The 7 Greatest Treks in Tibet – Exploring the Roof of the World
The Tibetan Plateau occupies an area four times the size of France and with an average elevation over 4,500m (14,800 ft) is often referred to as the “Roof of the World” or the “Third Pole” in reference to the number of glaciers and volume of ice that lies within the Himalayas. The great treks of Tibet approach the peaks of the Himalayas from the north and give a different perspective then the treks in Nepal and India which approaches from the south. The weather of Tibet is much drier and colder than conditions in Nepal and India both due to the elevation and the fact that the Himalayas block tropical monsoon moisture from reaching this far north. Strong solar forcing across the plateau in the summer and exceptionally cold winter temperatures are thought to amplify monsoon patterns across southeast Asia and before the uplift of the plateau the monsoon was likely much more moderate then it is today. The Himalayas make up the southern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau and geologists estimate that uplift of the plateau began about 20 million years ago as mantle material flowed towards a low pressure area away from the Himalayas. Tibet might be a […]
