The Route: Mostly flat, windy and monotonous. Some higher passes, but the climbs are gradual and short. Relatively high altitude all the way. According to local sources, the prevailing winds are southerlies/SSE'ers, which can be important to take into account when planning. Usually calm mornings and increasing force during the day. The afternoons usually very windy, gale force winds most days. Easy to find food, fuel and water, even if most maps shows more settlements than reality. Good asphalt all the way, with the exception of the last 85km before Lhasa (road construction - probably ok soon). The nature is barren, desolate and mostly quite monotonous, sometimes distant mountain ranges in the horizon.
Location | Km from Golmud | Altitude. | Comment |
Golmud | 0 | 2795 | |
X | 25 | 2995 | |
CP, Shops, rest. | 35 | 3075 | |
Gas stations | 40 | 3130 | |
RM 2800 GS, Shops | 64 | 3265 | |
Naij Tai | 92 | 3500 | |
Temple, good camp at river. | 113 | 3660 | |
Rest, Gas, Shops for 3km | 129 | 4180 | Cal. +185m |
X | 141 | 4355 | |
RCC | 152 | 4560 | |
Kunlun Pass, Flat, steeper last 5km | 164 | 4850 | |
RCC | 174 | 4725 | |
Budongquan, TO to Yushu | 186 | 4690 | |
HP | 189 | 4735 | |
RCC | 215 | 4635 | |
Settlement | 233 | 4625 | |
Bridge | 254 | 4700 | |
RCC | 263 | 4730 | |
Wudaoliang Everything | 279 | 4750 | |
Pass, flat | 292 | 4875 | |
LP | 316 | 4780 | |
RCC | 325 | 4720 | |
Fenghuo Pass | 351 | 5080 | |
Rest, shops, GH | 365 | 4825 | |
LP | 393 | 4690 | |
Minipass | 406 | 4780 | |
Abb, settlement | 418 | 4670 | |
City, everything. | 431 | 4650 | |
RCC | 446 | 4775 | |
Minipass | 451 | 4850 | |
LP | 475 | 4690 | |
RCC | 476 | 4710 | |
Rest. Hotel | 513 | 4780 | |
Tibetan slumtown | 526 | 4855 | |
RCC | 548 | 4920 | |
Settlement, rest. | 551 | 4935 | |
Settlement | 579 | 4950 | |
X | 604 | 5145 | |
Settlement | 608 | 5155 | |
Many U/D to pass | 617 | 5330 | |
Tanggula Pass | 627 | 5365 | |
RCC | 637 | 5190 | |
LP | 650 | 5115 | |
Pass | 668 | 5320 | |
Amdo | 717 | 4825 | |
Start Climb | 726 | 4740 | |
Pass | 732 | 4990 | |
Settlement, nothing | 757 | 4790 | |
Settlement, nothing | 760 | 4730 | |
HP | 779 | 4915 | |
Settlement, RCC, rest (shop) | 801 | 4725 | |
Bridge, LP | 806 | 4635 | |
Settlement, nothing | 823 | 4565 | |
HP | 836 | 4675 | |
Nagqu (center) | 856 | 4535 | |
Bridge | 866 | 4540 | |
RCC, settlement | 883 | 4580 | |
Bridge, Climb start | 905 | 4630 | |
RCC | 925 | 4760 | |
HP | 938 | 4850 | |
Goukou | 953 | 4785 | |
Bridge, LP | 968 | 4645 | |
Climb start | 981 | 4660 | |
Pass | 984 | 4760 | |
X | 1016 | 4420 | |
Damxung | 1028 | 4395 | |
CP, TO, LP | 1047 | 4330 | |
Pass | 1079 | 4695 | |
HP | 1086 | 4715 | |
Xangbajain, TO, to Suge Pass | 1106 | 4415 | Road contruction a.t.w. to Lhasa |
X | 1131 | 4160 | |
Lhasa | 1198 | 3800 |