This short trek, once part of the trade route between Shalu and Sakya offers the chance to get off the ‘road’ and into some small, seldom visited villages.

It may be incorporated into any trip passing through Shigatse and, being neither particularly high nor particularly difficult, is an excellent introduction to trekking in Tibet.

Where are you going?
Day 1: In Shigatse
Day 2: It is only a short drive from Shigatse to Shalu to begin this trek. Leaving Shalu village pass the Ri-puk hermitage on a nearby hillside as you head towards the Showa-La (4150m). Both the ascent and descent from the pass are through eroded waterless ravines. From the top of the pass tomorrow’s pass, the Char-La can be seen. Passing through the fields and villages of Manitinga and Lower Lungsang head into the woods around Upper Lungsang.
Day 3: The terrain again becomes rugged and dry as you ascend to the Char-La (4510m) from where mountain ranges stretch across the horizon and Ngor monastery is visible below. Ngor was founded by a Sakya master in 1429, establishing a sub-order with a distinctive school of Buddhist thought.
Day 4: Continue the trek down the valley through small villages, crossing the Friendship Highway to the once great Narthang Monastery. Although the outer walls still stand, within only a few structures stand amid a maze of ruins. Historically it was one of the three great printing centers for religious texts in Tibet, however it suffered almost total devastation during the Cultural Revolution and only a fraction of the wooden printing blocks survive. It is only a short drive back to Shigatse.