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20-569: Starting at 6,849 metres (22,470 ft) at Lhakpa La, the Kharta Glacier descends about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) over a distance of some 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to its snout. The 7,227-metre (23,711 ft) mountain Khartaphu is on the north of the col with Lakpa Ri (7,045 metres (23,114 ft)) and Kartse (6,507 metres (21,348 ft)) to the south. A second glacier descends from Kharta Changri (7,056 metres (23,149 ft)) to

40-451: A prominence of 158 m (518 ft). Khartaphu was first climbed by the 1935 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition . This Tibet location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Friendship Highway (China-Nepal) The Friendship Highway (also known as the China - Nepal Highway, Chinese : 中尼公路 ; pinyin : Zhongni Gonglu )

60-844: Is a mountain in the Himalayas of Asia at the head of the Tibetan Kharta valley . At 7,213 m (23,665 ft) above sea level, it is the 102nd highest mountain in the world. The peak is located in Tibet Autonomous Region , China about 7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of Mount Everest . Khartaphu has a moderately significant subpeak, Khartaphu West, also known as Xiangdong, 28°4′N 86°57′E  /  28.067°N 86.950°E  / 28.067; 86.950  ( Khartaphu West ) located approximately 2.6 km (1.6 mi) west of Khartaphu (main) with an elevation of 7,018 m (23,025 ft) and

80-577: Is an 800-kilometre (500 mi) scenic route connecting the capital of Tibet, Lhasa , with the Chinese/Nepalese border at the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge between Zhangmu and Kodari . It includes the westernmost part of China National Highway 318 ( Shanghai -Zhangmu) and crosses three passes over 5,000 m (16,400 ft) before dropping to 1,750 m (5,700 ft) at the border. The 2015 earthquakes in

100-816: The Kosi River above Chatra Gorge . The Kama valley lies to the south, at its head being the Kangshung Glacier at the foot of the Kangshung Face of Everest. Kama Chu descends the valley southeast and somewhat parallel with Kharta Chu. Several passes cross north-south between the two valleys, the main ones being Karpo La, Langma La and Shao La. Kharta and Kama lie in the Mahalangur Himal region of Himalaya in Tingri in Xigazê prefecture of

120-419: The Tibet Autonomous Region of China . The region is in what was the traditional Tibetan province of Ü-Tsang . The expedition was initially based at Tingri to the north of Everest from where the northern and western approaches were explored. While the surveyors and climbers carried out this work, the leader of the expedition, Charles Howard-Bury headed back east to find a suitable base for exploration from

140-711: The Tong La (also known as Thong La, Yakri Shung La or Yakrushong La) (5,150 m (16,900 ft)), which marks the water divide between the Bum-Chu / Arun and the ( Matsang Tsangpo / Sun Kosi ) rivers. The Friendship Highway then descends along the Matsang Tsangpo through Nyalam , then more steeply through a canyon to Zhangmu . The road ends at the Friendship Bridge on the China-Nepal border at

160-444: The 1921 expedition. The return is made over Langma La back to Kharta Chu and then, passing through Lhundrubling, heads eastwards to the start. A local guide is essential (required by the authorities except for organised tours) and the journey on foot or yak takes about 10 days. 28°06′00″N 87°10′00″E  /  28.10000°N 87.16667°E  / 28.10000; 87.16667 Khartaphu Khartaphu (also Kardapu )

180-733: The Kama valley. As a young child he lived at Moyun ( Chinese : 木云 ), in the Kharta valley, where his father herded yaks. The herd succumbed to disease, and as a child Tenzing went to Nepal to work for a Sherpa family in Khumbu . The Kharta and Kama valleys are within the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve and provide a quieter area for trekking than Everest Base Camp in the Rongbuk valley. The Kama valley and

200-548: The Kangshung Face tend to be the focus of the treks but the approach is from the Kharta valley which is returned to after a round tour. Many organisations offer trekking holidays and these are often part bookings on a larger organised expedition. A track passable by four-wheeled drives leaves the Friendship Highway at Tingri from where tickets are available for the guarded Nature Preserve. The track leads to

220-607: The Kharta Chu came not from the North Col but from the Lhakpa La. Reaching this col, they found that the only way from there to the North Col was to descend some 1,200 feet to the upper East Rongbuk Glacier and climb back up to the North Col. This climb was achieved by George Mallory , Guy Bullock and Oliver Wheeler on 24 September 1921 but they could get no further and had an arduous return. They found that, compared with

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240-859: The Yarlung Tsangpo valley, the road passes Lhatse and forks just beyond at Chapu, where China National Highway 219 continues west and upriver, finally crossing the Brahmaputra/ Indus divide near sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar , then on to Ali in Gar County . From Chapu near Lhatse, the Friendship Highway maintains the Hwy 318 route number and turns southwest and crosses the main Brahmaputra-Ganges divide at Gyatso La (5,260 m (17,260 ft)),

260-481: The cold barrenness of the Rongbuk valley north of Everest, the Kharta and, even more noticeably, the Kama valleys were warm and verdant. Rhododendron, and scrub birch and juniper cover the valley slopes and willow borders the lower streams. On a practical level they were well afforested with plenty of wood for fuel – at Rongbuk the only fuel had been yak dung. Nepali Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay , one of

280-487: The east of the mountain. Knowing by this time that the North Col was a likely good route, Howard-Bury found the glacial Kharta Chu which he guessed might originate from the North Col. He returned to Tingri and then the whole expedition moved to Kharta. From there various parties explored the Kharta and Kama valleys (see maps) eventually discovering that the Kama Chu came from the unscalable Kangshung Face. It turned out that

300-509: The first two people to climb Everest, said in his autobiography he was born in the Nepalese village of Thame near Namche Bazaar . However, according to some commentators, including Ed Webster and Tenzing's grandson, he was actually born in Tibet at Tse Chu in the Kama valley near Makalu . At the time, his mother had been visiting the monastery of Namdag Lhe Phodang at Ghang La, which is also in

320-570: The highest pass on the road. Descending 1,000 m (3,300 ft) onto alluvial plains of the Bum-Chu, also known as the Arun river in Nepal, the highway passes near Shelkar (New Tingri) then through Old Tingri , both gateways to Rongbuk Monastery and the north side of Mount Everest . Continuing southwest, the highway climbs over Lalung La (5,050 m (16,570 ft)) and crosses shortly after

340-593: The home of the Panchen Lamas . A subsidiary branch crosses the Yarlung Tsangpo at Chushul and crosses the 4,800 m (15,750 ft) high Gampa La, passes along turquoise Yamdrok Yutso lake before crossing the 5,045 m (16,550 ft) high Karo La at the foot of Noijin Kangsang , and following downstream the Nyang Chu valley through Gyantse up to Shigatse. From Shigatse, continuing west parallel to

360-663: The north, converging into the main glacier. Beyond and below the Lhakpa La to the west is the East Rongbuk Glacier , the traditional route for ascending Everest from the north. The glacial river Kharta Chu goes east for the length of the valley and then flows into the Phung Chu at a height of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). The Phung Chu (called the Arun river in Nepal) descends a deep gorge as it cuts through Himalaya to join

380-617: The region closed the highway and caused many evacuations. By 2016, there were some repairs but trading on the route was not restored to pre-quake levels. From Lhasa, the Friendship Highway follows the Kyi Chu river for about 60 km (40 mi) up to the confluence with the Yarlung Tsangpo River at Chushul . The main route continues along the Yarlung valley up to Shigatse , Tibet 's second-largest city and formerly

400-504: The village of Kharta . The trek may either be by backpacking or after hiring yaks at the village A route typically taken (see map) goes up the valley via Yuluk and Yulba and then heads south over Shao La and descends to Kama Chu. The trail ascends the Kama valley with Chomolonzo and Makalu to the south and eventually reaching the Kangshung Glacier to see the Kangshung Face – the glacier has retreated considerably since

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