Mt Gurla Mandhata Expedition
Trip Duration:
35 Days
Trip Code:
Trip Grade:
Moderate
No. of Pax:
From
$ /person
Overview
This spectacular Gurla Mandhata (7,694 m) is the 34th highest peak in the world. It makes up part of the western section of the Himalayan range in the Burang County of Tibet. It is 100km south of sacred mountain Kailash which lies to its north. Gurla Mandata is made up of six ridges. The west ridge is shaped like a fan and stretched across from north to south, while the eroded east ridge forms extremely steep cliffs. Also, to the north lies the holy lake Manasarovar and Langatso. This mountain is enriched with extremely various types of terrain, ranging from steady walk-ups along the NE-ridge to difficult mixed routes up the vertical North face.
Gurla Mandhata was first climbed in 1985 by a Sino-Japanese expedition. This 7000m high mountain has been climbed only five times since the first ascent up until now. The ascent takes place on the northern slope through the Zalompa glacier. The scenery is magnificent; down below stretches the arid Tibetan plateau that enhances the beauty of the sparkling lakes Manasarovar and Rakyas with Mount Kailash in the backdrop. The climbing is relatively safe with the route crossing the left side of the glacier to reach a plateau under the summit’s ridge. Base camp is at the foot of the glacier at 5600m.
There are two ways of approaching Gurla Mandhata either a four-day drive from Lhasa or a four to five-day drive from Kashgar, through the extremely remote Tibet Xinjiang highway.
Itinerary:
Arrive at the Tribhuwan International Airport where you will be welcomed by Trek Himalayan representative and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free until evening when you will enjoy a welcome drinks with your guide and introduce each other. Overnight in Kathmandu
Today the expedition group members will meet up with Trek Himalayan staff for introduction and briefing about the expedition details. There will be 2 days allotted for preparation for the expedition. During the preparation we will work out for visa issuance, equipment checking with guides, shopping personal food for the expedition.
After early breakfast we drive through Bhaktapur, Dhulikhel and reach Friendship Bridge (i.e. NepalChina border). From here we walk for about 10 minutes to cross Friendship Bridge and meet our Tibetan guide and landcruiser drivers. After all the immigration and custom formalities at the Chinese check post here, our journey continues for another 35 km which can take almost 3 hours through up-winding road to Nyalam with beautiful scenery. Then, you will be transferred to the guest house in Nyalam (3700m). The facilities of the guesthouse are very simple and basic. We stay free and spend overnight here.
Today is free for acclimatization. We will be going for a short trek around which helps us to acclimatize fast in higher altitude. Overnight stay at Nyalam guest house
On our today’s long driving day over the sandy and rocky land of Tibet, natural sceneries like Pelku tso Lake and Mount Shishapangma (8020m) along the route are seen unimaginably beautiful , nomads chasing herd of yaks and sheeps on the pastures keep you wondering. By the late afternoon you will cross Bhramha Purtra River on the way to typical Chinese and Tibetan town of Saga. Overnight at Saga
We drive from Saga to Paryang through the windswept territory passing through many villages and camps of Yak herders with the distant view of snow- capped mountains. This vast and dry plateau is the traditional campsite of the nomads who tend grazing their animals during the summer.Overnight at
ParyangWe drive from Paryang to Lake Manasarovar through open territory with a view of distant mountains, Yak herder’s camp, if lucky might come across a herd of Kyang (Wild Ass). During the drive you will have the first sight of Holy Mount Kailash from the top of the Mayum La Pass (5280m) and Manasarovar Lake. Overnight at camp
Manasarovar is the lake of compassion, tranquility and bliss. After completing the memorable morning bath in the Lake, we will be heading towards Darchen. This tiny village of Darchen is the starting and ending point of Mt. kailash trekking. The guide will arrange needed yaks and porters. Overnight at Darchen
The first day’s trekking starts from the Sershong and a gradual walk with multitudes of other local pilgrims chanting and praying. From the valley you can see the Choku Monastery up on the hillside. The trail leads to few ups and downs until we reach our camp at Dirapuk (4,750 m). You will meet many Bon pilgrims going in the opposite direction (Anticlock-wise), because Mt. Kailash is being worshipped by four different religious communities, viz Buddhists, Bons, Hindus and Jains.We can on the grassy meadows enjoying with a view of Mt. Kailash, north west face at Dirapuk for overnight halt. Overnight at camp
Today we cross Drolma-la Pass. We trek to much higher altitude just beneath Mount Kailash. The walk will bring us to one of the highest points at Drolma La, 5,200 m, and the pass is quickly descending to the gradual field towards Zutulphuk for the overnight camp. Zutulphuk is a Tibetan word which means magical cave. This small monastery is connected to an interesting story of great saint Milarepa (Buddhist) and Naropa (Bon). Overnight at camp
We follow the winding track out of the valley following into Trangser to Darchen. Overnight at Mansarovar at camp
Climbing Mt.Gurla Mandata in Tibet is a “once in a lifetime” experience for most people. So, it is necessary to make proper climbing preparations on this day. With proper information and sufficient time to prepare, there will be a good chance of reaching the summit. Today we make some excursions around the base camp.
After Mt. Gurla Mandata successful summit, we take a 300 km drive crossing Mayum-la and several rivers. The scenery along this section is some of the most beautiful of the entire journey. We stay overnight at camp.
After breakfast we continue for another 255km to Saga passing through town of Zhongba and a few smaller passes. We stay overnight at camp
The road drops dramatically towards Nyalam, the last Tibetan town on the way to Zhangmu. If time permits, we will visit Milarepa Cave and then follow the road to Zhangmu-the Chinese frontier town. Overnight in hotel
After completing Chinese customs and immigration formalities at Zhangmu we drive further 5 miles down to the Friendship Bridge where you change your Tibetan guide and vehicle. From here, we drive to Kathmandu, which takes us about 3 ½ hrs to reach the city. Overnight in hotel
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