Peiku Tso is a beautiful alpine lake located near Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world. This remote lake sees very few tourists, but is a great place to go if you are wanting to see some of the off-the-beaten-path areas of Tibet. The lake sits at an elevation of 4600m/15,100 feet and is a bright turquoise color all year round. The drive to the lake is amazing with excellent views of Himalaya Mountains. There is also usually a lot of wildlife in this area including wild horses, wolves, foxes, deer, gazelle, black-necked cranes as well as yaks and sheep.
To get to Peiku Lake, turn west off the Friendship Highway just north of the Lalung La mountain pass. The turn-off is
approximately 72kms south of Tingri or 81kms north of Nyalam. The lake is a 1 1/2 hour drive from the turn-off. After driving for about an hour, you will come across the small village
of Seylong. Near the village there is a checkpoint where your driver will need to register and your guide
will need to show your permits. You will also have to buy an entrance
ticket for the Qomolangma Nature Preserve. The entrance ticket is Y65
per person and Y40 for a vehicle entry ticket. The road doesn't lead all the way to the lake. You will need to hike the last hour or so to the lake, though the hike is quite worth it. If you have time, hike around to the far side of the lake for an amazing picture of the lake with Shishapangma in the background.
Peiku and the area surrounding it are truly some of the best areas in Tibet. With bright blue water, the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains and abundant wildlife, it is strange to think that this area sees so few tourists. The road leading out to the lake is all dirt and is quite rough in spots, but the scenery makes it well worth the drive. There are no hotels or restaurants anywhere near the lake. The closest town is Saga, which is 4 hours away (the town of Dzongka is 1 1/2 hours away from Peiku Lake but is completely closed to foreigners). If you decide to camp in this area, make sure you are well equipped with tents, sleeping bags and food.
For more information about tours to Peiku Lake and Shishapangma, please send an email to [email protected]
this a great place! this is a place for adventurous people like me specially the lake is located in a high area and i know the trail to this lake is quite challenging and the views to Himalayas mountain is great. thanks for sharing the information about this lake.
Posted by: Travel Blog | March 17, 2009 at 10:17 PM