Trekking Mt Kawo Karpo( 21 days)

Trekking Kawa karpo Far to the east of Tibet stands a sacred mountain - Kawa Karpo (6740m/22,113ft).
Step by step amazingtibet takes you deep into the region of Mt. Kawa Karpo which is considered by the pilgrims as the one of the most holy area of Tibet, and used to be raved by the early western visitors as a paradise of flower. Till today some westerners, especially the British, would be thrilled when they find that some flowers from this region are exactly the same flowers species as they have in their own garden.
on this trek we are guaranteed to meet many trekkers in form of devoted Tibetan pilgrims. This is a unique opportunity to trek with the friendly and curious Tibetan people doing one of the most important pilgrimages of their life.

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Briefed Itinerary

D 1      Kunming
D 2      Kunming/Lijiang  Alt:2400m
D 3      Lijiang/Shangrila (Zhongdian) Alt:3300m
D 4      Shangrila
D 5      Shangrila/Deqing
D 6      Deqing/a small temple
D 7-19 trek
D 20    Deqing/Shangri-la
D 21    Shangri-la/Kunming   


   Detailed Itinerary

Day 1, Meet in Kunming (1800m), the capital of Yunnan, also known as "Spring City" because of the all year round mild weather. Today, we just hang around in Kunming, including the little remaining part of the old Kunming, a local market and some old temples far away from tourist attractions.

DAY 2, Fly (40 min) to Lijiang (2400m, the Naxi minority people’s capital, where you'll first get the chance to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude. Overnight in Lijiang Old Town, which has a history of 800 years and was selected to be part of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. Go strolling through Lijiang Old Town. There'll be a great chance that you'll encounter some very slow Naxi old ladies wearing traditional constume.

DAY 3, Drive for 4 hrs to Shangrila (Zhongdian) with an altitude of 3300m, a Tibetan town at the southern tip of the Old Tibetan kingdom. En route we’ll have good views of Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Yangtze river, some traditional striking minorities villages from various groups such as Naxi, Yi and Tibetan. Overnight in a Tibetan style hotel.

DAY 4, Explore Shangrila's surroundings, such as Dhukzo Old Town of Tibet, Dabaosi temple hidden in the immense forests and so on. Additionally, let your body adjust to the high altitude here. Overnight in the same hotel.
DAY 5, Drive to Deqing 7 hrs.Today, we'll drive to the northwest, through some stunning scenery! Enjoy the Yangtze river bed, classic Tibetan villages where they make lovely beautiful wooden bowls and watch the rugged Baima snow Mt. We will stop at Dhonchuling monastery, the second biggest one in the Yunnan-Tibetan area. Then to a cozy Tibetan nunnery. Overnight at Deqin simple hotel with a great view of Kawa Karpo peaks.

DAY 6, Drive 2:30 hrs towards the start point of the trek.We'll drive to the south and into Mekong River valley with a view of Kawa Karpo if the weather is fine, and a bird-eye view of winding Mekong below with tiny “castle-like" Tibetan villages nearby.After a 2:30-hous-driving we'll arrive the trekking start point where we'll meet our horses with their cheerful owners. Trekking equipment and food will be loaded on the horses. Then a short stretch over Mekong to a small temple, which is regarded by Tibetans as "the key "or "the permit" to the pilgrimage (Kora). Here we'll put up our tents in the courtyard of the cozy temple. Alternatively, just set up our tents on the roof-top of Tibetan houses after a 2-hour walk more.

DAY 7, trek 7 hrs to the campsite (2800m)We'll load our ponies and say good-bye to the Mekong, and be ready to have a long climb towards Dokla pass (a mountain ridge of Kawa Karpo between Mekong- and Salween River), walking together with dozens of ponies along a winding trail, accompanied by the great sounds of our pony's bells which gives you a feeling of being in a caravan. The trail leads us up through scattered villages on the slope, steep cliffs and old-growth forest overlooking the breathtaking Mekong river valley. Frequently, you can encounter different species of Rhododendron, orchids and some other unknown-name wild flowers. Picnic lunch with hot tea and instant coffee, plus a spectacular view. Camp on the relatively flat slope by a running stream. The campfire will accompany us through the night.

DAY 8, trek 5 hrs to the camp meadow (3450m)Today we just follow the footprints of Tibetan pilgrims. You will frequently encounter some holy places such as "Holy Caves", where pilgrims crawl through for some certain reason and is surrounded by piled good-wish stones, old jewelry and clothing from pilgrims, prayer flags......so mysterious! At that moment, if you want to speak to someone just whisper to each other to pay your respect. Picnic lunch by a running stream.Afterwards,the pilgrimage path brings you to a great meadow named Yongshiton, with a murmuring stream flowing through it and surrounded by rocky mountains. There are some shepherds sheds as shelters for pilgrims as well as for herds of yaks and horses. Here is our campsite tonight.
DAY 9, trek 9 hrs.Today is a tough day, which is a sort of challenge with a good deal of excitement. Morning we leave our charming campsite to ascend up through the old-growth forest and then arrive at the tree-line, where we can see the Dokila pass (4560m), which we are going to climb over. Picnic lunch with hot tea and instant coffee will be served. After a 6-hour-climb, we will be at the top of the pass, up there the land is covered by the piles of prayer flags, bowls, yak skulls.... and the view is great. From here we'll drop down along a zigzag "holy path" with pilgrims to another meadow (3670m) for camping just inside the TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region).

DAY 10, trek 7 hrs. Following a crystal-clear river into a long valley covered by immense forest. If you are lucky enough, some wild animals could be encountered. After a 5-hours-trek, we come to a shrine for pilgrims, where they left offerings of clothes, bowls, tsamba, money and so on for their next lives. They believe that they will retrace back along this path after being reborn. Picnic lunch with hot tea and instant coffee will be served. From the shrine we will descend down to the campsite (2550m), located by a tributary of Salween river on the other side of Mt Kawa Karpo.

DAY 11, trek 9 hrs. The pilgrimage path zigzags up through the untouched dense forest of fir, spruce, oak and pine trees with the beautiful "hanging" moss. After a 6-hour-climbing, we reach another pass (3820m) with a shrine, where there is a mass of offering of prayer flags, clothes, jewelry and so on. This is a good viewpoint for Salween River valley, Gaoligong mountain range and a Tibetan village named Aben in a deep valley down below. Then downhill to Aben village, where we can sleep on the roof top of Tibetan family, and first chance in the trek: beers, sprite, pepsi are available here as a big luxury. This is also a good chance for our ponymen to have a nice relaxed night with local people.

DAY 12, trek 5 hrs. Today we descend down to meet Salween River, en route we’ll enjoy some fascinating stone carvings of Tibetan words and Buddhist images on the cliff, where is revered by Tibetan pilgrims as a shrine. But it is also a pity to see that some of the Buddhist carvings ruined during the Cultural Revolution. Afterwards, we walk along a dirt road to our campsite (1950m) by Salween amongst the woods of cactus.

DAY 13, trek 4 hrs. We carry on by the Salween northward, so arid here but still some Tibetan hamlets scattered on the steep slopes of either side of the Salween. Eventually we come to a comparatively densely populated tiny town (Chawalong) with a old tiny temple. Camp overnight here.DAY 14, trek 4hrs
Today, we leave the bank of the Salween, following the mysterious Kora path which leads us to climb up through some charming Tibetan villages with some interesting tiny temples. We could have a fabulous chance to visit local families with hospitable hosts. Yak butter tea is the priority drink offered to guests here. Eventually, the Kora path takes us to the campsite (2840m near a cozy nunnery on the slope. Here you could have a nice relaxed afternoon free just saving enough energy for the next-day's long climbing.

DAY 15, trek 8 hrs. The Kora path is winding its way to climb up to a pass (3350m), with mysterious prayer flags and a breathtaking birds-eye views of the Salween River below. Our shepherds will offer a cup of hot tea or coffee here - you will feel that you are at the top of the world at that moment. Afterwards, the path descends down through fir-tree forest and comes to a "holy spring" for picnic lunch. From here the path have come into being a sandy winding one on the mountain sides, while below there is a snake-like tributary (Weiqu) of Salween with some fascinating Tibetan villages on the river banks. Then just cross Weiqu River by a typical Titetan-style bridge to a delightful village (2380m) dwelling on the arid mountain side. Here we set up our tents on the roof tops of the huge Tibetan houses.

DAY 16, trek 7hrs. Today is a big ascent of nearly 1400m, we zigzag up along the Kora path heading for the pass of Gebu la(4180m), constantly being accompanied by the great views of the arid Weiqu river vally and rocky peaks on the opposite side of Salween. Then, enter a forest and keep walking through till the campsite (3960m), perched on the steep slope of Gebula pass dominated by some big snow-capped peaks from afar and spectacular river gorges down below. I guess it is the most difficulty day for our ponies with so much camp stuff on their backs.

DAY 17, trek 7 hrs. From our campsite we have only a home-stretch distance to climb up, to Gebula pass(4180m), where there is another shrine for pilgrims. Here our ponymen always hang their new prayer flags on the trees as a sort of offering for a good wish. Afterwards, we descend along a winding path through an immense forest of fir, spruce, birch, oak, pine trees mixed with bamboo and rhododendron. Then, from time to time, the Kora path is being accompanied by the great views of the snaking Weiqu river blow, and spectacular snow peaks of Mt Kawa Karpo (in fine weather). Eventually, we cross Weiqu River again and ascend up to our campsite (3210m) by a tiny Tibetan village.DAY 18, trek 9hrs. The Kora path leads up steeply through the oak woods with beautiful "hanging moss". After a 3-hour-climb, the path here is getting more gentle through the shrubs and being accompanied by the peaks of Kawa Karpo to the south. From here the path is continuing to be heading for the highest pass(4810m) of Shola, the pass is revered by Tibetan pilgrims as a shrine, where is piled by an enormous mass of prayer flags, pilgrims walking sticks and clothes....meanwhile Shola range is the watershed between Salween and Mekong River, as well as the frontier of Yunnan and TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region). From here we are leaving Tibetan territory and steps into The Mekong valley of Yunnan until the campsite(4130m).

DAY 19, trek 5 hrs,and drive 4 hrs today it is the final stretch of a 300-KM-long path of the Kora, a long descending path along a stunning valley with a crystal-clear river of Meilishui, en route the various pilgrimage sites in the immense forest and many wild flowers. Eventually,Meilishui River takes us to meet Mekong again,where we’ll reach the finishing point of the Kora.Tibetan pilgrims think what we have done could result in considerable merit. What do you think? A good job! From here we drive back to Deqing town for having a "great shower" which we have been missing for more than two weeks.

DAY 20, Drive to Shangri-la for 6 hrs. En route we make interesting stops.

DAY 21, Fly from Shangri-la to Kunming (40min)