Beyond Himalaya: Tingri

Tingri, 4300metres, 4 December

-An amazing day and an eyeful unlikely to be repeated. As we drove uphill, vegetation became more sparse and patches of snow appeared all around. Before we knew it we were on the highest point of the Lalunga pass (over 5000 metres). We could see a whole range of Himalayan peaks. As I stood on this cold windy prayer-flag strewn spot, reminiscent of the top of Kaala Patthar in Nepal, it really did feel like the roof of the world because the mountains were in the distant.

-As we drove on, we also saw Mount Everest and Lhotse from the North side. Mount Everest had more snow than when we saw it up close and personal from Nepal and I would not have recognised it if it was not the highest peak with the trademark plume of cloud.

-We were now in the Tibetan plateau. Barren, brown hills with a multitude of folds and layers sparsely dotted with high-altitude settlements and huts.