Across Tibet

March 25 - June 10, 2005


Across Tibet West to East on a bigger map

We started our expedition in Kashgar (Kashi) in the Xinjiang province end of March and immeadiatley headed for the Aksai Chin and West Tibet. From the Tibetan town Domar we took minor roads across the western part of the Chang Tang high plateau. Two weeks of riding vague tracks or off-road, before we reached the northern road from Lhasa to Kailash at Gertse. In Gertse, we able to stocked up on food supplies and took the road across the Transhimalaya to Lhatse. From Lhatse we rode on the Friendship Highway along the Yarlung Tsangpo to Lhasa - on this stretch we came back to elevations below 4000m after five weeks!
Lhasa was the starting point for the next major part of the trip: East Tibet. We cycled over several high passes and experience the blooming rhododendron and alpine flowers. From Zuogong we explored a small gravel track along the YuChu river and finally ended up on the pilgrimage route around the mountain Meilixueshan. After four hard days of pushing and carrying our equipment (partly on horses), we reached the Mekong river and the town Deqen in the Yunnan province. From Deqen we took a bus to Lijang to experience some Chinese culture before returned home from Kunming.

The major challenges during the expdition were the high altitude (several continuous days over 4000m), large day-to-night temperature differences, strong winds, and the remoteness of major parts of the trip, during which supply with food and water will be scarce. In East Tibet, we had to watch out for dangerous landslides, that regularly bury the road in the narrow valleys.

Statistics of the 11 week bike tour across Tibet

... and by the way: 10 years ago, we went on the first bike tour together in Patagonia. Thus, it is worthwhile to celebrate the anniversary with a BIG and challenging trip to Tibet.