The Kangshung Face Trek

The Kangshung Face of Everest is perhaps the remotest on the mountain. Situated wholly within Tibet, this awesome wall of snow and ice was first seen by the early British expeditions of the 1920’s. Mallory famously declared it ‘emphatically not for us’ and it had to wait another 60 years before it was finally climbed by the British mountaineer Stephen Venables.

Only a handful of trekking groups follow this route each year, which underlines the fact that this is a trek for the Himalayan connoisseur. Our journey begins in Lhasa where we can visit the Potala and Jokhang monasteries before travelling the spectacular road through the ancient towns of Gyantse and Shigatse. We then continue to Shegar and can visit the Crystal Fort which so entranced many of the early British expeditions to Everest. For five days we trek from the village of Kharta over high passes to reach the alpine pastures at Pethang Ringmo, situated in a truly spectacular location beneath the mighty Kangshung Face. Both Makalu (8481m) and Lhotse (8511) can be seen from our trek and the superb peak of Chomolonzo towers over our campsite.

On our return journey we camp at the Rongbuk Monastery and will be able to visit Everest’s north base camp, and perhaps trek up to the ice pinnacles on the East Rongbuk Glacier - Mallory’s ‘Magic Highway’. Finally we drive across the high Tibetan plateau and make the long and dramatic descent back to Nepal - a thrilling end to a fantastic trek.

Factfile

Grade: Tough
Duration: 22 days

Suggested Itinerary

DAY 1: Depart UK

We depart from the UK for the overnight flight to Kathmandu.

DAY 2: Arrive Kathmandu

We arrive in Kathmandu and are met by some of our team of Sherpas. We transfer by private coach to our comfortable hotel situated in the very centre of the Thamel tourist district of the city. We are within close walking distance of the many restaurants, bars and shops which this part of the city is famous for. After checking into our rooms we can relax in the hotel’s pleasant garden before an early evening meal.

DAY 3: Sightseeing in Kathmandu

A free day to explore this lively and exotic city. Guidebooks will suggest many popular excursions including the Buddhist stupa at Bodnath and the Monkey Temple at Swayambunath. These are best visited using a taxi or by bicycles which are available for rental at every street corner. In truth there are so many places to see in the Kathmandu valley that you will not have time for all of them. Many people enjoy just wandering about the narrow alleyways of Asan market place, or down by the temples and pagodas of Durbar Square, near to the old hippy area of Freak Street. Others will need to scour the plethora of walking and climbing shops for that last essential piece of trekking equipment. In the evening we will visit a traditional Newari restaurant for an authentic Nepali meal and live entertainment.

DAY 4: Fly to Lhasa

An early start today for our flight to Lhasa. This exciting and spectacular mountain flight is operated by China South West Airlines using Boeing 757 aircraft. These flights can sometimes be delayed or disrupted if the weather is bad in either Kathmandu or Lhasa so be prepared for a delay. Our flight path takes us directly over the highest peaks in the Himalaya and we will be able to see Everest, Makalu and Kangchenjunga as well as a myriad of other peaks. We land at Gonggar airport, which is some distance away from Lhasa, and after arrival we have a jeep journey of about two hours before we reach our central hotel. In the evening we will be able to stroll around the central Barkhor square in front of the Jokhang Palace where various restaurants and cafes are located. The Jokhang is the most important Gompa in Tibet and there is always a procession of devout pilgrims making the ritual circumambulation.

DAY 5: Sightseeing in Lhasa

Sightseeing in Lhasa. At 3600 metres above sea level Lhasa is one of the world’s highest cities and we will need to spend at least two nights here to help us acclimatise properly before our trek commences. This time can be spent visiting the many fascinating Tibetan Buddhist Gompas and Palaces which are located in Lhasa and its environs. The Potala will be top of most peoples list, but other places which should be visited include the Gompas at Sera and Drepung, the Norbu Linka (the summer palace of the Dalai Lama) and for those who wish to venture a little further afield the newly restored monastery at Ganden. Lhasa has undergone substantial Chinese inward immigration over the past decade and indigenous Tibetan culture now rubs shoulders with karaoke bars, Chinese restaurants and snooker clubs.

DAY 6: Drive to Shigatse

We leave Lhasa and drive west along the road which eventually links Tibet with Kathmandu. We follow the new northern route along the Tsang Po River which goes directly to the city of Shigatse (3856m), and avoids the longer route through Gyantse. With an early start for the 6 hour drive we should reach Shigatse around lunch time. This is in contrast to the previous route through Gyantse which took as much as 10 hours. In the afternoon we will be able to take a look around the famous Tashilunpo Monastery, the spiritual seat of the Panchen Lama.

DAY 7: Drive to Shegar

Today we have a long drive to Shegar. The road crosses the high and barren Tibetan plateau on a dusty road, and on the way we pass close to Sakya Gompa, one of the few Tibetan monasteries to survive the destruction of the Cultural Revolution. It is a 25 mile detour to Sakya so this excursion will be optional. In Shegar there is only one crudely built hotel, and we have little choice but to use it. However the poor amenities here are more than compensated for by the wonder of Shegar Fort – the Crystal Fort – which sits stop a steep hill. This was the fort which captivated the early British Everest expeditions of the 1920’s and 1930’s and on a clear day we can see Everest from its highest ramparts.

DAY 8: Across the Pang La to Kharta

Shortly after leaving Shegar we turn off the main highway and head south towards the Pang La, a high pass which gives access to the northern flanks of the Everest region. The road climbs steeply up a long series of perfectly inclined zig zags to the crest of the Pang La (5000m). When we reach the top of the pass we get a fantastic panorama of the Himalaya stretching literally for hundreds of miles from Makalu and Kangchenjunga in the east all the way across to Shishapangma in the west. And directly ahead of us rising above everything lies the black outline of Everest. The Pang La is definitely a place to linger to fully take in the view, but eventually after taking our photographs we continue by jeep down an equally long set of switch backs to the village of Phadhruchi where the road divides. Staying on the main road would take us to the Rongbuk valley, but we turn off left and head up the Kharta valley. When the British were attempting to find a route to Everest in the 1920’s it was to this valley that they first came. Kharta is a minor administrative centre situated by the Phung Chhu River and only a short distance from the Nepalese border. The area is fertile and well irrigated, resulting in a patchwork of green fields which contrast starkly with the dark reds and browns of the hillsides. It is here that we will meet our team of Sherpas who will have travelled by truck from Kathmandu with all our camping and trekking gear. We camp by the village and will have time in the evening to explore the local area. All of China and Tibet operate on Beijing time which is about 3 hours different to Nepal time, but standard practise for our Sherpas is to stay on Nepal time, so be prepared for some confusion!

DAY 9: Trek to Landrubling

In the morning we can have breakfast whilst we watch our Tibetan yak drivers attempt to load their animals. Inexplicably the Tibetans are generally very poor yak handlers compared to the expert Sherpas, and our Nepalese staff will probably need to lend a hand in this time-consuming business. From Kharta our route follows the glacial waters of the Kharta Tsangpo river before climbing above a series of small scattered settlements set amid irrigated barley fields towards the village of Landrubling. We turn off from the main trail and head up on trail which goes towards the Shao La pass, making camp a short distance on.

DAY 10: Trek to the foot of the Shao La

We continue on the side trail from Landrubling, climb out of the Kharta Valley and ascend a moraine ridge to reach two beautiful lakes at the foot of the Shao La pass. We camp here at the foot of the pass at an altitude of 4560m.

DAY 11: Cross the Shao La to Joksam

It takes around 2 hours to reach the crest of the Shao La pass (4970m) from where we see Everest as well as the rarely seen northern sides of Makalu (8475m) and Lhotse (8501m). We descend steadily from the pass down through some pleasant yak pastures before continuing more steeply to the beautiful Karma Valley. The trail passes through delightful forests of birch and rhododendron, quite unique in this part of Tibet, before finally arriving at Joksam (4020m), a beautiful campsite surrounded by forests of pine and fir.

DAY 12: Trek to Parthang

A very varied and beautiful trek today as we follow the Karma Tsangpo river. The trail undulates quite considerably and we have a fair amount of ascent and descent. We climb steadily, passing through beautiful forests of birch, juniper and rhododendron, eventually emerging above the tree line where the mountains come back into view. We contour around the hillside and get increasingly impressive views of Everest’s Kangshung Face as well as Makalu, Baruntse, Kangchenjunga and Lhotse. As we ascend, the landscape becomes more barren and we soon leave behind the last of the summer yak herders small settlements and move into uninhabited terrain. As we progress, we can look down on the Karma Glacier before eventually reaching our campsite at Parthang.

DAY 13: Trek to Pethang Ringmo

We follow the trail which climbs easily to the base of a steep scree slope. We then climb steeply up switch backs over fairly rough terrain and a boulder field to where we get our first uninterrupted view of Everest’s Kangshung Face. We then make an easy traverse to a pleasant grassy meadow with superb panoramic views stretching from Everest to Chomolonzo. Continuing on this trail we eventually cross a river and so reach Pethang Ringmo (5026m), the camp which was used by George Mallory during the British Everest Reconnaissance expedition of 1921. Mallory subsequently crossed the Lhakpa La to see, for the first time, the North Col of Everest and the route to the summit. Pethang Ringmo is a beautiful camp with outstanding views.

DAY 14: Free day at Pethang Ringmo

We have a free day to explore the area around the Kangshung Face. We can gaze up at the huge face, composed entirely of snow and ice.