chengdu, there is a daily bus during the high season (June through early October) that goes to Yading. The distance is 865 kilometers (540 miles) and takes between 20 and 25 hours to complete. This is a long and difficult bus journey and is not recommended unless you are extremely short on time.

 The most popular way to reach Yading is to go from Chengdu to Kangding (Dartsendo in Tibetan) and then work your way to Yading from Kangding. From Chengdu, there are multiple buses per day to Kangding, known in Tibetan as Dartsendo. The bus costs 120 RMB and takes between 8 and 10 hours. Buses from Chengdu leave from the Xin Nan Men bus station or from in front of the Kangding Hotel in the Wu Hou Ci district. From Chengdu to Kangding is 330 kilometers.

It is best to stay 2 nights in Kangding, elevation 2600 meters, before setting out for the higher areas of Yading in order to properly acclimatize to reduce the risks of altitude sickness. From Kangding, there is 1 daly bus to Daocheng, elevation 3700 meters. The bus ticket costs 131 RMB and takes between 13 and 16 hours to drive. The distance between Kangding and Daocheng is 430 kilometers (270 miles). 

 A popular alternative is to go from Kangding to Litang and then continue on to Daocheng. There is 1 bus per day from Kangding to Litang. The bus costs 88 RMB and takes between 9 and 12 hours to drive. In the past there has been a bus from Litang to Daocheng, but at the time of research (August 2011) this bus service had stopped. It is still easy to get from Litang to Daocheng. The easiest way is to take a shared taxi from in front of the bus station in Litang. These shared taxi’s leave between 6am and 7am and cost between 60 RMB and 80 RMB per person to go to Daocheng. Keep in mind that these shared taxi’s only leave when they are full. Another option to get to Daocheng from Litang is to wait for the bus from Kangding to Daocheng to arrive in Litang. This bus normally arrives in the afternoon between 3pm and 5pm. From Litang to Daocheng normally takes 3 hours. The distance from Litang to Daocheng is 150 kilometers.  If you have any problems in Litang, talk to Medok, the Tibetan owner of the Potala Inn or talk to Tsering (Long Life), the Tibetan owner of the Peace Guesthouse. 

From Shangri La in northwest Yunnan province, there is also a daily bus to Daocheng leaving from the main long distance bus station. This bus ticket costs around 108 RMB and takes about 10 hours. The distance from Shangri La to Daocheng is 310 kilometers (193 miles). 

From Daocheng (elevation 3700 meters), there currently is no public bus to the Yading Nature Reserve, however there are plans for a public bus to begin in 2012 or 2013. The only way to get there now is by shared taxi. These shared taxi’s leave from in front of  the bus station on the main road in Daocheng. The cost is 50 RMB per person. These shared taxi’s leave when they are full. The drive is 3 hours and covers a distance of 110 kilometers. In Daocheng, the owners of Here Cafe and Guesthouse are very friendly and helpful. They know the Yading area well and can answer any questions regarding the region.  They also have a great guesthouse that serves good food.

Entrance tickets to Yading Nature Reserve are bought at the small town of Riwa, which recently changed its name to Shangri La. Riwa is located 75 kilometers south of Daocheng and 35 kilometers before Yading. The taxi drivers know that people need to purchase their entrance tickets in Riwa so you shouldn’t have to tell the driver. The entrance tickets cost 150 RMB per person. There is no reason to stay in Riwa, but there are several decent hotels and guesthouses to stay at if you need to stay there. Just south of Riwa, there is a checkpoint where your entrance tickets will be checked. This checkpoint marks the official entrance to the nature reserve. 

From Riwa, it is another 35 kilometers to the small village of Yading. Yading Village has a few simple guesthouses to stay at as well as a few Chinese and Tibetan restaurants. From Yading Village it is another 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) to Long Long Ba, which serves as the entrance to the Yading Nature Reserve. Your driver from Daocheng should drop you off in Long Long Ba, but ask him to make sure. Long Long Ba is a small village with just 1 or 2 accommodation choices. 

Getting around inside Yading Nature Reserve (not trekking)

From Long Long Ba to Chong Gu Monasery

The Yading Nature Reserve is full of stunning beauty and is an excellent place to do some trekking. If you don’t have time to trek or have no interest in trekking, Yading is still very much worth going to. The main route that travelers take in Yading is the ancient pilgrimage route around Mt. Chenresig. The village of Long Long Ba, the actual starting point of the trek, lies at an elevation of 3770 meters. If you don’t wish to hike, you can hire a horse at Long Long Ba to take you to Chonggu Monastery, known as Tsongu Gompa in Tibetan. The distance from Long Long Ba to Chonggu Monastery is around 3 kilometers (2 miles) and takes about an hour on horseback. To hire a horse and an animal tender is 30 RMB one way or 40 RMB round trip. 

Chong Gu Monastery sits at 4000 meters. This small monastery is nearly 800 years old and sits at the base of Mt. Chenresig’s north face. Mt. Chenresig, known in Chinese as Xian Nai Ri, is the highest mountain in the reserve rising to 6032 meters. The views of Chenresig from Chong Gu Monastery on a clear day are superb. Some older information on the internet states that Chong Gu Monastery has a guesthouse. However, after asking some of the monks at the monastery, they said the guesthouse no longer exists. The nearest accommodation is at the trailhead at Long Long Ba.

From Chong Gu Monastery to the Luorong Grasslands

From Chong Gu Monastery, the next main site is the Luorong Grasslands. About 100 meters past Chong Gu Monastery, there is a wood building on the left side where you can purchase tickets for an electric cart that can take you to Luorong. Tickets cost 50 RMB one way or 80 RMB roundtrip. The route between Chong Gu and Luorong is on a paved road that goes through a forested area following Mt. Chenresig’s east face before arriving at the wide open Luorong Grasslands. The distance between Chong Gu Monastery and Luorong Grasslands is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) and takes about 20 minutes in the electric cart. 

The Luorong Grasslands lie at an elevation of 4180 meters and offer an amazing view of all 3 holy mountains. On the right side is Mt. Chenresig’s southeastern face. On the left side is Mt. Chana Dorje’s (known as Xia Nuo Duo Ji in Chinese) northeastern face while Mt. Jampelyang’s (Yang Mai Yong in Chinese) north face  dominates the front view from the grasslands. Luorong is one of the most scenic spots in Yading.

In addition to the paved road that leads to Luorong, there are also some wooden walkways and bridges that are built on the grasslands to the right of the road. Walking  directly on the grasslands is not allowed. Towards the middle of the Luorong Grasslands there are some permanent huts where local Tibetan herders live during the late spring and summer months. Older information on the internet suggests that you can either camp at Luorong or stay in one of the nomads huts, however the leader of the Luorong Grasslands informed me that neither was possible any longer. Camping at Luorong is strictly forbidden and the local Tibetans are not allowed to host guests. 

From Luorong Grasslands to Milk Lake and 5 Color Lake

Nearly all Chinese tourists will take the electric cart to Luorong. Very few, if any, will hike in. After Luorong, the pilgrimage path around Mt. Chenresig gets more difficult and rough. The Tibetan nomads who live at Luorong rent horses and an animal tender to take people to Milk Lake, the next main attraction along the pilgrimage route of Mt. Chenresig. The distance from Luorong to Milk Lake, known as Niu Nai Hai in Chinese and O Tso in Tibetan, is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) and takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours on horseback each way. Milk Lake sits at an elevation of 4480 meters.  The cost of renting a horse from Luorong to Milk Lake is around 200 RMB to 300 RMB per person for the roundtrip. 

Milk Lake is a stunning glacier fed lake on the south end of Mt. Chenresig. Above Milk Lake is another lake named 5 Color Lake, known as Wu Se Hai in Chinese and Tso Nga Tso in Tibetan. This lake sits at 4530 meters and takes about 20 minutes to reach from Milk Lake. The hired horses usually do not do the climb up to 5 Color Lake so you will probably have to hike this short portion. Sitting right at the base of the south face of Chenresig, 5 Color Lake is the most beautiful lake around the pilgrimage circuit and should be visited. 

The local Tibetans told me that camping at Milk Lake and 5 Color Lake is not allowed. The closest place to camp would be below the high pass that is about 215 vertical meters above Milk Lake. 

 Milk Lake is as far as you can go without having to trek. Past Milk Lake there are no more horses to be rented. Those not trekking would have to turn around and take their horse back to Luorong Grasslands and then take the electric cart back to Chong Gu Monastery before going back to the trailhead at Long Long Ba. 

Trekking Around Mt. Chenresig

The most popular pilgrimage circuit (kora) in Yading is around the highest mountain, Chenresig. It is possible to do this trek in one long 12 to 14 hour day but, taking 2 days to complete the kora is a better option as it gives you more time to really enjoy the area. 

Trekkers will need to arrive at Yading with tents, sleeping bags, food and water. Kangding is the best place in the region to purchase trekking gear and food. The town of Daocheng has some small grocery stores, but selections are limited. There are rivers along most of the trek so bringing a water purifier or boiling water is an option. Since nearly all of this trek is above 4000 meters, cold weather clothing is required, even in the summer. 

The best time to do this trek is from late-April to early June and then from early September to mid-October. The summer months from early June to early September are possible, but rain and clouds severely limit visibility. It is rare to see the summits of the 3 mountains during those months. The winter months from early November through early April bring extreme cold temperatures and heavy snow, so trekking then is not recommended.

 A guide is not required for the 2 day trek around Chenresig, though if you want one, a guide can be found at the trailhead at Long Long Ba. They charge around 200 RMB per day. If you plan on doing a longer hike in the region, such as around all 3 mountains or to Lugu Lake, it is highly recommended that you take a guide with you.  This trek is not recommended for those who have had problems with elevation in the past. The highest point along the trek is 4700 meters and there are no medical facilities in the area.

Stage 1: Long Long Ba to Chong Gu Monastery                                                                                            Elevation Gain: +230 meters                                                                                                      Distance: 3 to 3 1/2 kilometers (2 miles)                                                                                        Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Long Long Ba is the start of the trail around Mt. Chenresig. The elevation here is 3770 meters. The entrance is easy to find as there are dozens of Tibetans offering to rent their horses to those who want to ride to Chong Gu Monastery. The path to Chong Gu Monastery is dirt, but is wide and easy to navigate. It goes through a forested area with a river flowing on the right hand side. There are several high stacks of carved prayer stones along the way. 

 From Long Long Ba to Chong Gu Monastery takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to hike. The distance is around 3 to 3 1/2 kilometers (2 miles). The elevation gain is around 230 meters.

Stage 2: Chong Gu Monastery to Luorong Grasslands                                                                      Elevation Gain: +180 meters                                                                                                  Distance: 6 kilometers (3.75 miles)                                                                                                Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Chong Gu Monastery lies along the north face of Mt. Chenresig at an elevation of 4000 meters. A clear, glacier-fed river flows through an evergreen forest making this spot one of the most scenic along the trek. The views of Chenresig’s north face from here are spectacular.

The monastery lies off of the main path on the right side. The trail to the monastery is easy to find. The monastery lies less than 5 minutes off of the main path. On the left side, there are more than a dozen toilets to use. There is also a nice sheltered area with lots of benches to rest on. Using a water purifier (or boiling), you can refill your water bottles from the river that flows below the monastery.

The monastery is quite small and has just a handful of monks. When I was there, no entrance fee was charged, though some places on the internet say that a 10 RMB ticket is required. There usedto be a guesthouse next to the monastery, but now there are no accommodations or restaurant. Camping at Chong Gu Monastery is not permitted. 

From Chong Gu Monastery to Luorong Monastery the path is a paved road. This is the only section of the trek that goes along a paved road. This is not a public road, but a private road where electric carts take Chinese tourists between the two places. Chinese tourists rarely hike and prefer to take the electric cart, which takes about 20 minutes. The road goes through a beautiful forested region following the eastern face of Mt. Chenresig. 

The road gains a total elevation of 180 meters before arriving at Luorong. The distance is about 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) and takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete. 

Stage 3: Luorong Grasslands to Milk Lake                                                                                                     Elevation Gain: +300 meters                                                                                                    Distance: 4 1/2 to 5 kilometers (3 miles)                                                                                      Time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours

The Luorong Grasslands, elevation 4180 meters, offer an amazing view of all 3 mountains. Mt. Chana Dorje, rising to 5958 meters, will be on your left side, the southeast face of Chenresig will be on your right side and Mt. Jampelyang’s north face, also 5958 meters, will be in front of you. Dr. Joseph Rock published a fantastic photo of Mt. Jampelyang in the July 1931 issue of National Geographic. He took the photo from the Luorong Grasslands. The glaciers of Mt. Jampelyang are especially beautiful. 

As you get closer to Luorong, a wooden walkway goes from the road to the grasslands off on the right side. Both the road and the wooden walkway lead to the same place. Walking directly on the grasslands is not allowed. 

The Luorong Grasslands are quite large and are a brilliant green color during the mid-summer. There are a high bundle of Tibetan prayer flags in the middle of the grasslands. There are wood benches around these prayer flags where you can take a rest. On the far end of the grasslands are 8 to 10 small huts where local Tibetans live during the spring and summer months. These Tibetans rent horses to Chinese tourists who wish to go to Milk Lake. Camping at the Luorong Grasslands is not permitted and the Tibetans are not allowed to host guests.

From Luorong, you will follow the wooden walkways toward the group of huts occupied by local Tibetans. Past these huts, you will go towards the left where the path returns to dirt. You will follow this dirt path along the rest of the grasslands that lie in front of Mt. Jampelyang. Leaving the grasslands, the path gently turns around the southeast part of Mt. Chenresig. 

Keep in mind that you are following the route around Mt. Chenresig and not Mt. Jampelyang. Always keep Chenresig on your right hand side. The path goes up a steep pass that is covered in Tibetan prayer flags. As you reach the top of the pass, the north face of Mt. Jampelyang goes out of view. The path is well marked and you will probably see Chinese tourists on horseback. If you ever have any questions, ask any of the friendly Tibetans you see along the way. Local Tibetans say that camping along the lake shore is not allowed and that you need to descend down below the First Col to camp.

After the pass, there is a slight descent and Milk Lake can be seen in the distance. The path remains well marked. The route from Luorong Grasslands to Milk Lake gains about 300 meters in elevation and covers a distance of 4 1/2 to 5 kilometers (3 miles). It takes between 2 1/2 to 3 hours to trek this stage.

Stage 4: Milk Lake to the First Col (Pass)                                                                                            Elevation Gain: +220 to +250 meters                                                                                      Distance: 1 1/2 kilometers (1 mile)                                                                                                Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Milk Lake, elevation 4480 meters, is a stunning glacier-fed lake that sits at between Mt. Chenresig and Mt. Jampelyang. This lake is considered holy to the Tibetan people so swimming in the lake is not allowed. Milk Lake, known as Niu Nai Hai in Chinese and O Tso in Tibetan, is very picturesque. The lake is crystal clear and the reflection of Mt. Jampelyang mirrors off the lakes surface. 

A short 20 minute hike above Milk Lake is 5 Color Lake, which sits at 4530 meters in elevation. This lake sits right at the base of the south face of Mt. Chenresig. The trail leading up to 5 Color Lake is well defined and easy to find. There are piles of prayer stones around the lake that are draped in prayer flags. Five Color Lake is the most beautiful of all the lakes around Chenresig. 

From Milk Lake, the trail continues north of the lake (right side) and leads up to a col (pass) between 2 mountains. From the shores of Milk Lake, you can clearly see the route that the path follows. From the lake the ascent looks easy, but the top of the col gains about 220 meters.  By this point of the trek, most people are feeling quite tired which makes climbing this portion difficult. The trail is a little rocky in spots, but overall is not bad.

 

 At the top of the pass there are piles of prayer stones and a large amount of prayer flags. The top offers an amazing view of the southwest face of Mt. Chenresig as well as a great view of Mt. Jampelyang. The elevation of the pass is 4700 meters, roughly 220 to 250 meters above Milk Lake. The distance from Milk Lake to the top of the col is 1 1/2 kilometers (1 mile) and takes 45 minutes to an hour to climb. 

 

 Stage 5: First Col to the First Hut                                                                                                                   Elevation Loss: -220 meters                                                                                                     Distance: 2 1/2 kilometers (1 1/2 miles)                                                                                      Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

From the top of the pass where the prayer flags are, continue going straight for a short distance. Around 150 or 200 meters past the prayer flags, you will reach a fork in the path. Near this fork, there is a prayer wheel on a wooden pole. At the fork in the road, it is IMPORTANT to turn right (north) and keep Chenresig on your right side. If you continue going straight, you will go off of the the correct path and could become lost. From the turn, you will hike towards the north. Another small group of prayer flags will appear after about 400 meters. These prayer flags stand on top of another pass. From this pass you can see the valley below.

The descent from the First Col is quite easy. The trail is rocky in places, but overall is not difficult. After a short while, you will see another alpine lake on your left side. The path continues below Mt. Chenresig on the right side of the lake. After 45 minutes to 1 hour, you will come to an abandoned rock hut, nicknamed the “First Hut”. This First Hut is on a flat grassland area that is perfect for setting up camp for the night. I recommend camping here for the night as after the First Hut the trail begins to ascend again to another high pass.There is a nearby stream where you can refill your water supply.

From the top of the First Col to the First Hut is about 2 kilometers (1 1/4 miles). The elevation of the grassland area where the First Hut is located is 4480 meters.

Stage 6: First Hut to Several Huts                                                                                                          Elevation Loss: -150 meters                                                                                                    Distance: 2 1/4 kilometers (1 1/2 miles)                                                                                        Time: 40 minutes to 1 hour

From the first stone hut, you will continue descending the well marked path that lies about 30 meters to the right of the hut.  Between the first stone hut and the group of stone huts, the trail gently ascends and descends, but overall drops in elevation around 150 meters. This stage of the trail is quite easy and goes by quickly. 

Before reaching the group of stone huts, there is a good-sized river that flows across the train (very easy to cross without getting wet) where you can replenish your water supply. There is little or no water during Stages 7 and 8, so make sure you leave here with plenty of water. As a rule of thumb, it is wise to restock your water supply every time you come across a clean river. I personally use a SteriPEN and find that it works excellent with the rivers on the Tibetan Plateau.  From this river, which is marked in prayer flags and piles of stones, it is just a short hike to the group of stone huts.

The “several huts” I am referring to is a group of 6 or 7 abandoned stone huts that are similar to the single hut mentioned in Stage 5. They are not on a grassland area, but are on a narrow ledge along the side of the mountain. For those hiking to the Kasi Hell Gulley (having a guide for that trek is highly recommended), there is an entrance to that trail from the group of stone huts. 

The elevation of the group of stone huts is approximately 4340 meters. It takes between 40 minutes and 1 hour to reach the huts from the single hut mentioned in Stage 5. 

Stage 7: Several Huts to Second Col (Pass)                                                                                        Elevation Gain: +320 to +350 meters                                                                                  Distance: 3 kilometers (2 miles)                                                                                                    Time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours

From the group of several huts, the climb up to the Second Col (Pass) is quite difficult and demanding. It is the most difficult stage of the trek in my opinion. The trail remains well defined and easy to see, but almost immediately begins to ascend from the group of huts. About 3/4 of a kilometer past the huts, the trail turns to the right. There is only 1 trail here so you can’t miss this turn. For those unfamiliar with the trail, you might think that this incline is the Second Col (Pass). It isn’t! Once you reach the turn in the trail, you will see that the Second Col is still far in the distance (over 2 kilometers away) and that you are still nearly 250 meters below the col. 

The trail through this section is quite rocky, but isn’t difficult to navigate. This portion of the trail goes along Mt. Chenresig’s northwest face. Thousands of Tibetan prayer flags mark the top of the Second Col. The wind is normally quite strong and cold here. The top of the Second Col is around 4665 meters. It takes between 2 and 2 1/2 hours to trek the 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the group of huts to the Second Col.

Stage 8: Second Col to Prayer Flags along Chenresig’s North Face                                               Elevation Loss: -250 meters to -275 meters                                                                            Distance: 1 3/4 kilometers (1 mile)                                                                                               Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

After crossing the Second Col at 4665 meters, it is all downhill the rest of the way. The trail is clearly visible and follows along Mt. Chenresig’s impressive north face. After hiking for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, you will come across a grassland area that is filled with Tibetan prayer flags. There are some more stone huts here and probably some grazing yaks. This point offers one of the best views of Mt. Chenresig as you are now directly below the north face of the mountain.

The grasslands where these prayer flags are sit at an elevation of 4400 meters. The distance from the Second Col to these prayer flags is about 1 3/4 kilometers (1 mile).

Stage 9: Prayer Flags along Chenresig’s North Face to Pearl Lake                                                  Elevation Loss: -250 meters to -275 meters                                                                          Distance: 1 1/2 kilometers (1 mile)                                                                                              Time: 30 minutes to 45 minutes

From the prayer flags, the trail continues along the north face of Mt. Chenresig. The trail then goes through a forest of huge evergreen trees. After 30 to 45 minutes, you will reach Pearl Lake, known as Zhen Zhu Hai in Chinese. From the lakeshore, there is a great view of the north side of Mt. Chenresig. The elevation of Pearl Lake is 4140 meters. The distance from the prayer flags to Pearl Lake is 1 1/2 kilometers (1 mile). 

Stage 10: Pearl Lake to Long Long Ba                                                                                                  Elevation Loss: -370 meters                                                                                                    Distance: 3 3/4 kilometers (2 1/3 miles)                                                                                      Time: 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours 

 

The final stage of the trek takes you from Pearl Lake, elevation 4140 meters, to Chong Gu Monastery and then back to the park entrance at Long Long Ba. From Pearl Lake, the path becomes a wooden bridge that goes along Pearl Lake. After the lake, the path becomes wooden steps and wooden logs all the way to Chong Gu Monastery. After the monastery, the path is a wide, dirt road where Chinese tourists will be on horseback. The distance is about 3 3/4 kilometers (2 1/3 miles) and takes between 1 hour and 1 1/4 hours to complete.  The elevation at Long Long Ba is 3770 meters.

The elevations I have listed are from using an altimeter and from using the latest edition of Google Earth. Distances were also determined from using Google Earth. These elevations and distances could be slightly off, but it is unlikely. The entire pilgrimage route around Mt. Chenresig is between 30 and 32 kilometers (18 1/2 to 20 miles). You will not get lost along this trek as long as you remember that you are circling Mt. Chenresig. Always keep Chenresig on your right side.

 If you have any questions about this excellent trek, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com 

 Losang

བློ་བཟང་

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel in Tibet

I get emails everyday from across the globe asking for travel advice on Tibet. I do my best to answer as many of those questions as I can. On my website, I have tried to make it as clear as possible how to arrange travel to Tibet. If you have never been to Tibet before, it can be quite confusing trying to understand travel permits, group visa's and determining if the area you are going to requires a guide or not. In this post, I will answer some of the most frequently asked questions I receive regarding travel in Tibet. 

1. Where is Tibet?

To the Tibetan people and to foreigners familiar with Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet encompasses the entire Tibetan Plateau where the Tibetan people are native to. This includes all counties of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), 95% of the land area of Qinghai province, southwest Gansu, northern Sichuan, western Sichuan and far northwest Yunnan. Traditionally Tibet was divided into specific regions such as U, Tsang, Kham, Amdo, Ngari, Kongpo and Gyarong. In all of my writings, I refer to all of the Tibetan Plateau as being "Tibet" as that is what the majority of Tibetan people do as well.

2. Is there a difference between Tibet and the Tibet Autonomous Region?

Yes, there is a major difference in these two terms. The term "Tibet" refers to the entire Tibetan Plateau where the Tibetan people are native to. This includes all of the different regions listed above in #1. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) refers to only 50% of the land mass of the Tibetan Plateau. Parts of Tibet are spread across 5 provinces and regions of southwestern China. Don't let the lines of a Chinese map confuse you. Tibet is a much, much larger area than just the TAR. Roughly 60% of the Tibetan people live outside of the TAR in other regions of Tibet. The terms "Tibet" and "Tibet Autonomous Region" mean two very different things.

 

3. Which areas of Tibet require an organized tour?

All areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region require all foreign travelers to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver (no private vehicle needed if you are just staying in Lhasa). The Tibetan prefectures found in Qinghai, northern Sichuan, western Sichuan, southwest Gansu and northwest Yunnan are (usually) open and do not require travel permits or a tour guide.

4. How can foreigners go to the TAR without an organized tour and tour guide?

You can't. Unless you are a student at the Tibet University or have a work permit and resident visa for the TAR, you cannot go to the TAR without being on an organized tour. There are NO exceptions! Foreign travelers MUST be part of an organized tour that includes permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver.

5. Do I really need to have a tour guide if I am only going to Lhasa?

Yes, absolutely. Before the events of March 2008, foreigners did not need a tour guide if they were in Lhasa or traveled along the route connecting Lhasa to Mt. Everest Base Camp and the Nepal border. Since March 2008, major changes have happened regarding travel regulations for foreigners in the TAR. Now, everyone MUST have a tour guide each day, even when in Lhasa.

6. Is arranging travel to the TAR difficult?

No, once you separate the facts from the fiction regarding travel to the TAR, arranging travel is actually very easy. The travel agency that you choose actually does almost all of the work arranging your tour. All you do is decide the route you want to take and exchange some emails with the travel agency you use. Read through the following link for detailed information on how to arrange travel to the TAR:

How to arrange travel to the TAR

7. I have heard of people taking public buses within the TAR recently. How can I do that also in order to keep the cost of travel low?

This is simply not true. Foreigners MUST use a private vehicle with a driver. The only exception is within Lhasa where foreigners can use taxi's and city buses. Before March 2008, foreigners used to be able to take public buses to Ganden Monastery, Samye Monastery and to a few other places outside of Lhasa. Now this is impossible. The bus station in Lhasa will not sell tickets to foreigners and bus drivers will not allow foreigners onto buses that go outside of Lhasa.

8. I don't like the travel regulations for the TAR and plan to sneak in illegally. Do you think I will be caught?

Your chances of making it to Lhasa illegally without being caught are very, very slim. I have heard only a handful of confirmed reports of foreigners making it to Lhasa without any problems. Without showing your valid Tibet Travel Permit, you will not be allowed to board a flight or train to Lhasa. Sneaking in overland from places like Dege, Batang, Shangri La or  Nangchen will be extremely difficult as well. First, there is normally a lot of police along these towns specifically looking for foreigners trying to enter the TAR illegally. Second, in order to go from the above towns to Lhasa, you will have to pass through Chamdo prefecture in the far eastern region of the TAR. Chamdo prefecture has been completely off-limits to foreign travelers since March 2010. Police will see you, detain you (some people have reported to me being detained for up to 3 days), fined and then sent back to Chengdu. 

If you do happen to miraculously make it to Lhasa (which is HIGHLY unlikely), you will have problems finding a hotel that will take you without having a valid travel permit. A lot of passport holders of other east Asian countries think they have an advantage over other travelers because they look Chinese. However, I have seen several Japanese, Korean and Chinese-Americans sitting at the police station in Lhasa this year because they entered the TAR illegally. 

There are numerous checkpoints throughout the TAR. At many of the checkpoints, everyone will have to register, even Chinese travelers. Your chances of succeeding by sneaking in to the TAR are so very, very slim. I do not recommend doing it.

9. Can I stay in the TAR after my tour is finished?

No, your travel permit is only valid for the duration of your tour. Once your tour is completed, you have to leave. Normally, the travel agency that you use will either book your flight/train ticket departing Lhasa or will ask for you to show your outgoing ticket. If you decide to lie and stay in the TAR after your tour is over, you could cause the agency you used to get in huge trouble. They could even lose their business license forcing everyone out of work. Read the following link for more details:

Traveling Illegally in Tibet

10. The last few years the TAR as well as Tibetan prefectures in Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan have been closed during the month of March. Will these regions always be closed in March?

March has several sensitive anniversaries so the government closes most of the Tibetan Plateau from late February until very early April. During that time, it is impossible to get travel permits for the TAR. If everything remains stable, travel permits the past few years begin being issued again sometime around April 1st.

The Tibetan regions of Amdo and Kham found in Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu also can close during this time. The bus station in Chengdu usually does not sell tickets to the Tibetan regions found in Sichuan during the month of March. This year, there were many police checkpoints along the way west to Kangding. Foreigners were made to get off of the bus and return to Chengdu. The Tibetan regios fo Amdo and Kham are often times closed longer than the TAR. In 2011, the TAR reopened in early April, but most of the Tibetan regions of Sichuan didn't reopen until May 1st. 

11. When does the Friendship Highway, which links Lhasa with Kathmandu, close in the winter due to snow?

Though the Friendship Highway goes over several 5000m passes in the Himalaya's, the road only very rarely closes due to snow. Winters are generally extremely dry in this region. Though temperatures are cold, little snowfall accumulates. In the rare event that the road does close, it is usually only for a day or two.

12. Do other roads in Tibet close during the winter time due to snow?

Absolutely....Some roads in the Kham regions of the TAR and western Sichuan can get heavy snow in the winter closing roads for many days at a time. In general though, most of the areas that foreign travelers go to won't have any problems with closed roads due to snow. The only real exception is the road up to Nam Tso. This road is often closed for weeks at a time during the winter.

13. I know that parts of Tibet/Tibetan regions are found in 5 Chinese provinces, but how is Tibet divided up?

The Tibetan people are native to all regions of the Tibetan Plateau and not just the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Tibet is divided into 1 Autonomous Region, 10 Autonomous Prefectures and 2 Autonomous Counties. 

The TAR is divided into 6 prefectures (Ngari/Ali, Nagchu/Naqu, Shigatse/Rikaze, Lhoka/Shannan, Kongpo/Linzhi and Chamdo/Changdu) and 1 Prefecture Level City (Lhasa).

Qinghai province is divided into 6 autonomous prefectures (Yulshul/Yushu, Golog/Guoluo, Tsonub/Haixi, Tsolho/Hainan, Tsojang/Haibei and Malho/Huangnan) and one provincial level city (Xining). The prefecture of Tsoshar/Haidong is not Tibetan Autonomous, but does have nearly 150,000 Tibetans living within it. The current 14th Dalai Lama as well as the famous 10th Panchen Lama are from Tsoshar Prefecture. Altogether, 95% of the land mass of Qinghai is designated as "Tibetan Autonomous".

Sichuan province has 2 autonomous prefectures (Kardze/Ganzi and Ngawa/Aba) and 1 autonomous county (Muli). Nearly half of the land mass of Sichuan is designated as "Tibetan Autonomous".

Southwest Gansu province has 1 autonomous prefecture (Kanlho/Gannan) and 1 autonomous county (Tianzhu).

Northwest Yunnan has one very small autonomous prefecture (Dechen/Diqing).

Use the map below for a reference to where each specific Tibetan area is:

14. Where exactly are the Kham and Amdo regions of Tibet?

Kham and Amdo cover 50% of the landmass of the Tibetan Plateau and have nearly 60% of the total Tibetan population. The Kham Tibetans live in a large region of the Tibetan Plateau. Kham speaking Tibetans are found in Chamdo, Nagchu and parts of Kongpo* prefectures in the TAR (*Kongpo is not all Kham speaking, but about 1/3 are), Yushu prefecture in Qinghai, Kardze** prefecture in western Sichaun and in Dechen prefecture in NW Yunnan (**not all Tibetans in Kardze prefecture are Kham speaking, though the majority are). There are around 2.1 million Kham speaking Tibetans out a total Tibetan population within China of around 5.8 million.

Amdo speaking Tibetans are found in in Tsonub, Tsoshar, Tsojang, Tsolho, Golog and Malho prefectures in Qinghai, Kanlho prefecture in Gansu and Ngawa prefecture in Sichuan. Altogether, there are around 1.7 million Amdo speaking Tibetans.

15. Where is the best place to start for exploring the Kham and Amdo regions?

For the open parts of the Kham region (the TAR regions of Kham require foreigners to have a complete organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver), the best place to start is Chengdu or Kangding. Kangding is located in Kham and is the gateway to the Kham Tibetan world. From both Chengdu and Kangding, buses can be taken to nearly every open Kham Tibetan county. 

For the Amdo regions, Xining and Chengdu are the best places to start. From Xining, there are daily buses to every Amdo county in Qinghai and to several Amdo counties in Gansu province. From Chengdu, there are daily buses to every Amdo town in northern Sichuan.

16. When traveling to the TAR, do I need to be on a group tour?

No, there is no need to travel in a group when going to the TAR. Solo travelers can go to the TAR, though you still need to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver. Many people prefer to travel with a small group of 2 or 3 in order to share the cost of the required guide and private vehicle.

17. Do I need a sleeping bag in Tibet?

Unless you plan on trekking and camping, there is no need to bring a sleeping bag or tent to Tibet. Every guesthouse and hotel will offer clean sheets and plenty of thick blankets. 

18. What kind of vehicles are used in the TAR?

Generally, the most common vehicle used in the TAR is the Toyota Land Cruiser. These have been used since Tibet opened to foreign tourists in the early 1980's. However, the past 5 years many of the roads in the TAR have improved dramatically so that full-sized vans are also commonly used. Most of the roads in the Yarlung Valley as well as the Friendship Highway are now entirely paved. Even the road to Mt. Kailash is now paved over 75% of the way. While Toyota Land Cruisers are still the best option to use if going to Everest Base Camp (the 100km cut-off road from Baber to EBC and the 70kms from EBC to Old Tingri are still dirt roads) or through far western Tibet, many areas can now be accessed using a van.

19. Is it possible to cycle in the TAR?

Yes, it is possible to cycle in the TAR, however you must still have travel permits a tour guide and a "support vehicle" that will follow you along your route. There are no exceptions to this. The guide will ride with the driver in the vehicle. The vehicle normally will stay a few kilometers in front of you as you cycle along your route. Since foreigners must have a guide and suport vehicle, cycling in the TAR is quite expensive. More and more people are choosing to cycle in the open Tibetan areas of Kham and Amdo (the route from Kangding to Shangri La is becoming quite popular) in orde to avoid having to pay the high costs of cycling in the TAR. 

20. Which guidebook is best for using in Tibet?

On my desk I have every current guidebook on Tibet. In my opinion, Lonely Planet publishes the best guidebooks in the world, not just for Tibet, but in general. I am sure some people disagree with me, but this is just my opinion. Lonely Planet does publish a Tibet guidebook, but it really only covers the TAR and a little bit of the Kham region found in western Sichuan. In addition to the LP Tibet guidebook, I recommend the LP China guidebook. The Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan chapters give good coverage of the Amdo and Kham regions of Tibet. There is no need to purchase the entire LP China guidebook. You can now go to their website and buy the individual chapters that you need for your journey. 

In addition to the LP guidebooks mentioned above, I also recommend Gyurme Dorje's 4th Edition Footprint Tibet Handbook. This book can be a bit overwhelming if you are completely new to Tibet, but is actually an excellent resource. It covers every single county of Tibet in all regions. For trekking in Tibet, you MUST get a copy of Gary McCue's 2010 Trekking in Tibet. It is well written, easy to understand and covers all of the major treks in Tibet, including many in Amdo and Kham.

21. When is the best time to go to Tibet?

Tibet can be visited anytime of year, though in my opinion some times are better than others. The area between Lhasa and Everest Base Camp has become very popular among Chinese tourists during the summer time (June through early October). Lhasa can be quite crowded with tourists during this time. Getting train tickets to Lhasa are difficult, hotels are often full and tour prices are never discounted. The views of the Himalaya's are also not the best during the summer months. For this reason, I stay away from Lhasa and the surrounding area during the summer time. 

April and May and mid-October through mid February are my favorite times to go to the TAR. The tourist crowds are small, the weather is generally clear for viewing the Himalaya's, train tickets are much easier to get and tour prices are lower than in the summer. During the winter time (December-February) there are thousands of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims in Lhasa celebrating Losar (Tibetan New Year). This is a great time to be in Lhasa.

Kham and Amdo can also be visited all year round, though my favorite time of year for these regions is also the spring and fall. Even during the summer time relatively few travelers are found in Kham and Amdo, though this region is generally cloudy during that season meaning that the views of the mountains are not that good. Winter in Amdo and certain regions of Kham can be extremely cold during the winter with temperatures often reaching -20C to -25C. For this reason, some regions of Amdo and Kham should be avoided during the coldest parts of winter.

Read through the following link for information on the best time to visit Tibet:

Best time to visit Tibet

22. Which areas of Tibet do you recommend going to?

This is one of the most difficult questions I receive and I receive it often! Over the past 10 years, I have been able to travel extensively across Tibet and I love all areas. Read through the following link of mine for recommendations on which areas of Tibet to go to:

Tibet: Which area to go to?

23. What are the temperatures like in Tibet?

Tibet, including the regions of Kham and Amdo, is a huge area covering over 1/4 of the land mass of China. It is larger than most countries. Because of its size, Tibet has varying climates and temperatures. Some areas of Tibet indeed are extremely cold, while others can actually be quite mild during the summer. Winter time is generally quite cold across Tibet with some regions, parts of Amdo in particular, being deathly cold.

In general, most travelers to Tibet go between April and October. During this time, most of Tibet is relatively mild. Most people are surprised with how warm (and even hot) Lhasa and the Yarlung Valley can get during the summer time. In early September 2010 I took the train to Lhasa and in my compartment there were 3 Chinese tourists going to Lhasa for the first time. They were all convinced that Lhasa was going to be -10C with heavy snow!! They were all wearing clothes as if they were going to summit Everest! You can only imagine the look on their faces when we arrived in Lhasa and it was +25C with lots of sunshine!! Tibet is a cold place, especially in the winter, but it is still probably warmer than you think. The region in and around Lhasa is one of the mildest regions in all of Tibet.

Here are the average temperatures throughout the year for selected towns across the Tibetan Plateau. These numbers are based on the weather averages of the past 15 years.

TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION

Lhasa:

January High: 8.3C / 47F            Jan Low: -5.5C / 22F

April High: 15.5C / 60F               April Low: 4.4C / 40F

July High: 22.8C / 73F               July Low: 13.3C / 56F

October High: 17.2C / 63F          Oct Low: 4.4C / 40F

Shigatse:

January High: 7.2C / 45F            Jan Low: -9.4C / 15F

April High: 15C / 59F                  April Low: 1.7C / 35F

July High: 21.1 C / 70F               July Low: 10.6C / 51F

October High: 15.5C / 60F          Oct Low: 0C / 32F

Ali (nearest large town to Mt. Kailash):

January High: -5C / 23F              Jan Low: -18.3C / -1F

April High: 7.2C / 45F                 April Low: -6.1C / 21F

July High: 20.6C / 69F                July Low: 8.9C / 48F

October High: 6.7C / 44F            Oct Low: -6.1C / 21F

Old Tingri (nearest large town to Mt. Everest Base Camp):

January High: 3.9C / 39F             Jan Low: -13.3C / 8F

April High: 10.6C / 51F                April Low: -4.4C / 24F

July High: 18.3C /65F                  July Low: 8.3C / 47F

October High: 11.7C / 53F           Oct Low: -3.9C / 25F

Chamdo (far eastern TAR):

January High: 8.9C / 48F             Jan Low: -7.8C / 18F

April High: 15C / 59F                   April Low: 2.2C / 36F

July High: 23.3C / 74F                 July Low: 12.2C / 54F

October High: 16.1C / 61F           Oct Low: 2.8C / 37F

Nagchu (far northern TAR):

January High: -1.7C / 29F            Jan Low: -16.1C / 3F

April High: 6.1C / 43F                  April Low: -6.1C / 21F

July High: 15.6C / 60F                 July Low: 6.1C / 43F

October High: 6.7C / 44F             Oct Low: -4.4C / 24F

QINGHAI PROVINCE

Xining:

January High: 0C / 32F               Jan Low: -14.4C / 6F

April High: 15C / 59F                  April Low: 2.2C / 36F

July High: 23.9C / 75F               July Low: 12.8C / 55F

October High: 12.8C / 55F          Oct Low: 1.7C / 35F

Jyekundo (far southern Qinghai):

January High: 2.8C / 37F            Jan Low: -11.7C / 11F

April High: 11.7C / 53F               April Low: -0.6C / 31F

July High: 20.6C / 69F               July Low: 9.4C / 49F

October High: 10.6C / 51F          Oct Low: -0.6C / 31F

Gangtsa (north shore of Qinghai Lake):

January High: -5C / 23F              Jan Low: -17.2C / 1F

April High: 7.8C / 46F                 April Low: -3.3C / 26F

July High: 16.1C / 61F                July Low: 7.8C / 46F

October High: 6.7C / 44F            Oct Low: -4C / 25F

Sog (far eastern Qinghai):

January High: -1.1C / 30F           Jan Low: -20C / -4F

April High: 8.3C / 47F                 April Low:-4C / 25F

July High: 16.1C / 61F               July Low: 6.7C / 44F

October High: 7.2C / 45F            Oct Low: -4.4C / 24F

Maduo (near west face of Mt. Amnye Machen):

January High: -6.1C / 21F           Jan Low: -20C / -4F

April High: 4C / 39F                    April Low: -7.2C / 19F

July High: 13.3C / 56F                July Low: 4.4C / 40F

October High: 2.8C / 37F            Oct Low: -6.1C / 21F

Wudaoliang (far southwestern Qinghai):

January High: -8.3C / 17F             Jan Low: -20C / -4F

April High: 2.2C / 36F                   April Low: -9.4C / 15F

July High: 11.1C / 52F                 July Low: 2.8C / 37F

October High: 0C / 32F                Oct High: -9C / 16F

SICHUAN PROVINCE

Kangding:

January High: 2.2C / 36F             Jan Low: -5C / 23F

April High: 13.3C / 56F                April Low: 3.3C / 38F

July High: 20C / 68F                   July Low: 13.3C / 56F

October High: 11.7C / 53F           Oct Low: 5C / 41F

Lithang:

January High: 4.4C / 40F             Jan Low: -10C / 14F

April High: 10C / 50F                   April Low: -1.1C / 30F

July High: 17.2C / 63F                July Low: 8.3C / 47F

October High: 11.1C / 52F           Oct Low: 0.6C / 33F

Dege:

January High: 7.2C / 45F             Jan Low: -7.2C / 19F

April High: 14.4C / 58F                April Low: 2.2C / 36F

July High: 22.8C / 73F                July Low: 10.6C / 51F

October High: 15C / 59F              Oct Low: 2.2C / 36F

Zoige: 

January High: 0.6C / 33F            Jan Low: -15.6C / 4F

April High: 8.9C / 48F                 April Low: -2.2C / 28F

July High: 17.2C / 63F                July Low: 7.2C / 45F

October High: 8.3C / 47F            Oct Low: -1.7C / 29F

Daocheng/Yading Nature Reserve:

January High: 6.7C / 44F             Jan Low: -11.1C / 12F

April High: 11.7C / 53F                April Low: 0C / 32F

July High: 18.3C / 65F                July Low: 9C / 48F

October High: 13.3C / 56F           Oct Low: 0.6C / 33F

Ma'erkang:

January High: 9C / 48F               Jan Low: -6.7C / 20F

April High: 18.3C / 65F               April Low: 3.3C / 38F

July High: 24.4C / 76F                July Low: 11.7C / 53F

October High: 16.7C / 62F          Oct Low: 4.4C / 40F

GANSU PROVINCE

Xiahe (Labrang Monastery):

January High: 0C / 32F               Jan Low: -15.6C / 4F

April High: 10.6C / 51F                April Low: -1.7C / 29F

July High: 19C / 66F                  July Low: 9C / 48F

October High: 10C / 50F             Oct Low: 0C / 32F

YUNNAN PROVINCE

Dechen:

January High: 5C / 41F                Jan Low: -5.6C / 22F

April High: 10.6C / 51F                April Low: 1.7C / 35F

July High: 19C / 66F                   July Low: 11.1C / 52F

October High: 12.8C / 55F           Oct Low: 3.3C / 38F

24. When is the rainy season?

The rainy season in Tibet begins in early June and last until early to mid-September. The rainy season in Tibet is not nearly as wet as south and southeast Asia, but it does rain and there are quite a bit of clouds. If you are coming to Tibet to get good views of the Himalaya's or other big peaks, I recommend waiting until after the rainy season to go. You can trek during this time, but be sure to bring clothes suitable for wet weather.

25. I plan to travel from mainland China to the TAR and then back to mainland China. Do I need a double entry Chinese visa?

No, all you need is a single entry visa. The TAR is firmly a part of China. There is no Immigration or Customs crossing when going from mainland China to the TAR.

26. I am a foreigner but my spouse is Chinese and holds a Chinese ID card? Do I still need travel permits and to be on an organized tour to go to the TAR?

Yes, you still have to follow all of the same regulations as other travelers. Though your wife does not require to be on an organized tour, you still have to be.

27. I am a foreigner but my spouse is a Tibetan who lives in the TAR. Do I still need to be on an organized tour to go the TAR?

The answer varies from time to time, but normally you do not need to be on an organized tour. Your spouse should be able to contact the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in his/her hometown and get you a special permit that allows you to go to your spouse's hometown without travel permits. This normally takes several weeks or even months to arrange, but should be possible.

28. Can I get a visa extension in Lhasa or anywhere else in the TAR?

Before March 2008, you could often times get a visa extension in Lhasa, but since then it is extremely rare. Do not count on being able to get a visa extension in Lhasa or anywhere else in the TAR. 

29. Is there anyplace on the Tibetan Plateau where I can get a visa extension?

Yes, you can get up to a 30 day visa extension in Kangding (Dartsendo), Yushu (Jyekundo), Shangri La (Gyelthang), Ma'erkang (Barkham), Xining, Golmud, Songpan and Hezuo (Tsoe). You can sometimes get a visa extension in Dawu (Machen) in Golog prefecture as well. 

30. I have a business (F) visa. Can I get travel permits for the TAR?

Yes, you can, but you will have to have a letter from your inviting company that states your full name, nationality, passport number and position at the company. The letter should be written in Chinese on official letterhead and needs to be dated and stamped with your company's official seal. This letter then needs to be scanned and emailed to the travel agency you are using and they will turn it in to the Tibet Tourism Bureau.

31. I have a resident visa (either student visa or work permit) for China. Can I get travel permits for the TAR?

Yes, you can, but you will have to have a letter from your university or workplace that states your full name, nationality, passport number and position at the company. The letter should be written in Chinese on official letterhead and needs to be dated and stamped with your school's/company's official seal. This letter then needs to be scanned and emailed to the travel agency you are using and they will turn it in to the Tibet Tourism Bureau.

32. I have a Diplomatic Passport. Can I get travel permits for the TAR?

Usually you cannot get permits for the TAR. 

33. I have a journalist visa. Can I get travel permits for the TAR?

Usually you cannot get permits for the TAR.

34. Is Tibet a safe place to travel?

Having lived in various regions of Tibet for the past 10 years, I can say that Tibet is very safe, even for solo and female travelers. 

35. I have heard others say to NOT list Tibet on my Chinese visa application. What do you think I should do?

I do not recommend listing Tibet on your visa application. There is a good chance that your Chinese visa application will be denied. I recommend just listing a couple of major cities that you will be going to such as Beijing or Chengdu. Once your Chinese visa is issued, you are free to travel to places not listed on your visa application, including Tibet.

36. Is there an official website regarding travel to the TAR that has updated information on closures, travel permits, weather and other important information?

No, the Chinese government does not provide an official website with travel information on the TAR or other regions of Tibet. Getting accurate, up-to-date travel information on Tibet can be difficult. That is one of the main reasons that I have this website.

37. Does my guide have to be with me all day, every day?

Your guide does have to be with you each day while you are in the TAR, but the guide does not necessarily have to be with you all day long. In Lhasa, some of the more famous temples and monasteries will require your guide to be with you in order to enter. However, much of the city you can explore on your own without your guide. I usually tell people to have their guide meet them sometime after breakfast (between 9:30 and 10am). Have your guide take you to a couple of main attractions in Lhasa and then around lunch time, or slightly after, tell your guide you are going to take a short rest at your hotel. Tell your guide that if you need anything that you will call him/her. This way you can explore the city on your own without your guide. Sometimes, when there is a serious threat of unstability in Lhasa, the government will require the guide to be with you at all times, but this is not common.

 38. I have heard reports of guidebooks on Tibet being taken by officials. Is this true?

In some cases this is true. If you are going from mainland China to the Tibet Autonomous Region, it is highly unlikely that your guidebook on Tibet will be confiscated. Contrary to popular belief, there is no "border" between mainland China and the TAR since they are part of the same country. If you take the train or bus to Lhasa from Xining, you will never know when you cross into the TAR unless someone tells you or you have a very detailed map (entering the TAR from western Sichuan, southern Qinghai or northwest Yunnan is a different story as there are checkpoints at these places, but still no Immigration to cross). There is no Immigration Station of any kind that would check your bags.

The problem that some travelers have had, including myself, is with the Nepal-Tibet border crossing.The Nepal side is fine. It is when you enter or exit Chinese customs where problems could arise. In 2009 I had my Lonely Planet Tibet guidebook taken from me as I was LEAVING China! I might see a reason for them to take the guidebook if I were entering China, but I saw no reason why they should confiscate it as I am preparing to enter into Nepal. I argued my case, but they still took it. The customs official then showed me a large stack of guidebooks (mosly LP guides, but not entirely) taken over the years.

One thing you could do is to bury your Tibet guidebook deep in your bag and wrap dirty clothes around it (particularly underwear...who wants to pick up dirty underwear!). Another option is to purchase the PDF of the LP Tibet guidebook and just keep it on your computers hard drive. It is extremely unlikely that customs will ask to go through your computer.

39. Is English spoken widely across Tibet?

No, besides the popular hotels and restaurants in Lhasa, English is rarely understood in Tibet. Most of Tibet is very remote and undeveloped and few people are able to speak English. Chinese is widely spoken by Tibetans who live in Lhasa, Shigatse, Dartsendo, Shangri La and a few other larger towns in Tibet, but in rural regions of Tibet many Tibetans, especially those over 35 years old, still cannot (or will not) speak Chinese. In these remote regions, Tibetan remains the only language that is understood. Don't let this stop you from traveling the region though. Tibetans are extremely hospitable, friendly and helpful and will do their best to communicate with you despite the language barrier. Chinese will be spoken at all county level bus stations.

40. Is it true that the Chinese Communist Government gets the majority of the cost of tours to the TAR?

Absolutely not! The actual cost of the permits are only 50 RMB/person. Besides entrance fees to places like Yamdrok Lake, Everest Base Camp and a few other nature reserves, the small price of the permits is really the only money that the government directly makes from your tour. Now if you use a Chinese Communist Government owned travel agency, such as China International Travel Services (CITS) then your tourism money will go to the government. But, with all of the smaller Tibetan owned travel agnecies in Lhasa and Xining, there is absolutely no need to use agencies such as CITS. Support the Tibetan people by using as many Tibetan owned businesses as possible.

41. Why are the costs of tours to the TAR so expensive?

Travel to the TAR is not considered "cheap" because all foreigners must have travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver. The cost of vehicles in China, especially imported vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruisers that are usually used in Tibet, is much higher than in North America and Europe. Even used Land Cruisers sell for much higher (as much as double) than they do elsewhere. So the higher vehicle costs add to the tour price. Another factor is fuel prices. Fuel prices on the Tibetan Plateau are probably a little less than most of Europe, but is still considerably higher than in North America. The fuel and vehicle charges make up more than 80% of the total tour price. Guides are usually paid between 150 RMB and 250 RMB per day, which also adds up on a 10 or 14 day tour. Though the roads in the TAR are improving, the distances are still far between places, especially if you are traveling to Mt. Kailash in far western Tibet. Tour prices are normally based on the distance traveled so if you are doing a lot of overland driving to places like Everest, the Nepal border or Mt. Kailash, the price is going to be higher than if you are just staying in the Lhasa-Nam Tso-Shigatse area.

Vehicle and guide prices can be split by up to 4 people making the cost of traveling in the TAR more affordable. There are several travel agencies in Lhasa, Chengdu and Xining that can find a small group for travelers to join to lessen the cost per person. For more information on which travel agencies to contact that can help find a group for you to join, email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

42. Which agency do you recommend using for my upcoming Tibet tour?

Tibet is a huge region covering over 25% of the land mass of China. Most agencies specialize in only certain areas of Tibet, such as the TAR, Amdo or Kham. Few specialize in all 3 regions. I only recommend using Tibetan owned businesses as I believe it is important for foreign travelers to support the Tibetan people by using as many Tibetan owned businesses as possible during their time in Tibet. For a recommendation on which agency to use, email me your proposed itinerary and how long you plan to travel in Tibet and I will get back to you as soon as possible. My email address is: thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

43. Do I have the freedom to design my own itinerary or do I have to take a pre-arranged "package tour"?

For the most part, you have complete freedom to design your own itinerary for Tibet. The main reason why travel agencies offer "package tours" is because most travelers are not very familiar with Tibet and are not sure which places to go to. Offering package tours makes it easier for travelers to just choose a pre-arranged tour without the hassle of doing any real research of where they want to go. But, if you are like me, you enjoy researching the region and prefer to build your own itinerary going only to the places you want to go to. Nearly every travel agency that arranges tours to Tibet will allow you to build your own itinerary. Do keep in mind that not all regions of the TAR, Amdo and Kham are always open.

44. Is it difficult to arrange/get train tickets to Lhasa?

During the high season (June through early October), it can be extremely difficult to get train tickets to Lhasa. The reason is that Lhasa has now become a major tourist destination among Chinese travelers. During the high season, as many as 30,000 tourists a day pour into Lhasa. In 2010, the TAR received 6.82 million tourists and in 2011 that number is expected to exceed 7 million tourists. Lhasa no longer is the remote "Forbidden City" it once was. Most travelers to the TAR prefer to take the train to Lhasa making train tickets extremely difficult to get, especially if you are trying to get them on your own. It is best to have the agency that you use for your Tibet tour also arrange your train tickets to Lhasa for you as well. Most agencies have some connections with either the train station or a larger government owned travel agency so that they can get train tickets more easily (though it still can be difficult). 

Many times a travel agency cannot guarantee you train tickets for the specific day you want to travel because getting train tickets are so difficult during the high season. If your schedule allows you, it is a little easier to fly to Lhasa and then take the train leaving Lhasa. Train tickets departing Lhasa are still difficult to get, but not as difficult as going to Lhasa.

45. I am having big problems getting train tickets from Xi'an to Lhasa. Why is that?

There are actually no trains to Lhasa that originate in Xi'an. The trains from Xi'an to Lhasa actually originate in the mega cities of Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou. They just pass through Xi'an. The railway station does keep a select number of tickets to Lhasa for travelers in Xi'an, but the number of tickets is relatively small. By the time the train to Lhasa reaches Xi'an or any other smaller Chinese city, the train has passed through hundreds of millions of people and there are few tickets remaining. It is best to take the train to Lhasa from a city in which the train originates. Trains to Lhasa originate in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining. 

46. Which city do you recommend taking the train from?

I recommend taking the train from Xining for 2 main reasons. Xining, capital of Qinghai province and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, is the actual starting point of the Tibetan Railway. It lies at an elevation of 2275m and is a good place to spend a couple of nights at in order to acclimatize to the higher elevation of Lhasa. Spending a couple of nights in Xining will reduce (but NOT eliminate) the chances of getting serious altitude sickness. Another reason why I recommend taking the train to Lhasa from Xining is that it is generally easier to get train tickets in Xining. Unlike the other cities that have trains originating to Lhasa, Xining is a small city by Chinese standards. The smaller population means that fewer people are trying to get tickets on the coveted Lhasa Train. It can still be difficult to get train tickets to Lhasa from Xining during the peak high season, but not as difficult as Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai or any other larger city.

47. Do you recommend travelers insurance when traveling in Tibet?

Absolutely! Having a travelers insurance policy that protects you against cancelled tours, cancelled/delayed flights and any unplanned medical emergency is highly recommended. This year the TAR was closed for nearly 2 months and I received several emails from travelers who had to cancel their Tibet tour because of the closure. A reputable travel agency should refund you most of the tour cost, but it is still good to have a policy that covers you as well. Also, hospitals in Tibet are generally well below Western standards. Having a medical policy that would transport you to a high quality hospital in Hong Kong, Singpore or Thailand is important.

48. Can I arrive in Dram/Zhangmu at the Nepal/Tibet border and arrange a tour of Tibet there?

No, in order to go from Nepal into Tibet, you must organize your tour either from one of the many travel agencies in Kathmandu or one from Lhasa. The agency must arrange a Group Chinese visa for you and your guide, vehicle and driver will meet you at the border. It is not possible to arrive at the border and arrange a tour of Tibet there.

49. Which is better to travel: Mainland China-Tibet-Nepal or to go Nepal-Tibet-Mainland China?

I get this question a lot. I think it is better to go from Mainland China to Tibet and then to Nepal and here is why.....When entering Tibet from Nepal, you have to have a Group Chinese visa. This visa is very limiting because it is normally only good for 21 to 28 days and cannot be extended like a normal Chinese Tourist visa can. The only way to extend your time in China is to leave, usually to Hong Kong, and apply for a new Chinese Tourist visa. After your tour of Tibet is completed, you usually do not have much time remaining to explore the rest of China because of the limited amount of time remaining on your visa. Also, if you form a group to travel with in order to reduce the cost of travel per person (see #41), all of you on the Group Chinese visa must enter and exit China together, at the same place at the same time. In the past (prior to 2008) you used to be able to "split" the Group Visa, but this is not possible any longer.

The Group Chinese visa is not in your passport. It is a single piece of paper that has all of the names, nationalities, passport numbers and ages of everyone in your group. Since it is just one piece of paper, you all have to travel to the exact same places together. It should be possible for some agencies in Kathmandu to issue the Group Chinese visa with just one person's name on it, however the travel regulations when entering Tibet from Nepal can frequently change without any notice.

If you enter Tibet from Mainland China, you avoid all of the strict regulations regarding the Chinese Group visa as you can enter with just a normal Chinese Tourist visa that can be renewed at least once for 30 days (and usually twice). 

50. How do you know all of the regulations regarding travel in Tibet?

That is a great question! I have lived and worked full-time in various regions of Tibet for nearly 10 years. I own my own 4 wheel-drive vehicle and have traveled over 300,000kms overland across Tibet. There are few areas that I have not been to. In the past I owned my own travel agency, which employed all Tibetans, and arranged nearly 500 custom tours of Tibet. Because of this, I know all travel regulations for the TAR and other areas of Tibet in detail. I keep up-to-date on all new regulations regarding travel on the Tibetan Plateau. All of the information I provide on this site comes from either my own personal experience or from first hand reports from friends working at the Tibet Tourism Bureau or other reputable travel agencies across Tibet. 

This post has taken me several days to write. This is not an exhaustive FAQ post...I am sure there are other questions that people ask me frequently that I have not included. Over the next couple of months I will try and add a few more commonly asked questions to this post.

After reading this, if you still have a travel question regarding Tibet, please don't hesitate to contact me.I have a Facebook page dedicated to travel related questions on Tibet. Check it out here:

The Land of Snows: Travel Advice on Tibet

I know that traveling to Tibet can seem difficult and confusing. That is why I created this site 5 years ago...in order to make traveling to Tibet easier! You can contact me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

 

 

Now on Facebook...

You can now follow me on Facebook! I will be sharing travel information on all areas of Tibet as well as answer questions on travel in Tibet. Come join me on Facebook!

 

Tibet closed to foreign travelers

UPDATED AUGUST 1, 2011

The Tibet Tourism Bureau announced on July 22, 2011 that they will begin arranging permits for the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The TAR has been closed since early June, but now it is open again except for Chamdo prefecture in the far east.

Currently, all prefectures of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including Lhasa, are closed to all foreign travelers. Permits stopped being issued last week and the reports from Lhasa indicate that permits will not start being issued again until at least July 25 of this year. Of course, officially Tibet is "open" according to most Chinese consulates, embassies and even the Tibet Tourism Bureau, but in reality it is closed with no permits being issued. If you are looking for any official news of this, you probably won't find it. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the "peaceful liberation of Tibet" and celebrations are scheduled to take place through the TAR. Foreigners are not being allowed to the region in case there are protests (or worse) during the anniversary celebrations. If you have booked a tour to Tibet between now and late July, I strongly suggest contacting your agency for a refund or moving your tour to later this summer or fall when the area reopens.

Today (August 1, 2011), the Ganzi Prefecture Public Security Bureau announced that all 18 counties of the prefecture were open again to foreign travelers. There is heavy road construction throughout the prefecture making travel very slow. The bus from Chengdu to Kangding normally takes 9 hours, but can sometimes take 11 to 13 hours. The road from Xinduqiao (65kms west of Kangding) to Litang is under heavy construction. Buses and trucks are only being allowed to travel one way each day. Odd numbered days has buses going west while even numbered days has buses going east. This will last until September 30, 2011. There is also heavy construction on the road going north of Kangding to Luhuo (Drango) county. The road is fine to Tagong and to Bamei, but from Bamei to Luhuo, the road is quite bad and under heavy construction. There is also heavy road construction on the road north of Litang to Xinlong (Nyarong). Lastly, there is also road work being done between Xiangcheng and Shangri La in northwest Yunnan province.

On July 9, 2011, the Kangding police reported to Zhilam Hostel that all 18 counties of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan is closed to foreign travelers. The only place that remains open is Kangding town. All other areas are supposedly closed, but I did not see any checkpoints on a recent trip to Litang. As of yesterday, there was a checkpoint along the way from Chengdu to Kangding and numerous checkpoints throughout western Sichuan. The Ganzi Prefecture government has said the closure will last until July 31st, 2011.  

All other Tibetan regions found in Qinghai, southwest Gansu and northern Yunnan remain open, at least for now. The Amdo and Kham regions, also considered to be Tibet to the Tibetan people, make up 50% of the land mass of the Tibetan Plateau and are home to 60% of the total Tibetan population. In many regards, the Amdo and Kham regions are better places to go to experience traditional Tibetan culture. Most repeat travelers to Tibet agree that Amdo and Kham are the best regions of Tibet to travel to. 

If you have any questions about traveling through the TAR or the open Tibetan regions of Amdo and Kham, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Best time to visit Tibet

 
One of the most common questions I am asked is when is the best time to visit Tibet? Well, that is a bit difficult to answer because there are pro's and con's to each season. What I will do is take each season and list the pro's and con's about them to help you decide when the best time is for you to visit the Land of Snows.

 

Summer

The summer season is the warmest time of year across the Tibetan Plateau. While it is still common for snow to fall on the northern Tibetan Plateau during the summer, especially in areas above 4000m, most places where travelers go to are mild and comfortable. Because of the mild temperatures across Tibet during the summer, this is the most popular time of year for travelers to come. Since the start of the train to Tibet in 2006, tourists numbers have increased nearly every year (exception was in 2008 when widespread riots took place across Tibet). Because of this, getting train tickets to Lhasa are difficult to get during the summer season. Also, tour and hotel prices are higher in Lhasa during the summer compared to the low season. 

While the weather during the summer months are mild for the most part, the summer does bring rain and clouds. The rain is not nearly as much as what the south side of the Himalaya's get, but it does rain in Tibet during the summer. It won't rain everyday, but it will rain a few days each week in most regions. Even though it does rain, it is still possible to trek in Tibet during the summer. Also, the cloud cover is often thick so getting clear views of Everest and the Himalaya's are not as common as they are during the rest of the year.

If you are interested in seeing nomad Tibetan culture, the summer is the best time of year. The grasslands are an amazing color of green and thousands of Tibetans living in their yak wool tents can be found. In my opinion, if you hate cold weather, then the summer is the season for you to visit Tibet. However, if you don't mind a bit of cold weather, the skies are much clearer the rest of the year and will reward you with amazing views of the mountains.

 

Fall

The fall season is a great time of year to visit Tibet. The rainy season normally ends in mid to late September. The skies from then through early December are generally clear and the mountains are usually snow-capped. The temperatures are not as mild as the summer, but are still comfortable for most people. There will be freezing temperatures in most areas of Tibet, but with appropriate clothing, you will be fine. The tourists crowds have usually departed from Lhasa by mid-October making the Tibetan quarter much quieter. Also, nomad Tibetans can still be found living in tents across the grasslands. Overall, the fall is probably my favorite time of year for traveling across Tibet. 

 

Winter

Some people may think I am crazy for saying this, but winter is a great time of year to visit Tibet. Here is why I think this....the weather is clear almost everyday giving amazing views of the mountains, hotels and travel agencies offer discounts during this time, there are almost no tourists around, the weather is probably not as cold as you think it will be and most importantly, Lhasa is filled with Tibetan pilgrims from all corners of Tibet. During Losar (Tibetan New Year), which takes place in the winter, thousands of Tibetan pilgrims pour into Lhasa on pilgrimage. It is an excellent time for photographers to visit Tibet to capture images of Tibetan nomads from the most remote regions of Tibet.

Over the last 7 or 8 years, Lhasa has an average high temperature of 9.5C (49F) during the winter months and an average low of -4C (24F). While I agree that these are not Southeast Asia or Caribbean-like temperatures, they also are not nearly as bad as most people think (most Chinese tourists are convinced that Lhasa is -40C in the winter). With the intense sun, the temperature during the day feels much warmer than what it actually is. The guesthouses in the Everest region and in western Tibet do get cold at night so bringing good quality winter clothing is important. Now the nomadic regions in northern Tibet in the Amdo and Kham regions do get cold....really cold! These areas can be visited in the winter, but if you don't like the cold, it is best to visit these when the weather is warmer.

Spring

Each March, most of the Tibetan Plateau closes to foreign tourists for 5 or 6 weeks. This is an annual closing that takes place each year. The reason is that March is a sensitive month to Tibetans, as it is the anniversary of the Dalai Lama fleeing to India in 1959 as well as many uprisings and protests in the past (most recently in 2008). Travel permits normally stopped being issued in late February or very early March and the region normally reopens in early April. The Amdo and Kham regions, which do not require travel permits or organized tours, usually also close to foreign travelers during this time. 

Besides the annual closing of the Tibetan Plateau, the spring season is a good time to visit Tibet. The weather is generally clear until around mid to late May, the temperatures are crisp, but not frigid and there are not too many tourists around Lhasa. 

If you have any questions about when to visit Tibet or any other travel related questions on Tibet, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Images from around Lhasa

On April 13th, I arrived in Lhasa with a group of 10 photographers from across the globe. Lhasa was the starting point for a 15 day photography workshop led by Matt Brandon and assisted by my good friend Brian Hirschy. From Lhasa, we set out across the Friendship Highway to Everest Base Camp before descending to Nepal. I served as the lead guide for this trip and was assisted by two friends of mine, Woeser and Tashi, on the Tibet side and by my friends Ashok and Utsav on the Nepal side. It was a fantastic trip with a great group of people. I am already planning on leading another group along the same route next spring. 

We spent four full days exploring Lhasa. In addition to going to Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Sangkhung Nunnery and the Potala Palace, we were also able to find a prayer festival that was taking place behind Jokhang Temple. Between 800 and 1000 Tibetans were gathered with their hand-held prayer wheels chanting mantras. Most of the Tibetans in attendance were quite happy to have their photo taken. Here are some other images from our time in Lhasa.

For more information about travel in Tibet, photography workshops in Tibet or which travel agencies to use, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Chengdu to Shangri La Overland

The 1100 kilometer (685 mile) route from Chengdu to Shangri La (known as Gyelthang in Tibetan) is the most popular overland route through the Kham region of Tibet. Beginning in Chengdu, this route travels westward through Garze/Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture before finishing in Shangri La in far northwest Yunnan. Also popular with cyclists, this route goes through some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain the eastern Tibetan Plateau has to offer. Glaciated peaks, evergreen forests, snow-fed rivers, high altitude grasslands and traditional Tibetan culture are all found along this route. This route can be done using public transportation, but with so much to see and do along the way, a private vehicle is much better to use. 

From Chengdu, the first recommended place to stop is Dartsendo དར་རྩེ་མདོ།, known as Kangding in Chinese. This beautiful town is 325kms west from Chengdu and lies at an elevation of 2600m (8530 feet). Though most travelers only stay 1 or 2 days in Kangding, there are plenty of things to see and do to keep you busy for several days. The town sits in a narrow valley surrounded by huge, glaciated peaks with the highest rising well above 6000m. The town sits deep in the valley so the only visible snow-capped mountains are those to the west. Just a short 20 or 30km drive west or south of town and you get a sweeping view of the mountains including Minya Konka, the highest mountain in eastern Tibet rising to 7556m / 24,790 feet. In addition to all of the mountains, there are 4 notable Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in town that are all worth exploring. When in Kangding, stay at Zhilam Hostel, by far the best hostel and cafe in town.

After spending a few days exploring the area in and around Kangding, I recommend going north to Lhagang ལྷ་སྒང་, known as Tagong in Chinese. Tagong lies 112kms north of Kangding at an elevation of 3700m (12,136 feet). Tagong is a small nomad trading town with lots of traditional Tibetan culture. From late spring through the fall season, Tibetan nomads living in black yak wool tents live on the grasslands surrounding Tagong. There are many monasteries in the area, most notably the Lhagang Monastery and the Ani Gompa (nunnery) just outside of town. Very near to town is the 5820m peak of Zhara Lhatse, known as Yala Xue Shan in Chinese. This mountain dominates the skyline surrounding Tagong. It is possible to go horse trekking and hiking in this area. Contact Chyoger Treks, based in Tagong, for more information.

Tagong is a great place to base yourself for 2 or 3 days.There are no public buses going directly to Tagong. If you don't have your own vehicle and driver, then you can either take the bus from Kangding to Garze/Ganzi and get off in Tagong or take a shared mini-van to Tagong from Kangding. 

From Tagong, it is best to return to Kangding before setting out for Litang as there are no buses from Tagong to Litang. Litang ལི་ཐང་ sits at 4000m and is 285kms west of Kangding. Tibetan nomads from the region, on motorcycles or even horseback, come to Litang each day to buy and sell goods. Litang is well over 80% Tibetan and has several places to see. On the far west end of town, there is a huge, white stupa where Buddhist worshippers gather each morning. They walk the kora around the stupa while spinning prayer wheels and chanting mantras. On the north end of  town is the Litang Chode Monastery, which was established in 1580. It is the largest monastery in the region with several hundred monks. Litang was the birth place of the 7th and 10th Dalai Lama’s. The actual home that the 7th Dalai Lama was born in still exists in the center of town and can be visited free of charge. 

Litang is worth spending at least 2 days exploring before heading south. From Litang, there is a daily bus to Chaktreng ཕྱག་འཕྲེང་, known in Chinese as Xiangcheng. South of Litang, you begin your ascent up the Tu'er La Pass, which rises to 4696m (15,403 feet). This is the highest pass along the way from Chengdu to Shangri La. The distance from Litang to Xiangcheng is 205kms. Xiangcheng has a few markets to explore and has quite a few Tibetans around, but is otherwise fairly uninteresting. There is a daily bus from here to Shangri La. There is an ATM in Xiangcheng that normally accepts foreign ATM cards. This is the first ATM since Kangding that will accept a foreign ATM card. Xiangcheng is just a stopover between Litang and Shangri La. There is no need to stay here more than 1 night.

NOTE: An interesting detour is to travel southeast of Litang to the Yading Nature Reserve in Daocheng county. This nature preserve has 3 massive snow-capped peaks that are worth exploring for a day or two.

From Xiangcheng, there is a daily bus to Shangri La, known in Tibetan as Gyelthang རྒྱལ་ཐང་. This drive covers 200kms. The drive is amazingly beautiful as it crosses the jagged mountain peaks that form the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Shangri La marks the end of the Kham Tibetan world. The Old Town in Shangri La is a maze of great restaurants, bars guesthouses and shops. At the big square in the Old Town, there is Tibetan dancing each night. On the north end of town is Ganden Samtseling  Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan. It is over 300 years old and has over 650 monks. 

The overland route from Chengdu to Shangri La is amazing. The culture, the landscape, the people, the remoteness....it has it all. I would allow yourself about 2 weeks to really do this route. Anything less and you are rushing through a great area that has a lot to offer.

Currently, the roads all along this route are open, though mudslides and heavy rain do occur during the summer months. In the winter, heavy snow can block some of the high passes, especially the pass between Xiangcheng and Shangri La near the Sichuan-Yunnan border. It is best to avoid this route during the middle of winter (January and February) since a lot of hotels and restaurants in Kangding, Litang and Shangri La are closed during that time.

For more information about this route or if you have any questions about travel in Tibet, please email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Arranging Travel to Tibet Isn't Difficult

I often get emails from people who want to go to Tibet, but are frustrated with arranging their tour. They are convinced that arranging travel to Tibet is too difficult for them. If you use the wrong travel agency, it probably is difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Having lived in Tibet for nearly 10 years and having arranged around 450 custom tours across Tibet over the past 6 years, I can personally tell you that arranging travel to Tibet is not hard! In fact, by doing just a little bit of research, arranging travel to Tibet is very easy. With this post, I will tell you everything you need to do in order to arrange the perfect trip to Tibet.

1. The first thing that you need to do is research where in Tibet you want to go. Tibet, including the  Amdo and Kham regions, is huge and covers roughly 25% of the land mass of China, which is the world's 4th largest country by area. There are dozens of amazing routes and itineraries to choose from. Since Tibet is so huge, it has many different types of geography to offer. I recommend picking up a copy of Lonely Planet's Tibet guidebook. This newly updated guidebook is the best option for researching the popular overland routes that begin in Lhasa. It has detailed information for getting from Lhasa to Mt. Everest Base Camp, the Nepal border or to western Tibet's Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. For information about the Amdo and Kham regions, I recommend getting Lonely Planet's China guidebook. The Qinghai, western Sichuan, northwest Yunnan and southwest Gansu chapters are loaded with useful information on the Amdo and Kham regions. Another excellent resource is Footprints Tibet Handbook. This guidebook covers all regions of Tibet.

2. After you have researched where you want to go to in Tibet, contact a reputable, Tibetan owned travel agency. It is important to use a good, reliable travel agency when traveling through rugged and remote Tibet. For budget travelers, it is very important to research which agency to use. The agency with the lowest price is usually not the best agency to use. Not all agencies care about their customers and some arrange itineraries that are dangerous and do not provide enough time to properly acclimatize to high elevation. Because travel permits and tours to Tibet can take several days to arrange, it is best to contact a travel agency at least 2 or 3 weeks before you plan to depart to Lhasa. For recommendations on which travel agency to use, feel free to contact me.

All foreign travelers to the Tibet Autonomous Region are required to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver (no vehicle is required if you are just staying in Lhasa). There are no exceptions to this. You will not be allowed to board a train or flight to Lhasa without showing your travel permits. These permits can only be issued by a travel agency. This is not a new regulation, but has been enforced off and on for the past 30 years. The Kham and Amdo areas, which cover 50% of the Tibetan Plateau, have no travel regulations, though the do close periodically due to protests and riots.

3. When you have decided on a travel route for Tibet and have found a good travel agency to use, then you (actually the agency) begin processing your tour. This can all be done through email. There is no need to physically go to a travel agency to arrange your tour of Tibet. As I stated above, begin contacting a Tibet based travel agency 2 or 3 weeks before you plan to arrive in Lhasa. In order for your travel permits to be processed, you will need to scan and email the agency you use a high-res image of both your passport and Chinese visa. These are needed in order to apply for your travel permits. The agency will arrange your permits and everything else for you. They will arrange a guide, a vehicle and a driver. Most agencies can also arrange train tickets and discounted air tickets to Lhasa. 

4. Travel agencies require a deposit of anywhere between 20% and 50% before they will issue you your travel permit. Tour deposits can be sent using a bank transfer, Western Union or Pay Pal. The remaining balance of your tour will need to be paid once you arrive in Lhasa. Some agencies will require you to pay the entire tour balance before arriving in Lhasa. As long as the agency is reputable, I see no problem paying the entire tour balance before arriving in Lhasa.

5. If you plan to fly to Lhasa, you will need to give the agency you use the address of a hotel in mainland China where you plan to stay so they can mail you the original permit. The original permit is needed in order to board a flight to Lhasa. Most people fly to Lhasa from Chengdu. If you plan to take the train to Lhasa, a copy of the permit is all you need. The agency will email you the permit and you will need to print it out (both pages). The copy of your permit will need to be shown to officials before you can board the train to Lhasa. 

Besides doing a little research and sending a few emails, there isn't much else to arranging a tour to Tibet. It is not difficult to do. In my years of experience arranging tours of Tibet, I have arranged many trips with just 4 or 5 fairly short emails. Bottom line: It's not that hard arranging travel to Tibet!

For more information on getting to Tibet or for recommendations on which travel agencies to use, feel free to contact me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Death at Everest Base Camp

I recently returned from Everest Base Camp. I led a group of 10 people from Lhasa to Kathmandu traveling along the Friendship Highway. We spent 4 nights in Lhasa, elevation 3550m, before going to Gyantse (3980m), Shigatse (3900m), Shegar (4150m) and Basum (4300m). From Basum, we set out for the tent hotels located near Everest Base Camp. These tent hotels sit at about 5000m in elevation. All together, we had 8 nights of acclimatization before arriving at base camp. Though there is no way to completely prevent altitude sickness, taking time to acclimatize can drastically reduce the risks of serious illness or death.

When I arrived at base camp, all of the tent managers were talking about "the foreigner who died yesterday". After asking around, I found out that the morning before we arrived, a foreigner had died at the government-run guesthouse that is directly across from Rongbhu Monastery, roughly 5 kms before the tent hotels and 8 kms before Everest Base Camp. This foreigner had arrived at Everest with a group of people from the Nepal border. The tour was arranged by a travel agency in Kathmandu. Coming from Nepal, most groups do not take enough time to properly acclimatize. Many of the budget travel agencies in Kathmandu offer the following itinerary, which according to the tent hotel managers at base camp, is the same route that this man traveled before dying:

Day 1: Kathmandu (1340m) to Nyalam (3700m)                                                                               Day 2: Nyalam-Old Tingri (4250m)                                                                                                   Day 3: Old Tingri-Everest Tent Hotels (5000m)

With this itinerary, you go from the Kathmandu valley at 1340m to the tent hotels at Everest Base Camp at 5000m (and 5200m at actual Everest Base Camp) in less than 55 hours and with only 2 nights of acclimatization. This is not nearly enough time for most people to acclimatize to the high elevation of the Everest region.

The purpose of this post is not to discourage people from going to Tibet from Nepal or to prevent people from using Nepal based travel agencies when traveling to Tibet. I want to raise awareness that going to Everest Base Camp too quickly, whether it is from Kathmandu or Lhasa, can be deadly. Proper acclimatization is absolutely required and even then there is a risk. Why travel agencies offer itineraries going so quickly to Everest Base Camp is beyond me. What is even more surprising is that the Tibet Tourism Bureau, who gives approval to each itinerary and person who enters Tibet, also does not prevent travelers from ascending too quickly. 

Everest is not the only place where people can die from ascending too rapidly. Each year, Indian pilgrims going to western Tibet's Mt. Kailash also die from altitude related illnesses. In June 2009, at least 10 pilgrims were killed from India due to high altitude sickness. Again, proper acclimatization is not going to eliminate the risk of serious altitude related illness, but it will drastically reduce it.

I owned and managed my own travel agency for nearly 5 years and arranged the overland journey from Lhasa to the Nepal border via Everest Base Camp far too many times to count. I have traveled the route over a dozen times and know it very well and still lead high end trips through the region. I would occasionally get an email from a customer who wanted to go to Everest Base Camp immediately after arriving in Lhasa. I would explain the need for proper acclimatization and usually this would lead to the customer taking my advice and ascending slowly to base camp taking 5 to 7 days of acclimatization. But other times customers would insist on going to Everest as quickly as possible. I would kindly tell these people that I cared more about the safety of my customers rather than making money and would tell them to use a different agency. 

Under no circumstance do I recommend going from the Kathmandu Valley to Everest Base Camp. This route ascends far too quickly. If you have to enter Tibet from Nepal, start by going to Lhasa by plane. Then, spend a few days acclimatizing there before setting out along the Friendship Highway towards Everest Base Camp. An even better option is to start by taking the train from Xining to Lhasa. Xining sits at 2300m and is a good place to spend a night or two before traveling to Lhasa. After spending 3 or 4 nights in Lhasa, then continue to Mt. Everest stopping for the night in Gyantse, Shigatse, Shegar and maybe even a night in either Tashi Dzom or Basum before arriving at Everest Base Camp. If you think you will not do well spending the night at Everest Base Camp, just spend the day there instead. Again, proper acclimatization will not eliminate the risk of altitude sickness, but it will greatly reduce it. 

Budget travel agencies with the lowest prices are not usually the best agencies to use. Use a reputable travel agency that cares more about their customers safety than making money. For more information about traveling in Tibet and for recommendations on which travel agencies to use, please send me an email at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Yushu Earthquake: The road ahead

It has been nearly a year since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake destroyed the town of Jyekundo. Though the official death toll is around 2700, everyone who was in the quake, including myself, knows that the death toll is much, much higher than that (20,000 is how many most people believe died). Literally every Tibetan I know from Yushu prefecture lost at least 1 family member and most lost multiple. One of our good friends lost no less than 10 of her family members. This past year has been a grieving time for the 275,000 Tibetans from Yushu prefecture, which is part of the traditional Tibetan region of Kham. Though some small villages outside Jyekundo have now been rebuilt, rebuilding in town has not yet begun. Nearly every building has been torn down and government officials and city planners have been busy surveying the area and drawing up plans for the new Jyekundo. Though many Tibetans from Yushu have temporarily relocated to Xining and Lhasa, there still are roughly 60,000 to 70,000 homeless people living in government issued tents throughout the prefecture. 

It is still difficult to predict when the new Jyekundo will be finished being rebuilt. Construction will begin this year and will probably take at least 18 months and maybe even up to 30 months to complete. All families will have a new home built for them paid for by the government. Though the houses will be rather small (roughly 80 square meters or 860 square feet), they will be in a nice Tibetan design. City planners will include several nice parks in town and the streets will be built wide to reduce the traffic problems the old Jyekundo used to have. The Qinghai provincial government plans to build a nice 4 lane highway connecting Xining with Jyekundo. This will drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to drive the 820kms between these two places. The government has already completed the highway connecting the southern Yushu county of Nangchen with Riwoche in northern Chamdo prefecture. When all the road work is completed, it should be possible to cover the 500kms between Jyekundo and Chamdo in about 7 hours. Just a few years ago this journey took 2 1/2 days! 

The current word is that the annual Yushu Horse Festival will take place this year on July 25. It supposedly will be held on the Batang Grasslands just south of Jyekundo. For the past 10 years or so, this has been the largest horse festival in Tibet drawing anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 people. This years event will be funded by the provincial government and is supposed to be quite elaborate. Tibetans from Yushu prefecture have not participated in any festivals, including this years Losar, since last years earthquake. The horse festival would mark the first major celebration that these Tibetans have been a part of since the earthquake. 

Though Yushu prefecture is open to foreign travelers, it is best to avoid Jyekundo and the other areas of Yushu county that were destroyed by the earthquake. Jyekundo is extremely busy with rebuilding and there are limited places to stay (there are a few hotels set up in temporary buildings as well as numerous "tent hotels", which are very simple). Yushu prefecture is a huge, covering more area than Nepal. The other 5 counties of Yushu prefecture (Nangchen, Drido, Chumarleb, Dzado and Trindu) suffered relatively little damage compared to Yushu county. These areas are extremely beautiful, are almost entirely 100% Tibetan and only a handful of foreigners know they exist. I have traveled extensively from one end of Tibet to the other and Yushu prefecture easily is the most beautiful and unique place I have been to. There is little about this area written in guidebooks so you will have to either go with a guide who knows the region or just set out on your own. The county towns are not where the attractions are so don't expect much from them. Places like Gar Monastery, Surmang Namgyaltse, Gado Jowa and Shari Monastery are remote and not easy to get to, but are well worth it. 

Though Yushu has experienced a horrible tragedy, peoples' lives are being put back together. A new Jyekundo will be finished in the future and I am quite sure that it will be a very nice place. The government has allocated huge amounts of money for the rebuilding and are planning on developing it as the next premier tourist destination on the Tibetan Plateau. Of the 16 prefectures that make up the Greater Tibet area, Yushu is one of the most remote, has the highest percentage of Tibetans (97%), has amazing scenery and has, in my opinion, the best preserved Tibetan culture. Due to its remoteness, it sees very few tourists. All of the pictures on this post were taken in various places of Yushu prefecture. For more information about Yushu or any other region of Tibet, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Travel Agency Recommendations

All foreigners going to the Tibet Autonomous Region are required to be part of an organized tour that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver (no private vehicle is required if you are just staying in Lhasa). There are no exceptions to these regulations. I have lived on the Tibetan Plateau for the past 9 years and previously owned my own travel agency. Though I now only arrange photography workshops, I still know which travel agencies to use and which ones to avoid.

If you are planning a trip to Tibet and want a recommendation on which agency to use, send me an email at thelandofsnows@gmail.com. I only recommend Tibetan owned and staffed travel agencies that have excellent safety records. Keep in mind that the cheapest Tibet tours are cheap for a reason! These extreme budget travel agencies, most of which are in Beijing and Chengdu, often have poor safety records, use guides that know little English and know little about Tibet, and have a poor customer service record. Many of these budget agencies do not care anything about your journey to Tibet, but rather just care about making some money off of you. For recommendations on a good, reputable travel agency to use while in Tibet, regardless of your budget, feel free to send me an email.

If you have any other questions about traveling in Tibet or need a recommendation on a travel agency to use, send me an email at thelandofsnows@gmail.com or stop by my Facebook page, which I keep updated with the current travel regulations.

In Search of Gado Jowa

This past fall, I went on a journey searching for the holy mountain of Gado Jowa. Most people are only familiar with one or two of Tibet's many holy mountains. Mt. Kailash གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ in far western Tibet's Ngari prefecture མངའ་རིས་ས་ཁུལ་ is the most well known, followed by Minyak Gongkar མི་ཉག་གངས་དཀར་ in Kham's Garnze prefecture དཀར་མཛེས་ཁུལ་, but most of Tibet's dozens of other holy mountains are virtually unknown. Gado Jowa is the most important holy mountain in northern Kham. It is located in Yushu prefecture ཡུལ་ཤུལ་ཁུལ་ in the remote county of Trindu ཁྲི་འདུ་རྫོང་, known as Chengduo in Chinese.

My journey to Gado Jowa began in the prefectural capital of Jyekundo. Jyekundo, of course, was destroyed by an earthquake in April of this year. The easiest way to get to Gado Jowa would be to head north from Jyekundo, but for this journey, I went northwest to Drido county འབྲི་སྟོད་རྫོང་, known as Zhiduo in Chinese. In Drido, I stayed at my old Tibetan teachers home for the night. I have several good friends from this rugged and remote region that I was happy to see. After a night in Drido, I was off in search of Gado Jowa. 

I had calculated that from Drido to the base of the mountain was roughly 215 kms (135 miles). This region is extremely remote and lies at an average elevation of 4300m (14,100 feet). The highest pass rises to 4812m (15,800 feet). Even in early October, the morning temperature was around -15C (5F). All of my bottled water in my SUV was frozen solid as were most of the food items I had. About 40 kms outside of Drido, I crossed over the first major bridge of the Yangtze River འབྲི་ཆུ་. The river already was beginning to freeze. Large chunks of ice were floating down the river. Most of the road was newly paved. Even with the good road, I only rarely came across another vehicle. This area of far northern Kham is very sparsely populated with only a few small towns. Fortunately, I filled my SUV with gas when I left Drido because I never came across a fuel station along this route.

The region around Gado Jowa is rugged. It is mostly high altitude grasslands with gently sloping mountains everywhere. This time of year, these mountains are all snow-capped. Large herds of yaks are everywhere along with gazelle, marmots, wolves and occasionally wild donkeys. Few foreigners have traveled along this route. Until just recently, the only way to get here was by a rough dirt road. Now, the road is nearly 90% paved. I was traveling at a good rate of speed when I noticed that my SUV was pulling to one direction. I stopped and checked my tires. Sure enough, the rear driver side tire was flat. I was still roughly 125 kms (78 miles) from the nearest town where it could be repaired. It was the first flat tire I had had on my 2009 Nissan Paladin. The spare tire had never been used. After changing the tire, I was on my way.

Shortly after the small town of Bagan in southeastern Chumarleb county ཆུ་དམར་ལེབ་རྫོང་, I caught my first glimpse of Gado Jowa. Though I had traveled this same route before, the last time it was snowing heavily making it impossible to see the mountain. This time though, the skies were cloudless. I could see all of the mountain as I looked at its western face. The mountain was covered in snow. The peak was jagged and triangular. I looked at my road atlas to find the best road that would take me close to the peak. I was using a detailed atlas that listed each county of the prefecture. Though it was written in Chinese, I knew most of the place names from years of studying the region. According to my map, I needed to go from Bagan to another small town called Zaduo. Zaduo was just inside of Trindu county coming from the west. Zaduo is a very small and dirty place. It has one road that runs through town. During the 1950's and 1960's, gold was found in this region. Abandoned gold mining equipment can be found throughout the area. 

When I reached Zaduo, I turned south off of the main road toward the town of Gado. I could see some of Gado Jowa, but was unsure about which road to take to get closer. I passed another vehicle with 4 passengers and asked them where to go. The four of them discussed the matter in Tibetan and then answered me in Chinese that the best way to get to the mountain was not from the Gado side, but from the Bagan side, which I had just come from 2 hours earlier. I asked them if there was any road on this side that would take me closer, but they didn't know of any. I decided to keep looking on my own. I turned down a narrow, rough, dirt road that went towards the direction of Gado Jowa. I drove down the road for about 4 kms and then the mountain appeared unobstructed. 

Gado Jowa isn't particularly high. It rises to around 5425m (17,800 feet). Though this would be an extremely high mountain in all other regions on earth, the Tibetan Plateau literally has thousands of mountains that are higher than this. To the Kham Tibetan people of this area, Gado Jowa is home to a protector deity. Each year, thousands of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims set out to hike around the mountain. While it takes only a few days to complete the circuit of the mountain by hiking, many Tibetans prefer to prostrate around the mountain. Every third step they prostrate all the way to the ground causing the journey to take well over a week to complete. 

If you are looking for a Tibetan experience that is way off the beaten path, consider Gado Jowa and the far northern regions of Kham found in Yushu prefecture. This area is amazingly beautiful, is not listed in any guidebooks and is 100% Tibetan. There is no public transportation to Gado Jowa. Because of the high elevation in this area (average of 4300m), it is best to travel here by private vehicle in case of altitude related illness. 

For more information on Gado Jowa or any other region of the Tibetan Plateau, feel free to email me thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Sertar

Though I have lived and traveled across the Tibetan Plateau for nearly 9 years, there are still a few places I have not been to yet. One of those places was Sertar. I was finally able to visit Sertar last week and I was not disappointed. Sertar གསེར་ཐར་, also spelled Sertal, Serda and Seda, is a remote county found in Garnze Tibet Autonomous Prefecture. Though most of Garnze Prefecture དཀར་མཛེས་ཁུལ་ is considered to be the traditional Tibetan region of Kham, Sertar is technically an Amdo speaking area. It was considered to be part of the Golok region for many centuries. 

Sertar is remote, difficult to reach and is often closed to foreign travelers. The main attraction in this high altitude, nomadic region is the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute. It is the largest Buddhist Institute on the Tibetan Plateau with between 40,000 and 50,000 monks, nuns and lay students. In the late 19th century, the site was home to a small Nyingma sect hermitage. In 1980, Larung Gar was founded by the late Kenpo Jigme Phuntsok ཇིགས་མེད་ཕུན་ཚོགས་. The institute is well known not only among Tibetans, but also among ethnic Chinese. Roughly 5% of the students at Larung Gar are ethnic Chinese from across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These Chinese students pursue degrees in Buddhist philosophy, astronomy and medicine. Most of the Chinese students wear either the maroon clothes of the sangha (monk-hood) or long traditional style Tibetan robes (chuba). 

Larung Gar sits in a valley, about 4kms off of the main road and about 15kms before reaching the county town of Sertar. Huge prayer wheels mark the entrance to the institute. The campus is enormous...much larger than I ever imagined. Houses for monks and nuns sprawl all over the valley and up the surrounding mountains. A huge wall through the middle of Larung Gar separates the monk side from the nun side. Monks and nuns are not allowed out of their designated areas. A common area open to both monks and nuns is found in front of the main monastery assembly hall. The houses are all built in a wood style that is traditionally found in this region. The houses are built so close together that they are almost on top of each other. How the monks and nuns find their specific house among ten thousand plus houses is beyond me!

Sertar and Larung Gar Buddhist Institute are sensitive areas that are often closed to foreign travelers. It is difficult to predict if the area will be open or not. I asked several of the Tibetan owned travel agencies that I associate with and they said that, for the most part, they did not have any problems taking groups of foreign travelers to the Sertar area this year. They knew of a handful of groups that were denied entry, but that most were permitted to enter. What the situation will be like in 2011 is impossible to say. I went during the winter. The air temperature was  -20C (-3F) when I was there in December. The few police that I saw in the area were probably more concerned about staying warm than keeping an eye out for foreigners. Larung Gar sits at 4000m / 13,100 feet so make sure you are acclimatized before going there. Summers are pleasant, but winters are deathly cold with temperatures regularly reaching -25C (-13F).

In addition to nearly 50,000 monks, nuns and lay students, Larung Gar also attracts thousands of pilgrims, especially during the winter. Pilgrims from all over eastern Tibet arrive during the winter months to worship at the monastery and to hear a lecture from one of Larung Gar's many famous teachers. Getting to Sertar and Larung Gar is not easy. The Buddhist Institute is well over 600kms (375 miles) from Chengdu along horrible mountain roads. There is occasionally a direct bus to Sertar from Chengdu. Otherwise, you have to take a bus to Garnze (Ganzi) and then take a bus to Sertar. Keep in mind that Sertar often closes to foreign travelers.

If you have any questions about Sertar, Larung Gar Buddhist Institute or about any other region of Tibet, feel free to email me at thelandofsnows@gmail.com