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Distances from Friendship
Bridge, Kathmandu
Neyalamu/Old Tingri - 30km
Xegar/New Tingri - 60km
Lhaze - 75km
Shigatse - 157km
Lhasa - 337km
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Make a note of these photo
spots before you go. Otherwise, in the thrill of the Mt.
Everest moment, you may forget there is anything else to
see! |
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Mt.
Everest, Tibet |
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FROM KATHMANDU TOWARD LHASA |
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1. Portions of the road from New Tingri to Old Tingri
go along the plentiful Pengqu River Valley, Gucuo Basin. The landscape is
distinctive and becomes almost
grotesque in shape with extravagant color patterns. |
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2. About 4 kilometers from
"Lulu"
checkpoint out of New Tingri is a fabulous place for a stop.
Get out and stretch while ogling at Mt. Everest. Great photo
opportunity here! With the fluffiest
clouds in the world, snow peaks looming high yet close, and
flocks of carefree sheep nearby. If the upward view isn't
enough to knock off your boots, take a look at how it all reflects in the water of
the swamp! You might want to bring your smelling salts. If a
view can make you faint, this would be it. |
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3. At the 5279 mile marker
near the Lalong La pass, the Gobi diverges every which way.
Camps and smoke are seen everywhere. At 5,000 meters, the
sky is an extraordinary shade of blue, almost aqua in
places. With the sheep and snow covered peaks and buoyant
clouds, it is a heavenly snapshot!. |
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| 4. La pass, as
5284 milestone near Neru Xiong, is a fantastic overlook. On
a clear day, or if the clouds are moving, you will see Mt.
Everest, snow covered and bold white, just stunning. Bring
your best camera and photograph Mt. Everest and Shishapangma,
the fourteenth highest mountain in the world. The Tibetan
name shi sha sbang ma means "crest above the grassy
plains". Approximately 22 people have died climbing
Shishapangma so it's not a hop, skip and a jump up there.
It's for "mountain climbers" who are willing to risk their
lives, not tourists. But the view and photo ops are right
there for everyone to enjoy without risking life and limb. |
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| 5. 35 km from
Neyalamu to Zhangmu/Khasa is a gorge area along the
Himalayas
ranges. Stop to see the stealthy mountains, gushing rivers,
countless waterfalls and unusual wildlife. Not for the faint
of heart! With cliffs that make you want to get out and
walk, remember how wet you will get under the waterfalls!
The city of Khasa doesn't warrant
much time. |
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| 6.
Shigatse |
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| 7.
Gyantse |
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| 8.
Nam-Tso
Lake |
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Lhasa |
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| There are
a lot of other out-of-the-way things to see along this route
that are not covered on this site. Try taking along a Lonely
Planet guide for more detail. Just allow extra time if you
can. Your guide will know or can ask around for the cool
local sites. |
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Please Note:
Influenced by the south-east monsoon and north-west cold
current, the climate in the area of Mt. Everest is
unpredictable. The best season for trekking and climbing is
from early March to late May, or from early September to
late August, when it is warmer.
FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY FROM
LHASA
Starting from Lhasa, driving
along Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, traversing
Gyantse and
Shigatse to Xegar/New Tingri should take take a car two days
(670km). There are some decent three star hotels in both
Shigatse and Gyantse. Nearing New Tingri there is a turn off
to Rongbuk Monastery. Turn there and drive down the bumpy highway about 110 kilometers and
you’ll reach the end of Rongbuk glacier-Rongbuk Monastery on
the north side of Mt. Everest. The Monastery does have some
basic rooms. You can also pass the Monastery and go up to
the Base Camp and rent a bed in a genuine nomad tent for the
night. They have plenty of yak wool blankets and they keep a
fire burning until everyone gets in bed. There are outhouses
set up behind the tents on the grass. Be sure to catch Mt.
Everest at dusk and dawn. There is nothing like it! Be
prepared for clouds to block your view of the mountain. You
may need to be flexible in case you want to wait out bad
weather, depending on the time of year you go.
more on Everest.
Base Camp,
click here
Altitude Sickness,
click here
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