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TIBET: The Khawa Karpo Expedition Cathy Ann Taylor, a 15-year veteran of Himalayan treks, invites you on this intriguing exploration of Eastern Tibet (Kham), a wild and uncharted area of rushing rivers, sacred snow peaks, deep gorges, virgin spruce and pine forests, and a treasure house of biodiversity (7,000 species of native plants—a paradise for botanists!). Situated in the southeastern fringe of the great Tibetan plateau, where the Himalayas squeeze into the Hengduan range, and where some of Asia’s mightiest rivers flow in close proximity, the region presents some of the most breathtaking and dramatic landscapes in all Asia. This is an ideal setting for a special type of journey that is deeply rooted in the Tibetan tradition of the kora (a sacred pilgrimage circuit). Our journey is a 15-day kora of snow-covered Mount Khawa Karpo (22,107'), revered as a holy mountain throughout the Tibetan realm. You'll join with many Tibetans who make this pilgrimage annually, some from as far away as Lhasa and Western Tibet, and gain rare insights into the life and culture of Tibetans in southern Kham. This trip has been discontinued. Please call one of MTSobek’s travel experts at 888-831-7526 to learn about similar trips currently offered. |
| Itinerary: Khawa Karpo Expedition Day 1, Sep 15 ~ Meet in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. Day 2, Sep 16 ~ Fly to Gyalthang, the capital of the Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Tour the Potala-like structure of Sumtsenling Monastery, built in the 17th century by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Day 3, Sep 17 ~ Visit the nearby Ringa Temple, revered as one of the oldest Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Eastern Tibet, and hike around the alpine lake of Shudu, one of the main grazing grounds of Gyalthang’s nomads. Day 4, Sep 18 ~ Drive northwest along the Lhasa highway through the Yangtze River gorges and the Baimang Nature Preserve, one of the most important biodiversity spheres of the Three Parallel Rivers region (now celebrated as a UNESCO Heritage Site). Continue to Dechen. Day 5, Sep 19 ~ Drive to the trailhead at Lamza (6,234') , situated along the east bank of the Mekong River, and begin the trek along a watershed of the Mekong. Days 6-18, Sep 20-Oct 2 ~ During the next several days we tread the old pilgrim’s trail in one of the richest tracts of biodiversity in the world. We’ll cross six major passes and do the kora in the company of Tibetan pilgrims who usually make this pilgrimage after the harvest season; they believe they will gain merit by making a circumambulation of the sacred mountain on foot. We meet herders grazing cattle on hillsides dotted with holy sites and prayer flags with constant views of Khawa Karpo, and experience the mighty Mekong and Salween thundering beside us. Day 19, Oct 3 ~ End trek and drive to Dechen. Day 20, Oct 4 ~ Drive back to Gyalthang. Day 21, Oct 5 ~ Fly to Kunming and connect with international flights.
Detailed Itinerary - TIBET: The Khawa Karpo Expedition Detailed Itinerary - TIBET: The Khawa Karpo Expedition
For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 1-510-594-6000 or Toll Free 1-888-831-7526 (USA & Canada) Additional International Toll Free Numbers Fax: 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com |