I was pretty dark on the local authority for not letting me drive to the top of the switchback above the township in #1. Some guy crashed out his car the year before so they banned vehicle access. A real bummer as there is a very important early monastic site (1220 AD) on the ridgetop, it's the highest in the world. It's over 5000m up there, the town of Darchen below lies at 4600m. It has about 55% the atmospheric pressure of sea level. Unlike the centre and east of the country (or Nepal), there is no escaping ultra altitude in West Tibet. Many have died there, more than Mt Everest (by far), some years twenty or more would perish. Now the authorities have used a pulse oximeter to test trekkers. #2 is a great place - Kyirong Valley, at the border with Nepal. Heinrich Harrer said he could easily have spent his final years there. The town is a drab service town, a little Wild West in nature but with character. Hard to complain when you raise your eyes and see this view, with 360 degrees all the same. A magical valley.
