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Tibet: Trek to Heavenly Lake New Itinerary! Surrounded by spectacular snow-covered mountains, Namtso Lake on the Tibetan plateau is a place of desolate beauty and the site of a holy hermitage that draws pilgrims from all over Tibet. In Tibetan, Namtso means "sky" or "heavenly lake," and at an elevation of more than 15,000 feet, this vast sapphire sea is perfectly named. On this extraordinary trek, you'll follow an ancient salt trade caravan route across the glaciated valleys and mountains of the Nyenchen Thanglha range to the pebbled shores of the lake, visiting sacred spots, holy shrines, and passing nomadic herdsmen along the way. Once at the lake, you'll join other pilgrims on a short kora (sacred circuit) near the Tashi Do hermitage, and enjoy superb vistas of the mountains across the lake. The trip also includes a visit to Ganden Monastery, an awe-inspiring site with gorgeous sweeping views of the Kyichu Valley and a sacred circuit you'll undertake with local pilgrims. TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
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 Itinerary: Trek to Heavenly Lake
Day 1 - Arrive in Chengdu, China. Day 2 - Fly to the airport near Lhasa, Tibet. Drive to a beautiful oasis camp near Samye Monastery (11,600'). Afternoon to explore and begin acclimatizing to the higher altitude. Day 3 - Day hike near Samye for sweeping views of the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley. Days 4-6 - Drive to Lhasa (11,800') and visit its cultural monuments, including the Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lama, the busy Barkor bazaar, and the Jokhang, the spiritual heart of the city. You'll also visit Ganden Monastery, a site almost completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but now being painstakingly restored, and make a kora (sacred circuit) with the local pilgrims. Day 7 - Drive to Damxung (13,550'), meet our trekking crew, and trek to camp at 14,100’. Days 8-12 - Hike past large moraines, across rivers, and through a glaciated valley to the Kong La (17,000') with its spectacular views of Namtso Lake. Descend to our camp on the shores of the lake (15,100’). While here you’ll explore Tashi Do hermitage, with its remarkable monastery, grottos, cave temples, and twin limestone watchtowers, and make a short kora around Tashi Do Chung (Little Auspicious Rock). Day 13 - Return drive to Lhasa, enjoying views of the mountains and landscapes dotted with nomadic tents. Day 14 - Fly to Chengdu and depart. Detailed Itinerary - Tibet: Trek to Heavenly Lake 1. Download detailed itinerary in a PDF format 2008 Detailed Itinerary (PDF files require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. This program can be downloaded for free from the Adobe Website.) 2. Or email us your itinerary request at sales@mtsobek.com 3. Or call us at 1-888-831-7526 (USA and Canada) or (510) 594-6000 We’ll email you a copy (Word or Acrobat document), fax, or mail you the itinerary as you prefer. For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 USA Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526 Phone: +1-510-594-6000 Fax: + 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com |