Nyalam Tong La

Nyalam Tong La
Yakrushong La, Yarle Sung La
Shishapangma from Nyalam Tong La
Elevation	5,200 meters
Location
Location	Tibet Autonomous Region    Xigazê Prefecture       Nyalam County
Range	Labuche Himal, Jugal Himal
Coordinates	28°31′N 86°10′E / 28.517°N 86.167°E / 28.517; 86.167Coordinates: 28°31′N 86°10′E / 28.517°N 86.167°E / 28.517; 86.167

Nyalam Tong La -- also called Yakrushong La or Yarle Sung La -- is a pass on the Matsung Tsangpo-Phung Chhu watershed divide where the Kathmandu-Lhasa Friendship Highway crosses at 5,200 meters elevation. About 11km north, Friendship Highway crosses another pass Lalung La (5,214 meters) which is not a significant watershed divide.^[1]

From the Matsang Tsangpo-Phung Chhu divide, the Matsang flows directly south into Nepal where its name changes to Sun Kosi. North of the divide Men Chhu flows northeast into the Phung Chhu (or Bum Chhu in Tibetan; Peng Qu in Chinese) which flows east to 87d40'E where it combines with other streams and turns south to cut a deep valley between the Mahalangur (Mount Everest) and Kanchenjunga sections of the Himalaya. As it crosses into Nepal its name changes to Arun.^[2] Sun Kosi and Arun are counted among the Kosi River's seven notable Himalayan tributaries.

Nyalam Tong La also separates the Jugal and Labuche sections of the Himalaya. The Jugal section to the west includes 8,013 meter Shishapangma while the less famous Labuche (or Lapche) section to the east includes 7,367 meter Labuche Kang.[1]

References

1. ^ *Gyurme Dorje (1999). Tibet Handbook. Bath, England: Footprint Handbooks. p. 304. http://books.google.com/books?id=xul-VmZBUKoC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved May 27, 2011. 
2. ^ *Kattelmann, Richard (1990). "Hydrology and development of the Arun River, Nepal". Proceedings of two Lausanne Symposia, August 1990, IAHS publ. no. 193. International Association of Hydrological Sciences. pp. 778. http://iahs.info/redbooks/a193/iahs_193_0777.pdf. Retrieved May 27, 2011.