But is the Nepal / China Tibet border even open for vehicle crossing (non trade) ?? Various posts on the HUBB say no, but they date back 5 plus years and there was all that China Tibet violence back then. Also maybe the no they give is 'no because its too expensive to have a guide' rather than actually no.
TIC = This Is China! and as always the motherland works in mysterious ways and permits can be obtained with the right contacts.
Tibet travel is open again to groups and individual travellers from within ML China since April 2013.
Some of my mates (western foreigners) going from Kashgar to Lhasa via a few high altitude mountain ranges with 4x4's for three weeks as of middle of this month.
Quite sure they have a few stories to tell and pics to show.....
Have been riding big import bikes extensively (alone or with mates as a group) around the whole Tibetan region (Mt.Kailash, just not yet) and to be honest, never used or had guides involved (Tibet travel permits were always easily obtained through our long time reliable air ticket / travel agent in Shanghai). Now, bear in mind please, my / our Tibet trips were all done with China registered bikes and started either from Chengdu (Sichuan), Lhasa (Tibet) or Lanzhou (Qinghai).