Date: August 10, 2017 / Trip Types: Treeking
Previous name: (Labrang Snow Mountain Travel & Adventure)
Current name: (Hello-Tibet) Travel Operator
In August 2017, a line of 18 French tourists, mostly over 60 years old, was marching on the Tibetan Plateau with an overall altitude of over 3000 meters. They were guided by two English trekking guides, Sam and Dorjee from the previous name (Labrang Snow Mountain Travel & Adventure), and the trip was organised by Kalsang, operator of the current name (Hello-Tibet).
This journey was a cooperation between Labrang Snow Mountain Travel & Adventure and a French professional trekking company, in an effort to rediscover a trekking route explored by a team of French tourists decades ago. It starts from Xiahe, the home to Labrang Monastery, one of the most comprehensive Tibetan Buddhism university monasteries in the world, stretching about 100 kilometres to Repgong, the art capital of the Amdo Tibetan region in Qinghai Province.
The leader of the French tourists during the five-day trip was Mathew. Previously an IT engineer, now a professional trekking tour organiser, he put this group together with his partner, Nicole, a young student of Chinese Medicine. But it was Labrang Snow Mountain Travel & Adventure who made this dream journey come true: Kalsang and Dorjee served as pathfinders, repeated the route twice before they came; two guides and two chefs accompanied them on the process; Kalsang and Tashi planned the itinerary and oversaw the journey to ensure its success throughout.
Along the way, they passed the longest pilgrimage path in the world at Labrang monastery, and the holy mountain with an altitude of 3800 meters, where a worship ceremony of the mountain God was held annually in summer. From there they entered into picturesque grasslands with wild flowers blossoming here and there, until reach the ancient town of Repgong, which is well-known for various art forms such as Tangka painting and sculpture.
In the summertime, most of this route was delightful, with an easy path and sunny weather. Occasionally, tourists would jump into a river for a bath after a day’s trekking, or simply relax their bare feet on the soft grasslands. In the morning, after getting up in the tents at their camping sites, several French people would sing along even before breakfast. Every day, besides three picnic meals including Tibetan bread, sandwiches, coffee, milk tea, eggs and fruits, there were tea breaks which allowed them to pause a while, to enjoy the beautiful scenery around.
The five-day trip went smoothly and swiftly, with a steady pace of 8-9 hours walk per day. All the tourists challenged themselves by fulfilling a nearly 100-kilometre trekking journey on the highest plateau in the world, before heading to the next destination: Mt. Amnye Machen with an altitude of 6282 meters, one of the four most prestigious holy mountains in Tibet. Left behind them was an unforgettable memory of hiking with Tibetans and dipping into their culture.
