Tagong March 2010

This trip was just a quick survey for trekking tours in this area, and end of March is a pretty cold month especially at night. However, it was a brilliant and successful 3day hike to a series of lakes and remote monasteries.

Here is a panorama from the area. This photograph was taken from a pass of the G318 National Road towards Litang.

The first moments of the hike part began with a stunning view on Mt. Zhara Lhatse (5820m) - a mountain I was talking about in an earlier post.

Mt. Zhara Lhatse (5820m)

After a turn to the west the view of this wonderful sacred mountain disappeared and a quite tame mountain weasel showed up instead.

Against noon I arrived at Zhangkhar Gompa, a small monastery of the Nyimapa line.

Despite cold wind and icy temperatures, local Tibetan nomads take care of their yaks throughout the year; one important product is...

...yak hair. This is going to become a big black tent 100% made of Yak wool.


The next monastery was Bhari Gompa. I finally reached it in the late afternoon and after a four-hours-crossing of a snow covered pass. Due to its position on a sunny south slope and above the timber line it gave me a pleasing welcome.

The lakes I aimed to were all frozen at this time of the year: here a photo of "Rani Tso"

The probably most beautiful monastery on this trip is situated on the most northern tip of the Tagong Lake Plateau: Goeno Gompa.

From Goeno Gompa it is only a foot march to Bamei and to the main road.

Tibetan Lark