Kharta Valley Trek

You will be met at Gonggar Airport by your Tibetan guide. After immigration formalities take a 1.5-hour drive along 93 km road leading to Lhasa lying at an altitude of 3650 meters. It’s advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day due to Lhasa’s altitude.

Foremost, your tour begins with a visit to SERA MONASTERY. An experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter escorts you to this preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Equally adventurous and exciting tempo builds up while touring NORBULINGKA, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. JOKHANG TEMPLE is another important sacred site which unravels more deep seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Visit to BARKHOR MARKETS can be quite a change from other visits as you roam around the city savoring every tiny detail from stall hawkers coaxing their clients to purchase their goods to exhibition of Tibetan culture, custom and tradition. Eventually, the tour for the day concludes as you return to the comforts of your hotel.

Like the previous day, you experience invaluable insights during your visits to POTALA PALACE and DREPUNG MONASTERY. This 17th century POTALA PALACE offers an awesome view of entire city and also has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms and chapels. Ancient history has it that Drepung Monastery which was built in 14th century used to shelter around 10,000 monks but as now there has been quite a declination resulting in only few hundreds. Tibetans’ respect and belief are immensely knotted with this monastery.

You get an entire day free for acclimatization. After proper rest, you can either indulge in sightseeing, shop or do whatever you fancy. You also get an option of undertaking an additional tour to places such as the Tibetan Medical Centre, Ganden Monastery and Tsurphu Monastery. But this will incur extra costs.

Following Friendship Highway, you drive past Khamba La at 4794 meter with a brief halt to savor majestic views of Yamdrok-tso Lake and Nazin Kang Sa standing proud at 7252m. On turning westwards, you come across another Karo La pass at 5045m. If you glance at the road, you can see huge glaciers tumbling down into the road. After hours of driving for 261 km, beautifully landscaped Tibetan villages become visible as you enter the town of Gyantse.

Gyantse prides on GYANTSE DZONG and KUMBUM. Gyantse Dzong is a historical fort built in the 14th century and overlooks a mesmerizing view of entire Gyantse and surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. Kumbum has large gold-domed stupa and houses several chapels and Tibetan Buddhist murals. After you enjoy exploring Gyantse, you will take a 90 km drive to Shigatse. Having driven to an altitude of 3900 meter, you find yourself at Shigatse, second largest city of Tibet. TASHILHUNPO MONASTERY being one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet is a major attraction of Shigatse.

Today you will transverse along the Friendship Highway amidst picturesque landscape driving past small town of Lhatse and Gyamtso La pass at 5220m. As the route opens into plains, many monasteries and camps of nomadic herders become visible en route to Xegar where you will meet your trekking crew (cook and trek guide from Nepal)

Ten kilometres after the town of Xegar we divert from the main highway and drive south towards the Everest region. From the top of Pang La (5150 metres) we gain views of Everest and the lie of the surrounding country. From the pass we descend to the village of Phadhruchi where the jeep track divides - the track to the west heading to the Rongbuk Valley - the one to the east leading to the (Phung Chu) Arun Valley and the village of Kharta - the administrative headquarters of the region. Your camping support team will pitch tent just on bank of glacier and cook tasty three course meals.

Since the days that lie ahead are pretty adventurous, you can utilize this day acclimatizing thoroughly. This will retain your adventure spirit and keep you physically and mentally fit for the forthcoming venture.

As you head away from Kharta Valley, you will find a bridge over Lang Chu. On crossing this bridge the trail progresses towards north bank of crystal-clear Kharta Chu westward. Transversing past barley fields, you have to follow the upper trail that ascends to Shao La. Few kilometers ahead the trail opens into Lundrubling where you can camp for the night.

Starting early, you have to head along the trail past Shao La Pass at 4,970 metres amid stunning views of Mount Everest [8,848 metres], Makalu [8,475 metres] and Lhotse [8,501 metres]. The trail steeply descends along picturesque yak pastures leading to the Kaamo Tsangpo Valley (4000m). It gets more sinuous as it cross forests of rhododendrons, dwarf, birch and groves.

The trail skirts away from Kaamo Tsangpo Valley through conifer forest and ascends steeply to 300 to 400 meter altitude. Herein, you can savor majestic view of Arun valley and Nepal. Alpine ridges can be viewed along the trail. Yak herders from Kharta village choose these ridges as their summer camps. The trail then ascends crossing emerald green lakes. Along the route, you can view the Kangshung Face of Everest. Camping at lush meadows of Khangsung valley provides an exceptional experience.

Sacred lake lies to the north from your camp. If you think you can deal with moraines and landslides, then you can right away begin trekking along the trail to this lake for 40 minutes. A sacred cave most popularly renowned as a meditation place of Padmasambhava, the lotus-born Buddha, rests at the end of the lake. This cave has prayer rooms and shelters pilgrims. Few kilometers ahead you will approach a bend, known as Orga, beyond the Kangshung Glacier and at this spot Mt Everest [8848 m] becomes distinctly visible. Then you have to transverse to the right ascending to a 150 m ridge that overlooks the Karma River and glacier. 3 hours of trekking will take you to Kangshung Face base camp at 5000 m. After few rock-strewn descents, you will enter picturesque alpine camp of Pethang Ringmo at 4,550 metres beneath the impressive peak of Chomo Lonzo [7,790 metres] and Makalu. Several stone huts can be seen lying scattered which are commonly used by yak herders as summer camps. You may even trek westwards along the glacier to a 5950 m ridge. You need to trek along another 5 km to reach up to Mt Everest.

While heading away from Pethang Ringmo towards Hoppo, the trail crosses lush verdant meadows and then follows several ascents. Thereafter, Kangshung Face of Everest zooms into picture showcasing towering Chomo Lonzo with its glistening glaciers. Few hours of more trekking bring you close to Hoppo at 4800 metres. Hoppo lies surrounded by rich yak pastures. It makes a perfect campsite.

Kangshung Base Camp lies few kilometers away from Hoppo at an elevation of 5050 meters. En route, you ascend grass-strewn ridges along magnificent Kangshung Glacier. While journeying along this trail, you will not only get enlightened on the topological features of the surrounding places but will also bond with the nature on spiritual level. Along the way you get plenty of opportunity to witness North East Ridge of Everest

On this day you trek along the trail that leads to a valley from Pathang Ringmo and then skirts northwards to Langma La pass. Savoring the majestic sights of Himalayan range, you walk past yak pastures. Shortly after hours of adventurous and fun-filled transverse, you will spot an ideal campsite at Shurimo [4,800 metres] located at the base of Langma La.

It is advisable to make an early start while ascending to Langma La for about two hours. Transversing amidst mesmerizing vistas of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu, you will descend steeply from Langma La pass to the valley. On entering the valley, you may encounter yak herders from Kharta at their camps. Several pristine villages are beautifully landscaped in the vicinity. Along the trail, you will meet up with the confluence of the Kharta Valley. You can also view Kanchenjunga massif nestled above the ridges beyond Kharta on the Nepal- Sikkim border. Further ahead, the trail advances towards village of Lundrubling where you will set your overnight camp.

You trek along the trail turning away from Lundrubling towards Kharta for about 3 hrs and board the waiting 4WD Land cruiser to drive back to Tashidzong.

Less than an hour after leaving Tashidzong you reenter the Chomolungma Nature Preserve and have to change Landcruisers for reasons the authorities cannot satisfactorily explain. So a local Landcruiser/bus takes us up to Rongbuk Monastery and from here we trek the 9 kms to Everest Base Camp (horse carts are also an option). The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the views of Everest more than compensate for this. It is a truly awe-inspiring place with the sheer north face of the highest mountain in the world towering above you. A truck carrying tent, food supplies will follow you to the base camp.

After catching the sunrise in the morning you will trek back to Rongbuk to board land cruisers to drive past

Tingri across Lalung La pass at 5124m and Shung La pass at 5200m. Savoring the enchanting views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar you will finally arrive Nyalam.

From Nyalam, you drive to the border town of Zhangmu. From Zhangmu, it’s a short drive to the Friendship Bridge which spans the Bhote Kosi River and marks the Chinese - Nepalese border where you will part with your Tibetan guide and driver and walk to Nepalese Immigration Control in Kodari where you will be met by our Nepalese staff. After completing the re-entry formalities we continue the drive to Kathmandu which, depending on road and weather conditions, should take about 5-6 hours.