A different side of China; a different side of Everest

China. The word conjures up images of tea, the Great Wall, the lights of Shanghai Shanghai travel. But unparalleled–literally!–natural beauty? Few people know that China is home to three of the five highest peaks in the world. Located on the Tibetan-Nepali border, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu all tower high above 8,000 meters. Approaching Everest from the south (instead of the north–the most common ascent), brings you past these two other giants of the Tibetan plateau. Unlike the bare rock face of the southward approach, going northward takes you through the soft crunch of pine needles underfoot, the thick sweet smell of recent rain, and of course the tranquil quiet of the woods. It takes you through Kartha Valley.

Kartha is located to the east of Everest, and unlike other approaches to Tibet Travel Tibet’s Holy Mother, this valley is renowned for its high cliffs, lush vegetation, and vast meadows. Mornings in the valley are like nothing else on earth. You awake and dress in the cool, early grey of dawn. By the time camp is packed and you’re on your way, the sun is already creeping down the walls of the surrounding mountains, washing their cliffs in the golden orange of sunrise. This first hour of the day passes in silence as you approach the beckoning peaks of the giants that lie ahead; and then it happens. The sun throws itself over the horizon and the entire valley is lit up in an explosion of sunshine. At first the light is blinding, but as your eyes adjust, you soak up the vibrant greens, slate greys, and the exclamation points of color in the wild flowers.

When you reach the Everest base camp, tilting your head up to see the peak Holidays in China that scratches the ceiling of the world, it is hard to believe it is real. All around you the sun reflects white and shimmering off the Himalaya’s largest glaciers. These mountains are a far cry, and a long distance, from Tiananmen Square, but they are no less a part of China’s story.

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