Nangpa La

Nangpa La
Nangpa La
Traditional Chinese	囊帕拉山口
Simplified Chinese	囊帕拉山口
Transcriptions
Transcriptions

Nangpa La
(Khumbu La)
Nangpa La ; (Khumbu La)
	Traveling caravan crossing the Nangpa La. The Lunag Ri is in the background.
Elevation	5,716 m (18,753 ft)
Location	Nepal (Khumjung) – China (Tibet)
Range	Himalayas
Coordinates	28°06′28″N 86°35′17″E / 28.10778°N 86.58806°E
	Nangpa La ; (Khumbu La) Nangpa La ; (Khumbu La)

Nangpa La (Chinese: 囊帕拉山口 also known as Chinese: 朗喀巴山口) (el. 5,806 m or 19,050 ft) is a high mountain pass crossing the Himalayas and the Nepal-Tibet Autonomous Region border a few kilometres west of Cho Oyu and some 30 km (20 mi) northwest of Mount Everest.^[1] A foot-trail over Nangpa La is the traditional trade and pilgrimage route connecting Tibetans and Sherpas of Khumbu and its historical name was Khumbu La. This was the location of the 2006 Nangpa La shootings.

Background

From this pass the Mahalangur section of the Himalaya extend east past Cho Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Ama Dablam and Makalu to the gorge of the Arun River. The Rolwaling Himalayas including Gauri Sankar and Melungtse rise west and southwest of the pass.

In 1951 Dane Klaus Becker-Larsen and two Sherpas attempted the North Col, but turned back because of rockfall. He had minimal equipment and no mountaineering experience. He may have been the first Westener to reach Nangpa La.^[2]

The 1952 British Cho Oyu expedition led by Eric Shipton established a base at Lunak below the Nangpa La Pass. Shipton wanted to avoid any clashes with Chinese troops, but eventually agreed to a camp just short of the Nangpa La, and to send a party to attempt the first crossing of the Nup La pass which could be quickly withdrawn if Chinese troops were sighted. But Ed Hillary, George Lowe and three Sherpas crossed the Nup La col and then went "deep into Chinese territory" like "a couple of naughty schoolboys".^[3]

In 2006, Chinese border guards of the People's Armed Police (PAP) opened fire on 75 unarmed Tibetan refugees as they traversed waist-deep snow in the Nangpa La shooting incident, killing 17-year-old Buddhist nun Kelsang Namtso and leading to the disappearance of a further 17 refugees. Despite an attempted Chinese coverup, several foreign climbers at base camps on Cho Oyu managed to video and photograph the situation as it unfolded and the events drew widespread international condemnation when shown to the outside world.^[4]^[5]^[6]

References

^ Encyclopædia Britannica. "Nangpa-La (pass, Asia)". Retrieved 2009-06-30.
^ "Time line". EverestHistory.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
^ *Lowe, George (2013). The Conquest of Everest: Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 65, 212. ISBN 978-0500544235.
^ Jonathan Green. Murder in the High Himalaya. 2010. ISBN 978-1-58648-714-0
^ China draws a veil across the mountains The Guardian 27 October 2006
^ Death on Tibetans' long walk to freedom The Guardian 30 October 2006

External links

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica. "Nangpa-La (pass, Asia)". Retrieved 2009-06-30.

[ehtimeline-2] "Time line". EverestHistory.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-25.

[3] *Lowe, George (2013). The Conquest of Everest: Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 65, 212. ISBN 978-0500544235.

[green-4] Jonathan Green. Murder in the High Himalaya. 2010. ISBN 978-1-58648-714-0

[5] China draws a veil across the mountains The Guardian 27 October 2006

[g2-6] Death on Tibetans' long walk to freedom The Guardian 30 October 2006

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Mount Everest
Topography and landmarks	Base Camp Geneva Spur Hillary Step Hornbein Couloir Kangshung Face (East Face) Kangshung Glacier Khumbu Glacier Khumbu Icefall Lhakpa La Lho La North Col North Face Norton Couloir Rongbuk Glacier South Col South Summit Three Pinnacles Three Steps "Green Boots cave" Western Cwm
Expeditions	1921 British reconnaissance 1922 British 1924 British (Affair of the Dancing Lamas) 1933 British aerial reconnaissance 1933 British 1935 British 1936 British 1938 British 1950–52 British–Swiss–US reconnaissance 1951 British 1952 Swiss 1953 British 1960 Chinese 1963 American 1975 British SW Face 1976 British–Nepalese SW Face 1979 Yugoslav West Ridge 1996 Indo-Tibetan Border Police 2006 Philippine 2007 Altitude Everest expedition Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition
Notable fatalities	Francys Arsentiev (Sleeping Beauty) Peter Boardman Green Boots Sandy Irvine George Mallory Hannelore Schmatz David Sharp Joe Tasker
Committees	Joint Himalayan Committee Mount Everest Committee
In media	Beyond the Edge The Climb (book) The Climb (2007 film) The Epic of Everest Everest (1998 film) Everest (2015 film) Everest (Indian TV series) Everest '82 Everest: Beyond the Limit EverestMax Expedition Everest (roller coaster) Into Thin Air The Man Who Skied Down Everest Mount Everest webcam Paths of Glory Peak The Conquest of Everest The Wildest Dream Wings Over Everest
Years	1970 disaster 1974 avalanche 1988 disaster 1996 disaster 2012 2013 2014 avalanche 2015 avalanches 2016 2017 2018
Mount Everest massif	Khumbutse Lhotse Lingtren Nuptse Pumori
Records	Times to the summit 20th-century summiters
Mountain guides	List of Mount Everest guides Sherpas

v t e China–Nepal border crossings
Official	Zhangmu–Kodari (Friendship Bridge) Gyirong–Rasuwa Gadhi Burang–Hilsa, Humla Zhongba–Lo Manthang (Korala)
Local Trade	Kimathanka–Chentang Olangchung Gola–Ri'og (Tipta La)
Traditional	Nangpa La

Background

See also

References

External links