Driving the Line: What You Can Do, Even as a Beginner
Driving to Tibet is a dream for many travelers. After returning from Lhasa, many people asked me: 'What kind of car did you drive? Did you drive your own car?' My XXX is okay?' So, let's talk about the road first. The line is difficult to drive, or the roads into Tibet are difficult to drive, this is well known, but the line is difficult to drive is due to the road's steep slopes and sharp curves, not the road surface's potholes and ruggedness. All the way to Lhasa, the road is paved with asphalt. So it's not necessary for a hardcore off-road vehicle to enter Tibet. For example, I drove a 2015 CRV, 2.4L four-wheel drive, which was completely sufficient.
What others describe about entering Tibet
The actual road for entering Tibet
Don't overemphasize the vehicle's passability, but rather consider the car's adaptation to high altitudes. Not only people, but also cars will have altitude sickness. There's less oxygen at high altitudes, the combustion efficiency of fuel is not high, which causes power shortage, and the slope of most climbing roads is steep, so it's not recommended to choose vehicles with small displacement. In general, as long as it's not a vehicle with poor power, road conditions will not have much impact. It's not because you can't enter Tibet without an off-road vehicle, it's just that you don't need to make a fuss about it.
The second point is the provision of supplies. The 214 National Highway sections to Lijiang and Shangri-La are the best to drive, from Tiger Leaping Gorge to start, towards Dekyi, from an altitude of about 2000 meters, quickly rose to more than 4000 meters, then dropped to the banks of the Jinsha River at 2000 meters. This section of the road is the first test for people. The rapid changes in altitude are more harmful to the human body than gradual ascent. It's recommended to equip red cayenne pills, electronic blood pressure monitors in advance, so that you can grasp the state of your body. But don't measure too frequently, because it may cause psychological pressure. In addition, although the line has a good road surface, there are many rockfalls along the roadside. As everyone knows, sharp rock fragments peeling from cliffs can scratch tires. And there will be a long uphill followed by a long downhill, which is a test for the vehicle's brakes. For example, when we returned from Namtso Lake to Lhasa, we damaged the left front brake pads. So it's best to bring a simple repair tool, at least one spare tire, and a tire repair tool. It's better to have some vehicle knowledge and be able to roughly judge the location of the failure. During driving, pay attention to 'selecting the route', and use brakes and accelerators reasonably.
Looking down, you can see the extent of the ascent
Altitude changes mean temperature changes. The foot of the mountain is summer, and the top of the mountain may be winter. In addition to bringing warm clothes, you should also bring some medicine to prevent colds. Altitude sickness is not a joke. Entering Tibet can find restaurants on the road, but don't think that when you enter Tibet, you can only eat Tibetan food. Most restaurants on the road are Sichuan restaurants. If you don't like spicy food, or you can't eat spicy food for several days, you can bring your own food, because you may not be able to get used to eating authentic Tibetan food.
The third point is the itinerary planning. The biggest fear in entering Tibet is altitude sickness. When planning the itinerary, it's best to avoid staying at high altitudes for a long time. It's not good to spend the night in high-altitude areas. So the itinerary in high-altitude areas should be short, and when you arrive at low-altitude areas, such as Litse, you can rest. And the itinerary should follow the principle of 'hasty is better than delayed'. For example, when driving from Changdu to Litse, you have to pass Bonda town and the Seventy-Two Turns of Nu River. Bonda town has an altitude of more than 4000 meters, and the altitude of Litse direction is only about 2000 meters. According to the plan, we arrived at Bonda town at about 6 pm, had dinner at Bonda town, then drove along the Seventy-Two Turns of Nu River for about two hours, and arrived at the lower altitude of Bayux for overnight.
The Seventy-Two Turns of Nu River
However, when we set off after dinner, we were stopped by police in Bonda town because it was late and the sun had set, and the Seventy-Two Turns of Nu River was frozen. In order to ensure our safety, we couldn't pass through. So we had to return to Bonda town to spend the night, and the next morning, three of us had altitude sickness. Therefore, one is not to spend the night in high-altitude areas, and two is to arrange high-altitude itinerary in the middle of the day, so even if it's dark and cannot continue driving because of various reasons, you can stay in low-altitude areas.
Altitude sickness often occurs on the second or third day of entering the plateau. Some people feel nothing wrong with their bodies when they enter the plateau, so they are complacent. This is not your body's adaptation to altitude, but because your body hasn't reacted yet. So it's necessary to have a respectful attitude towards altitude. You can't think that you can live freely at high altitude just because your body hasn't reacted yet.
Regarding fuel supply, the line is not like Cirucili, it's not as terrible as the legend, you don't need to install an extra fuel tank, and you don't need to go to a gas station to fill up. You need to plan the mileage reasonably. But many gas stations require ID cards to fill up. Even if this is the case, you can't be arrogant. In many places in the Tibetan area, there are no people for tens of kilometers, and there are hundreds of kilometers between townships and cities. So it's better to follow the signs and not 'branch out'. Otherwise, getting lost will make your full fuel supply tense. Many places in the Tibetan area have no signal, even no signal. So you need to practice driving with navigation and maps in advance. Also learn to record mileage to follow the plan and not delay the journey.
Regarding details, the fun of self-driving is not only in challenging yourself, but also in being able to open the car door and embrace the beautiful scenery at any time. But when you see cows and sheep in a place at an altitude of 5000 meters, don't stop the car suddenly. First, open the windows to let the air circulate and adapt the temperature. Otherwise, you will get cold and have a cold.
The macaques in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon
The sheep crossing the road
The foxes crossing the road in the Yarlung Tsangpo Lake
The sheep grazing on the grasslands, the golden eagles hunting on the grasslands, the foxes crossing the road in the distant ridges, and the sheep grazing in the mountains. Don't stop the car, slow down and be a passerby.
Carefully protect the vehicle, which is a tool for escorting you. When you plan well and execute it as expected, the remaining things are left to your eyes. Regarding the 'don't waste' advice, fully play your instinctive ability to avoid danger. When you are full of respect for nature, nature will definitely take care of you.
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