Aventures Bicyclétales ...

Tibet overview, map and followed itinerary, elevations measured on the way, explanations about the Tibet Travel Permit for foreigners, foreword to the attention of Chinese readers, the journal with the best pictures, the highlight, what I liked / didn't like, useful information.
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Tibet overview (as of August 2008)

• Capital city : Lhasa.
• Greater Tibet area before the Chinese invasion of 1950 : 2,500,000 km2 (= ~4 x France). This represents 25% of China total area ...
• Actual area after the sub-divisions made by the Chinese government : 1,221,600 km2 (= ~2 x France).

• Population in greater Tibet (all sub-divisions) : ~ 6 million inhabitants (= 0.1 x France).
• Population in Tibet AR (yellow sub-division only) : ~ 2.5 million inhabitants (= 0.05 x France).
  
• Density : 2 to 2.4 inhabitants / km2. 

• Language : Tibetan and Mandarin.
• Religion : Tibetan Buddhism, a mix of old Bön beliefs and Mahayana Buddhism.
• Human Development Index (HDI) : Not available, but likely to be one of the lowest in the world.

• Government : in exile in Dharamsala (India) since 1959.
• Spiritual leader : 14th Dalai Lama (since 1940). He fled to India in 1959.
• 2nd most important Lama : 11th Panchen Lama (since 1995). There are actually two of them. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was identified in 1995 by the Dalai Lama and is under house arrest with his family since then, causing him to be dubbed the world's youngest political prisoner (he was only 6 at the time). The second 11th Panchen Lama which is considered as a "fake" by many Tibetans has been appointed by the Chinese government. He currently stays in Beijing and not in Tibet.
• 3rd most important Lama : 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje (since 1992). He fled to India in 1999.

• Growth rate in 2006 : 13.4%.
• Currency : Yuan Ren-Min-Bi (CNY), 1 Euro = ~ 10.7 Yuan.
• Main imports : nearly nothing, beside the nuclear waste coming from China.
• Main exports : minerals ... going to China.

China map and the followed itinerary in Tibet (green colour).

Elevations measured between Dequin and Zhangmu



* measurements have an accuracy of +/- 100 m and are usually lower than official Chinese measurements.
** X axis shows the distance in km from Dequin.
*** total climbing on the way is an amazing 26,000 m.
**** caution, this graph and the map above do not read in the same direction.




Explanations about the Tibet Travel Permit for foreigners

Tibet was invaded by the People’s Republic of China in the 50s and since then, the least which could be said, is that the situation remains very tense between both communities, and violence can break out at any moment (c.f. the latest protests and deaths in March of this year). This specific situation, the massive Chinese military presence in Tibet and a strong habit of controlling everything lead to a lot of rules and restrictions for the foreigners wishing to visit Tibet, when it is not completely prohibited as it was between March and June of this year. Here is how it works :

• you first need to set a day by day detailed program of your trip,
• you need to get a triple authorization from the Ministry of Foreign affaires, the Ministry of Tourism and the People’s Republic army in Tibet,
• you need an additional Alien Permit for each county you plan to cross (5 for my trip),
• you need a special authorization for the monasteries classified as sensitive,
• you must follow exactly your program,
• you must be accompanied by a certified guide … his driver and his car, despite the cost, pollution and CO2 emissions it involves.

This last condition is clearly not what I had wished for … but at this point of my trip, the only other option was flying (Kunming => Bangkok => Katmandu) and the CO2 emissions were equivalent. So I decided to comply with the car + guide rule (at least I was not required to sit in the car) and I really hope this journal you are reading now with an up to date account of the political situation in Tibet will somehow “offset” part of the pollution ...




Foreword to the attention of Chinese readers

Information about Tibet is usually scarce, twisted and unreliable, both in and outside China. I described below what I have seen by myself, as a cyclist going through this huge piece of land. My comments are not directed against the Chinese people, whom I owe a great time in their beautiful country, but it is my opinion that no matter how unpleasant, things must be said and described as they simply are.




The travel journal from Tibet with the best pictures

• The Yunnan-Tibet Highway,
• The Sichuan-Tibet Highway,
• Lhassa, holy city under Chinese control,
• The Friendship Highway towards Nepal,

Thursday the 4th of September : this morning it's possible to see -partially and sometimes- the top of the Kawagebo (6,740 m). It's the highest mountain of Yunnan and one of the 8 holy mountains of Tibet.



For this first day on the road to Lhasa, I will meet an old friend I have not seen for a couple of months … here is the Mekong River !



From Felai Si, the road dives deep to the bottom of the gorges and then follows the river for the rest of the day. While looking at the brownish water flowing south, I can’t help but wonder how long it is going to take before this particular water I am seeing now with my eyes finally reaches Thailand …
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Later the same day just after lunch … here comes the first difficulty of the trip : huge rocks are blocking the way and the excavator can’t even move them. A quick check indicates there is absolutely no way around the road, and those rocks will have to be cleared before anybody can get through. I had to wait there for quite a long time, a couple of hours at least. At some point I thought all the workers were going home, everybody was leaving and even the excavator cleared the area … this was until I heard the massive detonation of the explosives. The result was not as impressive as the noise itself, but at least the rocks were now small enough to be pushed away. Half an hour later, I cross by foot with my bicycle on the shoulder. Yangjin, the overnight stop of the day, is still far away and I push hard to get there before the night … and before the police station closing hour. I need to register there and show all my authorizations.

This will become a daily very annoying part of the trip at every police station or police checkpoint on the way. After a while, you really start to feel like a dangerous criminal on bail …


Friday the 5th of September : time to get a little higher today with a second pass above 4,000m, the Hong La pass ... and as the kilometers go, the Mekong River becomes a thin tiny brown line at the foot of the mountains ...



… but quickly my attention focuses on the condition of the road, which deteriorates continuously to the point where it becomes nearly unrideable.

It becomes a real battle, the mud is sticky, slows me down, then becomes slippery, and my back wheel spins in vain, mud gets everywhere, my bicycle is now brown, the chain is full of it and jumps out, I have to disengage the brakes to free the wheels … It’s a nightmare. The road is under construction … well, not exactly, but the roadsides are definitely under construction, those two little walls on both sides. They are nearly completed, but there is a little problem with them, there is no hole to evacuate the rain at the bottom, and as it is today, the road looks more like a canal to me, with water actually flowing down all the way from the top ! As the road continues to deteriorate further, I am forced to climb one of those two little walls and I enventually ride on it … It became at this point a real challenge not to fall on either side ! Below, a Tibetan farm-house in the valley leading to Markham, where the Yunnan-Tibet Highway (south - north) joins the Sichuan-Tibet Highway (east - west coming from Chengdu).

Saturday the 6th of September : breakfast in Markham with the two most popular ingredients of the Tibetan diet, Yak butter tea and tsampa (barley flour). You can either mix them in a bowl or directly in your mouth … but the latter can be rather messy for beginners.



After yesterday’s ordeal, today's ride is easy. The climb towards Wu La pass (4,338 m) goes up gently, going through grassland covered with flowers.





As usual, prayer flags indicate the top of the pass.

Flag again … but of a different style, here it is the Chinese flag on top of a Tibetan house. As I am riding down the mountain, I go through a couple of villages where absolutely all Tibetan houses have a Chinese flag on top. A few houses, why not, but all of them, this looks rather suspicious … later during the trip I will be told that displaying a Chinese flag, or having a portrait of Mao inside your home (!!), can reduce the chances of being too much annoyed by the Chinese authorities. As for the Tibetan flag, it is forbidden in Tibet since 1959 … and owning or displaying it would send you straight to jail !! It’s a piety because with the two snow lions, the sun and the bright colors, it is quite a beautiful flag …

Sunday the 7th of September : our paths crossed and crossed again several times but today is the last time, I have to say goodbye to the Mekong River … it continues north (see below) and I am definitely going west !!




Below, while climbing Jueba pass (3,930 m) : a kid with half of his bicycle and a Khampa on his motorcycle.




Below, views from the top of Jueba pass.




Riding up, riding down … riding up again, then riding down again. Life is made of ups and downs and so is eastern Tibet. On the same day, after climbing Jueba pass, I am now climbing towards Dongda La pass …



... but the top of Dongda La pass (5,008 m) will be for tomorrow, today I stop well before at around 4,100 m … and for the first time since I left Bangkok, tonight I will camp in the wild.

Below, enjoying the last rays of sun after a cold shower in the stream and before the night comes.




Monday the 8th of September : it was super cold last night, there is ice on the top of the tent this morning !!

As soon as the sun gets above the mountain line, I get in the saddle and continue the climb towards the first 5,000 m pass of my trip. The road goes through magnificent grassland and a group of nomads have set their tents right here, next to the stream, with their yaks grazing around.



Below, the Dongda La pass is over there, straight ahead, right in between the two mountains, at the end of the road going along the right side of the valley …



The perspective is misleading, and believe me, it’s not flat, not even a little bit !!

Getting closer to the top, my altimeter starts to show numbers I have never seen before. Oxygen depletion is real, no matter how fast my heart is pumping, my muscles seems to never get enough …

4,900 m, nearly there. 5,000 m, I can see the top and the prayer flags. 5,008 m, done, it’s done, I’m there. And as a form of celebration I imagine, it starts to snow … and everything becomes white within a few minutes …




Tuesday the 9th of September : it’s barley harvest time in the district of Zuogong.




Below : a ruined monastery on the top of a hill, most likely destroyed by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution … a very common sight since I started riding in Tibet, unfortunately.



About the Cultural Revolution : it’s a movement that shook China to its core, trampled its traditions underfoot, caused countless deaths and gave the running of the country over to mobs of Red Guards. All of China suffered in Mao’s bold experiment in creating a new socialist paradise, but it was Tibet that suffered the most. The first Red Guards arrived in Lhasa in July 1966. Two months later the first rally was organized and Chinese-educated Tibetans youths raided the Jockang (see in Lhasa section for more details about this monastery), desecrating whatever religious objects they could get their hands on. It was the beginning of the large-scale destruction of virtually every religious monument in Tibet, and was carried out in the spirit of destroying the “four olds” : old thinking, old culture, old habits and old customs. The Buddha himself was accused of being a “reactionary” ...

This was later called a cultural genocide.

The Chinese communist party has officially admitted some mistakes of the past, and several monasteries all over Tibet have been rebuilt, or are in the process of being rebuilt …


Wednesday the 10th of September : I leave this morning from Bangda, a small village high in the valley (4,300 m) … and as I come out of the village, I can see -and hear- the soldiers training for what looks like beating up some potential protesters. This is the way it is in Bangda, one of the too many Tibetan villages where you can find 3 Chinese soldiers for just 1 Tibetan civilian (see picture below : the blue roofs represent the military compound).



It’s sad, really sad … and I am moody this morning !

I need to refresh –reset ?- my mind with something unusually cool to recover a better mood ... something like a group of antelopes looking at me from the top of a cliff ? ... yes, something like that, it really did the job !

Once on the top of Ye La pass (4,640 m), the road starts an epic series of 72 switchbacks (see below) and dives 1,500 m lower, all the way to the Salween River. And since the road is really bad, with dust, holes and gravels, maybe I should give a spin or two to one of the those prayer wheels before going …




Below : the Salween River ...




Thursday the 11th of September : after leaving from Basu this morning, I make a small detour by the Gelugpa monastery of Neru (sect of the yellow hats).



This lovely monastery is surrounded by high mountains in every direction. Above on the left is the main assembly hall … and on the right are several prayer wheels.


Below on the left, Yaks coming back from the fields heavily loaded with barley … and on the right, a typical Tibetan sheep !!




Below : on the way to the Anjiu La pass (4,470m) ... 



... and below again : once on the top of Anjiu La pass.




While riding down towards the village of Ranwu, around the corner, in the middle of the road and totally unannounced, I meet with this pilgrim family !!



The Tibetan pilgrims have a rather unique way of getting to their destination : they walk two steps, stop, clack their crude wooden hand covers in front of their forehead and chest and then drop to the ground in full prostration … wait for a while, then stand up, walk two steps and do it all over again, all day long.



It's one of the most amazing things I have seen on my trip so far. Destination Lhasa : 800 km and going 7 km per day … they will be on the road for a few more months ...


Continuing in the direction of Ranwu, I come across a sign where it says « access strictly prohibited to foreigners ». I check my map and here it is, it’s the road going straight to the Burmese border, only 100 km south from here. It’s quite a surprise, but it’s a geographic reality, after 5,000 km on the road, there is still only one country between Thailand and me …


Friday the 12th of September : breakfast by the Laigu lake this morning.




Below : the Midui glacier !



Below : a Tibetan village of a different style with wooden houses. On the right, a prayer wheel turning with the water flow of a stream …




Sunday the 14th of September : this morning I stop by the Dodung monastery (sect of the red hats). Standing on the highest hill of the valley, a visit here requires a minimum of commitment …




I am heading now towards the lowest point of my trip in Tibet : Tongmai, 2,000 m high only. The road goes down more than it goes up, but in this part of Tibet, better don’t dream, there is no such thing as going down only …

I stop en route a second time and I visit the Bakhar monastery. An 800 years old monastery totally destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Only 12 monks currently stay there Vs. about 100 before the Chinese takeover.

Remark about the Tibetan monks : the number of monks in Tibet is decided by the Chinese authorities, and since they see a potential threat for insurrection in every Tibetan monk, their number has dramatically dropped over the years, from about 600,000 in 1950 to less than 50,000 today. Monasteries all over the country are desperately empty …


Monday the 15th of September : there is a good and a bad news this morning. The good news is that in about 20 km and until well after Lhasa, the road is sealed and in good condition … the bad news is that the next 20 km are hell, on a treacherous narrow muddy road (below on the right of the left picture).



Below : a few flowers ...




Tuesday the 16th of September : after having climbed Selija pass (4,564 m) with two fellow Chinese cyclists met on the way, I arrive in Bayi, one of the biggest town in eastern Tibet … and also the biggest city I have seen in a month.

Bayi is a huge military and police hub, where of course I have to register, but not only, I also need to get a special permit to cross the next county. The process is quite long because the Chinese police lady just found out that to come to Bayi, I have crossed a “closed area” few days ago. Big deal …

Bayi means “1st of August”, the founding date of the People’s Liberation Army ... and this may explain why there is no Tibetan in sight in the whole town. Bayi is a typical Chinese town, with only Chinese people, but right in the middle of Tibet. This really feels weird …

About the current flood of Chinese immigrants in Tibet : this is a very sensitive subject and China strongly denies any incentive for the immigration of Han Chinese (the main ethnic group in China) in Tibet. They only suggest that the lack of qualified workforce in Tibet needs to be addressed … According to the Chinese authorities, there are only 13% of Chinese in Tibet (the army not being accounted for in this number) and so 87% of Tibetans, but according to the Tibetan government in exile, Chinese would already account for more than 50% of the total population of Greater Tibet. The truth certainly lies somewhere in between …

However, one thing is certain, China has successfully flooded Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai provinces with Han Chinese immigrants in the past, leaving the locals as a mere biggest minority in their own land. This is a fact, but this is not a Chinese exclusivity. Let’s remember what happened in South America, North America or Australia … with the continuous influx of European immigrants.


Wednesday the 17th of September : I am really glad to leave Bayi this morning, I don’t like this city, not even a little … but the first few kilometers are even more depressing than the city itself : one military compound, a second military compound, a third military compound, one police station, another military compound, another police station … and after 10 km only, I am stopped at a police checkpoint. I have to wait for about an hour before all my documents are checked and rechecked, and phone calls made here and there to confirm the documents.

I don’t like Bayi, and I dislike its police very much …

On the way, nobody answer when I say « Tashi Delek » (Hello in Tibetan) and it seems Chinese do not speak much Tibetan. Where are the Tibetans in this county ? Is there any at all ? This becomes preoccupying …


Far, very far from Bayi, sceneries become quite unusual but really pleasant, with flooded fields and grazing horses …




Finally by the end of the day, Tibetans are back and I feel again like travelling in Tibet. At last … but Tibetan villages look quite funny around here, with blue and pink roofs !!




Thursday the 18th of September : I have quite a surprise this morning when I leave from Gongbujiangda, there are 56 military trucks -with troops- parked on the side of the road, 2,000 Chinese soldiers on their way to somewhere … and the closer I get to Lhasa, the more I feel like cycling in a huge military compound !! Nice ...

Below : at around 4,000 m, Yaks are having fun …




Friday the 19th of September : Lhasa is less than 200 km away, but there is still a major climb before reaching the holy city, the Mila pass at 5,013 m.

Surprise again this morning, but nicer than yesterday, it snowed during the night and mountains-top are all white …



Below : at 4,600 m ...




Saturday the 20th of September : this morning I follow the very quiet Yarlung Tsangpo River, the road is flat, Lhasa is only 60 km away and I could easily get there for lunch. After 16 days of intensive riding, 1,400 km, 2 passes above 5,000 m and a dozen of 4,000 m, this would be reasonable.



But, but, but … the ancient Ganden monastery (built in 1409) is nearly on my way, it’s the first and most influent monastery of the yellow hats sect …

… and it’s as high as you can possibly get around this valley, 600 m above the road level !



When you see Ganden for the first time, you realize this monastery is actually as big as a city with many buildings around the main halls. It’s an impressive sight …

Ganden means « joyous » in Tibetan and is the name of the western paradise that is home to the future Buddha. There is a certain irony in this because, of all the great monasteries of Tibet, Ganden suffered most at the hands of the Red Guards, possibly because of its political influence. Today it is the scene of intensive rebuilding, but this does not disguise the ruin that surrounds the new structures. In 1959 there were 2,000 monks at Ganden ; today there are just a couple of hundreds … this monastery is empty.



Ganden was temporarily closed to tourists in 1996 after violent demonstrations against the government’s banning of Dalai Lama photos. Since then, a massive and totally disproportionate police station had been built only 100 m away from the main monastery entrance. There are at least 50 or 60 policemen here in charge to make sure that the rule of Beijing is enforced …

I would learn later that Ganden is actually still currently off-limit for tourists …


Sunday the 21st of September : no riding today … I am a pedestrian and I will visit Lhasa by foot, starting by one of the great wonders of world architecture, the Potala palace.



Since its construction in 1645, the Potala palace has been the home of each of the successive Dalai Lamas. It was also the seat of the Tibetan government, and with chapels, schools, jails and even tombs for the Dalai Lamas, it was virtually a self-contained world.

Below : facing the Potala, is the famous Palha Lu-Puk cave where the king Songtsen Gampo (VII century) used to meditate.




The second most important sight in Lhasa, and certainly the most revered place of the whole town is the Jockang monastery.



Right in the heart of the old town, the Jockang was built during the VII century. In the early days of the Cultural Revolution, much of its interior was desecrated by Red Guards but since 1980, it has been very well restored.




Monday the 22nd of September : this is my second day as a pedestrian in Tibet, and today I visit the Drepung monastery.



Drepung was built in 1416, and used to be the world’s largest monastery with around 10,000 monks resident (Vs. only 600 today).



This monastery was home to the Dalai Lamas until the fifth built the Potala palace.

Below on the left : the main assembly hall … and on the right, a statue of the 5th Dalai Lama.



Below : some pilgrims walking Drepung’s Kora and spinning prayer wheels …




I promised myself I would visit only one monastery today … but just a few minutes walk from Drepung, there is the unusual Nechung monastery, the seat of the Tibetan State Oracle. Every New Year until 1959, the Dalai Lama consulted the Nechung oracle on important matters of state. The Oracle would whip himself into a trance in an attempt to dislodge the spirit from his body … and he would discern the future in a steel mirror !

Below on the left, murals in Nechung ... and on the right, a protecting deity.




Back in town, I travel through the Chinese districts of Lhasa … it’s huge, and it seems only Chinese people are living here. So when the Chinese authorities claim there are only 20% of Chinese in Lhasa, this is obviously a big lie.

Below on the left, a street in Lhasa Chinatown … and on the right, a 35 m-tall monument to the « liberation » of Tibet (under constant guard to prevent vandalism).




Below in the Tibetan old district : on the left, some Yak butter … and on the right, the latest trends in monk fashion.



Lhasa’s old Tibetan district is under heavy surveillance, 4 or 5 soldiers are posted at each street corners with weapons.



Several groups of about 10 soldiers keep patrolling the streets all day long (below, next to the Jockang among pilgrims) and CCTV cameras are everywhere. I have been told also that some snipers where on the roofs, but I did not see them  ....





Tuesday the 23rd of September : those two days of rest in Lhasa were much appreciated. Today will be a long day, with 140 km to cover and a pass at 4,700 m by the end of the day.



Below : while climbing towards Kamba La pass …



… and once on top, looking down on the dazzling Yamdrok Tso lake, with far in the distance, the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7,191 m).



Yamdrok Tso is one of Tibet’s holiest lake and as such, Tibetans carefully protect it from any human impact : there is no fishing, no boat, no swimming, not hotel … just absolutely nothing. It’s a shock, it’s not usual to see such a beauty so well preserved.



But, but, but … the Chinese administration does not have the same beliefs, and in the mid-80s, it sanctioned a plan to build a 6 km tunnel below the surface of the lake that would send the waters dropping some 900 m into an hydroelectric plant. Not only was it a painful effrontery to Tibetan religious sensibilities but, as many complained bitterly, the energy produced would mostly be directed to military bases and Chinese communities around Lhasa. Work was temporarily halted after opposition by the 10th Panchen Lama, but after is suspicious death (which many link to his opposition to the project), the hydroelectric plant was completed.

All over Tibet, there are several similar cases where the Chinese government dug mines or built infrastructures on holy places in total disrespect for Tibetan beliefs. This lead in the past to massive protests, which were brutally suppressed by the police …



Above, Yamdrok Tso lake during sunrise  … at 4,400 m and 7.30 AM, temperature is 2 Celsius this morning !


Wednesday the 24th of September : second big day in a raw today … with another 140 km to ride and a 5,000 m pass to climb (Karo La pass, 5,100 m).



The downhill on the other side offers stunning views on a lake with a fabulous shade of deep turquoise.



I arrive in Gyantse late afternoon. I have pushed quite hard the whole day … but my legs are still fine. It’s amazing what I can take now : 280 km in just two days, above 4,000 m, with two high passes and 2,500 m of combined climbing, and I am just fine.

Below on the left, the Kumbum of Gyantse (stupa with 100,000 buddhas) and on the right, the fortified monastery of Pelkor Chöde.

 


Thursday the 25th of September : it’s a 90 km resting ride today, the road is flat …

Shigatse, where I stay tonight, used to be the seat of the Panchen Lama, and this seat was traditionnaly based in the Tahilhunpo monastery (read Tibet overview for more information on the Panchen Lama).



Above : young monks going to class …

Below : beautiful murals with sunset light in front of the main assembly hall.




Friday the 26th of September : the more I go west, the more dry and arid it becomes … there is only sand and rocks …



And when the wind blows hard … obviously, the sand flies (above) and this is extremely unpleasant.



Very unpleasant as well is the habit some Tibetan kids have to wish you safe travel and good ride by throwing rocks in your back. At least, it’s the excuse I gave them at the beginning before I could discuss it further with some Tibetans. But no, poorly educated kids and naughty kids were the answers I got. This is a real disappointment, especially in a country where adults are so friendly … I still can't really understand why ...


Sunday the 28th of September : cold morning, only 2 Celsius.

After having lived for 10 years in the tropical heat of Thailand, I think my biggest achievement in Tibet is to have successfully adjusted to the cold !!

The climb of the day will lead me on the top of Gyatso La pass (5,248 m), the highest point of my trip.



And it's windy up here ...


Below : farmers collecting water in a pound …





Above on the right : I have been trying to eat this Yak cheese candy for about an hour now … but so far, it still feels like having a stone in the mouth.


Monday the 29th of September : it’s harvest time in the Shegar valley … barley is carried on horse carts and Yaks are used to separate the seed from the rest of the plant.




Tonight I stop at the Tsamda hot springs … and it will be my first hot shower since I left Lhasa 6 days ago !!


Tuesday the 30th of September : since yesterday the road is not sealed anymore, it is under heavy construction, and the dirt will continue all the way to the Nepalese border. I am eating dust all day long …

Last night it snowed again, mountains are white this morning ...



I am riding towards Lalung La pass (~ 5,000 m), the road is not great but it’s rideable, I have seen much worse … but early afternoon, without any notice and all of a sudden, a fierce wind picks up …

… to a point that I go as slow as 8 or 9 km/h on flat road !!

The wind seems to gain in strength as time goes ; it even becomes a challenge to stay on the road when briefly it blows from the side. I have never experienced such madness before. And then by the side of the road, there is what looks like an auberge. I stop to have a look. It’s warm, it smells tea and Yak meat … and a dozen of road workers who fled the wind are now playing cards in a corner of the main room. When I learn that there is a room -abusively called guesthouse- just next door, I decide to even stay here for the night. As usual in such a place, there is no shower, no water, no toilets … By shortening today’s ride, I have prepared myself quite a day for tomorrow, with two successive passes above 5,000 m to cross imperatively before 1.00 PM, since apparently it’s the time of the day the weather turns windy around here …

Wednesday the 1st of October : 8.00 AM, 0 Celsius.

I start climbing towards my first pass of the day, the sky is blue, there is no cloud, and I can see clearly the Shishapangma (8,012 m) on my right hand side most of the way.

9.30 AM, here I am on top, perfectly on schedule. Only 1 left I tell to myself … but after I don’t tell anything anymore, because right in front of me, there is this … all of this …



The Everest (on the left) and the whole Himalayan range is here, in front of me …

The stunning view is intimidating ...

The silence is deafening ... 

... ... ...

....

With something like this in front of me, climbing the second pass is a real piece of cake. The Everest over there is even bigger, but it lacks now the true magic of the first time ...

At 1.00 PM, as anticipated, the wind is back and it’s time for me to leave this amazing sight, time to start a thrilling 4,000 m high downhill … straight down into Nepal.

Thursday the 2nd of October : the downhill continues today, after the roof of the world, I feel like going to its basement … The dirt road leaving from Nyalam drops like a stone off the Tibetan plateau into a deep gorge of evergreen forests, waterfalls and thundering rivers. Such noise and color after the dry, serene landscape of Tibet is overwhelming. I can feel the warmth and the humidity around … I am back under the tropics !! Pictures below : Zhangmu, the Chinese border town, is an ugly assembly of houses along half a dozen hairpins. No interest at all.

 

When I arrive at the customs and show the myriad of official documents I have accumulated en route … I am asked to come back during the afternoon because the booth for foreigners has just closed and is on lunch break.

Great … and with the time difference between China and Nepal (an odd -2h15), I may face the same problem on the Nepali side. Really great …

2.00 PM, the booth for foreigners (or “aliens” as they say) opens.

2.15 PM, I’m clear, but the Nepali border is still another 8 km further down …

The highlight from Tibet

Original Bön beliefs –well before Buddhism- were celebrating nature and were considering holy mountains and holy lakes as real deities. This lead the Tibetans on a path of moderation, they never considered their environment as being around for the sole purpose of serving them.

This respect for the environment that the Western world is re-discovering painfully under the constraint, and certainly not by choice, Tibetans have always placed it at the center of their life. From this point of view, their development model is without a doubt much more advanced than in our so-called “developed” countries …