Springtime cherry blossoms in Japan; winter skiing in the Swiss Alps – these are just a few iconic examples of how the changing of the seasons play an important role in travel plans.
Travelling to the Roof of the World is no different. From summer mountain biking on the back side of Yala Mountain, to witnessing the annual Saka Dawa festival in the spring, the season in which you visit Tibet can influence the activities and experiences you’ll include in your travel itinerary.
Here’s a rundown of how Tibet travel differs across the seasons and some insider recommendations on the best times of year to visit to satisfy your interests.
Central Tibet reopens to foreigners in early April to the commencement of peak travel season, which then runs all the way till end of October.
Springtime is an extremely popular time to visit Tibet as temperatures are mild and there is little rain. These conditions allow for spectacular views of the Himalaya range and are why May is the peak season for climbers to attempt Everest.
Spring is also a good time to take in the region’s other natural wonders including the peach blossoms in full bloom near Linzhi and the pristine Yamdrok Lake.
Summer is the busiest travel season, and it’s easy to see why: the warm weather makes for easy travel and transport, and the air has a higher oxygen content, making it easier for foreigners to acclimatize and lessening their chance of altitude sickness.
There are also a wide variety of cultural events that take place, including Sho Dun Festival, Ganden Thangka Festival, and many Horse Festivals. The Tagong horse festival in particular, is a sight to behold and a highlight for many Extravagant Yak tourists. During this annual celebration, thousands of local herdsmen participate in horse races as spectators cheer on and celebrate with games, singing, and dancing.
Monsoon season begins mid-June and usually runs till August, which means these months are generally cloudier. If you’re trekking in the mountains during monsoon months you may not get clear, panoramic views. However, this is also the time when the alpine flowers bloom and the mountains are lush with greenery.
Come autumn, sweeping foliage transforms the region into a stunning landscape of red and gold hues. Rainfall decreases in September and the weather generally remains pleasant throughout October. These make for excellent hiking conditions, so if you’d like to fit some trekking in to your travels, this is a great season to do so! Some of our guests’ favorites include trekking the Minya Konka and exploring the Ambalay grasslands while enjoying an Eastern Tibet Nomad Experience.
The autumn season also brings the harvest festival, a celebration of the year’s crop harvest. Join the locals and participate in the potato and highland barley harvest in Kham (Eastern) Tibet.
From November onwards, the weather starts to cool down, and the peak travel season tapers off.
Very few people visit Tibet in winter, making this a good time to visit if you’re looking to avoid tourist crowds. Thrifty travellers can take advantage of low season rates, as hotel prices and entry to many locations are also heavily discounted. This also means that fewer group tours are available, so private tours are a good option to consider!
The weather during the winter months is typically dry, sunny and very cold. Most places (including Everest Base Camp) can still be visited, with the sunny weather usually allowing for clear views from Everest Base Camp. However, destinations including Nam Tso Lake, Mt Kailash and other trekking routes may have limited or no access depending on snowfall.
It is important to remember that Central Tibet, where Lhasa and Mount Everest are located, is closed to foreign tourists annually in February and March, so be sure to plan accordingly!
One more thing: When planning your visit to Tibet, remember to factor in VISA processing times. Check out this article to learn all you need to about how to get a Tibet travel permit.
While there’s no bad time for a trip to the Roof of the World, keep these considerations in mind to ensure that you visit all your bucket list destinations and make the most out of your trip.
And on that note, let’s get planning!
We’re here to help you build the itinerary of a lifetime. Get in touch with us with your travel wish list.
Last year we had the honour and privilege of leading an awesome group of riders through some of the best singletrack in Eastern Tibet. Photographer Ryan Creary and Freelance writer Ryan Stuart were among them. Together they published a couple of articles highlighting their first-hand experience of our Eastern Tibet Backcountry Mountainbike Tour. The first article was published in Action Asia Magazine, and now they've done it again!
We're excited to be published in Coast Mountain Culture Magazine. If you're on Vancouver Island (or the Pacific Northwest in general) pick up a copy and flip to page 84. Drop us a line, tell us what you think, and if you want a two-wheeled Tibetan adventure of your own, come join us October 11-21, 2018 with pro-riders Mark Matthews and Brian Kennedy.
Click below to read about The Highs and Lows of Mountain Biking Tibet
If you’re interested in joining our 7-day Mountain Biking Backcountry Tibet trip click here to learn more or drop us a line at info@extravagantyak.com.
I only had three things to remember: breathe deeply; drink a lot of water; and put the toilet paper in the wastebasket, not the hole. That was my mantra for fourteen days. The first two were essential for surviving a mountain bike expedition above 4,000 metres. The third was necessary for avoiding the awkwardness of a clogged Tibetan toilet. Remembering to practice all three is not as easy as it sounds; habits and routines are hard to change. How much can a person transform during a two-week trip? Can you become a different person through travel? If so, is it possible to bring that person home?
These questions were far from my mind six months earlier. I was home in Canada, lazily scrolling through Facebook, when a posting caught my attention: A group is going to Tibet for a 10-day epic mountain bike adventure and we are looking for people to join us. At that time, my knowledge about Tibet was basic–Mount Everest, the Dalai Lama, Prayer Flags. I asked my partner, “Should I go mountain biking in Tibet”? His response, as usual, was “Hell yeah.” I signed up the next day.
To prepare, I Googled my fellow travellers. Among them were a mountain bike guide, a racer, and a pro rider. I imagined them travelling all over the world in exotic locations, with massive thighs and nicknames like ‘Shredder’ and ‘Count Huckula’.
I love mountain biking; it makes me, a 56-year-old woman, feel like a kid. I ride a couple of times a week at the local trail affectionately known as ‘The Dump’. My mountain bike buddies call me ‘Crash’. Doubts started to march through my mind. An Army of Insecurities ordered me to stand down. How can Crash keep up with a group of fit, professional riders who get paid to bike for a living?
Nevertheless, I trained the best I could, and six months later my bike and I boarded a plane to China. Jet-lagged and bleary, I arrived in Chengdu. My bike had other plans–and an unknown destination. Cool. My first test. Breathe deeply. I didn’t need my bike for another four days. The next morning, we flew to the Tibetan capital Lhasa to tour and acclimatize. That night my head pounded–the dreaded altitude headache. Cool. Test number two. I guzzled five litres of water, which cured my headache but led to frequent tests of mantra number three–wastebasket, not hole.
After four days of visiting Lhasa, the City of Happiness, we travelled to eastern Tibet to start the biking adventure. My bike had arrived, and I no longer felt the effects of altitude–until the first climb. I gasped and gulped for air, desperate to introduce oxygen into my starving lungs. My head exploded, and then my stomach and I spewed my lunch behind a bush on a pile of yak dung. I questioned myself, and the nearest yak–what was I doing on a trip like this?
Over the next week, we pedalled eight to ten hours per day. We grunted our way over mountain passes, down rocky yak tracks, and through nomadic villages. Raging creeks tried to swallow us as we traversed their banks. We hoisted our bikes on our shoulders to scramble up slippery slopes. Exhausted, we descended upon remote guesthouses where the owners greeted us with local foods like yak meat, yak momos, and yak butter tea.
Somewhere along the way, I began to notice that I felt…nothing. Sensations of hunger, cold, soreness and sickness dissipated into the thin air. I didn’t miss my family, or friends, or home comforts. Worries and negativity drifted away from my reach. From my consciousness. I was filled with a deep spiritual joy and contentment (as well as a newfound respect for yaks). I experienced my own personal Nirvana, and in my mind, I was no longer Crash; I was now the Biking Buddha.
I don’t consider myself a spiritual person. I am a true Virgo–practical, logical, in control. During that trip to Tibet, I shifted inside. I awoke each day, mounted my bike, and rode blissfully at my own pace accepting whatever came my way. I felt present and profoundly peaceful.
There were many occasions where feeling peaceful was easy. Sharing meals with my new friends, stabbing forkfuls of freshly made noodles as delicious Tibetan dishes whirled by on a lazy Susan. Cozying up to the fireplace where grandma was feeding yak dung into the stove and serving yak butter tea; the old woman and her daughter giggling conspiratorially when I sipped the butter in the tea rather than blowing it away. Spending hours laughing and talking with a wizened Tibetan monk–not understanding a single word. Our van driver presenting me with a gift of his family’s prayer beads. Riding above the clouds, locals gaping incredulously as our cycling entourage sped by.
There were also occasions where my newfound serenity was challenged. The second day of riding included endless declarations of ‘one more climb before the summit.’ We reached the final peak as the sun changed guard with the moon; its toothless grin our only light as we dropped over the edge into the darkness.
Another time, I found myself solo, separated from everyone. I didn’t know where I was, where I was going, or if I was on the right trail. Miles of vast countryside loomed before me. I was utterly alone, but it didn’t matter–I wasn’t fearful or anxious. For what seemed like hours I journeyed on, thinking– This is my new reality, riding through eternity on a back road in Tibet –until I eventually reunited with the group.
Landing back in Canada after the long flight from China, I waited calmly at the baggage area to claim my bike. A man waiting for his luggage looked over, and remarked, “You look like you just got back from the Himalayas.” I smiled. My question was answered–I can bring that different person home. But how long will the Biking Buddha stay before she plans her next journey?
Originally titled "Constellation Realignment", this is a personal retrospective of an Extravagant Yak Mountain Bike Tour of Tibet written by Maureen Scott. Images by Maureen Scott and Ryan Creary
Click here to read more on how you can experience your own two-wheeled path to transformation on our 7 Day Backcountry Tibet Mountain Bike Trip
On the west side of Minya Konka (Tibetan name, Gongga Mt. in Chinese) is an alpine wonderland of peaks and spires that stand on guard around their mother (Gongga Mt. – 7556m). The Minya range has up to 20 peaks that reach 6000m or higher.
Their lush valleys, snow peaks, alpine lakes and rivers create a veritable playground for trekking in Tibet (and yaks too). No special permits are required for visitors to the Tibetan areas of Sichuan, nor for climbing anything under 6000m.
This alpine area appeals to both mountaineers and casual trekkers. Extravagant Yak specializes in hosting the latter. In August, we took three adults and five kids (aged 13 to 17) on our 6-day-65-km through trek on the west side of Mt. Gongga.
We arranged a 30min shuttle from Kangding to the trailhead on day one and began our trek at 3200m. Over the next three days, we slowly gained elevation until we camped on night three at 4,350m in preparation for crossing the Riwuqie pass (4,950m) on day four.
The attention to acclimatization paid big dividends as everyone felt comfortable on the big push to the top of the pass, including the two 13-year-olds in the group who ended up waiting for the rest of the group more often than not!
On this trek, we arrange horses to carry the heaviest of the supplies: food and tents. Trekkers are free then to just carry their personal gear. At high elevation, the amount of distance you can cover per day is hugely different than what you can accomplish at lower elevations. On Day 6, the trek finished with a huge sense of accomplishment. We were in Zemei village by lunchtime and were in time for our shuttle back to Kangding that evening.
Jim and Abu were out in Eastern Tibet’s backcountry earlier this month for some route development work. Sometimes it's hard to believe we get to call this work! This is what Jim had to say about the trip:
Due to an intriguing inquiry last fall from a group of 30 mountain bikers interested in an 8-day backcountry ride through Eastern Tibet, Abu and I spent a few days last week in the Kangding area checking our favourite routes and exploring a few new ones as well.
Some of the lower valleys were already being touched by spring as we enjoyed green meadows and the opportunity to see the trees just beginning to bud. This is one of our favourite routes that access the backside of Yala mountain, an alpine wonderland of peaks, forests, and tranquillity.
Despite a little bit of inclement weather, the most exciting discovery this time out was some ridge riding up around the Tagong area. After some hard work pedalling up over 4000m we were thrilled to find some fabulous single track formed by local traffic: yak, sheep, nomads, and motorcycles!
The great riding was complemented by distant views of both the Yala and Minya Konka (Gongga Mountain) mountain ranges. The only human encounter we had this day was a friendly chat with a local monk who was out in the hills herding his yaks.
A representative for this large group of riders flew into Kangding for a few days to see what we had to offer. For a guy representing a group looking for a week of fantastic riding with minimum encounters with civilization, he was not disappointed. We look forward to hosting this testosterone-heavy fraternity of riders in October this year!
