TIBET: KAMA CHU and KHARTA VALLEY TREK and FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY TIBET May, 2019 PART 3 by WILLIAM D BOEHM

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.

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