Tibetan Holy Lakes
ALTITUDE – 4400-4718m/14435-15479ft
Overview
Nam Tso lake
Yam Drok Tso Lake
Lake Manasarovar
Weather
Access
Associated Locations
Overview
These three lakes have huge significance to the Tibetan people, and are considered the three Holy Lakes of Tibet. Two of them, Nam Tso and Yan Drok Tso are day trips from Lhasa or as part of longer journeys, while the third, Manasarovar is a long way west, and best combined with a trip to Mount Kailash.
Nam Tso Lake
This huge salt water lake lies about 112km NNW of Lhasa and is at an altitude of 4718m/15479ft. There are two very distinctive features to it; a huge rock bedecked in prayer flags next to the Tashi Dor Monastery, and a strange low hill rising from the featureless plains around the lake. The nearest adjective I can find is Uluru-like.
Getting there is a pleasant drive, but due to speed restrictions on the main road can take around 4 hours each way. So, its a long day out from Lhasa. The brave, super-keen or foolish will attempt to get there for sunrise, but braving the journey in the small hours and the bitter cold of a pre dawn Tibet is not to be undertaken lightly.
It is possible to spend the night in the Tibetan camp there, but again, due to the extreme altitude, this can only be attempted by those who have been in Tibet for some time and have fully acclimatised. For new arrivals, it is still possible to do the day trip, as gaining the altitude and descending again to Lhasa to sleep can actually aid the acclimatisation process. There is a mantra of Go High, Sleep Low.
The journey would only be recommended during the months of April-November, as the roads get treacherous with snow in mid winter and the conditions too extreme.
Yam Drok Tso Lake
Another giant of a lake, this time fresh water, covering 638 square kilometers, and lying at an altitude of 4400m/14435ft. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains, and is an excellent day trip from Lhasa, appearing to be less strenuous than te trip to Nam Tso, or it can be traversed on the journey south if heading that way towards the Everest Region.
The area is quiet and underpopulated, and gives a great insight into traditional rural Tibetan life.
Lake Manasarovar
This lake is the highest body of fresh water in the world, and to get there is a long drive west across the Tibetan Plateau. 800km/500 miles of it.
This huge fresh water lake lies at 4556m/14947ft under the shadow of Mount Namunani (7694m/25242ft). Another lake of profound significance to the Tibetan people and along with the nearby Mount Kailash, the subject of devout worship.
I had the coldest windiest night of my life camped by this lake.
Weather
Extreme high altitude weather can be experienced on any day of the year. All three lakes are high and even in the finest weather, cold or hypothermia could set in easily. A factor of the plateau is the wind, which builds as the day matures. Harsh dry conditions are typical, but the suffering is part of the experience.
Access
All three lakes are only accessible by road, as covered in the individual sections above. For most, the experience of simply travelling in Tibet to these remote lakes is an event in itself. For those people who follow the Buddhist faith, the trip can mean so much more.
