General Information
Isolated from the outside World for centuries and only recently opened up to Western travellers; Tibet has gained a reputation as a magical and mysterious place. The general altitude of the terrain sets it apart from other countries, creating a realm of crisp light and intense colours, bounded by a deep lake-blue sky. Natural beauty is complemented by cultural riches, which although somewhat tarnished by the Chinese occupation since 1949, still has a lot to offer the adventurous traveller.

This is a Tibetan adventure journey that gives you the opportunity of a non technical trek up the East Rongbuk Glacier to Advenced Everest Base Camp and to visit some of the classic Buddhist sites of this remarkable land. You will also get to visit and go site seeing in some of the more remarkable towns and cities in Tibet: places such as Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.

The tour begins and ends in Kathmandu, Nepal, an interesting contrast because although there are many Buddhists in the land, Nepal is the World's only Hindu Kingdom and is generally very green compared with Tibet! There will be time to discover the city and to become engrossed in the Kathmandu Valley.Grade

This tour is essentially an overland trip which takes you up to fairly high altitudes, but allows you to acclimatize for the trekking week of the journey. Days are spent sightseeing around the various towns we visit before the trek from Everest Base Camp (from the northern side) maybe up to Camp 3 in good conditions. This should not tax anyone who is physically - fit condition. Though it is graded C+ this is a reflection of the altitude to be attained: The maximum height reached is up to (6340m). Because of our time previously spent in Lhasa and overlanding in Tibet, hopefully no one will feel the altitude. If however some people do not acclimatise very well, they will be kept low.

Climate
Weather in the world's highest mountain range is never totally predictable but we would expect clear and settled conditions. Nepal is temperate to warm with cool nights generally, although it is a lot colder at altitude. Tibet however has desert temperatures that can fluctuate wildly. On a clear day temps can reach 35 c and then plunge down to below minus 10 c during the night. You must be prepared for hot and cold protect yourself from the fierce Sun and the dusty storms that may blow up.

The Travelling Day
Flexibility and patience are the key words when travelling in Tibet. Tourism is still in its infancy in this wild and remote area and the Chinese authorities, who control our itinerary in Tibet, are often very relaxed with arrangements and schedules. While in Kathmandu, Lhasa and the bigger towns, the day begins comfortably between 9 and 10am – (Tibet is on Beijing time which is 3.15 hours ahead of other regions on the same latitude and there is plenty of day light even at 21.00). After a hearty breakfast you are usually on the road to visit some of the sites, or you may be escorted on foot. On other occasions you will have some time or even days to explore on your own volition. Lunch is not included apart from on the camping trekking section: On the driving stages either a packed lunch can be procured from villages we pass through or we may stop at roadside eateries, or go to restaurants at places of interest.

The road journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu is quite adventurous with stunning views through great Tibetan plains and ancient cities. Some of the drive days are quite long and you should get yourself and your gear organized before you have breakfast, in the hotel or lodge dining room. We try to get on the road early - ish and generally stop for a lunch at some point along the way which is protected from the wind and sun. We then continue driving throughout the afternoon. On arrival at the hotel/lodge you should have a couple of hours free to rest or to take a short stroll into the vast arid wilderness or the nomadic settlements nearby. After the evening meal is served at around 9pm most people usually retire early in preparation for the next day's journey. Evening meals are included only in Gyantse and Shigatse. Else where they can be purchased for a modest sum.

The Trekking Day
A typical walking day begins just after 6 a.m. with an early morning mug of tea served through the tent flap. On this trek as we reach higher altitudes, this may get later to take into account the overnight cold. After breakfast, during which the camp will be struck and the porters loaded, we begin our walking in the pleasant cool of the morning. Lunch is around 11 a.m. or so. This mid-day break usually lasts about an hour or so. After walking for three hours or so in the afternoon, we will aim to pitch camp around 4 p.m. You will have an hour or so to relax and reflect before the day is rounded off with a hot three-course meal. The meal arrangements are full board on trek.

Equipment & Clothing
All general equipment and cooking equipment is provided. A detailed list of other recommended clothing and equipment will be sent with confirmation of booking.

Included
Flights from the UK are only included on request and their prices depend upon the date and the operator. We may use return flights London Heathrow/Kathmandu using the scheduled services of Gulfair or Qattar. All ground transport as specified in the itinerary, bed and breakfast accommodation in Kathmandu, half day excursion of Kathmandu and valley, all food and accommodation on trek, Evening meals in Shigatse and Gyantse,. English-speaking Sherpa guide, trek crew and porters, tents, cooking equipment, trek permits. Kathmandu airport transfers.

Not Included: Passport, visas, insurance, immunization fees, meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu / Lhasa: budget up to £15 per meal without drinks. No Lunches are included, except on trek.

Documents
A visa is required for Nepal and you must have a valid passport. Visas for Nepal if applying directly with the Nepal Embassy will cost £55 for a double entry Visa which you need for this tour. For those who wish to use our visa service where your passports will be handled personally by our courier company, the cost will be £80 (which includes the £55 visa cost). Trekking documents are required, but these are organised by us in Kathmandu. Visas for Tibet can be obtained in Kathmandu by the trekking operators as long as passport details are submitted at least a month before your departure for the journey. On arrival you will need to submit your passport, four passport photographs and your fee. On all these issues and the cost of the Chinese/Tibetan visa. you shall be advised.

Books & Maps
The best new book available that covers Tibet is: "Mapping the Tibetan World," by Kotan publishing. This book is how Lonely planets should be! – It makes the latter seem dull and boring. The Kotan guide has so many maps, schematic drawings etc. and it also covers Nepal , Bhutan and parts of northern India. Alternatively you could always get Lonely planet or Rough Guides to Tibet and for information on the sights of the Kathmandu valley, its history and culture, we suggest Kathmandu and the Kingdom of Nepal pub. Lonely Planet travel guides. A good general guidebook is the Insight Guides series Nepal. There are many books on Trekking in Nepal. Perhaps the most well known are those by Stephen Bezruchka or Stan Armington. A usefully realistic account of what happens on trek is found in Mike Hardings's Footloose in the Himalayas.

Health Matters
A medical kit will accompany the trek. We do, however, recommend that each person carry a small personal first aid kit. A suggested list of contents will be sent to all members, as well as more general information on health matters.

Outline Itinerary
We reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) any trek at any time if this is necessary. Be aware that the Chinese have on occasion found it expedient to close the border to Westerners. This is totally beyond our control. Local roads in Tibet are also susceptible in bad weather and local changes to the itinerary may be expedient. Please note that sometimes the Chinese government requisition hotel rooms for various functions and this is totally beyond our control.

Day 1: Depart.

Day 2: Arrive Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel ShangriLa. Rest of day free

Day 3: After breakfast, you will see some of the more spectacular sights in Kathmandu during your half-day guided City Tour, visiting Kathmandu with its many temples and pagodas, the hilltop Buddhist monastery of Swayambunath, Pashupatinath, and Bodnath. Evening Pre-Trek Briefing.

Day 4: In a little over one hour, the Kathmandu-Lhasa flight covers rugged terrain that once took trade caravans months to cross. On a clear day, as many as eight of the world's fourteen 8000m+ peaks can be seen. As we cross the great barrier of the Himalaya, the landscape beneath changes dramatically, from Nepal's green terraced hillsides to the high dry, barren plains typical of Tibet. We land at Lhasa. At 3660m and transfer to our hotel.

Day 5, 6 & 7: Lhasa is dominated by the fabled Potala Palace, which rises above the city like a fairytale castle set atop of a rocky pedestal. The sight of this incredible edifice is something you have seen in nearly all the tourist and coffee table books on Tibet. It is no disappointment! Begun in the 7th century but not reaching its full glory until the 17th century reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the 13 storey Potala rises 117 meters high and entirely of wood, earth and stone. It has over 1,000 rooms, and one of our main aims in Lhasa is to have you explore those of them that are open to the public.

Apart from visiting this great palace, the time in Lhasa is also spent taking in the sights in and around the city. The Norbulingka or "Jewel Park", the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, was begun by the Seventh Dalai Lama and rebuilt by the current Dalai Lama in the 1950s. It was from here that His Holiness fled to India in 1959. The exquisite little building in a park like setting is less formal than the Potala's quarters, but equally rich.

A visit to the Jokhang, the religious and geographical centre of Lhasa and the most important temple in the world for all sects of Tibetan Buddhism, is a must. Pilgrims from across Tibet, many of whom have walked hundreds of kilometres to see the Jokhung once in their lives, queue for hours to enter the temple and perform a ritual circuit (in postration) of its many sacred shrines. It is a moving experience to join them in the dark hallways lit only by butter lamps, filled with the sound of low chanting. The main image worshipped here is Jowo Rinpoche, a gilded statue of Buddha Shakyamuni said to have been modelled during his lifetime.

The Jokhang is encircled by the Barkhor; a 800m flagstoned pathway that is both a sacred route and the biggest bazaar in Tibet. Night and day, Tibetans walk clockwise around it, earning religious merit as they shop, people-watch and chat with friends. While many of the goods on sale are Chinese, those buying them definitely are not! Here you find people from all corners of Tibet; striking tall Khampa men from the east with big knives and red tassels wrapped about their heads, Golok women with their hair plaited in 108 tiny braids, wide-eyed nomad families bundled in sheepskins. The Barkhor is the real heart of Tibet, and you can spend hours watching the passing parade - not to mention bargaining for the trinkets and souvenirs displayed in streetside stands, everything from prayer flags to silver jewellery and yak butter. Be warned, however, that locals are not always pleased about having their photo taken. It's best to ask first and holding up the camera is the best way to enquire.

There's also time to visit several of Lhasa's great monasteries. Drepung and Sera on the outskirts of the city both date back to the 15th century, and housed up to 10,000 monks. Although their inhabitants have been considerably reduced in numbers; many monks are still found in important religious establishments, with many impressive temples and shrines. Like all Tibetan gompas, these are absolute treasure houses of art, ritual and symbolism.

Three days in Lhasa gives you plenty of free time to explore the town and get the feel of the place. You might like to walk down to the Kyi Chu river and watch fishermen floating in their yak-skin coracles, explore the pleasant park and ancient Lukhang temple behind the Potala, revisit the Potala or linger on the Barkhor.

Day 8: Lhasa - Gyantse Today we undertake a very long journey by Four Wheel drive, about 260km. We start along the friendship Highway which links Lhasa with Kathmandu . We go past typical Tibetan countryside. Small villages of whitewashed houses topped with prayer flags alternate with fields of barley and mustard –In places this is an extremely fertile area. Enroute we drive over the Karo La (pass) at 5045m and get great views of Mt. Nojin Gangzang and its glaciers (7191m). Arrive in the town of Gyantse (3950m) which is the third largest town in Tibet. It once flourished as a trade center with India, but became a battle field in 1904 when the British Army under Younghusband attacked the area.

The city is actually little more than a pastoral farming village. The main attraction is the Kumbum, a magnificent many-roomed structure richly decorated with 15th century frescoes and images created by the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley (an ethnic group renowned for their artistic talent. Thwe Kumbum is the largest Chorten in Tibet at nearly 40m height and is said to have 100,000 buddhist images drawn on the walls.

Day 9: Gyantse - Shigatse A shorter journey today; this time to Tibet's second city Shigatse at 3900m. This drive is about 90km across the plains. The day starts with more sightseeing: you may go and see the Gyantse Dzong - the 14th century fort that held out for a time against the British. The adventure continues as you drive westwards across the great Tibetan plain. Continuing on,we arrive and overnight at Shigatse 3900m. Tibet's second largest city, its broad streets lined with whitewashed buildings in the traditional Tibetan style. There is a day here for exploring the bazaar and the great monastery of Tashi Lhumpo, an impressive collection of ochre buildings roofed in glittering gold.

Day 10: Drive Shigatse - Shegar (244km). The road continues westwards to the village of Shegar,(also called New Tingri. It is another long day, but enroute you get to test how well you are acclimatizing , by going over the Lagpa La (5133m) which is the highest point of the Friendship Highway. The pass here has fluttering prayer flags and a stone monument from where you get a terrific view over the Himalayas. We eventually arrive at Shegar (Shelkar or New Tingri) which translates as "Crystal." From here the adventure to Everest begins!

Day 11: Drive Shegar –Rongbuk (5000m) If conditions are favourable today we drive on to Everest Base Camp on a rough and ready road up beside the old morraines of the Rongbuk Valley. The distance is 68km, but the drive takes longer than one would think! There should be time to visit the Rongbuk monastery and maybe to do a little "Puja" ceremony to the mountain: Jomolangma (Everest 8850m) that dominates the skyline ahead of you. This is to wish you well on your ascent!

Day 12 & 13: Acclimatization days at Base Camp. Just to make sure that you are ready to go, your body has more time to adjust to the rarefied atmosphere. We recommend that you stroll around, and you will have plenty of time for photography.etc..

Day 14: Trek from Everest Base Camp to Camp 1 (5460m).

Day 15 & 16: Trek to an interim camp at 5760m approx and then have another acclimatization day, giving you time to explore the moraines or catch up with a spot of reading.

Day 17: Trek to Camp 2 (5970m)

Day 18: Trek up to Camp3 (6340m), and then you are almost touching the summit….well at least through powerful binoculars! After a celebration we return to Camp 2 to sleep. You don't really want to sleep up at Camp 3 do you?

Day 19: Return to Base Camp. A drink may well be in order by about this time and you will probably feel that you have deserved it!!

Day 20: Drive Base Camp – Nyalam (215km). A long drive towards Nepal. It's back onto the Friendship Highway onto Nyalam over some high passes.

Views of the Himalayan Range from this route are in places absolutely stunning. Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu and a band of small peaks line the horizon Shishapangma is slightly to the north. After topping a final 5050m Lalung La Pass, the road winds down to Nyalam (4100m), the last truly Tibetan village and here we stay the night.

Day 21: Nyalam – Kathmandu (1400m) The road twists down a steep, narrow river gorge, its walls lush with greenery and ribboned with waterfalls,. It continues on to the border at Zhangmu, a border entry-point also known as Khasa or Dram. Perched on a hillside a few kilometers above the actual border, this town is a bustling mix of Chinese, Tibetan and Nepalese. This is the transition from the high, dry and wild Tibetan Plateau to Nepal's green hills. Chinese customs and immigration are at Zhangmu. The road below here is often blocked by landslides, and it may be necessary to walk; if so, porters will be provided to carry your luggage. The crossing of the Friendship Bridge spanning the Bhote Kosi River, marks the re entry to Nepal. After clearing customs and immigration at the little town of Kodari 91640m), our bus will drive down the 118km Arniko highway to Kathmandu. The highway follows the course of the river, here called the Sun Kosi "River of Gold". Nepal's rolling countryside unfolds out the window, its terraced fields and populated villages are a contrast to Tibet's stark plains. On arrival into Kathmandu the rest of the day is free for you to choose on either shopping or relaxing around your hotel which is normally the Hotel Shangri La.

Day 22: In Kathmandu A last opportunity to go to Thamel and do all that shopping that you managed to avoid in Lhasa. There are some great bargains to be had, especially in clothing, jewelry and woodwork. Good bookshops and great restaurants.

Day 23: Time to fly home. Please make sure that you have collected all your valuables from the security deposit and settled all your hotel bills. Co-ordinating with your flight time, the transport staff will pick you up and take you to the International Airport for your flight home.

 

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