Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the plus side, although Tibet has some of the highest-altitude roads in the world (be
aware that official pass altitudes are often off by hundreds of meters), gradients are usually
quite manageable. The Tibetan roads are designed for low-powered Chinese trucks, which
tackle the many high passes of the region via its low-gradient switchback roads. And apart
from the military convoys, which can include a hundred or more trucks, you rarely have to
put up with much traffic.
Touring Routes
The most popular touring route at present is Lhasa to Kathmandu along the Friendship
Hwy. It is an ideal route in that it takes in most of Tibet's main sights, offers superb scenery
and (for those leaving from Lhasa) features a spectacular roller-coaster ride down from the
heights of the La Lung-la into the Kathmandu Valley. The trip will take a minimum of two
weeks, although to do it justice and include stopovers at Gyantse, Shigatse and Sakya,
budget 20 days. The entire trip is just over 940km, though most people start from Shigatse.
The roadside kilometre markers are a useful way of knowing exactly how far you have gone
and how far you still have to go.
If you are travelling via Kathmandu, Nepali mountain-bike agencies such as Dawn Till
Dusk (
www.nepalbiking.com
)
can offer tips, equipment and organised biking tours in Tibet.
Keen cyclists with good mountain bikes might want to consider the detour to Everest
Base Camp as a side trip on the Lhasa-Kathmandu route. The 108km one-way trip starts
from the Shegar turn-off, and it takes around two days to get to Rongphu Monastery.
Other possibilities are endless. Tsurphu, Ganden and Drigung Til Monasteries are relat-
ively easy trips and good for acclimatisation (though the road to Tsurphu is rough and
Ganden has a fierce final 10km uphill section). The Gyama Valley is an easy detour on a
bike if you are headed to Ganden. Cycling in the Yarlung Valley region is another fine op-
tion. Some cyclists even tackle the paved road to Nam-tso, although the nomads' dogs can
be a problem here.
Bike China (
www.bikechina.com
)
offers tours from Golmud to Lhasa.
Permits
It's currently not possible to cycle anywhere in Tibet independently. You must sign up for a
'tour', which essentially means being followed by a support vehicle and guide. There are no
specific permits for cycling but you will need all the usual permits as if you were travelling
by 4WD.
