Our all treks and Mt. Kailash
tours are fully catered by our qualified and
experienced crew from Nepal and a professional
English speaking Tibetan guide. Loads are usually
carried by Yaks.
A typical day begins with a hot
cup of tea brought to the tent at about 6 am,
followed by a bowl of hot water for washing.
After packing our bags and having a good breakfast,
we set off on the morning's walk. All you need
to carry is a small daypack containing a water
bottle, camera, sun cream, hat, rain-jacket
and a warm jumper, just in case. The porters
or yaks will carry everything else for you.
After walking for 3-4 hours we stop for lunch
at around midday. The afternoon's walk is generally
shorter and we arrive at camp in time for a
nice cup of tea. The remainder of the afternoon
can be spent exploring the nearby villages,
doing a bit of washing or simply relaxing with
a good book. Dinner is usually served between
6 and 7pm and after dinner, the evening is often
spent playing cards or talking with the crew
– and sometimes there will even be some
singing and dancing before heading off to the
tent for a well-earned sleep.
Trekking in Tibet
Trekking, as an important facet of the tourist
industry, is slowly developing in Tibet buy
still legs far behind Nepal. Interesting trips
suck as a trek with pack-yaks to the Oracle
Lake of Lhamo Lhatso can be organized. Some
agencies in Kathmandu, Europe and North America
that specialize in mountain travel arrange group
treks in Tibet.
The best way to get equipped is
to buy what you need at home, in Kathmandu or,
if it is too late, to check notice boards in
hotels for used articles.
Combining thin air and arctic
conditions with sub-tropical sunshine, Tibet's
unique environment poses many problems, so even
experienced trekkers should try a few short
climbs and warm-up treks before setting out
on anything ambitious. For those new arrivals
and suffering from a cold or flu, they should
wait until they are used to tolerate the altitude.
All should have a plan like ' climb high, sleep
low', to minimize the effects of altitude and
reduce the risk of waking up snowbound.
Good sunglasses and sunblock cream,
a hat and perhaps even an umbrella are necessary
for protection from the sun. The desiccated
air at most seasons parches the skin and lips
and, coupled with dust, irritates the respiratory
tract.
In high places, surface water
is hard to find. Snow tends to evaporate rather
than melt, and even there is sufficient snow
or ice, melting it takes eight times more fuel
than boiling the some amount of water.
Even those travelers who like
butter tea, tsampa, noodles and dried yak meat
cannot expect to live off the land while trekking,
as the population is too sparse and impoverished
to feed passing strangers, especially along
the more popular routes. Trekkers should carry
all the food they will need. That said, many
Tibetans are delighted and honored to offer
hospitality to a foreign guest. They will refuse
all payment, but ate happy to receive such gifts
as photos of the Dalai Lama, cords blessed by
lamas, scissors, cloth gloves, hairpins and
sewing needles.
The most popular treks are to
Everest Base Camp, from Dagze Dzong to Samye
Monastery, from Ganden Monastery to Samye, and
to Lake Namtso. Oracle Lake ( Lhamo Lhatso)
and the Kailash kora are for the hardy, experienced
few.
With lots of contact with
village people various side valleys to the north
and south of Lhasa offer opportunities for easy
warm-up treks. You can stay in villages or camp
out, making side trips into the mountains and
returning at night to sleep low. This approach
is good for people without experience or equipment.
Some suitable areas are the long valley north
of Samye Monastery, up to and around Yamalung,
Tsurphu Monastery Drigung ( further to the northeast),
and the Yarlong and Chonggye valleys, near Tsedang.
Food on Trek
Apart from when you are staying
in hotels, your cook will provide 3 tasty, plentiful
and nutritious meals daily with a variety of
local and Western dishes. To start the day,
breakfast consists of a choice of porridge,
muesli and cereal followed by omelet, fried
or scrambled eggs with chapattis or bread.
Lunch is generally a selection
of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta and
traditional breads. After a long day on the
trail, dinner is a hearty 3-course meal - soup,
followed by a variety of vegetable, meat, rice
and pasta dishes and completed with a simple
dessert.
Tea, coffee and hot chocolate
are also provided at all meals. We use as much
fresh produce as possible and our cooks and
kitchen crew maintain exceptional standards
of cleanliness and food preparation hygiene.
Special dietary requirements can always be catered
for.
