Summary of the 60-Year-Old Ox and Tiger's Tibet Tour (Entering via Southern Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Exiting via Qinghai-Tibet Highway) Part Seven: Tibet Tour Summary
Departure: Beijing;
Date: September 3–21, 2023 (19 days);
Traveling as a couple (61-year-old Ox and 62-year-old Tiger, both born in the 1960s);
Destination: Everest Base Camp.
Total distance: 10,050 kilometers.
Vehicle: Haval H6 2.0T four-wheel drive;
Medications: Gaoyuan'an, glucose, berberine, Ganmao Qingre granules, Yinhuang dripping pills, Suxiao Jiuxin pills, oxygen respirator, etc.;
Documents: ID card, driver's license, vehicle registration, border pass;
Clothing: clothes for all four seasons; bed sheets and thick quilts.
Day 17, September 19: Golmud–Lanzhou, distance 983 km, estimated driving time 11 hours. After breakfast, we set off at 7:30. We took the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, which was smooth. Although the weather was sunny, it was hazy, and the scenery was far inferior to that of the plateau. We had visited Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake five years ago, so we didn't stop along the way. We ate some simple food in the car as lunch. We arrived at Hampton by Hilton Lanzhou at 6 pm. The hotel is located in the city center, not far from Zhongshan Bridge, with a food street nearby offering many local delicacies. Trying authentic Lanzhou pulled noodles is a good choice. We went to see Zhongshan Bridge, a landmark of Lanzhou. It was originally built in 1907 as a wooden bridge. In 1932, the bridge was expanded and modernized with steel structure. It features a unique arch structure, and the bridge body presents a graceful curve. The bridge is 521 meters long and 14 meters wide. Building such a bridge across the Yellow River a hundred years ago was a remarkable achievement. The bridge is now decorated with colorful lights, and the night view is particularly beautiful.
Day 18, September 20: Lanzhou–Taiyuan, distance 985 km, estimated driving time 11 hours.
Day 19, September 21: Taiyuan–Beijing, 480 km, 5.5 hours.
1. How to prevent altitude sickness: On this trip to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we did not follow many guides' advice to have many transition places, such as not resting and transitioning in Kangding before ascending Zheduo Mountain, not transitioning in Rumei Town before ascending Dongda Mountain (5100 m), not transitioning in Tingri before going to Everest Base Camp, and staying in places above 4200 m for two days on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Instead, we went directly from Chengdu (500 m) to the Zheduo Mountain Pass (4298 m), from Batang directly over Dongda Mountain to Basu, and from Shigatse (3860 m) directly to Everest Base Camp (5200 m). First, we took Gaoyuan'an on the day we went up Zheduo Mountain and stayed overnight in Yajiang at 2600 m. When starting to ascend the plateau, you must choose a low-altitude place to stay. 2. When staying above 3500 m, you must choose a room with oxygen enrichment (also called diffuse oxygen supply). 3. Bring an oxygen respirator (oxygen canister), especially for Daocheng Yading; use oxygen when necessary. We did not use glucose, and the other medications were not needed either.
2. Vehicle: We drove a Haval H6 (four-wheel drive, top trim), and the power was completely sufficient. Overtaking was relatively easy on the Nu River 72 Turns. It had some altitude sickness, but as long as you pressed the accelerator firmly, after the turbo engaged, acceleration was fast. On complex roads, its ground clearance was adequate (e.g., on the Zhamo Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway). It is recommended to drive a vehicle with a high power-to-weight ratio when going to Tibet; otherwise, overtaking is difficult and you may get stuck on the road, causing trouble for yourself and others. There are many gas stations, but when the tank is half or two-fifths full, pay attention to refueling. Currently, both Sinopec and private gas stations have decent fuel quality. We refueled at private stations in Bomi and Yanshiping without any issues.
3. Road conditions: On this trip, we basically encountered no traffic jams on G318's Heavenly Road Eighteen Bends and Nu River 72 Turns. This is because congestion on G318 is mainly caused by road construction. Heavy trucks seriously damage the road surface, as workers repair the road every day while large trucks destroy it every day. Therefore, our strategy was to set off early and try to pass through construction sections before the workers started traffic control. They usually start work at 8:30. Traffic jams on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway are also mainly due to road construction. If you drive a vehicle with high ground clearance, you can go off the road to get through congested sections. Between Amdo and Kunlun Mountain Pass on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, the road is bumpy, so pay attention to the road surface and control your speed. The road surface was generally okay; we did not encounter flat tires or punctures from sharp objects, so the tire-changing tools were not used.
4. Accommodation: It is best to bring quilts or sleeping bags, as the conditions at guesthouses may not be very good, and you might need them.
5. September is arguably the best season to visit Tibet. The main scenic spots are very beautiful in September. We were fortunate to see the rare sight of sunlight on Mount Namjagbarwa and the summit of Mount Everest. Yamdrok Lake was extremely beautiful. Of course, Rawok Lake and the glaciers are better to visit in May. You must pay attention to the weather forecast; sunny days offer the most beautiful scenery. Although we encountered snow, we did not need the snow chains, but it is recommended to bring snow chains just in case.
In short, altitude sickness is not something to fear. It is entirely possible to travel to Tibet with ease and pursue the most beautiful scenery of our motherland.
