Cross the Changtang

By David DeVoss

Few people have trekked the vast Changtang Plateau in western Tibet's remote Naktsang—the world's highest plateau, sometimes referred to as the planet's "most difficult place to reach." Difficult is an understatement. It takes more than a month to cross the Nyenchen Tanglha Range and hike around the area's Lake Dangra. The climate here is severe, to say the least, and storms can develop quickly. But your efforts will be rewarded, as the gorge country you pass through is stupendous. A number of monasteries near the lake offer shelter, as do several sacred caves. Prayer flags and huts used by ascetics mark trails that are still used by yak caravans.

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