Tibetan Treks - Tibet - page 439

The trek begins from the car park at the base of Ganden Monastery. It may be possible to
find a pack animal or porter here to help carry your bags to Hepu or beyond; ask among
the incense and prayer-flag sellers near the car park.
Leave the car park and look for the well-trodden trail heading south along the side of
Angkor Ri, the highest point on the Ganden kora. After 20 minutes the Ganden kora
branches off to the right (4360m; N 29°44.891ʹ, E 091°28.788ʹ); keep ascending to the
south for another 30 minutes. You quickly lose sight of Ganden but gain views of Samadro
village below you, before reaching a saddle , marked by a large lapse or cairn (4530m; N
29°44.130ʹ, E 091°29.729ʹ).
From the saddle, look south to see the approach to the Shuga-la in the distance. Travers-
ing the west side of the ridge from the saddle, you briefly get views of Trubshi village be-
low and the Kyi-chu Valley to the west. After 45 minutes the trail descends towards Hepu
village. About 20 minutes from the spur is a spring. From here it's a further 30 minutes to
the village, 2½ hours or so from Ganden.
There are around 30 houses in the village of Hepu (4240m; N 29°42.387ʹ, E
091°31.442ʹ) and it's possible for trekkers to camp or find accommodation among the
friendly locals. There's good camping to the south and west of the village. Look for a red-
and-yellow masonry structure and white incense hearths at the southeastern edge of the
village. This is the shrine of Hepu's yul lha (local protecting deity), the Divine White Yak.
From Hepu the trail climbs towards the Shuga-la, 3½ hours away. Walk west downhill
from the village towards a bridge crossing the Tashi-chu, near the confluence with another
stream. Round the inner side of the confluence and head south upstream along the east
bank. You are now following the watercourse originating from the Shuga-la. Near the con-
fluence are good camp sites.
One hour from Hepu you reach Ani Pagong , a narrow, craggy bottleneck in the valley.
A small nunnery used to be above the trail. Across the valley is the seasonal herders' camp
of Choden. From Ani Pagong, the trail steadily climbs for one hour through marshy mead-
ows to Yama Do (4490m; N 29°40.511ʹ, E 091°30.918ʹ).
Yama Do offers extensive camp sites suitable for larger groups. Consider spending the
night here as it's still a long climb to the pass and there are few other camping places along
the way.
Stage 2: Yama Do to Tsotup-chu Valley