Day 8 Laurebina Yak to Syabru
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Day 8 Laurebina Yak to Syabru |
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Descend past the lower hotel. At the beginning of the tree line, pass through a forest of stunted rhododendron and conifer trees. During April and May the rhododendrons flower, colouring the forest red and white. You will soon arrive at Cholang Patti, a thriving little group of tea shops (30 minutes). [28°06.02’N 85°22.39’E 3,496 metres]. There are two impressive lodges with glass picture windows:
One of them has a novel picnic table outside with a tree growing through the middle. There is a choice of route at this point. The route described here takes the short cut route following the sign to Tholo Syabru which is erected 20 metres outside of Cholang Patti. This path drops from the ridge towards the right (east) down a steep path. The alternative is the broad level path to Sing Gompa along the ridge. Start down the steep loose small track that winds through the forest. Emerge from the forest at a small hut at 3,250 metres (45 minutes). [28°06.18’N 85°22.42’E]. Arrive at a yak herder’s hut at 3,150 metres (50 minutes). The wildlife, particularly the birds, around this hut is amazingly tame. Lower down, re-enter the forest (50 minutes). Pass a chorten with prayer flags and images of 3 Buddhas ( 1 hour minutes). Below you can see Syabru in the distance. Continue down. Cross a stream (1 hour 15 minutes) and follow a level clay path. Arrive at yet another yak herder’s hut, [28°07.03’N 85°21.98’E 2,965 metres] by a stream that has a table and benches, but no one was at home when I was there. The large tree by the hut looks as if it has been used for target practice! It feels like a scene from a Grimm’s fairy tale. Cross streams and arrive below some fields and a small hut.(1 hour 40 minutes) [28°07.27’N 85°21.76’E 2,919 metres]. Continue down through the dank green mossy forest, past many fallen gigantic trees. It’s sad that the trees have been felled, but strange that the timber has not been used. |
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Pass a house and then fields (2 hours). Walk through the fields - the path twists and turns, often dropping down unexpectedly to the right to the next terrace down. Route finding can be quite challenging! Ask the locals if in doubt. Soon the Tamang village of Syabru comes into view below (2 hours 40 minutes). Join the path from Sing Gompa and descend steeply to Syabru at 2,350 metres, past the abandoned trekking permit office. ( 2 hours 55 minutes). 
Old Syabru - the concrete hotels are at either end of the village Syabru has 19 hotels, too many to list here. In 1999 four of them had solar showers. Top tip - wash your socks when you have your hot shower! The village stretches out along the crest of the ridge. There are excellent views of the Ganesh Himal range. The large peak is Ganesh I 7,429 metres, first climbed by the face you can see in 1955 by a Franco-Swiss expedition. 
A Syabru home - complete with goats
The view of Ganesh Himal from Syabru At Syabru, a huge new Gompa was nearing construction in October 1999. It’s a Buddhist Nyingma Pa ‘Red Hat’ Gompa, as evidenced by the central statue of Padma Sampa. Padma Sampa was the mysterious Buddhist guru invited to Tibet by King Thi Srong Detsan in 747 AD. Padma Sampa established Buddhism in Tibet. He is known as the ‘lotus born’ Buddha. You may have heard of the Tibetan Buddhist chant ‘Om mani Padme Hum’ - ‘Hail to the jewel in the lotus flower’. It is Padma Sampa who is the jewel in the lotus flower, for as a young boy he was discovered sitting in a large lotus flower. Created May 2000 - copyright Ian Johnson Last updated 28 October 2000 - Laurebina Yak longtitude correction |
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