I was finally getting the privilege to backpack one of the most mysterious spiritual lands on earth, the land of Tibet. Inaccessibility and isolation from the world for many years, Tibet has definitely been in my top ten travel list. This is the place where perhaps the Shangri-la is and it has opened doors to the world barely just a decade ago.

It was in the early winter that a group of us embarked on our once-in-a-lifetime backpacking trip to Tibet, crossing from Nepal to Lhasa via the spectacular Friendship Highway.

The Journey Starts

Aura of Tibet

Leaving Kathmandu, our journey on the Friendship Highway started after crossing the

Kodari border that separated Tibet and Nepal. The 1,000km Friendship Highway would eventually take us to Nyalam and Tingri before heading south to Everest Base Camp. Thereafter, joining back towards Shigatse, Gyantse and finally to Lhasa.

Leaving Kathmandu valley #1	Leaving Kathmandu valley #2

Zhangmu, by the Kodari border between Nepal and Tibet

Zhangmu was the first stopover, a small town by the border at 2,300m above sea level.

Houses are built on the hill and by its backyard is the first snow-capped mountain I’d seen. Needless to say, my eyes lit up and my jaw dropped, followed by the sound of continuous shutter clicks.

The roller coaster road started right after Zhangmu. Our two jeeps cruised up the mountain, occasionally passing through tunnels supported by rocks. In no time, we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains with the peak almost invisible lighten up by the piercingly bright evening sun.

It was 7pm when we reached Nyalam, a small town with just one street. We’d covered 123km and reached the altitude of 3,750m. After a warm Tibetan dinner, there wasn’t much to do but sleep as it was too cold outside. It was 10 degrees when I snuggled back into my sleeping bag. The night was long, I couldn’t sleep well and the first high mountain sickness attacked us.

From Nyalam to Old Tingri

The road from Nyalam to Old Tingri was superbly spectacular and amazing. Winter has started to mark its presence. Both sides of the road were heavily laden with snow. Midway up the mountain, we passed by a deep valley carpeted with snow and fenced by mountains. It seems like a no man’s land where survival is impossible, but I was proven wrong by the sight of a small Tibetan settlement nestled in the middle of the valley.

Along the way, at times we bumped into nomads carrying heavy loads and a few long-distance cyclists cycling under the harsh strong wind. Immediately, I felt seriously pampered to be taken in the jeep. They have my utmost respect. To cycle in Tibet is not easy considering the high-altitude, weather and difficult bumpy dirt road.

Soon, we were going up Tong-la Pass which is the highest peak of Nyalam at 5,120 meters. The landscape was completely dominated by thick snow on the ground with the backdrop of the great Himalayan range. It was a stunning and gorgeous sight, just like how my own imaginary North Pole would look like. Jumping on the snow was a brown snow bunny looking very outstanding on the white sheet of snow.

Adorning the peak was the colorful prayer flags tied to the poles. Buddhist sutras were printed on the 5 colors flags. Red, green, yellow, blue and white represent the elements of fire, wood, earth, water and iron. When the wind blows, the flags flutter and Tibetan believes that the prayers will be released to the heaven.

After taking a few shots outside in the strong wind, I was glad to get back into the jeep for the descent. It was 6 degrees outside in the heat of the afternoon sun. Cold and hot collided, giving me an instant headache from the drastic elevation change.