TIBET: KAMA CHU AND KHARTA VALLEY TREK AND FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY TIBET May, 2019

PART 3 BY WILLIAM D BOEHM

Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River that flows 3000km (1800 mi) from near Mt Kailish through the deepest

canyon in the world, 5300m (17000 ft) below Namcha Barwha 7,782-meter/25,446 ft into the Indian Ganges

DAY 4 May 16 We loaded our gear and food for the week khama valley trek on a government

bus, interestingly in that it had four fisheye cameras in the front to monitor our conversations

and actions. We left Lhasa driving highway G 318, the 830 km (500 mi) long Friendship Highway.

We would drive today only partway 270 km (162 mi) to Gyantse to the south. Passed through

incredible mountain scenery first driving along the Kyichu Valley and the Lhasa River for an hour

before the town of Quxu. Here the Lhasa joins the huge Yarlong Tsampo (Brahmaputra) River.

Here we crossed at a narrowing on a bridge and followed along its huge floodplain for an hour

before turning off the friendship highway south. The Yarlung Tsangpo begins to the east along

its 3,000 kilometer (1,800 mile) course through open valleys on the Tibetan Plateau. With

headwaters in western Tibet near

Mount Kailash, the river has the

highest average elevation 4000

meters (13,000 feet) of any major

river in the world. At the eastern

end of the Himalayas in

southeastern Tibet, the river

bends sharply south, cascading

through one of most dramatic

gorges in the world before

Left Yarlong Tsangpo River before

canyon, Namcha Barwa Peak 7782 m

descending into the lowlands of the Ganges Delta.

The Yarlung Tsangpo gorge is defined by superlatives, and has been called the “Everest of

Rivers” as lower sections running through the canyon below Namche Barwha are the deepest in

the world, and least explored. Carved into granitic bedrock, it reaches more than 5,300 meters

(17,000 feet) from top to bottom in some places, making it three times deeper than the Grand

Canyon. It’s also one of the world’s longest canyons, stretching more than 500 kilometers (300

miles) between two major peaks: the 7,782-

meter (25,446-foot) Namcha Barwa and the

7,294-meter (23,462-foot) Gyala Peri, and

drops 2716 m (9000 feet) in 250 km (150

miles).

RT: tourists & Tibetan mastiff dogs Khamba la pass

We drove towards Yamdrok Tso (lake) on to

S307 ascending the steep road to Khamba La

(Khamba Pass) at 4900m (16,072 ft). Once at

summit at 4790m (15,711 ft) we finally

viewed the amazing turquoise blue Yamdrok Tso or Turquoise Lake at an elevation of 4450 m

(14,596 ft), the sixth largest lake in Tibet by area. To the south the snow-capped peaks including

a partially hidden view of glaciated Nojin Kangtsang 7191 m (23,593 ft) of the main Himalayan

range. Many vendors at the summit offering photographic opportunities to Chinese tourists to

sit on a yak, or stand by mastiff dogs. Amazing.

We drove around the lake and passed a second lake near the

village of Nagarze before ascending a second pass Karo La. We

began to see several peaks with icefields as S307 ascended

between the dramatic summits of Kalurong 6674 m / 21896 ft

to the south and to the north Noijin Kangsang Peak 7191

m(23,586 ft) the highest peak of Lhagoi Kangri mountain

range. The foothills were covered in brown grass contrasting

with the glaciated summits which reminded me of the Andes at higher elevations. Here we

came upon a group of Bharal sheep that were grazing near the highway, a small herd consisting

of one young ram and the remainder ewes and lambs.

We reached Karo La pass 5060m (16,596 ft), with a shrine covered with prayer flags, an

amazing place with tremendous views of Noijin Kangsang Peak 7191 m/23,586 f with its large

glacier spilling waterfalls at its broad hanging terminus from Karo La was the site of the highest

Shrines and tourist parking area Karo la pass (5040m) on the way to Gyantse

battlefield of the 20th century war with the British. The Karo La cuts a path between Himalayan

glaciers. A fast descent past a melting glacier on the right leads to a beautiful, green valley

peppered with small Tibetan villages, with peaks in the near distance. This was such a beautiful

day through Tibetan landscape filled with grass steppes and ice-covered mountains.

We descended steep switchbacks into the Nyan Qu river floodplain that flows north to the

Yarlung Tsangpo, and finally reached the city of Gyantse Kumbu. What dominated this small city

Gyantse view, Gyantse Kumbum Buddhist temple

was Gyantse Dzong (Fort) perched on a rock outcropping with surviving red clay walls. The

massive hilltop military fort is one of the best preserved “dzong” (fortress) remaining in Tibet.

Built in 1390, the fort looks as though it has grown straight out of the rocky hillside, presiding

over both old and new Gyantse. In this town remnants of old Tibet can still be found, and I was

fortunate to see one of the oldest streets in Gyantse which had not yet been newly concreted

over. Along the old street, cows were tied outside front doors, as the bottom floor of traditional

Tibetan houses is left specifically for their animals. Puppies and stray dogs roamed calmly down

the quiet street, scattering the hay beneath their paws, and the relative silence was broken only

by the closing of a squeaky door, or the occasional mooing of a cow in the wild Tibetan plateau.

I learned about the source of the many monk dance styles that initially came from a ruler in the

10th century. He desired to raise funds to build rope bridges across the many rivers in Tibet to

interconnect communities, and started opera dancing selecting the most beautiful girls in lhaka.

The performers wore masks and elaborate costumes, creaging and performing dances that

depicted some of Tibetan history. It later developed in a style of opera dancing that is

Gyantse residents I market, pilgrimage at small temple, man with a traditional instrument dramyin, a long-

necked, double-waisted and fretless lute.

celebrated in the yogurt festival, and incorporated into the religious Buddhist dances, including

the mask dance I saw in Benzilan, Yunnan.

DAY 5 May 17 Friday Drove 2 hours from Gyantse to Shigatse. In the morning toured Gyantse,

a small town that has escaped much of the Chinese effect of the cultural war evident in other

major Tibetan towns. Located strategically in the Nyang Chu valley, Gyantse was once part of an

ancient trade route from the Chumbi Valley, Yatung and Sikkim. From Gyantse, trade routes led

south to Shigatse and also over the Karo La into Central Tibet. The Gyantse Dzong (fort), built in

1390, guarded the southern approaches to the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley and Lhasa, and the town

was surrounded by a long, protective wall 3 kilometers in length. Part of this wall still survives

and is a dramatic backdrop. Gyantse was once the third largest city in Tibet but was overtaken

by Young husband and the British in 1904. During the fierce battle, Tibetan forces fought the

British for most of two months with dire consequences for both sides. We also visited the

Kumbum (or Pango Chorten) Buddhist temple built in 1444 on a series of four levels, each of

which contains separate chapels. Kumbum, translated as ‘100,000 images’.

Leaving Gyantse, we drove along beautiful Ra Chu River passing through fertile farmland where

wheat and barley are grown, with popular trees planted to stabilize the soil. Driving past many

new Tibetan villages, the short 90-minute drive brought us to the dusty, busy market town of

Shigatse 4012m (13,160 ft), again joining G318 the Friendship highway. There is a statue of the

dancing and singing Tibetans just before reaching the town where we stopped for a fantastic

lunch café run by two young Chinese owners. Great vegetables including corn, bok Choy,

chicken and bean/garlic, carrots and chicken. Great to eat so healthy as I have always loved

Sichuan food with vegetables and meat cooked in ginger, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil and

Sichuan chilies.

We were now directly north of the Kanchenjunga Range in the Nepal Himalaya. We arrived at

Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet and is the former capital of the traditional Tibetan

region of Tsang at an elevation of 3845 meters/12,615 feet. It is becoming a modern city with

Shigatse with Fort (J. York Himalayan Journeys), Shigatse

Chinese construction of business and apartments for a population of over 100,000. The main

attraction here is the Tashilhunpo Monastery, one of the 6 main monasteries of the Yellow Hat

Sect of Tibetan Buddhism founded in 1447. Tashilhunpo Monastery is the home monastery of

the line of Panchen Lamas, the most influential line of lama’s in Tibet after the Dalai

Lama. Tashilhunpo is a major pilgrimage destination for Tibetans from across the plateau.

DAY 6-7 May 18-19 Drive from Shigatse to Shekar (Tingri) 4355 meters 6 hours. Began the day

thinking I had used toothpaste last night and after looking at the tube more carefully realized I

used my banana republic sunscreen for toothpaste haha. Now I will have UV protected teeth all

day. Had a fantastic breakfast of potatoes, eggs, and ham loaf, and made tsampa for the group.

Took a bowl and added the barley flower, water, yak butter and milk and mashed it together.

Not many partook of my effort to prepare a traditional Tibetan food. Great buffet breakfast.

Tingri and the Tingri Shekar Dzongshegar (ancient fort) Jamin York (Himalayan Journeys)

Old Tingri: Yak used for plowing field for potatoes, Horse racing festival Old Tingri, 2007 (H Jans) Below: Old fort several hundred years old outside of Tingri

We left under clear skies

and drove west,

enjoying view as we

ascended through a well

cultivated flatland valley

of rich soil where oxen

were pulling plows as the locals were preparing to plant barley. We drove along G318 the

Friendship Highway and drove west for several hours until we came to the town of Lhatse

elevation 4025 m/13,205 ft along the banks of the Yarlung Tsampo River. The friendship

highway continued southwest a further 80 km/50 mi to the town of Baibacun or Babar, the last

town of size before entering the Everest Nature Reserve where we stayed overnight. Tingri, also

known as Shegar 4355 m (14289 ft) is located about 10 km (6 mi) north on a small tributary of

the Phung chu river.

We left Babar and Tingri early the next morning and continued west along the friendship

highway until we came to a checkpoint 8 km (5 mi) for Everest Base Camp (EBC) on the

southern Zhufeng Road junction. So many checkpoints and we stopped at the first village Chay,

about 3 km (2 mi) from the highway where our guide registered our entry. We ascended steep

switchbacks through sienna-gold grass-covered mountains with steeply folded sedimentary

rock and granitic intrusions of metamorphosed gneiss. Long switchbacks leading to the top of

Gawula Pass (Pang La) 5198 m (17049 ft) where I was absolutely awed by the clear weather and

a breathtaking mountain panorama. The entire Himalayan Range from Makalu west to Lhotse

(4th highest), Everest, Gyachung Kheng (15th highest) and Cho Oyu (6th highest) to the right

(west) and further west Shishapangma 8,027 m (26,335 ft), 14th highest mountain in the world

and located completely in Tibet. There was a large peak to the further west we couldn’t

identify. This was an amazing view and I had hoped to see Mt Everest, now fulfilled with

scattered clouds at the base. Very strong cold wind coming from the north south from the

peaks. The summit had many vendors and a mass of prayer flags, a stop for Chinese tourists on

Above: left to right Kachenjunga, Makalu, Lhotse/Everest (ctr), Chom Oyu far right; Below: Everest and Lhotse

the way to Rongbuk. Below us at the base of the foothills was the floodplain of the Zhaga chu,

tributary that flows west then south into the Phung Chu, the source of the Arun River in Nepal.

From the pass we descended a large number of switchbacks back to the valley floor and the

village of to Zhaxizongcun (Zhaxizongxiang) and the river Zhaga Chu that flows south eventually

into the Phung Chu. Turning right or west would take us to Rongbuk and the base of Mt Everest

north face. We turned left or west on a road that descended the Phung Chu along the Rongphu

Valley that took us east leading to the village of Kharta, the administrative headquarters of the

region. The road had just been paved this year and led through beautiful canyons of steep,

almost barren hillsides and knife-like peaks that reminded me of the eastern Chilcotin’s and the

Lillooet River in B.C., Canada. Finally, the paved road ended in gravel where there was bridge

and new road construction in Yuba. We headed still upriver and finally camped above the

nearby village of Yuba. Below Phung Chur River and the Kharta Valley, which is the source of Arun R Nepal

Phung Chu River entering into the Kharta Valley to the right; Bottom: Phung Chu Valley junction with Kharta R

Above: Kharta Village and Tibetan villager guiding sheep from a yak pasture; Below base camp Kharta village

At the edge of the gravel road we camped inside

a stone fenced and small Tibetan hut. Birgh

Singh checked on the permits and bad news. We

discovered that night from the Tibetan guard

proclamation by the Chinese local officials that

Shaola pass was closed because of deep snow.

The unusual cyclone that hit India and the

eastern Himalayas a month preceding our trip

hit the Makalu area very hard with deep snows, and we were now blocked. The local official

said that 6 Chinese lives with 2 yak herders were lost several years ago in a snowstorm, and

they didn’t want to risk tourists live. I could only hope for at least good views at Shaola la, but

then would have to turn around.

KHARTA VALLEY

Phung chu River, source of the water gap and Arun River: left looking upstream to Nepal through the cut

between Makalu and Kanchenjunga, Right looking upstream source 100km away from west of Tingri

Traditional Tibetan stone homes that survived the 2012 earthquake, New homes constructed with stone and

concrete that are better designed by the Chinese

Modern Tibetan style built by Chinese government help with stone and concrete that will survive earthquakes.

Juniper stored on top of home for burning incense during festivals

Tibetans working both plowing fields for potatoe, and sowing barley seeds. There are sentinals that use ancient

style slings they fill with a rock to hurl sup to 200 meters at birds settling to get at the new seed.