Day 1 : In Shigatse
Day 2 : It is only a short drive from Shigatse to Shalu to begin this trek. Leaving Shalu village pass the Ri-puk hermitage on a nearby hillside as you head towards the Showa-La (4150m). Both the ascent and descent from the pass are through eroded waterless ravines. From the top of the pass tomorrow's pass, the Char-La can be seen. Passing through the fields and villages of Manitinga and Lower Lungsang head into the woods around Upper Lungsang.
Day 3 : The terrain again becomes rugged and dry as you ascend to the Char-La (4510m) from where mountain ranges stretch across the horizon and Ngor monastery is visible below. Ngor was founded by a Sakya master in 1429, establishing a sub-order with a distinctive school of Buddhist thought.
Day 4 : Continue the trek down the valley through small villages, crossing the Friendship Highway to the once great Narthang Monastery. Although the outer walls still stand, within only a few structures stand amid a maze of ruins. Historically it was one of the three great printing centers for religious texts in Tibet, however it suffered almost total devastation during the Cultural Revolution and only a fraction of the wooden printing blocks survive. It is only a short drive back to Shigatse.
