CHINA 05-Tibet-Day 05-Shigatse to Everest (08/08/05)

On this day we embarked on our journey from Shigatse to Everest, though we will stay at Shegar (4,350m) for the night. The journey took us through pristine countryside and unparalleled sceneries that are stunning. We also pass through Gyatso La, at 5,250m the highest point of our whole trip.

Though it is only around 150km from Shigatse to Shegar, the journey took nearly a day, as the road shortly after Shigatse are undergoing reconstruction, so on some stretches the vehicles are just travelling through mud. Perhaps the road has been completed and the journey will be much shorter for those who go by this way nowadays.

The journey took us through barren mountains, dry valleys and yellow vegetable fields. As Tibet is on average about 4,000m above sea-level, some of this "hills" we see along the way might be 5,000m to 6,000m. They would be notable mountains (the famous peaks of the Alps are around 4,000m) if located in other parts of the world, but here, they are just unnamed "hills", dwarfed by the high Himalaya peaks. Some of the photos here are among the best scenary photos I have ever taken.

Near Shigatse, the roads are well paved.


Rolling foothills and grassland of the Himalayas.


A castle ruin is on top of the small hill.


Vegetable fields lying between the Himalaya foothills.




Traditional Tibetan houses.


Along the way, we encountered numerous small group of Tibetan workers reparing the road.




Barren hills and crystal clear water.


Barren landscape around Gyatso La. Seen here are the northern foothills of the Himalayas. The landscape is a stark contrast to the lush forest at the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal.