Sunday, November 30, 2014

Qinghai-Tibet Railway

It is one of the great rail journeys of the modern world. The QingZang Railway, as it is called (Qing refers to Qinghai province in China, while Zang refers to Tibet), connected remote Tibet to China. The last section from Golmud to Lhasa was only completed in end-2005, and it was hailed as one of the major engineering marvels of China.

I did not quite take this train journey for the engineering feat though. Some of the reasons for the difficulty of building this railway is that altitudes at this part of the world exceeds 4000m and majority of the rail track would be on permafrost! But with such conditions, the scenery and landscapes along the way are also super fabulous, and I had wanted to see such remote landscapes.

There are already alot of information on the internet regarding the QingZang Railway, but whichever you choose, do note that train schedules may change. Note also that there are a number of trains that cover this rail journey, with different starting points, so note the various train numbers and the time of your point of embarkation. However, if you are trying to take a train from eg. Xining, and want to get the tickets for the train that originate from Beijing (but will stop at Xining too since all the trains that go to Lhasa will stop by Xining), the tickets are harder to get. There is, however, a train that originate from Xining (K9801). It is this train that I took (which starts at 14:55), and unfortunately, it is NOT the best of timings as I was to find out.

As described by many Tibet tour sites, the QingZang Railway is the world's highest railway, and will pass through the world's highest rail station (5068m) near Tanggula Pass. However, this Xining-Lhasa train (K9801) passes through this pass in the wee hours of the morning, and so we can't see anything of the pass nor the station! (And there's supposed to be a viewing platform on this station!) So for those who specifically want to see/take photos of this, you would have to either take the Lhasa-Xining train, or one of the trains that leaves Xining in the evening.

Nevertheless, the landscapes along the way is still stupendous. And I'm glad I am able to finally ride the QingZang Railway.

Tourists glued to the train window
Meals in the dining car were actually pretty good (though expensive)
Phenomenal landscapes along the QingZang Railway

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Helambu Trek, Nepal

Nepal is one of the top trekking places in the world, with the famous Annapurna Himalayan range as one of its most popular and most visited backdrop. Treks range from 3-18 days, so there is one to fit most people's schedule and fitness. And this is only one part of Nepal!

I've decided to try a less touristy trek, and I have 6 days. So I opted for the Helambu trek, which is part of a bigger Langtang-Gosainkunda-Helambu trek. The Langtang region is also a beautiful trekking region, and Helambu is south of the mountain range. Here's some feedback regarding this trek.

One of the plus points of this trek is its accessibility from Kathmandu. Trekkers to the Annapurna region would have to get to Pokhara, which is either a 7-8hr bus ride or a flight. The Helambu trailhead, on the other hand, is just an hour bus ride away from Kathmandu! At the end of the trek at Melamchi Puul Bazaar, it is also just a 4hr bus back to Kathmandu.

The highlight of the trek is the 3rd day/night at Therapati (3600m). So essentially, the first 2 days of the trek is the ascent to reach Therapati (from 1500m), and the 4th+5th day is the descent. The thing I didn't like about the trek is that most of the ascent (and descent) is all "bunched up". Especially the 4th day after Therapati, it was a continuous 4-hr steep descent which is a sure recipe for feet blisters and damaged knees.

The scenary during the trek is mostly of terraced fields and villages against the mountainous backdrop of the Langtang Himal, Jugal Himal range etc. So expect plenty of greenery. However, my first 2 days of the trek was marked by heavy mists and clouds, which is not common at this time of the year (Oct). So even though at Chisopani (first night), famous for its sunrise views and popular for weekend trips by the locals, I didn't quite get to see a good sunrise. Luckily, when I arrived in Therapati, the weather turned for the better, and it was a spectacular highlight. The lodge/guesthouse was set amidst a spectacular backdrop of mountains, and the setting was picture-perfect. Add to it a beautiful sunset, and an equally enchanting sunrise the next morning, it certainly washed away any negativity of the previous days.

At the end of the day, I had mixed feelings for the trek. If not for the wonderful highlight at Therapati, I would not have enjoyed the trek as much, the main gripe being the long continuous steep ascent/descent on the trek. I also didn't get good weather for half the trip but weather is not something anyone can control.

So for those wanting to experience a short less touristy trek, as opposed to something immensely popular like the Poon Hill trek, this is something to consider.

Terraced fields with snowcapped mountains as backdrop
Contrast of the fertile land and bare snowy mountains
Alpenglow on the Jugal Himal range at Therapati

Sunset in Therapati - High in the clouds
Guesthouse in the mountains (Therapati, 3600m)
Misty atmospheric post-sunrise at Therapati

Village life - one of the key aspects of the trek in Helambu