Nomads on Glaciers Edge
Qinghai Lake - Serdzong Monastery - Mt. Amnye Machen – Jokhang – Guide - Kumbum. Contact me for more information on how to customize a tour like this.
Summary
Day 1: Xining - Qinghai Lake South Shore 180kms
Day 2: Qinghai Lake - Serdzong Monastery 260kms
Day 3: Serdzong Monastery - Huashixia 240kms
Day 4: Huashixia - Amnye Machen near Xia Dawu-Huashixia 170kms
Day 5: Huashixia - Chabcha 280kms
Day 6: Chabcha - Guide 150kms
Day 7: Guide - Jokhang Monastery - Kumbum Monastery - Xining 150kms
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:
Xining - Qinghai Lake South Shore 180kms
Day 1 you will drive out to the south shore of Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China. The grasslands near the lake are home to Tibetan nomads herding their yaks and sheep.
Day 2:
Qinghai Lake - Serdzong Monastery 260kms
On day 2 you will go from Qinghai Lake to Serdzong which is a remote Buddhist monastery set on the side of a rugged mountain at over 3600m/12,000 feet. Serdzong provides excellent hiking opportunities.
Day 3:
Serdzong Monastery - Huashixia 240kms
Day 3 you will drive through nomadic grasslands to the small town of Huashixia through.
As you enter Huashixia you will be in the Golog Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (མགོ་ལོག་བོད་རིགས་རང་སོང་ཁུལ་) in southeastern Qinghai province, in the Amdo region of Tibet. Over 90% of the 125,000 people who live in Golog are Tibetan. Most of the people in Golog are nomadic with many of them living in traditional style Tibetan tents. Most of Golog is well above 4000m / 13,120 feet so summers are short and winters are long and cold.
Day 4:
Huashixia - Amnye Machen near Xia Dawu-Huashixia 170kms
Day 4 you will go out to the north side of Amnye Machen, the holiest mountain in Amdo. The Golog area is famous across the Tibetan Plateau as being the home of Amnye Machen, one of the 4 main holy mountains of Tibet. Each year, thousands of pilgrims make their way to Amnye Machen to make a pilgrimage around the mountain. Amnye Machen rises to 6282m / 20,605 feet and is the highest mountain in Amdo. You will stand on the edge of Amnye Machen’s grand glacier at a high pass with prayer flags.
Day 5:
Huashixia - Chabcha 280kms
On Day 5 you will go from Huashixia to the mid-sized trading town of Chabcha.
Day 6:
Chabcha-Guide 150kms
On Day 6 you will go from Chabcha to Guide which sits near the banks of the Yellow River.
Day 7:
Guide - Jokhang Monastery - Kumbum Monastery - Xining 150kms
On Day 7 you will go from Guide back to Xining stopping off at Jokhang and Kumbum monasteries along the way. Kumbum is home to over 600 monks and has some great hills around the monastery to hike.