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Kharta Valley Trek
Angel Tours and Trekking Operator
organizes tours, trekking and expedition
for Tibet, India and Nepal based form
Kathmandu Nepal.
This trek is quite special with only a
few people trekking this region in a
year. A Journey through the Kharta
Valley , passing through several other
verdant tiny valleys along the way which
are dotted with beautiful lakes on a
journey to the Khangshung face, the
Eastern face of the Mt. Everest.
This isolated region borders Mt. Everest
in the West, to the South lies the
jagged Himalayan range of Makalu . North
and East lies the arid Tibetan Plateau.
The region is famous for its pristine
wilderness, beautiful lakes and superb
views of Mt. Makalu (8475m), Mt. Karma
Changri (6289m) along with the enormous
Khangsung glacier.
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Day 01 |
The flight from
Kathmandu to Lhasa is
spectacular. From
Gongkar airport it is
about 1½ hours' drive to
Lhasa , first along the
Yarlung Tsangpo then
into the Kyi Chu Valley
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Day 02/03 |
With a relaxed pace to
allow for the effects of
altitude, explore this
fantastic city on the
roof of the world. The
spiritual heart of Tibet
is the Jokhang Temple
and every morning is
full of life as pilgrims
bring offerings of
butter and barley flour.
The Potala Palace rises
above the city and, more
than any other sight,
symbolizes the history
and culture of Tibet .
Nearby are the huge
monastic universities of
Drepung and Sera – still
active institutions. |
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Day 04 |
A long, yet scenic day's
drive across the Khamba
La and Kora La (passes),
along the shores of Lake
Yamdrok Tso to Gyantse.
Once an important
trading town, Gyantse
retains a feel of ‘old'
Tibet. |
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Day 05 |
In the morning visit
Gyantse's monastery –
Pelkor Choede – and the
justifiably famous
Kumbum, within the same
complex. There may also
be time to visit the
dzong (fort) that towers
above the town. In the
afternoon we make the
short (2-3 hour) drive
along the valley to
Shigatse. |
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Day 06 |
Tashilhunpo is the seat
of the Panchen Lama,
second only in
importance to the Dalai
Lama. Its numerous halls
contain a 21.6-meter
wooden statue of
Maitreya, the future
Buddha and elaborate,
jewel encrusted
reliquary chorten. In
the afternoon we drive
to Xegar. |
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Day 07 |
Begins with a gentle
hike up the Kharta
Valley , passing
prosperous farmhouses
and fields. After lunch
we turn south and ascend
to our camp in what the
English called the
Valley of Lakes (14,000
feet ). |
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Day 08 |
Walking up the chain of
alpine lakes,
reminiscent of
marvelously magnified
Colorado timberline
country, to our camp
below the Shao La (15,
300 feet). From here, if
the weather allows, we
have a chance to view of
the immense massif of
Makalu and Chomolonzo. |
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Day 09 |
We reach the Shao La
(15, 300 feet). pass in
early morning and as we
descend on tundra gives
way to stunning green,
gold, and pastel red
vegetation: juniper,
silver fir, mountain
ash, and rhododendron.
We make camp near the
mouth of a superb side
valley that plunges a
thousand feet to the
Kama River (13, 280
feet). |
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Day 10 |
Begins with a steep
winding climb through a
Japanese wood-block
forest. Wecontour above
the Kama Valley, through
dwarf rhododendron and
blue primula, looking
down-valley deep into
Nepal, across to the
looming mountain wall,
dripping with hanging
glaciers, and ahead for
our first views of
Everest. We camp near a
pretty lake at 14,500
feet; just over a rise
peek the summits of
Chomolonzo (25,551
feet), Lhotse, and
Everest. |
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Day 11 |
We continue contouring
to a spot called
Sakyetang on the best
map of the area, the
"Mount Everest Region"
1:100,000 map published
by the Royal Geographic
Society (more on this
map at itinerary's end).
From here we look
Kangshung Valley and
three of the world's
five highest mountains.
The summit of Mount
Everest is only 18 miles
away. From Sakyetang we
drop down to the
confluence of the
Kangshung and Kama
valleys, cross a bridge,
and hike into the
Kangshung, camping in a
clearing in dense
foliage at about 14,150
feet . Lt. Col. C.K.
Howard-Bury, who led the
first expedition into
these parts, wrote in
Mount Everest : the
Reconnaissance, 1921:
"It was very curious to
see fir trees, birch,
and juniper, and a very
luxuriant vegetation
growing on either side
of the ice and the
moraines beneath it." |
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Day 12 |
Takes us into the heart
of the "valley like no
other." We ascend
gradually on a pleasant
trail through willows
and wind flowers, then
steeply up and across a
landslide - caused a
decade ago by the slow
collision of the
Kandongshung Glacier
with the mountainside
we're walking on to a
meadowy morainal shelf
above the tumbling gray
mass of the Kangshung
Glacier. A couple of
hours further on is our
high camp, Pethang
Ringmo. |
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Day 13 |
Pethang Ringmo was
discovered by George
Mallory and G.H. Bullock
on that first
expedition. When
Howard-Bury joined them
there he found: “...a
most delightfully sunny
spot at 16,400 feet,
right under the gigantic
and marvelously
beautiful cliffs of
Chomolonzo...separated
from us by the Kangshung
Glacier, here about a
mile wide. Everest from
here is seen to fill up
the head of the valley
with a most formidable
circle of cliffs
overhung by hanging
glaciers.” |
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Day 14 |
Some of us will want to
get closer to the
gargantuan East Face.
Depending on the weather
and other factors, our
trip leader will decide
if it is possible to
hike to "Land's End".
The walk takes a couple
of hours along the
grassy shelf and ends up
overlooking the glacier
at just over 17,000
feet. Only the daunting
glacier separates us
from the immense
Kangshung wall. The
summit of Everest is
just over eight
horizontal and two and a
third vertical miles
away. We're nearly
encircled by mountains:
(from the right) Khartse,
the mass of Everest. |
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Day 15 |
Climb steeply to a point
near Sakyetang, then
contour northward, the
whole Everest
extravaganza just in
back of us, and ascend
to a camp next by an
austere lake at 16,385
feet. The sunrise from
this camp can bealmost
frighteningly
spectacular; in a few
intense moments Everest
and the whole panoply of
peaks change from cold
pewter to rose, to gold,
to blinding white. Above
the camp is the 17,600
foot Langma La. |
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Day 16 |
In a couple of hours for
last views of
Chomolungma, Goddess
Mother of the World, and
her towering court. From
Langma La we descend a
couple of thousand feet
(passing a rare rock
glacier on the way),
back into Tibet, as it
were, to camp (14,000
feet) |
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Day 17 |
We descend to the Kharta
Valley, farmhouses,
fields, yaks, and kids,
into the riverside camp
where we began (12,500
feet). |
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Day 18 |
Drive from Kharta to
Rombuk. |
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Day 19 |
From Rhongphu to base
camp is a 1½ to 2 hour
walk of 7kms, continuing
along the barren, rock
strewn valley. This is
followed by a fantastic
drive through almost
uninhabited valleys to
the small town of Lao
Tingri. Catch as last
view of the mountain
from here. Another high
pass gives a last,
spectacular view of the
Himalaya before
descending to Nyalam. |
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Day 20 |
Descending to Zhangmu –
on the China-Nepal
border. Completing
border formalities the
drive back to Kathmandu
continues down the Bote
Khosi valley. |
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PRICE IN USD PER PAX
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Category
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Standard |
Superior |
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02 pax |
USD 2875 |
USD 2945
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3-5 pax
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USD 2320
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USD 2385 |
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6-9 pax
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USD 1985
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USD 2050 |
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10-13 pax |
USD 1845
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USD 1910
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For More Information:
info@camptrekking.com |
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