The Golok Tibetan people live in some of the wildest and most magnificent lands in all the Tibetan Plateau. In this in-depth overland tour we start and finish in Xining, the gateway to the Tibetan Plateau. On this tour you will come up close with one of the last truly wild and nomadic places on the earth which hold the headwaters of the Yellow River, China’s second longest river.
The Yellow River, with a total length of over 5400kms /3400 miles, starts in a remote and desolate open plateau that offers lots of chances to view unique wildlife like Tibetan antelope, Tibetan Wild Ass, Black-Necked Cranes, and the rare and elusive Tibetan fox. From it’s source to its winding banks along the Tibetan Plateau, the entire Yellow River area is stunning. It offers everything from high snow-capped mountains to grasslands filled with yaks to farmlands. The Tibetan culture in this area is some of the best preserved in all of Tibet.
The Golok tribe is located in the Golog Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (མག་ལག་བོད་རིགས་རང་ ོང་uལ་) which is located in southeastern Qinghai province, in the Amdo region of Tibet. Most of the Golok people are nomadic with many of them living in traditional style Tibetan tents woven from coarse yak hair. A good portion of Golog is well above 4000m / 13,120 feet, but we will acclimate slowly to this altitude following the Yellow River to its source from China’s largest salt lake, Qinghai Lake. Golok is famous across the Tibetan Plateau as being the home of Amnye Machen, one of the 4 main holy mountains of Tibet. Each year, thousands of pilgrims make their way to Amnye Machen, Qinghai’s tallest mountain at 6282m / 20,605 feet.
Every turn is full of surprises as we trek mountains, explore monasteries, and discover cultural highlights while we make our way to and from the edge of both the Yellow and the Yangtze River. This trip is for those who want to experience fullness of the food, traditions, and culture in Tibet’s remote villages and the beauty and diversity of some of Qinghai’s biggest and most ornate monasteries, tucked away in stunning mountain scenery that has ever seen few, if no, western tourists.
Our exploration of ecotourism in Yushu will start in Yushu 玉树 town, the capital of Yushu Prefecture. This is the base camp area for most excursions into Sanjiangyuan or the Source of Three Rivers National Park. Yushu prefecture contains the headwaters of 3 of Asia’s longest rivers. The Yangtze River(known in Tibetan as Dri Chu འབྲི་ཆུ་), the Yellow River (known in Tibetan as Ma Chu རྨ་ཆུ་) and the Mekong River (known in Tibetan as Dza Chu རྫ་ཆུ་) all have their headwaters in this area of southwest Qinghai Province. Most of Yushu prefecture is comprised of high altitude grasslands and barren mountains seated at elevations between 4000 meters to 4800 meters. Yak herding is still the most important way of life for the Tibetans in this area because few vegetables grow here. There are a few crops grown here. Farming of high altitude barley, potatoes, and wheat is found in the fertile valleys in and around the Jyekundo Valley. Yushu has one of the highest percentages of Tibetan people anywhere on the Tibetan Plateau and has some of the best preserved Tibetan culture remaining. We will get a chance to walk and talk with nomads to learn from their wisdom on how to work with, and not against, this unique high altitude ecosystem.
Join us as we travel mindfully and responsibly in a small group with local experienced guides to discover the true heart of the Tibetan nomad in some of the last wild places in the world. In this tour we will visit 2 zero-waste villages that have come together as an community to provide sustainable and authentic experiences for both locals and guests. We will use these villages as a base camp to learn about their work in conservation in Sangjiangyuan, also known as the Three Rivers National Park. This is an ecologically important area full of incredible wildlife and a large focus of our tour is partnering with organizations who are are working to protect and preserve this incredible treasure at the heart of the Three Rivers region, also known as the “water tower” of Asia. We will engage educational workshops and interviews with the people who are at the frontlines of the work in environmental protection for this unique high altitude ecology.
We will get to experience the beauty and wonder of this vast landscape as we work with an ecotourism collective to take a horse ride in these areas and to experience the traditional craft of weaving a black yak hair tent. In a world of big factories and malls that all sell the same brands, we will slow down to see the more reflective and ancient rhythms and traditions of the nomad living in harmony with the land. In an effort to regain a simpler mindset we will visit a 600 year old stone village and visit locally Tibetan owned handicraft and clothing businesses that are working with yak and sheep wool to produce ethical and environmentally aware products.
So strap on your boots and get ready to be immersed in a beautiful culture. This is not just another tourist destination with a chance to take a selfie. This a chance to be part of the work to preserve the precious natural resources we have been given in western China and Qinghai Province for future generations.
