April 9, 2008

Asia, Himalayas | China | Tibet

High Time for Tibet

By Mark Jolly

Rise above the clouds of controversy — on the world's highest trek.

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Controversy over the Beijing Olympics and China’s human rights record is not about to abate anytime soon — but restrictions on travel to Tibet are. Since March 16, the “autonomous region” has been closed to tourists in the wake of riots there. And today, the flames of contention are expected to be fanned further still with widescale protests during the Olympic torch relay through San Francisco (following clashes in London and Paris, where the “journey of harmony” turned out to be anything but). Yet, in the midst of China’s public relations embarrassment, its government plans to reopen the “roof of the world” to tourists starting May 1.

Now under a constant media glare, Tibet is on a fast track to becoming the next Nepal – that is, morphing from near-mythical backcountry to must-do destination to overheated tourist hub. Visitors to the former home of the Dalai Lama reached a record four million last year — a 60 percent increase on 2006 and the first time the number of arrivals outstripped the local population (of 2.8 million).

Just as well then that Wilderness Travel  – whose World’s Highest Trek starts May 18 — is dedicated to eco-sensitive, small-scale trips (special attention is paid to leaving camps cleaner than they were found, and the maximum group number is 12). The 30-day expedition, ranked as WT’s most strenuous, starts in Nepal and finishes in Tibet, 21,000 feet up the fabled North Face of Everest. Group leader and Tibet authority Gary McCue touts the journey as “the ultimate adventure challenge for trekkers.” With fresh-ground coffee, gourmet meals and private shower tents, you can expect the trimmings to be equally supreme.