sichuan-tibet via dege

Hi all, in august i'm planning on getting into tibet via the bridge near Dege (the Buddist printing town) in far western Sichuan, and then onto 'Chomdo' in east tibet, then the road to 'Nagqu' which is on the Lhasa-gulmud road.
I have hitched the few hundred K's out to Dege from Kanding before now and found it absolutly no problen getting a lift with trucks and finding cheap accomadation anywhere.

What i'd like to know is if there is a checkpoint at the actual bridge 30 k's down the road from Dege or anywhere between there and Chomdo, and whether i could walk past it in the early morning without to much problem so as to get a lift on the other side?,
also what are the chances of hitching in tibet proper compared to western sichuan?
And what is the road like from chamdo to Nagqu (pretty clear in the map on the LP tibet guide but no mention of it in the text)
Plan B is to buy a 2nd hand moterbike and ride it there, any learned comment on the doability on this?

if anyone has some firsthand knowledge that could answer any of the above i'd be mightily appriciative
Thanks Rob

Keep in mind that you are supposed to have 4 seperate permits for this region and by with a 4WD and guide. Because of the recent actions by a group of Americans at Mt Everest, the consequences of being caught illegally in this very sensitive region of Tibet are much stiffer than in the past. Be prepared to pay the consequences if you are caught.

There is a checkpoint at the bridge over the Dri Chu (Yangtze River) just past Dege. This checkpoint will be the main one to avoid. The officers who man this post know to be on the lookout for foreigners. The best time to pass through it is in the night time. They often don't check the vehicles that pass through during the night, or if they do check them it isn't very thorough.

There is another checkpoint as you come into Jomda (small town about 55km west of Dege). This checkpoint was manned the last time I went through it, but I have heard from others in the past who said no one was there. Because of increased security across the Tibet Autonomous Region I would not be suprised if this station was manned more often. There is another checkpoint just as you come into Chamdo. There usually are people at this station.

Finding a hotel in Chamdo that will accept you without all your permits will be difficult. You can probably find one somewhere, but it won't be easy. Not a lot of foreigners make it out to Chamdo or Jomda. You will have to keep a low profile to avoid being caught. I spent about 6 hours at the Chamdo police station a few years back and it was NOT a fun experience.

many thanks for the advice Losang, i might now skip plan A
Plan C is to go north-west at marnigango (the town before dege) and enter tibet proper from a small road in quinghi province, north of chomdo, that hits the chomdo - nagqu road somewhere west of chomdo, thus avoiding the 3 above mentioned checkpoints, again the road is on the map but i know nothing about it, any advice again welcome,
.
also why is this particular part of tibet sensitive? its a long way from everest.

I have traveled the route from Nangchen to Riwoche (west of Chamdo). The road is in VERY BAD condition and sees very little traffic. If it has rained the road will be impossible to take. From Nangchen to Riwoche is only 245km, but the last time I took it, it took me around 15 hours. You will also have to be cautious in Riwoche and in all of the towns between Dege and Nagchu. Most of this region requires multiple permits. Very few foreigners travel through here so you will have to keep a low profile everywhere you go. Once you get to Nagchu, you should be fine.

many thanks again Losang, looks like i'll either do Plan B and get a moterbike, or Plan D and join an organised tour, i'll PM you about that closer to the time, many thanks again..

P.S what do you think about the motorbike idea?, seems plenty of push bicycleists make it through east tibet, and, apart from the fine line of the law, its not impossible to buy one of those old red motorbikes.

i am sorta discouraged with the permit situation. I cant afford 4wd and a guide, but i wish to goto riwoche and stay there for a few days. How difficuilt is that. then i wish to go to chamdo-south to bangdha and then west to lhasa.

What is my best best here. Bus? Ride? or as dbrother mentioned buy a motorbike.

One other thing, i plan to photograph extensively, i will have my lenses and a tripod. Is that too much attraction to be noticed in this vast land?